Noah Atencio, Vice President of Community Impact for Community First Foundation in Arvada, Colorado, today was awarded the 2017 Robert W. Scrivner Award for Creative Grantmaking, one of the most prestigious honors for innovative grantmakers.
Established in honor of the late Robert Winston Scrivner, the award honors a grantmaker who, with a combination of vision, principle, and personal commitment, makes a critical difference in a creative way.
As the 2017 winner, Atencio was presented with a specially commissioned award sculpture as well as a $10,000 prize during a special luncheon hosted by the Carnegie Corporation of New York.
Atencio leads Community First Foundation’s grantmaking, which includes addressing the complex and fragmented mental health field in the Denver region. Recognizing that prevention and early intervention strategies were underfunded and outcome measurement difficult, Atencio saw there were opportunities to curate innovative and impactful work among existing nonprofits in the region. His nomination was based on his leadership in the creation and promotion of The Innovators Society, which funds promising, but not yet proven, approaches to mental wellness. Atencio’s efforts have led to measurable growth of five mental wellness innovations in the Denver area, and the creation of a 512-member network committed to accelerating new solutions for mental wellness.
“I accept this award on behalf of all the grantmakers who are on the frontlines making sure that our community accepts that mental and physical health should be together as one goal,” Atencio said in accepting the award, adding that he planned to use the funds to honor the legacy of Robert Scrivner.
The luncheon also included a discussion on creative grantmaking featuring past Scrivner winners Geri Mannion (2009 recipient, Carnegie Corporation of New York), Taryn Higashi (2009 recipient, Unbound Philanthropy); Theophilus Gregory (2012 recipient, El Pomar Foundation) and Shelley Trott (2014 recipient, Kenneth Rainin Foundation).
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An active philanthropic network, the Council on Foundations (www.cof.org), founded in 1949, is a nonprofit leadership association of grantmaking foundations and corporations. It provides the opportunity, leadership, and tools needed by philanthropic organizations to expand, enhance and sustain their ability to advance the common good. With members from all foundation types and sizes, the Council empowers professionals in philanthropy to meet today’s toughest challenges and advances a culture of charitable giving in the U.S. and globally.
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CONTACT: Janelle Carter Brevard Council on Foundations 7038790630 [email protected]