Search Through Capacity Building Grants for Nonprofits in Colorado in the U.S.

Next50

Next50 is a private, national foundation based in Denver, Colorado. Since 2016, Next50 has been working toward creating a world that values aging.

It’s expensive to age in Colorado and the rest of the country. That is why we invest in innovative and equitable ideas that build capacity and change systems to create economic opportunities for older adults and the organizations that serve them.

We work with our partners by focusing on three priority areas of economic opportunity:

• Ending Ageism
• Advancing Digital Equity
• Supporting Aging in Place

Our Equity Focus and Priority Populations

Equity is one of our core values at Next50, and we are working hard to incorporate justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion principles into all aspects of our work, including our grantmaking.

We want to be intentional about directing funding toward historically marginalized older adults and communities who have not had access to foundation funding. To do this we have identified the following priority populations:

• Black or African American
• American Indian or Alaska Native
• Asian
• Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander
• Hispanic or Latino
• LGBTQ+
• Immigrant/ Refugee
• Physical/ Cognitive/ Behavioral Disability
• Low-income
• Homeless
• Rural
• Frontier

Colorado Organizational Resiliency (COR) Grant

Colorado Organizational Resiliency (COR) grants are designed to support Colorado-based nonprofits in building resiliency to effectively navigate uncertainties, recover from setbacks, and maintain impact over the long term. Building resilience involves creating a robust infrastructure, fostering a supportive organizational culture, and developing strategies to address financial, operational, and environmental challenges.

Grant requests must be aligned with one or more of Next50’s three priority areas: ending ageism, advancing digital equity, and supporting aging in place.

Grant requests are required to demonstrate innovation and the advancement of equity for marginalized or geographically underserved communities to be considered for funding.

Vision

While talent may be spread evenly throughout humanity, opportunity is not. Comis Foundation envisions that every child has access to opportunities to not only succeed in life, but to thrive.

Mission

Comis Foundation invests in organizations that provide opportunity and access to equip children with skills to explore, learn, and thrive in their chosen communities.

Guiding Principles

Comis Foundation has 5 principles which guide our focus: We work to build relationships of mutual trust with our grantees; We value sustainable systems and solutions; We are not experts, we want to learn and enable learning; We are willing to accept risk when warranted to achieve greater impact; We value both new and established ways of serving communities.

Area of Interest

Comis Foundation supports programs and policy work that drive improvements in educational outcomes for children and youth. We are interested in programs that support the community as well as children and youth directly. We embrace the whole child concept of full community engagement to drive better outcomes for the child and our society at large.

Comis Foundation Grant

Pilot and Proof of Concept: $5,000 – $25,000

• New programs within existing organizations, standalone new organizations just getting off the ground, or testing new approaches within a current scope
• Smaller-scale research or data collecting project or other similar short-duration investigations
• Timeframe is single-year; multi-year research or evaluation projects will not be considered under this program

Capacity Building and Innovation: $25,000 up to $75,000 per year

• Capacity building for organizations, including but not limited to staff professional development, strategic planning, leadership development, and supplemental expertise (e.g., communications)
• General operating support for innovative organizations. We consider the concept of innovation broadly: organizations that create opportunity for children to explore, learn and thrive are by definition innovative until all children can engage with the world through the same set of opportunities.
• Multi-year research or evaluation projects will be considered under this program, particularly as a pre-cursor to scaling innovative programs
• Multi-year grants will be considered under this program at $25,000 – $75,000 per year

Background

Draper Richards Kaplan Foundation seeks to dramatically improve the lives of underserved communities across the globe by supporting scalable, innovative, and impact-first solutions that leverage existing systems and stakeholders. Our goal is to find social entrepreneurs with dynamic products or services that have a proven ability to positively impact the lives of underserved people, and nurture those organizations at the early stages by providing capacity, capital, and community.

Our application process is designed to be open and accessible, and we accept applications year round from across our priority geographies and sectors. Borrowing from our venture capital legacy, we find exceptional entrepreneurs and provide them with: 

Capacity

• The core of DRK’s model is deep and extensive operational and technical support for each portfolio organization, both through dedicated hands-on Board service and specialist capacity-building resources for fundraising, board and organizational development, leadership, financial support, and scaling strategy,

Capital

• DRK provides up to $300,000 USD in either unrestricted grant funding or investment capital over a three-year period, and

Community

• DRK convenes our portfolio and alumni annually, facilitating connections and community. 

