The Daniels Fund is a private charitable foundation based in Denver, Colorado. It was founded by Bill Daniels, a decorated fighter pilot in World War II and the Korean War, who went on to become one of the early pioneers of the cable television industry. Throughout his lifetime, Daniels gave generously to people in need and the organizations that serve them. Before his death in 2000, Daniels spent his final years carefully defining the specific funding areas he wished to support through his foundation, the geographic regions that would benefit from that support, and the percentage of funding allocated for each region. Following Bill Daniels' direction, the Daniels Fund provides grants to nonprofit organizations, awards college scholarships through two distinct programs, and operates an ethics initiative to promote principle-based ethics. The Daniels Fund provides grants and scholarships in Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming, with limited funding directed to programs of national impact that fall within the foundation's charitable mission. The Daniels Fund's assets were provided entirely by its founder, Bill Daniels, and the foundation does not seek or accept donations or take any form of public or private funding. The Daniels Fund was established to operate in perpetuity.
Daniels Fund Grant Program
As decided by Mr. Daniels, each year, approximately 70% of charitable allocations are made through the Daniels Fund Grants Program in the funding areas that he defined for the foundation: Aging, Alcoholism & Substance Abuse, Amateur Sports, Disabilities, Early Childhood Education, Ethics & Integrity in Education, Homeless & Disadvantaged, K-12 Education Reform, and Youth Development.
Daniels Fund Scholarship Program
Mr. Daniels directed that approximately 30% of charitable allocations to be made through the Daniels Fund Scholarship Program, which consists of the Daniels Scholarship and the Boundless Opportunity Scholarship. Daniels Scholarships give motivated high school seniors with leadership, character, ethics, and a commitment to give back to their communities, the opportunity to obtain a four-year degree from the university of their choice. Boundless Opportunity Scholarships support non-traditional students such as adult learners; GED recipients; foster care youth; juvenile justice youth; returning military; individuals pursuing EMT/paramedic training; and individuals pursuing Early Childhood Education certification.
Daniels Fund Ethics Initiative
Based on Bill Daniels commitment to ethics and integrity, the Daniels Fund Ethics Initiative was launched in 2010 with select business schools from universities in Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming. The Ethics Initiative, reapproved for a 2015-2019 term, strengthens the teaching of principle-based ethics education, using real-world practical application as a framework for personal and organizational decision-making and leadership. Eleven schools from nine universities are members of the Daniels Fund Ethics Consortium.
