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DANIELS FUND

Honoring Bill Daniels' direction to make life better for the people and communities of Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming
The Daniels Fund awarded Step Denver the Medal of Excellence and $250,000 prize to honor excellence in nonprofit work and support the organization’s addiction recovery and homelessness programs, at its inaugural Salute to Excellence event at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science.

The event recognized the work of three top-performing grantees: Climb Wyoming, Gold Crown Foundation and Step Denver. Each advanced pioneering solutions and demonstrated community impact aligned with the Daniels Fund’s mission and founder Bill Daniels’ legacy.

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The inaugural Daniels Fund Salute to Excellence ws a celebration of our incredible grantees.

We are thrilled to announce three distinguished finalists for the Daniels Fund Medal of Excellence! These outstanding organizations set a high standard for excellence in the spirit of Bill Daniels.

Two finalists will receive $100,000 to support their mission and one organization will receive the Medal of Excellence along with $250,000.

Learn more about the finalists below.
Date:
January 10, 2024
Location:
Denver Museum of Nature and Science
2001 Colorado Boulevard, Denver, CO 80205
Time:
Award Reception and Program: 6:00 – 7:30 pm

2024 Medal of Excellence Winner — Step Denver

Congratulations to Step Denver, winner of the inaugural Medal of Excellence!

Step Denver logo
Step Denver offers men a pathway to recovery that ends the cycle of drug and alcohol addiction, rebuilds their lives and relationships, and returns them to society as contributing citizens.

Website:
stepdenver.org

Medal of Excellence Finalists

Climb Wyoming logo
Climb Wyoming breaks generational poverty for women and their children through job training and placement that leverages confidence, social capital, and community connections.

Website:
climbwyoming.org/
Gold Crown logo
Gold Crown Foundation provides affordable and impactful sports and educational programs that help youth gain foundational skills for success such as hard work, grit, confidence, and respect.

Website:
goldcrownfoundation.com

Photos

Step Denver
Pictured (from left to right): Step Denver Director of Programs Sean Hoy, Step Denver CEO Paul Scudo, Step Denver Executive Director Meghan Shay, and Daniels Fund President & CEO Hanna Skandera.
Step Denver
Pictured (from left to right): Daniels Fund President & CEO Hanna Skandera, Climb Wyoming COO Molly Kruger, Climb Wyoming CEO Katie Hogarty, and Climb Wyoming Founder Ray Fleming Dinneen. Climb Wyoming was awarded $100,000 as a finalist for the inaugural Medal of Excellence.
Step Denver
Pictured (from left to right): Gold Crown Foundation Director of Finance Tara Leipheimer, Gold Crown Foundation Executive Director Kevin Petty, Gold Crown Foundation CEO Bill Hanzlik, Gold Crown Foundation President & Partner Ray Baker, and Daniels Fund President & CEO Hanna Skandera.
Click here for high-resolution photos that can be shared and used in coverage.

About the Daniels Fund

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.

Bill Daniels established the Daniels Fund Grants Program to give back to people in the states he loved with specific funding priorities that held a deep personal significance for him. In 2023, the Daniels Fund awarded $54 million in grants to more than 350 highly effective nonprofit partners that are transforming their communities across Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming.

Learn more about Bill Daniels

Learn more about the Daniels Fund Grants Program

Contact Information

For media inquiries, please contact:
Jackie Brown-Griggs, 303.300.2255, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Emma Harrison, 630.632.0285, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

For event inquiries, please contact:
Jody Neumann, 303.393.7220, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.