What We Fund

DRK Foundation funds early-stage social impact organizations solving the world’s biggest social and environmental problems using bold, scalable approaches.

What stage of growth does DRK Foundation typically fund?

Early stage: Organizations who are early stage, which we define as post-pilot and pre-scale. This typically means: 

• Your program, product or service is already being used in the market or in the field, 
• You have early indication that your model is having its intended impact on the beneficiary populations,
• Your organization is relatively young (ideally between two and five years old, although we will consider both younger and older organizations).

Venture funding: In the case of for profits, we typically support Seed to Series A organizations, and never lead rounds; we also generally but not exclusively refrain from participating in financings exceeding a $15M USD post-money valuation.  

The Leighty Foundation (TLF) is a small family foundation incorporated under Iowa law.  Directors and advisors live in Colorado, Alaska, and California.

Mission

To carry on the Leighty family legacy of service and stewardship by leveraging our time and talents, as well as our financial resources, primarily in the areas of Earth Protection, Education, Philanthropy, and Strategic Volunteer Engagement.Focus Areas Earth Protection “Environmental” has become trite, and does not convey the profound, urgent, and necessary changes in the way our species perceives and relates to our fellow species on Earth, and to its wonderful physical systems. The Leighty Foundation is especially interested in accelerating humanity’s transition to a sustainable, equitable, benign, affordable global energy system based entirely upon renewable energy sources — driven by radiant energy from our local star, the Sun, and by geothermal. Our earliest, most rewarding investments will be energy conservation and efficiency, while we invent and invest to “run the world on renewables.” We assist science education, so that we will better understand who and what and where we humans are, and to better understand Earth and our options for cooperation within its context and limits. Thus, we intend to invest wisely in Earth Protection, with both Foundation funds and with our personal involvement. An urgent Grand Challenge is transforming the world’s largest industry from about 80% fossil to nearly 100% renewable, CO2-emission-free energy sources, as quickly as we prudently and profitably can. Prudently: with acceptable social and economic disruption. Profitably: the huge amount of capital needed will flow only to attractive opportunities for returns. Electricity systems may be inadequate or technically and economically suboptimal for this transformation. Therefore, we now need to think beyond electricity, to comprehensively consider alternatives. Hydrogen (H2) and Anhydrous Ammonia (NH3) are attractive, energy carriers, storage media, and fuels – as complete renewable energy systems. The Leighty Foundation Earth Protection program focuses on the Big Three challenges of time-variable renewable generation:

• Gathering and transmission;
• Low-cost, annual-scale, firming storage;
• Distribution, integration, and end-use of energy services.

Strategic Volunteer Engagement Our nation finds itself faced with a perfect storm with shrinking resources and escalating needs. Meeting these needs will require a dramatic increase in the number of people willing to give their time and skills as well as their financial resources. However, the challenge may be less about increasing the number of people who volunteer, and more about building infrastructures which connect people with worthy opportunities, and empower them to make a meaningful difference.There is a growing awareness that even if Americans respond to the myriad of calls for service, many charities are not prepared to effectively engage them. A recent survey found that more than 30% of charities do not currently have the infrastructure to effectively deploy volunteers. Now is the time for us as funders to seize this unique opportunity to financially support nonprofits in building their capacity.

PNC Foundation

Strengthening and enriching the lives of our neighbors in communities where we live and work.

Vision & Mission

For decades, we have provided resources to seed ideas, foster development initiatives and encourage leadership in nonprofit organizations where imagination and determination are at work enhancing people's lives everyday.

The PNC Foundation's priority is to form partnerships with community-based nonprofit organizations in order to enhance educational opportunities, with an emphasis on early childhood education, and to promote the growth of communities through economic development initiatives.

Foundation Grant

The PNC Foundation supports a variety of nonprofit organizations with a special emphasis on those that work to achieve sustainability and touch a diverse population, in particular, those that support early childhood education and/or economic development.

