Community leadership

The nonprofit Vail Valley Foundation’s mission is to provide leadership in arts, athletics, and education and address community needs to enhance our valley as a place to live, work, and visit.  We have a special place in our community that allows us to bring together businesses, individual donors, government, and community leaders to help effect positive change in our community.

Although the VVF primarily focuses on arts, athletics, and education, there are other areas where our community faces major challenges. When our community faces extraordinary difficulties, as we did during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Vail Valley Foundation acts as a convener and leader to help solve big problems effectively.

These projects may not fit cleanly into the areas of arts, athletics, and education. Instead, they are special projects that fit broadly into the VVF’s goal to serve our unique community, and to provide leadership in times of need.

As an example, in 2022, our organization created the Eagle River Childcare Initiative to build or secure space for much needed incremental and affordable employer sponsored childcare facilities.  We are starting this project in Avon and will continue this effort in Edwards, Eagle, Gypsum, and potentially, Dotsero. Starting in 2023, the VVF will act as a convening organization bringing together the right community leaders to tackle our housing crises through the VVF led Housing Task Force.

Led by Gerald R. Ford, who was a founding Board Member of our organization, the founders of our organization always sought to be in service to the community across a wide range of areas. In the areas of Community Leadership, the VVF will continue to strive to serve the community in areas of need, as they arise, and to take swift, effective action to alleviate the issues that challenge our community.