Here to Stay: The Village Institute
Women’s Impact Investing Giving Circle Helped Launch Newcomer Center in Aurora
The Village Institute celebrates five years with “Here to Stay” theme
While the pandemic caused most doors to shut in 2020, Ellie Adelman was opening a new one for refugee families in Aurora.
Five years ago, she could not have imagined the growth ahead for The Village Institute, the holistic center and leadership incubator she created for newcomer families. To celebrate its five-year anniversary, the center adopted the theme “Here to Stay” for a cultural festival in May and upcoming Night Out at The Village gala. “Here to Stay” signifies a deepened investment in community and an ongoing mission to ensure newcomers feel an unwavering sense of belonging.
“I will always remember the very first family who arrived at The Village – a mom and sweet little boy who will forever hold a special place in my heart,” said Ellie. “Since then we have been through a lot together – the pandemic, the ups and downs of growing an organization, and the unprecedented moment we are in now.”
Today, The Village Institute provides wraparound services, including job readiness training, mental health support, a pantry for household and baby supplies, high-quality child care, and family case management.
“The Village Institute is an investment in the leadership and long-term wellbeing of our newcomer and diaspora communities,” said Ellie.
From pilot program to community pillar
Despite facing volatile policy shifts and diminished funding for newcomers and other marginalized groups, the nonprofit continues to grow. But at the start, it served only eight families.
United for the same hope of a brighter future, they became part of the pilot program. But, they didn’t just receive services; they became active participants in shaping the program’s evolution.
Their initial engagement blossomed from parent volunteer committees into leadership, as they offered invaluable feedback and shared their experiences to guide new participants. The programs The Village Institute operates today were deeply informed and co-created with those first families, and some continue to bring their children, volunteer, and even work at The Village Institute.
“When we first started out, we supported the most vulnerable families,” Ellie said. “Since we were with the first families 24/7, we came to trust each other through the growth and development journey.”
Poised for expansion and impact with the Women’s Impact Investing Giving Circle
The Village Institute’s pilot program was poised for expansion and impact. In addition to great family support from the start, funding from the Women’s Impact Investing Giving Circle at The Women’s Foundation of Colorado supported its ascent. The giving circle, which maximizes women’s leadership in philanthropy and supports social ventures founded by women, recognized the transformative potential of The Village Institute’s unique model with a low-interest loan of $40,000.
It represented more than just financial support for The Village Institute’s mission; it signified a shared vision for empowering and fostering sustainable community development. It also helped to launch The Little Village child care center to support single moms who required high-quality child care.
“It got us started by bringing in additional funds through tuition for the child care center,” Ellie reminisced. She stands behind the belief that having a child care center that feels safe and rooted in community for single moms and other newcomer households is life-changing. “Our families need child care in order to work and make a living so they can build a life for themselves in this country,” she said.
Harriet, lead preschool teacher at The Little Village, had three children go through the program and worked her way up from a teaching assistant.
“Speaking the same languages that our parents speak, it helps them feel comfortable joining the center because they know their children won’t have the hardship of communication,” she shared.
When thinking of her own kids’ journey at The Little Village, she reflected, “I feel excited because I see the way he does things on his own… I feel so happy and hopeful that I am raising a child who will know a lot of things when he grows up to take care of himself.”
Low-interest loans transform growth for women entrepreneurs like Ellie Adelman
It’s notoriously challenging for nonprofits to obtain funding, and those managed and started by women face additional, systemic barriers. Ellie agrees with these hurdles. “It’s much harder for women funders to access start-up capital, and even more so for women of color.”
Obtaining the low-interest loan from the Women’s Impact Investing Giving Circle was transformative for Ellie, The Village Institute, and The Little Village. Ellie feels gratitude for the women who made up the giving circle. “We were able to grow the organization rather than working to pay off debt,” she said.
In 2025, The Little Village is thriving. It welcomed 30 new and returning students from Venezuela, Colombia, Rwanda, and Congo. It also updated its training, curriculum, and classrooms to integrate Montessori practices. Additionally, 13 families qualified for tuition support for the first time thanks to its partnership with Colorado’s Universal Pre-K program that The Women’s Foundation of Colorado helped to pass in 2022.
Become an impact investor! Next Women’s Impact Investing Giving Circle launches in October
The Women’s Impact Investing Giving Circle, an initiative of The Women’s Foundation of Colorado (WFCO) and Impact Finance Center, offers a powerful avenue for individuals to engage in collective philanthropy with a focus on supporting women entrepreneurs and social ventures.
By contributing to giving circles like the Women’s Impact Investing Giving Circle, individuals can empower the work of organizations like The Village Institute, fostering a prosperous future for newcomers and their communities.
The fourth cycle of the Women’s Impact Investing Giving Circle kicks off in October and will focus on investing in women’s health. You can learn more about becoming a part of it by registering for a happy hour gathering on Aug. 12 or virtual learning session on Aug. 19.