Education

The PNC Foundation supports educational programs for children and youth, particularly early childhood education initiatives that meet the criteria established through PNC Grow Up Great. Specifically, PNC Grow Up Great grants must:

• Support early education initiatives that benefit children from birth to age five; and
• Serve a majority of children (>50%) from low- to moderate-income families; and
• Adhere to all other standard PNC Foundation guidelines, as outlined on the PNC Foundation website, applicant eligibility quiz, as well as the Foundation policies and procedures; and
• Include one or a combination of the following:
  • direct services/programs for children in their classroom or community;
  • professional development/workforce development for early childhood educators;
  • family and/or community engagement in children’s early learning
• Additional considerations:
  • The grant focus should include math, science, reading, vocabulary development, the arts, financial education, or social/emotional development.
  • The grant recipient, or collaborative partner, should have early childhood education as an area of focus. If the organization’s focus is beyond birth to age five, the specific grant must be earmarked for birth to age five.
  • Incorporate opportunities for PNC volunteers in classroom or non-classroom-based activities.

Economic Development

Economic development organizations, including those which enhance the quality of life through neighborhood revitalization, cultural enrichment and human services are given support. Priority is given to community development initiatives that strategically promote the growth of low-and moderate-income communities and/or provide services to these communities.

• Affordable Housing
  • The PNC Foundation understands the critical need for affordable housing for low-and moderate-income individuals.
  • We are committed to providing support to nonprofit organizations that:
    • give counseling and services to help these individuals maintain their housing stock;
    • offer transitional housing units and programs; and/or
    • offer credit counseling assistance to individuals, helping them to prepare for homeownership.
• Community Development
  • Because small businesses are often critical components of community growth and help foster business development, the PNC Foundation provides support to nonprofit organizations that
    • offer technical assistance to, or loan programs for, small businesses located in low-and moderate-income areas or
    • support small businesses that employ low-and moderate-income individuals.
• Community Services
  • Support is given to social services organizations that benefit the health, education, quality of life or provide essential services for low-and moderate-income individuals and families.
  • The PNC Foundation supports job training programs and organizations that provide essential services for their families.
• Arts & Culture
  • Support is given for cultural enrichment programs benefitting the community.
• Revitalization & Stabilization of Low-and Moderate-Income Areas
  • The PNC Foundation supports nonprofit organizations that serve low-and moderate-income neighborhoods by improving living and working conditions.
  • Support is given to organizations that help stabilize communities, eliminate blight and attract and retain businesses and residents to the community.

Philanthropy is our commitment to communities in which we operate and broader society. We focus our resources on a limited number of key projects that can deliver valuable benefits from our contributions and those of our partners. We give priority to innovative, high-quality projects that meet the following criteria:

• promote sustainable development
• offer an opportunity for Roche to use its expertise and logistics capabilities
• involve Roche actively at an early stage with local authorities and established partners
• engage Roche employees in cultural (focus on contemporary arts), educational and social activities
• managed by an accredited charity

Our four focus areas

Humanitarian and Social

We direct the majority of our philanthropic donations to humanitarian and social development projects.

Science and education

We are dedicated to programmes that promote scientific interest and provide educational opportunities for young people around the world.

Community and Environment

We are committed to building stronger communities and responding to natural disasters sustainably.

Arts and Culture

We support groundbreaking contemporary art, cultural projects and activities that explore the parallels between innovation in art and in science. 

The Sidney Stern Memorial Trust is devoted solely to the funding of charitable, scientific, medical and educational organizations.

The Board endeavors to support soundly-managed charitable organizations that give service with a broad scope, have a substantial effect on their target populations, and contribute materially to the general welfare. The Board does not discriminate on the basis of ethnicity, race, gender, sexual orientation or religion.

Our Mission

The Tony Robbins Foundation is a nonprofit organization created to empower individuals and organizations to make a significant difference in the quality of life of people often forgotten.

We’re dedicated to creating positive changes in the lives of youth, seniors, the hungry, homeless and the imprisoned population, all who need a boost envisioning a happier and deeply satisfying way of life. Our passionate staff, generous donors and caring group of international volunteers provide the vision, inspiration, and resources needed to empower these important members of our society.

Grants

Dedicated to meeting challenges within the global community, creating solutions and taking action, The Tony Robbins Foundation provides monetary donations to various organizations around the world. Funding requests are evaluated on an ongoing basis. We look for organizations that align with our mission to empower individuals and organizations to make a significant difference in the quality of life of those often forgotten.

Colorado Grantmaking

The Boettcher Foundation believes in the promise of Colorado and the potential of Coloradans because courageous leadership benefits every community in our state. By investing in people, programs, and organizations, we provide a foundation for transformational impact and community building.

