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Medal of Excellence Finalists:
The Other Side Academy, Excellent Schools New Mexico, Warren Village
Honoring three of the most innovative and effective nonprofits in the Mountain West, the Daniels Fund will host its third annualSalute to Excellence event on Thursday, January 29 in Denver.
The award reception recognizes three notable nonprofit organizations that demonstrate and advance pioneering solutions and deep lasting community impact. The event will showcase the leadership, influence and dedication of the three organizations and then reveal the winner of the Daniels Fund Medal of Excellence.
The finalists are:
- The Other Side Academy, with locations in Denver and Salt Lake City, transforms lives through a free, rigorous, peer-led long-term residential program that helps individuals overcome addiction, criminal behavior and chronic homelessness.
- Excellent Schools New Mexico, based in Albuquerque,is transforming educational opportunity across New Mexico by expanding access to high-quality public charter schools for more than 14,000 students.
- Warren Village, based in Denver, empowers single parent families to build a stable, independent future through transitional housing, supportive services, on-site early childhood education and workforce development.
One organization will be awarded the prestigious Daniels Fund Medal of Excellence and will receive $250,000 to further support its mission. The two runners-up will each receive $100,000.
| Where: | Denver Museum of Nature and Science 2001 Colorado Blvd. Denver, CO 80205 View on Google Maps |
| When: | Thursday, January 29, 2026 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. (Program begins at 7:15 p.m.) |
Photography and Interview Opportunities:Photo and video opportunities will be available at the event and professional photographs and video footage will be available post-event. Interviews with Daniels Fund leadership and grantees may be scheduled before, during, or after the event for expanded stories. In addition, we can provide interviews with people who have experienced each organization to add color and substance.
About the Daniels Fund
Established by cable television pioneer Bill Daniels, the Daniels Fund is a private charitable foundation dedicated to making life better for people in Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming through its grants and scholarship programs.
Bill Daniels established the Daniels Fund Grants Program to give back to people in the four states he loved with specific funding priorities that held a deep personal significance for him. In 2025, the Daniels Fund awarded 600 grants totaling $52 million. The Fund also awards full-ride college scholarships to the next generation of America’s leaders through the Daniels Scholarship program.
Since its founding in 2000, the Daniels Fund has awarded more than $1.5 billion in grants and scholarships. Visit DanielsFund.org to learn more.
To attend or for media assistance, please contact:
Sean Duffy, 303.718.9049, [email protected]
Bruce Wilmsen, 720.941.4429, [email protected]
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