The Aspen Community Foundation has awarded $605,000 to 34 nonprofits who serve communities from Aspen to Parachute in the priority areas of youth success and basic human needs, the organization announced Friday.

The foundation’s Community Grantmaking program has been providing discretionary grants to nonprofit organizations for 35 years while responding to the evolving needs of its service area.

Over the past four years, with the advent of the foundation’s flagship effort, the Cradle to Career Initiative, the Community Grantmaking program has placed an emphasis on maintaining and elevating the capacity of high-performing nonprofits that engage youth and strengthen families. This year, the Aspen Community Foundation’s grantmaking efforts prioritized general operating and programmatic grants to nonprofits working in early-childhood education, family supports, youth development and basic services for families, such as food, shelter, safety and health care.

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“While supporting youth success is incredibly important, we believe it cannot be achieved without also supporting the whole family,” said Tamara Tormohlen, executive director of the Aspen Community Foundation. “A holistic approach is critical to ensuring youth success both in and out of school.”

The community grants are made possible through annual contributions from individuals wishing to support a pooled grantmaking fund. One hundred percent of contributions made to Community Grantmaking are awarded as grants to the nonprofits. No portion of these contributions are utilized for administrative or overhead expenses, according to the foundation.

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The foundation’s discretionary grantmaking represents about one quarter of its programmatic activity, which also includes the Cradle to Career Initiative, scholarships, technical assistance for nonprofits, the mental health fund, emergency assistance and a partnership with Aspen Skiing Co.’s Environment Foundation.

For more information, contact Program Director Susanne Morrison at susanne@aspencommunityfoundation.org or 970-925-9300.