PUEBLO, Colo. (KKTV) – Dozens of Pueblo nonprofits gathered in front of City Hall on Monday evening to take a stand of unity to advocate for continued funding of their nonprofits lucrative.

The 2025 budget is on its second reading tonight and if approved, nonprofits like the Pueblo Latin American Chamber of Commerce, the Sangre de Cristo Arts Center and the Greater Pueblo Chamber of Commerce would receive less funding.

11 News spoke with Latin American Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Noah Commerford. He told us that their unity stand is in no way against the city, it’s about fighting for what’s right.

“It’s just a way for us to advocate, empower and fight for what’s right in terms of supporting nonprofits and the nonprofit community as a whole,” Commerford said.

But when 11 News spoke to Pueblo Mayor Heather Graham, she said Pueblo doesn’t get a lot of tax money. So the city has had to make cuts in its own department and now it has to see where it can reduce funding for nonprofits.

“It was a very difficult process,” Mayor Graham continued. “We’ve had to make significant cuts, but I think it’s something that as mayor I have to propose to the council, because if we continue to spend the way we have been, the bulk of the spending in three years, the city will be completely out of funding.

However, Commerford says cutting funding for nonprofits will only cause more problems. Commerford says that’s why they formed a unity stand Monday night, saying, “So we just want to be able to empower everyone to express ourselves and fight for who we really are, to to fight for our missions, to fight for our people and if we don’t do it now, there may be no chance to do it later in the future.

Commerford goes on to say: “This is not a violent protest. This is not a protest at all. It’s just a stand of unity to show what we’re fighting for and that we’re fighting for what’s right. I think it’s really important to take a stand because many nonprofits may not know how to advocate or hold themselves accountable, or when and how to speak up. That’s why they’ve relied on us for several years, just to be the voice of the business (and) nonprofit community.

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