Rural Catalyst Grants

The Rural Catalyst Grant Program strengthens the internal capacity of organizations as they work to achieve goals outlined in Boettcher’s Rural Leadership Collaborative meetings. Our Rural Leadership Collaborative meetings are quarterly gatherings where rural leaders come together to discuss strategies that advance their organizations, communities, and regions.

These capacity-building grants range from $1,000-$10,000 and are distributed to support the following types of projects:

• Strategic planning: Identifying elements of a blueprint that helps an organization accomplish its goals.
• Convening: Bringing people, ideas, and resources together to move forward an issue, topic, or opportunity.
• Short-term staffing or contractors: Supporting employees or expertise recruited for short term employment contracts to meet limited, one-time support needs.
• One-time operating costs: Covering expenses related to the operation of the organization or program that are not recurring, such as tap fees, application fees, public outreach, or education material expenses.

Battlefield Preservation Fund

Grants from the Battlefield Preservation Fund will serve as a catalyst to stimulate efforts to preserve battlefields, viewsheds, and related historic structures and to leverage fund-raising activities.

Eligible Activities

National Trust Preservation Fund grants are awarded for planning activities and education efforts focused on preservation. Grant funds can be used to launch new initiatives or to provide additional support to on-going efforts.

Planning

Supporting existing staff (nonprofit applicants only) or obtaining professional expertise in areas such as architecture, archaeology, engineering, preservation planning, land-use planning, and law. Eligible planning activities include, but are not limited to:

• Hiring a preservation architect or landscape architect, or funding existing staff with expertise in these areas, to produce a historic structure report or historic landscape master plan.
• Hiring a preservation planner, or funding existing staff with expertise in this area, to produce design guidelines for a historic district.
• Hiring a real estate development consultant, or funding existing staff with expertise in this area, to produce an economic feasibility study for the reuse of a threatened structure.
• Sponsoring a community forum to develop a shared vision for the future of a historic neighborhood.
• Organizational capacity building activities such as hiring fundraising consultants, conducting board training, etc.

Education and Outreach

Support for preservation education activities aimed at the public. The National Trust is particularly interested in programs aimed at reaching new audiences. Funding will be provided to projects that employ innovative techniques and formats aimed at introducing new audiences to the preservation movement, whether that be through education programming or conference sessions.

About

The Preservation Leadership Forum of the National Trust for Historic Preservation is a network of preservation leaders — professionals, students, volunteers, activists, experts — who share the latest ideas, information, and advice, and have access to in-depth preservation resources and training.

Southwest Intervention Fund

Grants from the National Trust’s Southwest Intervention Fund are intended to further preservation efforts of the traditional cultures of the Southwest region, exclusively in Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, West Texas (West Texas is defined as the area west of US Route 281 from the Oklahoma border to San Antonio proper and north of US Route 90 from San Antonio proper to Del Rio) and Utah. The Fund provides support for preservation planning efforts and enables prompt responses to emergency threats or opportunities in the eligible states. Local partners, nonprofit organizations and government agencies that have strategic opportunities to save sites or help jumpstart preservation projects are eligible for the fund’s small, catalytic grants. Grants generally range from $2,500 to $10,000.

The Fund can support assistance for a single prehistoric or historic place or actions affecting an entire state or part of a state, or several states, so long as all of the states are among the five designated states. Actions aimed at direct intervention to save historic and cultural sites and at capacity building are eligible.

The decision to pursue project funding through the Southwest Intervention Fund must be made in consultation with the National Trust grants office. Please contact us if you would like to discuss your project.  

The Denver Foundation is pleased to invite qualified nonprofits to apply for funding from the Denver Immigrant Legal Services Fund. The fund is managed by The Denver Foundation in partnership with a community advisory board composed of representatives from the Denver Mayor’s Office, Denver City Council, Colorado Lawyers Committee, immigrant rights groups, and The Denver Foundation. The purpose of the fund is to increase legal services to Denver’s immigrant community by providing qualified nonprofit organizations with grants to:

• Offer direct legal representation to immigrants in detention and/or subject to removal proceedings.
• Provide affirmative relief to individuals seeking help with Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) and various visa programs.
• Support capacity building or other innovative projects to help organizations increase the pool of pro-bono or low-bono immigration attorneys available to represent immigrants.
• Funding to assist in the course of representation, including legal resources and/or scholarships to pay for filing and other representation-related application fees.

