Katz Amsterdam’s New Catalyst Grant Program Awards $1.5 Million to Two Organizations Serving Park City Families
PC Tots and Wasatch Immigration Project are among seven inaugural grantees sharing $4.5 million in three-year grants
PARK CITY, Utah — 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. PC Tots and Wasatch Immigration Project were selected for Catalyst’s 2026 cohort and will receive $900,000 and $600,000, respectively, over three years to expand affordable early childhood education and immigration legal services 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.”
This year’s grantees are based in Park City and in Eagle and Summit counties, Colorado — 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.
PC Tots: Raising Park City’s Next Generation
“Who will raise Park City’s next generation if the families raising them can’t afford to live here?” said Mitzi Scheerer, development director of PC Tots. “This investment will help us strengthen opportunities for children and educators and build a brighter tomorrow for the families and community we serve.”
PC Tots, a nonprofit early learning center, offers full-day, year-round care for 120 children ages 8 weeks to 5 years and holds a High Quality rating from Utah’s Child Care Quality System. About 80% of families receive income-based tuition scholarships, giving every child access to the same exceptional teachers, outstanding education and a nurturing environment where they can thrive.
Wasatch Immigration Project: Legal Help Close to Home
“For our clients, immigration assistance is not a luxury, it’s a necessity,” said Maggie AbuHaidar, executive director of Wasatch Immigration Project.
Founded in late 2023, Wasatch Immigration Project is the only organization in the Wasatch Back providing pro bono immigration legal services. Most of its clients are low-income Latine families who power the region’s economy. For these families, uncertain immigration status can upend everything, from mental health and well-being to financial stability. Legal help changes outcomes: people represented by an attorney are five times more likely to secure the immigration relief to which they’re entitled.
“Our vision is a Wasatch Back where every person impacted by the immigration system has access to quality legal advice and representation,” AbuHaidar said. “Equipping our neighbors with information and knowledge of their rights helps them feel more secure in their community.”
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