Local Impact
From grants to educational initiatives, the Parker Chamber Foundation supports the broader Parker community.
The annual Parker Days Festival has been taking place in Parker for nearly 50 years, but few know that this longstanding summer event gives back to the community throughout the year.
The festival is owned and presented by the Parker Chamber Foundation (PCF), a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization on a mission to support initiatives, programs and events that promote “economic growth, business leadership and community prosperity,” according to the foundation’s website.
Profits from the Parker Days Festival fund the PCF and its philanthropic efforts, including doling out community grants to organizations located within 20 miles of Parker.
“The long-term vision is that the Parker Chamber Foundation is financially able to be a stronger force for good in the community, and we’re taking the first baby steps in that direction,” says T.J. Sullivan, president and CEO of the Parker Chamber of Commerce and executive director of the PCF.
The PCF was founded in 2018, but hasn’t always been as active as it is today.
The foundation was reestablished in late 2021 and early 2022, shortly after T.J. joined the Chamber. “At the time, the PCF had about $2,000 in the bank — a stark difference from the $500,000 the PCF has in the bank today,” he says.
“The Parker Days Festival of 2022 was kind of do or die. The stakes were really, really high,” T.J. says. “One of the first things I did [when I joined the Chamber] was I sold the festival from the Chamber to the Foundation.”
And the sale paid off.
Today, the PCF supports dozens of nonprofits and organizations doing good deeds in Parker.
The PCF launched its Community Grants Program last year, giving a collective $21,000 to 26 nonprofits, organizations and clubs. This year, the PCF gave out $41,500 in grants to 31 organizations. “The goal is to give out more money every year,” T.J. says.
The grants this year ranged from $300 to $5,000 and went to Parker Arts, Night Lights Kids, Covered Colorado, The Living Spectrum and several other organizations. One grant was awarded to Sagewood Middle School to build a ramp for students in wheelchairs or with mobility challenges. “The ramp will give students access to an outdoor garden area,” says Kara Massa, vice president of membership at the Chamber.
“For the last two years, we have not turned away anybody who’s applied,” T.J. says. “I don’t know if that’s going to be the case in 2026 because the word is getting out.”
Applications for the 2026 Community Grants Program will open on Jan. 1 and close in March. “Those who receive funds don’t have to be Chamber members, but the money awarded must be used to benefit the Parker community,” T.J. says.
T.J. and Kara encourage applicants to share a story with the PCF and its board about how the funds will be used and why they are necessary.
“Give us a story. Give us something that we can say, ‘Okay, we helped make happen,’” T.J. says.
In addition to the Community Grants Program, the foundation also financially assists the Parker Chamber of Commerce’s Women’s Experience, a 10-month leadership development program.
The PCF’s community support doesn’t stop there.
“In 2026, the foundation will give a small grant to the Chamber for the Parker Chamber Symposium, a day of training and learning for small business owners in Parker,” T.J. says.
The foundation is also hoping to launch a Young Entrepreneurs Academy in 2027 for middle school students.
“I seriously hope in 10 years…we can look at the foundation and say, ‘My God, so many of the good things that are happening in Parker are coming from the Chamber Foundation,’” T.J. says.
To learn more about the foundation or the 2026 community grants program, visit www.parkerchamber.com/foundation.
Today, the PCF supports dozens of nonprofits and organizations doing good deeds in Parker.