Community First Foundation Welcomes Phamaly Theatre Company as Endowment Partner

ARVADA, CO (January 16, 2014) – Community First Foundation is pleased to announce a new endowment partnership with Phamaly Theatre Company, a professional performing arts company for actors with disabilities. An endowment is a long-term investment account established specifically to meet the future needs of an organization.

Chris Silberman, Executive Director of Phamaly, described the value and depth of this endowment. “To coincide with Phamaly Theatre’s 25th anniversary, our Board of Directors, community members invested in the Phamaly mission, and I have established an endowment to ensure that Phamaly will serve the community and the region’s performers with disabilities for years to come,” said Silberman. “Specifically, we are seeking to remove the financial burden that our performers face when participating in Phamaly programs. The interest generated from the endowment will enable Phamaly to increase stipends paid to performers, helping to offset their transportation costs.”

This partnership also opens a new door for Phamaly, allowing the organization to develop performance opportunities for young people. “New financial resources generated from the endowment will help us begin to pursue another long-term vision of ours—programming for youth with disabilities,” said Silberman.

“Community First Foundation has been a partner to Phamaly, and to many other Colorado nonprofits, through their Colorado Gives donation program and Colorado Gives Day,” Silberman added. “Their staff is strongly invested in the Colorado community and has a strong track record of managing funds and aiding organizations through campaigns such as this one. We are thrilled to extend our partnership with the Foundation in this way.”

About the Phamaly Theatre Company
Phamaly Theatre Company (formerly known as the Physically Handicapped Actors & Musical Artists League) is now entering its 25th anniversary season of professional-scale performances exclusively featuring actors with disabilities (physical, cognitive, and emotional). Their mission is to inspire people to re-envision disability through professional theatre. Phamaly produces plays and musicals throughout the Denver Metro region, in venues such as the Denver Performing Arts Complex, the Arvada Center, the Aurora Fox Arts Center, and the Lone Tree Arts Center. The organization additionally has an expanding statewide touring program. This year, Phamaly is serving over 100 performers with disabilities and nearly 20,000 audiences across the state. For more information on Phamaly, visit www.phamaly.org.

About Community First Foundation
For nearly 40 years, Community First Foundation has been bringing donors and nonprofit organizations together. We offer financial support and educational opportunities to strengthen nonprofits. We also fund community programs, inspire philanthropy and assist individuals and businesses with charitable giving. ColoradoGives.org, our year-round, online giving website, has raised more than $79 million for Colorado nonprofits since 2007. We are the proud recipient of the 2013 National Philanthropy Day in Colorado Outstanding Foundation award. For more information, visit www.CommunityFirstFoundation.org.