Grant Details

The Buell Foundation seeks proven, promising, or developing programs that can demonstrate success in helping children thrive. We support efforts to improve quality and encourage meaningful evaluation and assessment. It is our goal to partner with outstanding organizations to improve the systems that serve children. Particular focus is placed on programs that target underserved communities. Funding priority at this time is on programs that support the education and development of children zero to five, it is also a priority for the Foundation to fund programs in rural Colorado.  

Their funding strategy includes two primary areas of interest:

• Early Childhood Education and Development - The Foundation will consider proposals in the following areas that directly support the healthy development of very young children between the ages of zero and five:
  • Assessment and evaluation – We support a variety of assessments used to gauge the effectiveness of programs and progress of program participants. This may include process/fidelity measures as well as outcome measures (e.g. Teaching Strategies GOLD, Adult-Adolescent Parenting Index, Social Competence Scale, etc.).
  • Behavior and social competence – We support direct programming as well as consultation in early learning settings with a focus on the promotion and prevention levels of behavioral health.
  • Capital – We support a range of capital improvements at licensed child care centers. We support smaller scale improvements (e.g. playgrounds, materials, fixtures) as well as large building projects (e.g. purchase and renovation of a building).
  • Early childhood and preschool programs – We support licensed child care centers and preschools that have a commitment to quality improvement and serving children from diverse populations. We also support the early learning components of community-based programs, such as family literacy.
  • Home visitation – We support evidence-based and evidence-informed home visiting programs with a focus on supporting positive parenting skills and increased knowledge about child development.
  • Improvements directly related to quality – We support ongoing quality improvement of all programs. This includes funding for materials, additional staff, coaching, and quality ratings.
  • Language development and early literacy – We support a wide range of early literacy programs ranging from book distribution to comprehensive early literacy programs.
  • Nutrition and physical activity in early learning environments – We support enhancements to programs (child care centers, parenting education, etc.) that promote increased physical activity and improved nutrition of participants.
  • Parenting education – We support evidence-based and evidence-informed parenting education programs with a focus on supporting positive parenting skills and increased knowledge about child development.
  • Professional development and education – We support projects that facilitate early childhood professionals' access to college-level coursework, mentoring, or community-based trainings.
• Teen Pregnancy Prevention - The Buell Foundation funds proven, comprehensive, medically accurate teen pregnancy prevention programs. The Foundation will not fund abstinence-only programs. Comprehensive teen pregnancy prevention programs must:
  • Be facilitated by trained and experienced professionals, ideally by someone who has been prepared to facilitate sexual health education programs and/or a curriculum
  • Emphasize the importance of delaying sex
  • Instruct about the benefits and risks of condoms and contraception when engaging in sex
  • Impart information about sexual activity and the use of condoms and contraception that is deemed medically accurate by sources on which medical professionals rely
  • Provide education about consent and refusal skills
  • Occur in a safe, confidential, and non-judgmental learning environment for all youth
  • Be inclusive of the cultures, values, sexual orientation, and gender identity of youth participating in the program
  • Assess the effectiveness of the programs on the skills, knowledge, and attitudes or behavior change of the participants