MANAUS was created to be a social justice nonprofit to work in partnership with others to help create sustainable solutions to issues that further equity within our communities using the principles of community organizing and co-design. With MANAUS’ involvement the Valley invested in solutions designed for, with and by the most vulnerable communities.
In Portuguese, Manaus (our namesake) translates to “the meeting of waters” and the city of Manaus is positioned at the confluence between two major rivers and numerous tributaries. Individually, the dark waters of the Rio Negro and the pale sandy-colored Solimões River, come together to form the mighty Amazon River.
For miles, the two rivers’ waters run side by side without much mixing, eventually forming the world’s mightiest river and the continent’s most impressive natural resource. Our namesake was a nod to the importance and power of partnership, solidarity and collaboration.
Our Work Through the Years
2005
The Manaus Fund is formed to invest and partner with the community on social justice projects.
MANAUS is founded
2005 - 2010
The Manaus Fund provides seed funding and financing to food banks, community centers, mobile home parks, journalism, higher education access and preschool cooperatives.
Community-focused Financing
2011
The Manaus Fund engages with Latina community members to listen and discover systemic issues facing the immigrant and Spanish-speaking communities.
Community Organizing and Deep Listening
2012
The Manaus Fund partners with the Kellogg Foundation to start the Valley Settlement Project to serve immigrant families with 2gen programming.
Valley Settlement Project Begins
2013 - 2014
Mountain Voices Project Launches
The Manaus Fund formed a partnership with the Industrial Areas Foundation and with a dozen nonprofits, religious institutions and individuals, starts Mountain Voices Project - a concerted effort to build civic engagement and broad-based organizing efforts regionally.
2016
Valley Settlement Becomes Independent
Valley Settlement Project receives an operating grand from the Kellogg Foundation and becomes an independent non-profit.
2017
The Manaus Fund invests in equitable preschool access and forms the Rocky Mountain Preschool Coaltion, which will later become the Confluence Early Childhood Education Coalition.
Rocky Mountain Preschool Coalition Forms
2018
After learning that most immigrant families were not using traditional banks, the Manaus Fund begins incubating and financing the LaMedichi Savings Club, a mobile savings app designed to support a habit of savings.
LaMedichi Savings Club Begins
2019
The Manaus Fund Rebrands to MANAUS
The Manaus Fund begins investing in user-centered design and rebrands to MANAUS.
MANAUS invests in Community Schools Initiative with the Roaring Fork School District and Two Rivers Community School.
Community School Initiative Begins
Early Ed & Childcare Legislation Passes
Rocky Mountain Preschool Coalition passes statewide legislation allowing a taxing district to fund early childcare and education.
2020
The COVID-19 pandemic causes seismic shifts in the fabric of our society. Recognizing the inequities facing the immigrant community, MANAUS creates an Emergency Fund utilizing the LaMedici Savings app to distribute emergency cash assistance to community members.
MANAUS Emergency Fund is Launched
Equity Action Project Begins
In the wake of the racial reckoning starting in the spring of 2020, MANAUS co-designs the Equity Action Project to provide nonprofit and municipal leaders with racial equity and antiracism training.
2021
LaMedici Becomes Independent
After MANAUS raised and distributed over $3 million in emergency cash assistance grants through the LaMedichi Savings app, NPX invests in LaMedici Savings Club, allowing it to spin off and become a self-sustaining nonprofit and rebrands as the Savings Collaborative.
2022
MANAUS receives an operating grant from the Colorado Health Foundation to fund the Equity Action Project for two years.
Equity Action Project Receives Large Grant
The Roaring Fork Community Development Corporation and MANAUS work with regional mobile home parks to create a pilot program preserving parks through an intermediary ownership model. MANAUS and the Colorado Health Foundation provide community organizing funds to work with the mobile home residents.
Mobile Home Park Ownership Pilot Begins
2023
The MANAUS board, staff and community partners convene to consider the organization’s future and decide to sunset in 2024.
MANAUS Strategic Planning Meeting
2024
The Confluence Early Childhood Coalition is moved to the Aspen Community Foundation to continue its mission.
CECE Moves to Aspen Community Foundation
As part of the sunsetting process, MANAUS closes the Equity Action Project, which allowed 34 organizations and 150+ individuals to collaborate on regional racial equity issues and solutions during the project period.
Equity Action Project Closes
MANAUS
Sunset Celebration
To celebrate two decades of serving the communities of the Roaring Fork Valley, MANAUS engages IDEO.org to provide a final community learning event around user-centered design for non-profits and philanthropists. The organization legally closes on December 31, 2024.
Download the deck from our final workshops:
GEORGE STRANAHAN, Founder
George founded MANAUS in 2005. He served as the President Emeritus until 2021 when he passed away. George was a lifelong learner, educator, philanthropist, serial entrepreneur, physicist, writer, publisher, and fine art photographer. After teaching at Michigan State University, he settled in the Aspen area in the early 1970s with his family. As a community activist and advocate of enduring education, he founded the Aspen Center for Physics, Aspen Community School, and Carbondale Community School.
MAY HE REST IN POWER (1931 - 2021)