Summit County’s nonprofits just weathered another winter where many were serving historic numbers. Although the rest of the county’s businesses may be slowing down as ski resorts prepare to close, some nonprofits are heading into one of their busiest times of year.

Family and Intercultural Resource Center executive director Brianne Snow said non-peak times, known as mud season to locals, is particularly hard on nonprofits that provide necessary resources, like food. She said both shoulder and mud season are times of year that people who work seasonal jobs struggle, which causes visits to nonprofits to increase. 

“Anybody that has that seasonality with their jobs are waiting for the next job to begin, or are working a job usually with limited or no hours,” Snow said. “May and June are oftentimes some of the hardest months for our clients.”

From Jan. 1 through May 1, the nonprofit has had 9,313 visits to its food pantry. During the same time period last year it saw 8,593 visits to its pantry, according to Family and Intercultural Resource Center reports.

The Family and Intercultural Resource Center reported operating with a $300,000 budget deficit during 2023 and saw a 60% increase in the amount of people it served in its food pantries year over year. Staff anticipated they would have to operate on a similar budget deficit for 2024, so they began fundraising efforts.

Snow said the organization’s fundraising efforts helped close two-thirds of the gap. She said following a Feb. 28 Summit Daily News article notifying people of the nonprofits’ fundraising efforts, it received $50,000 in donations from the community. Additionally the towns of Silverthorne, Breckenridge and Frisco committed $50,000 in funding each to help close the gap. 

“We just want to give credit where credit is due, people stepped up within a few months and really started to close that gap for us, and we’re just so grateful for that,” Snow said. 

While the surrounding community stepped up in major ways, Snow estimates the nonprofit is still operating at around a $100,000 deficit. She said even a $20 donation can go a long way thanks to her staff’s ability to turn any size donation into something impactful. She added that the food market is in need of volunteers due to the increase in demand. Snow said they especially have been needing more volunteers for its 3:30-6:30 p.m. food pantry time slot. 

To learn more about Family and Intercultural Resource Center go to SummitFIRC.org/en/.

Another local nonprofit also reported operating at a significant budget deficit in 2023, which threatened to close its door. Toward the end of February, TreeTop Child Advocacy Center began sounding the alarm that if it did not get more funding soon it was at risk of going under. 

The nonprofit serves victims and their families in Colorado’s 5th Judicial District — Summit, Eagle, Lake and Clear Creek counties — by partnering with investigating agencies such as law enforcement and Child Protective Services. 

It provides a safe space and forensic interviewer for children to recount their abuse with the goal of having a single interview for the entire investigation, which spares the child from having to relive their trauma over and over. 

It has conducted around 500 interviews since its inception in 2017. TreeTop executive director Amy Oliveira said the organization has helped 20 child victims directly in the first quarter of 2024 alongside dozens of families. 

Back in March, TreeTops’ treasurer Dave Byrd said the nonprofit needed a minimum of $250,000 in the next year just to keep its doors open. He said now they are still operating at a similar deficit, yet some more funding has been trickling in recently. 

“We’re definitely feeling better than we did in February,” Byrd said.

Byrd and Oliveira said fundraising now is critical since changes coming in 2025 will severely impact the organization. 

TreeTop relies nearly entirely on federal funding from the Victims of Crime Act, or the VOCA fund. TreeTop was recently notified that the VOCA fund is going to be cut in half in 2025 and likely won’t return.

To learn more Treetop go to TreeTopcenter.org.

Smart Bellies, a Summit County-based nonprofit that delivers food to families of school-aged children, also operated at a budget deficit in 2023. Co-founder Margaret Sheehe said that the nonprofit was operating at a $75,000 deficit in 2023, which for the size of the nonprofit is fairly significant. 

Sheehe said the organization budgeted for another deficit in 2024, but the nonprofit hasn’t had to operate at one yet, luckily, she added. The nonprofit currently is serving 30% more people than it did this time last year and noted, similar to Snow, that there is also an increase in need this time of year. 

Sheehe explained June, when school wraps up, is when the nonprofit really sees the need skyrocket given the fact that many of their clients are families. She said, especially during the summer, they will need more volunteer drivers to deliver food and more funding to aid the influx in need that comes each summer. 

To learn more about Smart Bellies go to SmartBellies.org

Cafe Food Rescue executive director Diane Calvin said her organization is also in need of funding. She said this is impacting staff and operations.

“Currently, we can’t offer our employees benefits yet,” Calvin said. 

To learn more about Cafe Food Rescue go to CafeFoodRescue.org.