I went to the local Drag Queen Storytime, so you didn't have to.
I wanted to see who was putting on the event & funding it.
I met Eli from Parasol Patrol &
Clark from the Arvada Center.
Clark claims that this was funded by the Arvada Center Non-profit & NOT tax dollars. However, that's not entirely true.
They DO receive public funds via tax dollars!
The Arvada Center for the Arts & Humanities (a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in Arvada, Colorado) receives public funds.
Its primary public funding sources include:
•Scientific and Cultural Facilities District (SCFD): This is a voter-approved regional sales tax district (0.1% tax) across seven Colorado counties that distributes public tax dollars to arts, culture, and science organizations. The Arvada Center is a Tier II SCFD-funded organization and has received major funding from it—for example, about 9% of its revenue in FY24. It actively supports SCFD reauthorization and is listed among SCFD’s funded partners.
•City of Arvada: The Center has a longstanding public partnership with the City of Arvada (it originated as a city-supported initiative). The city is explicitly listed among its key supporters on the Center’s website, alongside SCFD. Historical records and position descriptions reference ongoing relationships and city involvement.
The Center’s own website highlights these public supporters (with logos for SCFD and the City of Arvada) and notes that, as a nonprofit, it also relies on private philanthropic donations, ticket sales, sponsorships, and other earned revenue. It maintains a grant writer on staff and has received or been eligible for various grants over time (though it has stated it is not currently receiving direct National Endowment for the Arts funding).
Financial filings (e.g., Form 990 data via ProPublica) show “contributions” (which include grants from public and private sources), making up a significant portion of revenue, alongside program service revenue.
In short, while the Center depends on a mix of public and private support, it clearly receives public funds through SCFD (tax-supported) and the City of Arvada.