News Release
Media contact: Taylor Roddy • 312.208.6483 • taylor@caring4denver.org
Denver, CO – Caring for Denver Foundation recently released its initial strategic funding report outlining key funding areas to help address the mental health and substance misuse challenges facing the City and County of Denver.
Under leadership from Executive Director, Lorez Meinhold, Caring for Denver operates as an independent nonprofit foundation to oversee and distribute nearly $35M per year in funding to help catalyze bold and meaningful impact in our communities. Architected by State Representative Leslie Herod and funded by voters in 2018, Caring for Denver will harness the strength of the voter initiative in 2018 to partner with those on the front lines to forge a new path for tackling the right challenges with the most effective solutions by not only listening, but learning from the community from which it was created.
In the span of six weeks, Caring for Denver engaged in a robust community engagement effort that gathered input from more than 1,600 people with lived experience, first responders, creatives, youth, and so many others across 120 organizations and through small community events, four forums, three virtual events in English and Spanish, and by phone. This feedback informed the most immediate needs in the following areas:
- Youth – Better address and support mental health and substance misuse, and create more connections for our youth.
- Community-Centered Solutions – Use community knowledge, strengths, and resources to foster local connectedness and support.
- Care Provision – More people in Denver have access to the mental health and substance misuse care at the right time, and the supports to navigate care.
- Alternatives to Jail – Greater supports, connections, practices, and opportunities to redirect people experiencing mental health and substance misuse crisis away from and out of the criminal justice system.
“This report represents thoughtful input from so many throughout the city and will be the cornerstone of our work for the next several years. It is as much a reflection of community as it is of us. We will take a bold approach to grant-making that will have a lasting impact in our community. We are eager to begin to address Denver’s mental health and substance misuse needs by growing community-informed solutions, and turning the community’s desire to help into action,” said Executive Director, Lorez Meinhold.
“The work of Caring for Denver Foundation will be transformational for tens of thousands of residents, their families, friends and youth who struggle every single day with untreated and undertreated mental health and substance misuse challenges. I am proud to have championed the issue and continue the work,“ said Board Chair, Representative Leslie Herod.
The report is available at caring4denver.org/about and open for community feedback for the next month by emailing info@caring4denver.org. Check the website or facebook.com/caring4denver as more information is available on future calls for proposals and funding opportunities.
About Caring for Denver Foundation
Caring for Denver Foundation was founded and funded with overwhelming voter support in November of 2018 to put 25 cents from every hundred dollars spent into a community fund for mental health and substance misuse issues. Caring for Denver will distribute at least $35 million per year to support programs in Denver that:
– Increase mental health and substance misuse prevention, treatment, recovery, and harm reduction
– Provide alternatives to jails and emergency rooms as a first stop for those in crisis
– Fund community-identified priorities
Caring for Denver Foundation is a public 501c3 nonprofit organization integrated with and accountable to stakeholders across Denver with oversight from 13 Board members appointed by the Mayor, District Attorney, and City Council President. Representative Leslie Herod serves as the board chairwoman.
About Lorez Meinhold
Lorez Meinhold serves as the Executive Director of Caring for Denver. She brings over nineteen years of implementation and policy experience as a director of multilateral initiatives involving the public, private and civic sectors, working at the local, state, and national levels. Lorez has worked in many capacities integrating health programs addressing mental health and substance misuse needs, connecting early childhood and health communities, delivery and payment system reforms, and efforts that required statewide stakeholder engagement.
About Rep. Leslie Herod
Colorado State Representative Leslie Herod (D-Denver) was elected in 2016 as the first LGBTQ African American in the Colorado General Assembly. Since then, she has passed 52 bills, addressing criminal justice reform, mental health, addiction, youth homelessness, education, and civil rights protections. Herod championed the Caring for Denver Ballot measure and now