-Cheryl Zimlich, Board Member and Executive Director, Bohemian Foundation
Cheryl Zimlich is a board member and the executive director of Bohemian Foundation, a family foundation that works to strengthen local, national, and global communities through grantmaking and special initiatives. She oversees the foundation’s operations and ensures that its philanthropic programs are implemented effectively.
Cheryl contributed to the formation of Bohemian Foundation in 2001, and she has been instrumental in its growth. The foundation began with a single responsive grantmaking program. It now has four program areas, three responsive grantmaking programs and multiple other projects and initiatives.
Cheryl leads a team of more than 100 staff members who work to advance the foundation’s Community, Music, Civic, and Global Programs. Bohemian Foundation’s commitment to equity has resulted in a number of new initiatives. Recent examples include the launch of Bohemian Fund, a new grantmaking program centered on equity. One special initiative grant announced this fall honors the 50th anniversary of Title IX. This year, the foundation also partnered in a successful effort of mobile home residents to form a nonprofit and purchase their park.
For the past 20 years, in addition to her work for Bohemian Foundation, Cheryl has served more than a dozen organizations through volunteer board and leadership positions. Through this work in the education and nonprofit sectors, she has focused on building community support and making organizations fiscally stronger.
Bio: Cheryl Zimlich
Cheryl Zimlich serves as executive director and board member for Bohemian Foundation. In addition to serving Bohemian Foundation, Cheryl has held board and leadership positions with more than a dozen organizations. Locally, she serves on UniverCity Connections, the Downtown Development Authority and Give Next’s Advisory Committee. At the state level, she works to advance music education in schools by serving as an advisory board member of former Governor Hickenlooper’s Take Note Colorado initiative. Cheryl served alongside other community leaders as part of the Colorado COVID Relief Fund committee. Nationally, she is on the boards of Music Will and Book Trust. Cheryl is a CPA whose early career was as an audit professional. She earned a B.S. in Business Administration from CSU. Cheryl received the CSU College of Business Distinguished Alumni Award in 2014. She has also been honored by Poudre School District Foundation with the Outstanding Community Education Advocate Award in 2015 and by BizWest Northern Colorado Women of Distinction as an honoree for Nonprofit Human Services in 2019.