Denver Immigrant Legal Services Fund Funding Priorities

Category 1: Removal defense for individuals who are detained at the Aurora Detention Facility and those released from the facility who have cases pending in Denver Immigration Court.

Defense includes high-quality representation at all stages of immigration court proceedings, including master calendar hearings and bond hearings, detained removal, non-detained removal after release, Board and Immigrations Appeals (BIA), remands from the BIA, and state court proceedings related to immigration relief, transfer of venue proceedings for transfer to Denver Immigration Court, collateral proceedings incident to removal defense, and any costs associated with defense.

Category 2: Affirmative relief and removal defense for and people not in detention.

Affirmative relief includes legal screening, consultation, and representation for individuals seeking assistance with DACA, Special Immigrant Juvenile (SJIS), asylum, U visas, and T visas, Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) protections, family and labor petitions, and naturalization. Support can also be used for consultations for individuals whose Temporary Protected Status (TPS) is being terminated to determine if they are eligible for a different type of relief, or, to defend TPS revocation in Immigration Court.

Category  3: Building capacity for direct legal representation.

• Expanding the pool of pro-bono immigration attorneys
• Expanding the pool of “low-bono” immigration attorneys
• The use of law school clinics and law students to provide assistance to immigrants
• Other innovative projects that increase legal representation for immigrants

Category 4: Filing Fees, Legal Fees.

Funding to assist in the course of representation, including legal resources and/or scholarships to help with filing and other representation-related application fees. Funding requested to be utilized for legal resources, scholarships for legal fees, or other application fees must be proportionate to the cases proposed to be represented. For example, 10 cases = $500 per case for interpretation, filing fees, etc.

COCO (a Colorado-based nonprofit) started the Action, Implementation and Mitigation (AIM) Program to accelerate fire adaptation concepts and reduce the risk from wildfire across the U.S. by increasing capacity and on-the-ground work. Since its inception in 2018, we have supported over 90 organizations. COCO hopes to increase community resilience, restore fire-adapted ecosystems and create safer conditions for residents and firefighters. This funding opportunity is open to organizations working to advance wildfire risk reduction.

The AIM grant is available for a wide variety of capacity-building activities, including personnel, planning efforts, and wildfire risk reduction work on non-federal lands.

COCO funds organizations across the country with a focus on programs and projects that increase communities’ ability to overcome barriers to successful community wildfire mitigation, multiply the efforts, achieve quantifiable outcomes, support equitable and inclusive community wildfire mitigation programs across the fence, and support place-based solutions.

COCO will be looking to fund a variety of different types of projects across the country. Applicants must demonstrate how their proposal fits into the larger community wildfire strategy, including coordination with federal partners on nearby public lands. Applicants must contribute a 100% match (cash or in-kind match is eligible).  Award funding may range from $10,000 – $75,000. Grants are contracted for a period of one year.

NextFifty Initiative

Next50 is a private, national foundation based in Denver, Colorado. Since 2016, Next50 has been working toward creating a world that values aging.

Our Work

It’s expensive to age in Colorado and the rest of the country. That is why we invest in innovative and equitable ideas that build capacity and change systems to create economic opportunities for older adults and the organizations that serve them.

Sudden & Urgent Need (SUN) Grants

Sudden & Urgent Need (SUN) grants address one-time, time-sensitive needs for smaller nonprofit organizations in Colorado with a budget less than or equal to one million dollars.

Grant requests must be aligned with one or more of Next50’s three priority areas:

• ending ageism,
• advancing digital equity, and
• supporting aging in place.

Grant requests are required to demonstrate advancing equity for marginalized or geographically underserved communities to be considered for funding.

What will Next50 consider funding?

One-time expenses that are unanticipated and time-sensitive. Grant requests must intentionally focus on older adults within our three funding priorities.

For purposes of this grant opportunity, one-time is defined as a need that is not anticipated to re-occur. Needs that arise once per year or are to support ongoing programming are not eligible for this funding. Time-sensitive is considered urgent, and the organization is unable to wait for support through other funding opportunities.

