ASSOCIATION OF FUNDRAISING PROFESSIONALS 

Denver 

News: If 10 words were to sum up the “Why” for all who were honored at the 2025 National Philanthropy Day in Colorado Luncheon, it would be these: “We don’t ask anything in return. We just do it.” 

Yes, they all could have said it. But it was members of the Gunnison High School Legion Club who did. 

The 12 Gunnison High School seniors who are Legion Club members had traveled to Denver on Nov. 6 to stand before 600 guests in Seawell Ballroom to accept the 2025 Outstanding Youth Group Award, an honor that celebrates the club’s dedication to civic pride and historical preservation through activities that include organizing care package drives for deployed service members, supporting local food pantries and maintaining the grounds and military headstones at several Gunnison area cemeteries. 

The club achieved widespread attention when it restored the grave of escaped slave and Union Army veteran William Clark and then located some of his descendants from across the country to let them know he had not been forgotten. 

In addition to a commemorative sculpture, the award also included a $3,000 gift to help fund future club activities. 

Amy Farnan, senior director of development for There with Care Colorado, chaired the luncheon; Kyle Clark of 9News was master of ceremonies and presenters included Don Mares, president and chief executive officer of The Colorado Trust; Javier Alberto Soto, president/CEO of The Denver Foundation, and Tiffany Anderson, vice president of grants and programs for the Boettcher Foundation. 

Other honorees were: 

• The Group Real Estate of Fort Collins received the Outstanding Large Business Award for its in-house giving and service program, GroupGives, that has granted over $1 million to more than 60 nonprofit organizations in Northern Colorado. 

• Concord Energy of Denver received the Outstanding Small Business Award. Since 2008, its 54 employees have donated some $1.6 million to Habitat for Humanity of Metro Denver and helped launch Arrupe Jesuit High School’s Workforce Investment Program that connects students from low-income families with nonprofit internships and career mentorship. 

• Christina Cooper, major gifts officer at KUNC radio and vice president of resource development at United Way of Larimer County, was named Outstanding Professional Fundraiser for her impact in shaping the region’s nonprofit landscape and transforming the lives of countless individuals. 

• Laura Mendez, a vice president and community banker with Banc of California/Denver and financial literacy teacher, received the Outstanding Volunteer Fundraiser award for her success in expanding new sources of funding for Growing Home, on whose board she serves. 

• Ri Armstrong, who was born in Cambodia and is a survivor of the Vietnam war, was the choice for Outstanding Volunteer. For the past 37 years, he has volunteered with National Sports Center for the Disabled, making him one of the longest-serving and most influential volunteer instructors at the NSCD. He has also competed in the 1980 and 1984 Winter Paralympics. 

• Sherri Koelbel was the recipient of the Outstanding Philanthropist Award. With her late husband, Buz, and the Koelbel Family Foundation, she has contributed some $7.5 million to area nonprofits that include the Denver Zoo, Denver Museum of Nature & Science, Rocky Mountain Public Media, the High Line Canal Conservancy, the University of Colorado Leeds School of Business and Children’s Hospital Colorado.  

• Roweena Naidoo, the Outstanding Professional Grantmaker, is vice president/policy and community initiatives at Mile High United Way. Over the past 12 years she has directed more than $70 million in investments into the Metro Denver, Boulder and Broomfield communities, supporting housing, early childhood education, food access and legal services. 

• The Nathan Yip Foundation was named Outstanding Foundation for its hands-on, community centered approach to supporting schools in rural areas of Colorado with funding for such elements as bilingual education, indigenous curriculum development, and wellness resources. 

• Firefly Autism received the Inspiration Award for its transformative work that has enriched the lives of neurodivergent individuals throughout Colorado. The Lakewood-based nonprofit has programs that span from early childhood through adulthood, with 100 percent of center-based learners making measurable progress in communication, adaptive skills and behavior. 

• Amy Xia, the Outstanding Youth, is a senior at Cherry Creek High School who serves as a Cyberleaders mentor in the Denver Public Schools, teaching coding to Title I students and helping migrant and unhoused youth reconnect with learning. In addition, she is a Certified Nursing Assistant, serving the elderly, and is Midwest Regional Director and communications manager for the Thriving Schools Youth Council. 

• Ellie Caulkins received the Lifetime Achievement Award for her decades-long role in shaping Colorado’s philanthropic landscape. She is the namesake of the Ellie Caulkins Opera House; a founding trustee of the Children’s Hospital Colorado Foundation; a 40-year leader and Lifetime Honorary Chair of Opera Colorado; a 53-year donor, trustee and mentor at Graland Country Day Schol and a past president of the Metropolitan Opera National Council in New York. 

About the organization: Colorado chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals had its start in the late 1970s and is a membership organization that creates opportunities for fundraising professionals to network, grow professionally and advance the field. It also hosts the annual National Philanthropy Day in Colorado luncheon, where awards are given to individuals and organizations who have made lasting impacts in their respective communities. 

Website: afpcc.org 

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