The Summit Foundation — 'The Soul of the Summit' — has been Summit County's community foundation for more than 40 years, working from offices on Harris Street in Breckenridge, a short block off Main.

Its model is straightforward: pool contributions from donors, then regrant them annually to tax-exempt nonprofits serving Summit County and the neighboring communities of Lake, Park and West Grand counties. Grantees span health and human services, education, the arts and the environment — including many of the county's conservation and outdoor-education organizations — and a scholarship program supports local students.

For visitors who love this place, the foundation is the simplest way to give like a local: one gift reaches dozens of vetted organizations doing the work on the ground, and signature events like the golf tournament and Wine at the Mine dot the calendar through the year.