Examples of Needs that Next50 may Support with SUN Grants include:

• An organization providing mobile technology training for low-income older adults in a rural area has an unexpected issue that has arisen with their mobile training vehicle and needs a replacement part to be able to continue providing services.
• A small organization providing a financial boot-straps course for low-income older adults has a water leak in their building and must shut down classes until the leak is fixed.

Funding

We ask that organizations request only what they need, and the maximum request amount is $30,000.

The Joseph Henry Edmondson Foundation serves the Pikes Peak Region. While grants have been awarded outside this geographic area under unique circumstances, most funding is confined to supporting those nonprofits in Colorado Springs. In general, all grants must follow the Foundation’s mission or have direct relevance.

The Foundation focuses its funding on those organizations with which it has an established funding history. 

Mission and Focus Areas

The Joseph Henry Edmondson Foundation provides funding for nonprofit organizations in the Pikes Peak Region serving to support:

• Youth Organizations
• Animal Welfare
• Arts
• Health and Human Services
• Community Building
• Education
• Environment

The majority of our grants are for capacity building and general operating support.

Successfully leading a nonprofit in today’s world takes endless dedication and time. Yet, nonprofit leaders are often so committed to their missions that spending time away to re-energize can be an afterthought. The Nonprofit Sabbatical Program aims to recognize and reward long-term and respected nonprofit leaders in Colorado and strengthen the organizations they lead by offering funds for interim leadership and staff capacity building. The program offers nonprofit executives the opportunity to step away from professional responsibilities and take time for themselves for rejuvenation. Ideally, the executive returns to their professional life with new ideas and a fresh sense of commitment to their work, the nonprofit sector as well as the health and health equity of all Coloradans.

Our three cornerstones are “must-haves” in all we do and guide us on our path to addressing the deepest, most historically entrenched inequities. We expect our partners to prioritize these cornerstones in their work alongside us. This commitment necessitates that we prioritize a diverse cohort of grantees whose work and values are in alignment with our cornerstones and who represent a range of identities including race/ethnicity, gender identity, ability/disability identity, sexual orientation as well as geographic area.Up to five sabbaticals will be awarded annually. Each sabbatical must be taken within 18 months of the receipt of the award.

The sabbatical award is made in the form of a grant – up to $100,000 – for charitable support to a Colorado-based nonprofit organization and includes:

• Grantee executive to take three-to-four month hiatus for activities of their choice to reflect, rest and rejuvenate:
• Up to $20,000 for sabbatical activities (e.g., professional development; travel; personal activities)
• Between $25,000-$55,000 subsidy for salary and benefits (dependent on current salary)
• Grantee interim leadership needs (individual or a team):
• Up to $10,000 to support interim leadership needs while grantee is away on sabbatical.
• Grantee staff capacity building needs
• Up to $15,000 to be used during the sabbatical period or up to two years after receipt of the award
• Organizations will need to demonstrate how staff have been involved in determining use of these funds to ensure that they are used for employee-directed needs

Background

Established in 1994, the Lake Fork Community Foundation promotes and supports the citizens of that portion of Hinsdale County located along the valley of the Lake Fork of the Gunnison River. The foundation is a Colorado Nonprofit Corporation, qualified as a Private Foundation, 501(c)(3) by the IRS. Donations are fully tax-deductible.

The foundation’s purposes include: 

• Youth support including educational assistance and recreational facilities
• Assistance to public, educational, medical or benevolent institutions and the public schools
• Promoting scientific research for the advancement of human knowledge and the alleviation of human suffering or the suffering of animals
• Care of the sick, aged and helpless
• Care of needy men, women and children
• Beautification of the area
• Care and protection of animals

Funding Priorities:

• Grants are awarded only to groups or organizations whose activities would/do qualify them for IRS tax exempt status.
• Reach as many people as possible in the County.
• Build on strengths and assets of people in the community and engage them in problem solving.
• Seek challenge of matching grants.
• Attract volunteer resources and support.
• Strengthen the private, non-profit sector.
• Encourage collaboration with other organizations.
• Build the capacity of the applying organization.
• Require seed money for innovative projects.
• Leverage additional public and private resources, both financial and volunteer.

Anschutz Family Foundation Grant

Anschutz Family Foundation’s mission is purposely broad, allowing it to support endeavors that strengthen families and communities and help individuals become productive and responsible citizens. The Foundation has a special interest in self-sufficiency, community development and programs aimed at the economically disadvantaged, the young, the elderly and the disabled. The Foundation is also dedicated to funding efforts in rural Colorado.

