News and notes from Imagine! and the Imagine! Foundation.

Imagine! Foundation Celebrates 20 Years

Apr-10-2020

ImagineFoundation

It was 20 years ago today!

Today marks the 20^th Anniversary of the Imagine! Foundation – on April 10, 2000, the State of Colorado adopted the Imagine! Foundation Articles of Incorporation.

Over these 20 years, so much has happened. We’ve had 4,500 donors contribute over $10 million, and thanks to them, here’s what we have accomplished so far:

Built two SmartHomes
Purchased five other residential sites
Renovated and maintained residential sites
Supported Imagine!’s vital services, including:
- Quality educational and therapeutic Early Intervention Services to support children in meeting developmental milestones, as well as their families
- After School and Summer Camp programs to help school age kids with intellectual disabilities participate in enriching activities that support the development of skills that will last them a lifetime
- Supported Employment Programs so adults with developmental disabilities can find and maintain work at local businesses, and contribute to their communities in meaningful ways
- Enriching community-based day program activities that help adults with developmental disabilities build skills which can be transferred to all aspects of their lives
- A residential program designed to ensure that adults with developmental disabilities can be active, participating members of their communities
Purchased vehicles and accessibility retrofits to support the 80+ fleet of vehicles that help make our programs community-based
Helped Imagine! rebuild homes after the 2013 Boulder County floods
Supported an Emergency Fund to help people we serve during crisis situations
Added emerging technologies to increase independence and self-reliance, including iPads, remote supports, Virtual Reality, and much, much more
Currently running a COVID-19 Rapid Response Fund to support Imagine! employees as well as people served by Imagine! and their families

The Imagine! Foundation wouldn’t be what it is today without Susan LaHoda, founding Executive Director of the Imagine! Foundation, Bob Charles, founding board member, who continues today as an Emeritus director as engaged in our mission as ever, and Patti Micklin, the current Executive Director. Additionally, the Foundation Board has benefitted from the ambassadorship and generosity of 78 former and current Foundation board members.

But most importantly, the Foundation has succeeded because of YOU – the generous donors and members of the Imagine! family who are working together to create a world of opportunity for all abilities.

Would you like to be part of the next 20 years of the Imagine! Foundation? Click the links below to:

Find a variety of ways to give

Learn about the Imagine! Celebration

Hire individuals supported by Imagine!

See a list of donors

Finally, we couldn’t produce a 20 Year Anniversary retrospective video (yet) due to the coronavirus pandemic, so we thought we’d share the one we created for our 10 Year Anniversary. We’ve gotten better at making videos since then, but you’ll still find the heart and soul of what makes the Foundation such an integral part of our community. Enjoy!