Katz Amsterdam’s New Catalyst Grant Program Awards $1.35 Million to Three Organizations Serving Summit County Families
Mountain Dreamers, CAFE Food Rescue and Smart Bellies are among seven inaugural grantees sharing $4.5 million in three-year grants
FRISCO, Colo. — The Katz Amsterdam Charitable Trust today launched the Catalyst Grant Program, an annual initiative supporting emerging organizations and programs serving marginalized communities in mountain towns. Three Summit County nonprofits, Mountain Dreamers, CAFE Food Rescue and Smart Bellies, are among seven organizations selected for Catalyst’s inaugural class and will each receive $450,000 over three years to expand immigrant services and food access for local families. Since 2008, Katz Amsterdam has provided over $86 million in philanthropic contributions, including over $34 million to mountain resort communities.
Katz Amsterdam created Catalyst to invest in organizations and programs that have formed to respond to evolving community needs. Through flexible, multiyear funding, the program aims to catalyze growth at pivotal moments, when support can help an organization fill critical gaps, strengthen operations and reach more people. It focuses on four areas where many mountain-town families struggle most: early childhood education, food security, immigrant services and K-12 out-of-school opportunities. Katz Amsterdam intends to make additional grants to different organizations in these focus areas each year in mountain communities.
“When a young organization gets steady support at the right moment, the whole community benefits,” said Rob Katz, CEO of Vail Resorts and co-founder of the Katz Amsterdam Foundation. “These programs are lifelines for families facing real barriers, and we want them to be here for years to come.”
Catalyst’s inaugural grantees are based in Summit County, Eagle County and Park City, Utah — mountain communities where Katz Amsterdam has longstanding relationships and a deep understanding of local needs. The grants largely provide general operating support, giving leaders the freedom to invest where it counts, from hiring key staff to expanding programming. Katz Amsterdam plans to expand the Catalyst Grant Program in the years ahead, extending the same long-term support to more organizations working to strengthen mountain communities.
Mountain Dreamers: Expanding Support for Immigrant Families
“An investment in Mountain Dreamers doesn’t stop with one person,” said Javier Piñeda, program coordinator for Mountain Dreamers. “When we help someone secure their green card or help a parent get on skis for the first time, the impact reaches their children, their friends and their neighbors.”
Founded in Frisco in 2018, Mountain Dreamers is a grassroots immigrant advocacy organization serving Summit and Eagle counties. Its work centers on immigration legal services, including a legal defense fund that helps families cover attorney and filing costs, along with community integration programs like MD Oso Outdoors, which has introduced hundreds of immigrant locals to skiing and snowboarding.
“We’re here for immigrant families when emergencies happen, but our long-term vision is of a truly inclusive community where everyone feels they belong,” said Executive Director Peter Bakken.
CAFE Food Rescue: Closing the Gap Between Surplus and Need
With 30,000 residents and roughly 7 million visitors a year, Summit County generates a great deal of surplus food, even as 1 in 5 local households can’t cover basic needs. CAFE Food Rescue bridges that gap. Short for Climate Action Food Equity, the nonprofit recovers good food from grocers, restaurants and event centers, keeps it out of the landfill and redistributes it through local food access partners and its own pantries. Since 2022, CAFE has turned more than 585,000 pounds of surplus food into the equivalent of 438,000 meals for local families.
“Food recovery engages the community to take care of their neighbors,” said Executive Director Diane Calvin. “CAFE provides the framework and logistics so that our neighbors can help each other.”
Smart Bellies: Nourishing Kids at Home and in School
“This grant is life-changing for us,” said Sarah Schmidt, co-founder of Smart Bellies. “Every kid deserves consistent access to nutritious food, and this support will help us reach more mountain families.”
When school meals stop on Friday, many Summit County students head into the weekend without enough to eat. With the high cost of mountain-town living, some families have to choose between paying bills and buying groceries. Smart Bellies fills that gap by delivering kid-friendly food and fresh produce straight to their doorsteps, sparing kids the stigma of carrying food home from school. Since launching in 2018 with 13 kids at Frisco Elementary, the nonprofit has grown to reach up to 1,350 children a week across Summit County, Leadville and Fairplay.
“Smart Bellies is available to any family,” said fellow co-founder Margaret Sheehe. “You don’t always know what someone is going through, and nobody should have to explain it to get food for their kids.”
2026 Catalyst Grant Program Recipients (three-year grant totals)
- PC Tots – $900,000, Park City, Utah
- Wasatch Immigration Project – $600,000, Park City, Utah
- Eagle Valley Community Foundation – $900,000, Eagle County, Colorado
- My Future Pathways – $750,000, Eagle County, Colorado
- Mountain Dreamers – $450,000, Eagle and Summit counties, Colorado
- CAFE Food Rescue – $450,000, Summit County, Colorado
- Smart Bellies – $450,000, Summit County, Colorado
About the Katz Amsterdam Foundation and Charitable Trust
The Katz Amsterdam Foundation strives to be a catalyst for eliminating barriers to health, increasing access to opportunity, and improving outcomes for all. The Foundation partners with communities to advance just and equitable approaches to mental, behavioral, and reproductive health care and to strengthen civic engagement. Its priority is supporting community-driven work that improves individual and collective well-being. Learn more at katzamsterdam.org.
Media Contact: Lauren Swanson, lauren@sociallyqueued.com, 203-258-9927
Press Room: Press Room/ Catalyst Grant Program