Our Mission

The Durango Education Foundation (D.E.F.) is a community organization of dedicated volunteers and paid staff, who together cultivate life-changing academic learning opportunities for Pre-K through Grade 12 students in Durango School District 9-R, and provide resources that positively impact the educational experience of the 9-R community.

For more about our motivations, read “Why We Help,” about the state of Durango School District 9-R and Colorado public education in general.

The Durango Education Foundation assists 9-R schools and teachers with funding support for programs, materials and technology needs that fall outside the regular district budget. Additionally, D.E.F. administers scholarships awarded to graduating seniors from District 9-R high schools, seeks grants to leverage the funding D.E.F. awards, and serves as fiscal agents on pass-through grants to various schools, departments, and co-curricular organizations in District 9-R.

The Foundation is a valued partner of Durango School District 9-R but is a wholly independent 501(c)3 charitable non-profit. D.E.F. makes every effort to ensure that funding aligns with the goals and strategies of the school district; however, D.E.F. reserves the privilege to advocate for and fund approved academic efforts that the Foundation believes warrant a higher priority than the district may have the internal capacity to assign.

The regular efforts of the Durango Education Foundation are supported by individual and business contributions, fundraising events, outside grants, and endowment investment income. Approximately 10% of annual revenue comes from contributions made by teachers and staff within School District 9-R. All members of the D.E.F. Board of Trustees contribute to the organization annually.