Funding Areas

Anschutz Family Foundation typically provides grants to Colorado nonprofit organizations offering programs and services that fit within one or more of our grant funding areas:

• Civic, Community, and Capacity Building
• Crisis Intervention
• Early Childhood Development
• Food / Shelter / Homeless
• Low-Income Housing
• People with Disabilities
• Self-Sufficiency / Families / Literacy
• Senior Programs
• Youth Development / Outdoor Programs

What we look for: 

• Alignment with the Foundation’s mission and interests
• Clearly presented goals, objectives and strategies
• Provision of unduplicated, needed programs and services
• Sustainable and diversified funding streams
• Solid financial statements and cash reserves
• Demonstrated financial need
• Proven track record of success with positive outputs and outcomes
• Effective and qualified leadership
• Engaged and committed board of directors with 100% making a meaningful financial contribution to the organization
• Strong, effective and ongoing organization and program evaluation
• Community buy-in and support evidenced through donations, volunteer engagement, collaborations and partnerships
• Utilization of best practices and principles across all levels of the organization

Funding

Typical grants range between $5,000-$10,000, but generally do not exceed 10 percent of an organization’s annual budget.

Supporting Historic Sacred Places

A program of Partners for Sacred Places in collaboration with the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the National Fund for Sacred Places provides financial and technical support for community-serving historic houses of worship across America.

What We Offer

The National Fund for Sacred Places provides matching grants of $50,000 to $250,000 to congregations undertaking significant capital projects at historic houses of worship, along with wraparound services including training, technical assistance, and planning support.

What We’re Looking For

The National Fund for Sacred Places assesses applicant eligibility according to the core criteria shown below, while also striving to build a diverse participant pool that reflects a broad range of geographic, cultural, and religious identities.

Historic, Cultural, or Architectural Significance

We are looking for buildings that have historic, cultural, or architectural significance—and sites that have important and relevant stories to tell. Many of our participants are listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the state register, or the local register. Your building does not have to be on one of these lists, but eligibility for one or more of these lists is a good benchmark for National Fund eligibility.

As part of the National Trust’s commitment to telling the full American story, we particularly encourage congregations to apply that illuminate a unique or overlooked aspect of American history and that expand our understanding of our shared national heritage. We encourage submissions related to historic sacred places of importance to historically and contemporaneously underrepresented communities including, but not limited to, women, immigrants, Asian Americans, Black Americans, Latinx Americans, Native Americans, Native Hawaiians, Pacific Islanders, and LGBTQIA communities.

Successful applicants are able to demonstrate their place in history by answering questions such as:

• Does the building tell a story relevant to our history—either cultural or religious?
• Does the history highlight previously underrecognized communities, stories, or locations?
• How has the building served the community over time? Does the building have a great physical presence in its community due to its location or programming?
• Is the building the work of a notable architect? If so, is it a high-quality example of their body of work?
• Is the building an exceptional example of its architectural style or building technology?
• Does the building embody the congregation’s resilience over time?

Community-Serving Congregations

We are looking for congregations that are engaged in their communities and that are serving others. Engaged congregations operate and host programming that serves vulnerable, at-risk, and diverse populations; share space with non-affiliated groups and organizations (often at subsidized rates); work with other congregations, faith-based organizations, nonprofit organizations, and/or municipalities; and have a widespread reputation for being a welcoming center of community life.

Project Scope and Need

We fund historic preservation projects addressing urgent repair needs and/or life safety. We also fund projects that increase congregations’ ability to open their buildings to new populations or to serve greater numbers of people. All projects must adhere to the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation, which is a universally accepted framework for doing work to older and historic properties.

We prioritize congregations/projects where there is a demonstrated need (meaning that the congregation cannot raise the funds alone) or where it is clear that our grant will have a catalytic effect (meaning that our grant is likely to lead to additional monies being contributed to the project).

Readiness

Once-in-a-generation capital projects require a great deal of planning. We are looking for applicants that understand their buildings’ needs and that are ready to undertake a capital campaign. National Fund congregations typically have a history of successful capital campaigns, which demonstrate an ability to raise significant funds and complete a project.

Successful congregations come to us with a realistic fundraising goal, which has been generated with the help of qualified preservation professionals and is not too far beyond the congregation’s fundraising capacity.

