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Steamboat Springs — Arthur E. Anderson died more than seven years ago, but his presence in the Yampa Valley is being felt anew.

Beginning this year, Routt County United Way will award a first-of-its-kind annual grant to a local nonprofit organization. The Arthur E. Anderson Impact Grant - for $25,000 in 2008 - is made possible by a contribution to Routt County United Way from the estate of Anderson, a Steamboat Springs resident who died in 2000.

"This is the first time we've ever been able to do anything like this," said Mark Andersen, executive director of Routt County United Way. "It's exciting for us."

Last year, Routt County United Way awarded $500,000 to its local member organizations through its normal annual distributions.

"This (grant) is above and beyond that," Andersen said.

Anderson left his entire $1.6 million estate to Yampa Valley organizations such as the Colorado Mountain College Foundation, Perry-Mansfield Performing Arts Camp, the Yampa Valley Community Foundation and the Steamboat Springs United Methodist Church, along with Routt County United Way.

Shelly Orrell - who knew Anderson through her work with the Routt County Council on Aging, a Routt County United Way member organization - remembered him as "quiet, unassuming, intelligent, caring and never egotistical."

"He was a very quiet, gentle man and truly a gentleman," said Orrell, program director for the council. "I'd known him for a lot of years. : He always was very thoughtful. But he loved to have fun, too. He loved to dance, loved to square dance. He was a neat person."

Stipulations for the Anderson grant are that the award may not be used for day-to-day operations, but rather for a project to provide health and human services to residents of Routt County and for a project with measurable outcomes. Any Routt County 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization may apply for the grant by completing an application, supplying a budget statement for the proposed project or program, providing financial statements for the organization and by agreeing to provide a presentation to Routt County United Way as to the status of the project and outcomes at the end of the year.

"It's allowing (organizations) to be creative in addressing the needs of our community," Andersen said. "We're very fortunate to have this opportunity."

Since receiving Anderson's gift in 2000, Mark Andersen said Routt County United Way has made investments with it that have performed well enough to make the annual grant possible beginning this year. The future size of the investment growth will determine the size of the award in future years, Andersen said.

- To reach Brandon Gee, call 871-4210

or e-mail bgee@steamboatpilot.com