Tennyson Center for Children

For 121 years, Tennyson Center for Children has been a place where children and families across Colorado find safety, compassion, and hope. Many children who have experienced severe trauma, abuse, and neglect arrive here having faced incredible challenges that no child should endure, and some have moved through 8 to 12 placements before finding their way to us. 

At Tennyson, our cottages often become the first place that truly feels like home and a space where children begin to feel safe and seen. 

This Colorado Gives Day, we’re asking you to partner with us to create safe, nurturing cottage environments where Colorado’s most vulnerable children can rebuild their lives. Through our Cottages of Hope campaign, we’re transforming residential spaces into true healing homes. 

Because at Tennyson, healing doesn’t happen in offices. It happens in warm kitchens, cozy bedrooms, and quiet spaces where a child can finally exhale, feel at home, and begin again. 

What Your Gift Can Do 

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$100,000 – Cottage Champion Sponsor  Cottage Furnishings Furnish a cottage with trauma-informed elements to create a healing home for children ages 6–16.	$5,000 – Comfort Creator Sponsor Furnish a Kitchen and Dining area Fund the heart of the cottage where kids and caregivers share meals, laughter, stories, and moments that rebuild trust.
$50,000 – Healing Environment Sponsor Recreation Center, Teaching Kitchen, or Technology Lab Support spaces that nurture connection, growth, and skill-building.	$2,500 – Creative Corner Sponsor Supply Creative and Expressive Tools Provide essentials for art therapy or hands-on learning.
$25,000 – Growth & Discovery Sponsor  Learning Center, Creative Arts Studio, or Family Therapy Room  Fuel imagination and emotional expression through art, reading, and family reunification.	$1,000 – Safe Space Sponsor Provide Lighting, Sensory Tools, or Safety Equipment Promote calm, security, and comfort for children processing trauma with warm lighting, sensory tools like weighted blankets and stress balls, and safety equipment like first-aid
$15,000 – Community & Connection Sponsor Experiential Therapies and Community Adventures Make healing experiential; fund art, music, yoga, equine, or recreational therapies, plus community outings and enrichment.	$500 – Bathroom Basics Sponsor   Supply Fresh, New Bathroom Essentials   Supply new towels, toiletries, and décor that turn a sterile bathroom into a place of dignity.
$10,000 – Room Renovator Sponsor A Child’s Bedroom Outfit a child's bedroom with comfortable furniture and décor that help kids feel safe and valued.	$250 – Fresh Start Package Sponsor Welcome Kit for New Residents Provide a suitcase with bedding, pajamas, slippers, toiletries, and comfort items for each child arriving at Tennyson.
	$100 – Comfort Essentials Sponsor Basics That Help a Child Settle into a New Home Provide cozy blankets, books, and games for shared sessions and reclaiming childhood.

Your generosity reaches beyond our cottages. Through our Therapeutic K–12 School, Day Treatment Program, and Community-Based Services, Tennyson helps kids and families across Colorado gain the skills and support they need to stay together and thrive. 

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“When I came to Tennyson, I finally stopped packing my bags. For the first time, I had a bed that felt like mine and people who believed I could be okay.”

– Tennyson Resident, age 11

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Make Your Gift Go Further

Gifts to Tennyson may be eligible for the Colorado Child Care Contribution Tax Credit. When you give a qualifying monetary gift, you may claim a 50% Colorado income tax credit, subject to your tax liability. The credit applies up to $100,000 in qualifying gifts per year, a potential $50,000 credit for eligible donors.

About Us

Tennyson Center for Children has served Colorado’s most neglected, abused, and traumatized children since 1904. We are known for our high standard of care across all our programs and services. These services include an accredited, Therapeutic K-12 School and Day Treatment Program with a 4:1 student-to-staff ratio on our campus and in-home and Community Programs across the state of Colorado to provide preventive services and therapy to strengthen families with children aged 5 to 21 years old.

At Tennyson, our goal is to keep families strong and keep them together. We provide an array of community services that aims to do exactly that by creating access to therapy, skills building, and resource connection. We offer support and therapy to kids and families across Colorado – and beyond.