INCREDIBLE PROGRESS UPDATE (9/3/2025): In just under one month, our Fort Collins community has raised $59,750 toward our $100,000 goal to save FoCo Cafe! Over 150 individual donors and organizations have stepped up to support us during this critical time.

While we're incredibly encouraged by this momentum, we still need your help to reach our full goal and ensure FoCo Cafe's long-term sustainability.

Here's What's Happening

After more than 10 years of serving our community, we're facing an unprecedented funding gap that threatened our ability to keep our doors open and our dedicated staff paid. Grant and foundation funding for the first half of 2025 dropped by nearly 70% compared to 2024, creating a $77,000 gap in our operating budget right when our community needs us most.

We're currently serving almost 1,000 meals each month just through our Meal Exchange program - about 10 times as many meals as we were serving just a few years ago. Like many nonprofits across the country, we're experiencing the effects of policy changes that have made grant funding opportunities significantly more scarce this year.

Thanks to our incredible community response, we've secured our immediate operations through mid-October and are building toward long-term sustainability.

Why This Matters

FoCo Cafe isn't just a restaurant. We're a vital community resource where neighbors experiencing food insecurity can access nutritious, locally-sourced meals while maintaining their dignity through our Meal Exchange program. We're a place where people from all walks of life share tables, exchange stories, and build meaningful connections across socioeconomic divides.

Over the past few years, we've worked incredibly hard to remove barriers in order to better serve those who need us most. We eliminated minimum donation requirements, reduced volunteer time commitments, and focused on creating a space where everyone feels valued and respected. These changes led to exponential growth in our impact - unfortunately, we've also seen paid meal revenue decline significantly as we've prioritized serving more people through our Meal Exchange program.

Why We Need to Reach Our Full $100,000 Goal

The remaining $40,250 we need to raise is crucial for building the financial foundation that will prevent us from facing this kind of crisis again. This additional funding will help us create a financial buffer to weather future grant funding fluctuations and build the long-term stability we need to focus on growth and service expansion rather than survival.

The challenging funding landscape that created this crisis hasn't changed - grant and foundation funding remains highly competitive nationwide. Reaching our full $100,000 goal gives us the resources needed to navigate these challenges successfully.

How You Can Help Save FoCo Cafe

• Donate online: coloradogives.org/fococafe
• Bring donations directly to FoCo Cafe: 225 Maple Street, Fort Collins, CO 80521
• Mail donations: PO Box 242, Fort Collins, CO 80522-0242

Every dollar matters. Whether it's $5 or $500, your contribution helps ensure we can continue serving our community during this critical period.

Other Ways to Support Us

• Join us for the Duck Race: Saturday, September 6th! Adopt ducks at fcrotaryduckrace.org/foco-cafe

• Come for lunch and bring friends - every meal purchase helps
• Share this message with your networks, family, and friends
• Talk to local businesses about making a donation
• Connect us with potential donors who believe in our mission
• Spread the word on social media about our campaign

Community Support

We're deeply grateful to the organizations that have supported our campaign, including Eyeopeners Kiwanis Club (who provided a $5,000 grant), Maxline Brewery, FirstBank, the Liquid Poets home-brewing club, Momentum Tax and Financial, Lions Foundation, Heart of the Rockies Church, and more. These partnerships alongside our individual donors have created incredible momentum.

Our Promise to You

We promise to be transparent about how your donations are used. Our biggest expense is paying our small but dedicated team fairly - and that's exactly as it should be. These are the people who show up every day to serve our community with care, respect, and genuine commitment to our mission.

We're not asking for funding to expand or grow right now. We're asking for help to ensure FoCo Cafe's sustainability so we can continue being here for the Fort Collins neighbors who count on us every single day.

FoCo Cafe has been feeding our community ourselves for over a decade. With your help, we can continue doing this vital work for many years to come.

For questions about donating or to discuss ways to support our campaign, please contact Dexter Beasley at dexter@fococafe.org or (720) 507-3905.