Broadband access has an impact on nearly every part of our lives from education to employment to essential services and is increasingly recognized as a "super determinant" of health. Rural and urban communities in Colorado face different broadband challenges but the common theme is that disadvantaged populations are particularly affected by lack of quality broadband as they cannot access essential services offered online, such as education and healthcare, as well as new jobs and opportunities for job search and training.
The Colorado Health Foundation and Philanthropy Colorado will host a lunch meeting to learn about a broadband investment structure designed to extend broadband to underserved households and create local impact programs that will subsidize broadband access to low-income students and patient in target counties. This is real-time investable opportunity that is outlined in the case study write-up. Traditional grants, recoverable grant, low-interest loans and non-cash loan guarantees are all possibilities.
Arctaris Impact Investors and Colorado Health Foundation’s impact investing program is designed to provide targeted funding faster into harder to reach regions. The initial pilot in Montrose and Delta Counties has demonstrated promising results with a focus on fiber-to-the-home. The project has involved working with several local partners, including Internet Service Provider (ISP) Deeply Digital/Clearnetworx.
This convening will be an opportunity to participate in a real-time investable opportunity here in Colorado. We will hear from national experts and local communities in Colorado on how this work is currently being implemented in Colorado. The goal of expanding this partnership is to bring national dollars to Colorado to build our state’s broadband infrastructure with a focus on underserved and rural communities. The investments will also have a targeted focus on BIPOC communities in urban areas in Colorado.
Featured speakers:
- Dr. Ben Bynum, Colorado Health Foundation
- Jonathon Towers, Arctaris Investment Partners
- Patrick Mullen, Arctaris Investment Partners
- Jeff Nordhaus, Arctaris Investment Partners
- Doug Seacat, Deeply Digital
- Casey Irving, Deeply Digital
The event is being offered in person, with lunch. A virtual option will be available.
If there are any questions, please contact Amy Swiatek (aswiatek@philanthropycolorado.org).