Since its inception in 1981, the Vail Valley Foundation has been a champion within our community to create life-enriching experiences for everyone who lives, works, or visits here.
For decades, the VVF defined it’s work around three pillars: arts, athletics, and education.
In truth, however, the organization has always responded to the needs of our community, and therefore worked in many areas. Recently the Vail Valley Foundation has formally adopted “Community” as a fourth pillar of the company.
Why community, and why us?
The VVF has always been in a unique position to bring together governments, businesses, and individuals to accomplish great things and take on big challenges.
What areas?
The community engagement committee, established in 2021 in the wake of the VVF’s work supporting our local response to the pandemic, has identified two key areas to provide immediate and mid-range support: Childcare & Housing.
Partnerships
The VVF is not taking on these challenges alone: partnerships are essential to uniting the community toward solutions that alleviate our community’s most pressing issues.
In Childcare
The Eagle River Valley is currently a childcare desert, and the situation has reached a point where nearly half of the Valley’s childcare needs are not being met. Many people manage childcare needs through informal and unlicensed friends, family, neighbors’ solutions, and a significant portion of our population have no viable childcare solution.
To address this critical need, the VVF is piloting the Eagle River Valley Childcare Initiative by building an early childcare center in Avon. This will be an employer-sponsored center that will provide childcare to approximately 150 children in our valley. While the VVF does not plan to run the childcare centers, it will provide financial oversight and create a replicable model allowing multiple centers to open throughout the Vail Valley.
In Housing
Our organization is working together with entities throughout Eagle County to identify and support partnerships that can lead to improved workforce housing conditions.
