Honored to Be Named a Success Awards Finalist—Together

At Eagle Valley Community Foundation, recognition has never been about a single organization or individual—it’s about the collective strength of a community that shows up for one another every day.

We are deeply honored to be named a finalist in multiple categories for this year’s Vail Valley Partnership Success Awards, including Nonprofit of the Year, Best Place to Work, Community Impact Award – Organization, and Excellence in DEI. Alongside this, we are especially proud to celebrate two individuals whose work reflects the heart of our mission and were recognized in Small Nonprofit of the Year and Community Impact-Individual:

• Alex Kandalaft, our Annual Giving Manager, for launching BodyKind Vail (Small Nonprofit of the Year- Finalist), a powerful new initiative focused on wellness, confidence, and belonging
• Monica Martinez our MIRA Community Outreach Leadd, (Community Impact- Individual) for her leadership and unwavering commitment to advancing community health through MIRA and beyond

This recognition belongs to all of us.

A Moment to Celebrate—and to Reflect

While we are incredibly grateful for this acknowledgment, we also see it as something more: a spotlight on the very real challenges our community continues to face.

Across Eagle County, families are navigating rising costs of living, gaps in healthcare access, food insecurity, and barriers to opportunity. Many of our neighbors—often working multiple jobs—are still making impossible choices between basic needs.

At EVCF, we see this every day:

• Parents choosing between groceries and rent
• Community members navigating complex healthcare systems without support
• Seniors seeking connection and dignity as they age
• Entrepreneurs with vision but limited access to capital and networks

These challenges are not new—but they are urgent. And they cannot be solved by any one organization alone.

It Takes All of Us

This recognition is a powerful reminder that real solutions are built through collaboration.

It takes:

• Staff who show up with compassion, expertise, and relentless commitment
• Board members who guide strategy and champion our mission
• Volunteers who give their time and heart to serve others
• Donors and partners who invest in long-term, community-driven change
• And most importantly, community members who trust us—sharing their stories, their needs, and their hopes for the future

Together, we are building something bigger than any one program or initiative. We are creating pathways to dignity, health, and economic mobility—side by side.

Moving Forward, Together

As we celebrate this moment, we remain grounded in our purpose: connecting community to community and ensuring that every individual in Eagle County has access to the resources and opportunities they deserve.

We are honored to stand alongside so many incredible organizations and leaders who are also working tirelessly to strengthen our region.

This recognition is not a finish line—it’s fuel.

Fuel to keep listening.
Fuel to keep showing up.
Fuel to keep building solutions, together.

With gratitude,

Eagle Valley Community Foundation