BRIGHT FUTURE FOUNDATION FOR EAGLE COUNTY

Bright Future Foundation aspires to accomplish the following goals with our comprehensive programs: 1) provide comprehensive emergency services that enhance safety for victims and their families; 2) give clients the tools to facilitate long term self-sufficiency through direct services and increased knowledge of community resources and 3) promote healthy lifestyles, enhance self-esteem and self-efficacy.

Our four quintessential programs include: Advocates Ensuring Freedom, Freedom Ranch Safehouse, Rapid ReHousing, and Youth Violence Prevention Services. Advocates Ensuring Freedom provides essential crisis intervention and long-term healing services for survivors of violence in English and Spanish including a 24/7 crisis hotline, advocacy and case management services, trauma-informed counseling services for individuals and families, including teens and children, and legal consultation and representation services provided by our staff attorney. Our housing continuum including the BrightHouse emergency housing units, Ensuring Freedom Housing Program and Rapid ReHousing Program, focuses on assisting survivors to access stable housing as quickly as possible.

Bright Future Foundation prioritizes prevention as the greatest avenue for creating lasting change and eliminating violence in our community. Our Youth Violence Prevention Program is two-pronged, Buddy Mentors and in school programming. Buddy Mentors focuses on long term, positive and consistent 1:1 relationship with at-risk youth. Our school programming works in tandem with the school district and other local agencies to provide interactive and educational programming to Eagle County youth.

Together, these programs work to break the generational cycle of violence by providing holistic, immediate relief to families in need and prevention programs that create sustainable emotional, behavioral and community change.

Bright Future Foundation has diverse funding comprised of a fiscally healthy combination of government grants, foundation and community grants, individual and corporate donors, special events income, earned income and in-kind contributions that support our programs to remain sustainable. Currently, 60% of BFF’s funding is from government grants including Eagle County Government, the Division of Criminal Justice Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) and Domestic Violence Program (DVP) who are funding partners for Advocates Ensuring Freedom. Our government grants often require local support and match. Continued funding is essential to assist BFF in meeting match requirements and to demonstrate local endorsement of our programs. With the current volatility of government budgets and funding priorities, it is imperative that Bright Future Foundation continues to diversify our income sources to insulate from potential cuts in government resources. Bright Future Foundation continues to involve additional funding partners to ensure our services expand and develop to meet the need in the community. As a grassroots organization in its founding, Bright Future Foundation strives to connect the community with the mission of Bright Future Foundation through grassroots level funding and budget relieving partnership opportunities such as in-kind donations to meet the needs of clients in crisis. Bright Future Foundation has a fifteen-member board of directors who prioritize funding for our organization. Our board members are spokespeople in the community, promoting the mission, vision, and values of Bright Future Foundation to the public. 100% of our board members contribute financially to the extent they are able. Our board has taken leadership in sustaining the organization.

Bright Future Foundation’s ability to provide lifechanging services is a direct result of the support from our donors and community partners. This year has presented challenges for each and every one of us, but particularly for those with already complicated lives. Thanks to the resiliency of our staff, leadership from our Board of Directors, and support from our community we were able to continue to serve our clients when they needed us most. Support allows us to meet the growing needs of our community.

• Our 24/7 crisis hotline, operated in English and Spanish, remains the primary access point for survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault in need of safety, security, and/or access to community resources. Bright Future Foundation experienced a 18% increase in hotline calls from victims isolated in their homes. Calls continue to surge into the early part of 2021 compared to years prior as victims seek emergency support.

• Advocates continue to work with survivors on long-term healing with goal of self-sufficiency and self-efficacy. Advocates served 800 clients, an increase of 10% over 2019. 14% of clients were victims of sexual assault, 75% of domestic violence, and 11% of stalking and harassment.

• Our staff attorney provided protection order assistance to 64 survivors compared to 46 in 2019. Like all of our services, this essential part of healing and empowerment is provided at no cost to the client.

• Behavioral health services are critical to developing the psychological tools necessary to process trauma and initiate long-term healing. Therapist provided free and confidential behavioral treatment to over 150 survivors of domestic and sexual violence.

• A vital component of crisis response is the emergency shelter program. Bright Future Foundation provided over 1700 nights of emergency shelter, an increase of 6% over previous years. As we focus on assisting survivors to access stable housing as quickly as possible while providing financial support and holistic support. Our housing continuum provided 22,000 nights of safe housing for 175 survivors of domestic violence and sexual abuse.

• Bright Future Foundation prioritizes prevention as the greatest avenue for creating change and progressing towards our goal of eliminating violence in our community. Bright Future Foundation provided over 2,500 hours of programming for 60 youth involved in Buddy Mentors. Our programming was one of the only social opportunities for many youths during the lockdown. Most importantly, the Buddy Mentor program impacts the entire family of a junior buddy as much of our programming is extended to the whole family. We know that with your increased financial support these impact hours extend deep into our community for years to come through strategic program development.