Mission & Charitable Giving

Furthering the values and ideals of Bill Daniels

Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming map

Bill Daniels' affection for Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming is tied to the events of his life, and the people and places that played a part in his success.

The Daniels Fund, established by cable television pioneer Bill Daniels, is a private charitable foundation dedicated to making life better for the people of Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming through its grants program, scholarship program, and ethics initiative.

Daniels Fund Grants Program

The Daniels Fund Grants Program focuses on supporting highly effective nonprofit organizations that achieve significant results within our four-state region, as well as select programs with national impact.

Each year, approximately 70% of our community investments are made through the Daniels Fund Grants Program. Our grant funding areas, as well as the geographic regions we serve, were personally defined by Bill Daniels, and they do not change.

Annual Funding Allocation, 70 percent Grants, 30 percent scholarships

Aging
Amateur Sports
Disabilities
Drug & Alcohol Addiction
Early Childhood Education
Homeless & Disadvantaged
K-12 Education Reform
Youth Development

The grants team dedicates time to personally visit communities across our four-state region to get to know area nonprofits, learn about effective programs and projects, and understand how needs vary from place to place.

To maximize our impact while addressing the specific needs of each state, we have tailored individual grantmaking strategies and objectives for Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming.

Daniels Fund Scholarship Program

Our Scholarship Program, which includes the Daniels Scholarship Program and the Boundless Opportunity Scholarship Program, represents approximately 30% of the Daniels Fund’s annual charitable spending.

The Daniels Scholarship Program provides four-year college scholarships for graduating high school seniors who demonstrate exceptional character, leadership, and commitment to serving their communities. Daniels Scholars benefit from much more than just financial support. They become part of a community and receive access to personal support, professional development, and a far-reaching network that contributes to their success in college and beyond.

The Boundless Opportunity Scholarship Program provides college scholarships for non-traditional students of all ages, awarded by select colleges and universities using funds provided by the Daniels Fund. Schools offer the scholarship to one or more traditionally overlooked student populations defined by the Daniels Fund.

Daniels Fund Ethics Initiative

The Daniels Fund Ethics Initiative delivers principle-based ethics education, and reinforces the value of ethical business and personal conduct. Each of the Ethics Initiative's eight components utilizes a specific approach to reach its target audience:

The Collegiate Program drives principle-based ethics education through partnerships with universities across Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming.

The Community College Program builds upon courses, curriculum, and resources previously created for the High School Program and modified for use at the college level.

The High School Program provides an earlier introduction to principle-based ethics education, targeting high school students active in business and marketing education.

The Middle School Program builds upon courses, curriculum, and resources previously created for the High School Program and modified for instruction to middle school students.

The Elementary School Program will deliver ethics instruction to students in elementary school in partnership with Unite for Common Good (UCG). The goals of this program are to heighten teacher awareness of the importance of teaching ethical principles, promote the use of UCG curriculum to foster student development, and expand delivery of the program.

The Law Enforcement Program is a partnership that provides expanded principle-based ethics discussions for police and sheriff’s departments.

The Case Bank is an online library of simple, straightforward business cases focusing on principle-based ethics available to the public and intended for use in educational settings.

Honoring Donor Intent

We adhere to Bill Daniels’ direction regarding our charitable giving. As we do this, we strive to exemplify the values and ideals that shaped his life.

Relationships are integral to our style of doing business.
We believe in providing people with a hand-up to help them improve themselves, and eventually, help others.
We strive to be a permanent and impactful resource in the communities we serve.
An entrepreneurial spirit is ever-present in our work.
We uphold ourselves, and those with whom we are associated, to high quality work and standards.
We are committed to ensuring this organization continues to operate in a manner that serves as a model among, and advocate for, foundations nationwide.

Impact at a Glance

The Daniels Fund has distributed more than $1.1 billion in grants and scholarships awarded since 2000.

There are more than 5,000 Daniels Scholars, 3,000 of which have graduated with a degree and have entered the workforce.

Daniels Scholars have attended more than 500 colleges and universities in 50 states, with approximately 70% attending school in our four-state region. At any given time, roughly 900 Daniels Scholars are pursuing four-year degrees at colleges and universities across the country.