Healthy Congregations

The National Fund prioritizes healthy, stable congregations so that our investment is truly impactful and lasting. We look for the following, although this is not an exhaustive list of characteristics that indicate healthy congregations: tenured, well-respected clergy; capable lay leadership; stable or growing membership; financial strength and stability; support of the judicatory or governing body, if applicable; and a history of weathering any congregational conflict or trauma with resilience.

Community Ties Giving Program

As part of the Community Ties Giving Program, Local Grants help us achieve our mission by providing small and medium-sized grants within our priority cause areas to local organizations spread widely across Union Pacific's footprint.

Funding Priorities & Objectives

Throughout its existence, the success of Union Pacific's business has been inextricably linked to the economic and community wellbeing of cities and towns across the nation. We take pride in the role we have played in helping communities thrive and believe the impact we can have on local communities is greatest when it is authentic to our history and reflective of the diverse company we are today.

As such, we have carefully aligned our Local Grants cause areas to our company's unique heritage, strengths, and assets. Specifically, we prioritize funding for direct services and efforts that build the capacity of organizations focused on the following causes within our local operating communities. Within each focus area, we aim to support programs and organizations working to advance the diversity, equity and inclusion of underrepresented populations within the local context and issue areas addressed. Find more information about our commitment to DEI in our FAQs.

Safety

In order for communities to thrive, all residents must feel safe. Just as the safety of our employees and community members is paramount to how we operate, Union Pacific is committed to helping communities prevent and prepare for incidents and emergencies, and helping residents get home safely at the end of each day. As such, we prioritize funding for projects and programs that seek to: 

• Encourage safe behaviors and prevent incidents through education and awareness, particularly projects which focus on rail, driver, bike, and pedestrian safety, and ensure outreach efforts reach underserved populations.
• Eliminate risks and improve safe and equitable access to community spaces through infrastructure improvements, such as signage, proper lighting, and public trail improvements.
• Prepare and equip residents and emergency responders* to effectively respond to incidents and emergencies if or when they occur.
  • *Union Pacific supports publicly funded emergency responders through a variety of corporate programs; only independent nonprofit, 501(c)(3) emergency response organizations, such as volunteer departments, are eligible for funding through this grant program
• Prevent crime and violent incidents and support survivors of domestic violence through efforts that address the root causes of these issues and seek to mitigate their occurrence.
• Build the capacity of safety-focused organizations to integrate practices that improve upon the diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts of the organization. This can take the form of internal capacity building or the creation/expansion of culturally relevant programming and services that seek to impact a broad and diverse audience. 

Workforce Development

For more than 160 years, Union Pacific has helped stimulate economic growth in cities and towns throughout the nation by training and providing employment to millions of workers. More than ever, we are committed to helping underrepresented residents in our communities achieve family-supporting careers like those offered by Union Pacific. As such, we prioritize funding for programs that seek to:

• Put youth on the right track by creating awareness of and pathways toward employment opportunities; building foundational skills, especially in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM); establishing necessary technical skills and life skills; and providing mentorship and positive role models for the future.
• Raise awareness of, educate and prepare young adults for middle skills jobs like those Union Pacific offers, for instance through community colleges, vocational and career training programs, workforce readiness initiatives, and programs that assist with job placement and/or on-the-job experience.
  • Programs that develop proficiency in areas relevant to Union Pacific operations such as welding, electrical work, machine operations, and civil and electrical engineering are given priority.
• "Up-skill" the existing workforce by providing training and resources that enable them to reach the next level of their career.
  • Programs that develop proficiency in areas of relevance to Union Pacific operations are given priority.
• Resolve barriers to employment such as transportation, childcare, acquiring necessary equipment for work, and second chance employment programs.
• Build the capacity of workforce development-focused organizations to integrate practices that improve upon the diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts of the organization. This can take the form of internal capacity building or the creation/expansion of culturally relevant programming and services that seek to impact a broad and diverse audience. 

Community Vitality

Union Pacific Railroad is committed to establishing vibrant, healthy and inclusive communities for employees, customers and residents to work, visit and call home. Just as the railroad opened avenues for economic development and opportunity more than 160 years ago, we maintain this tradition by cultivating unique cultural and recreational experiences and equipping community members with opportunities to live healthy, vital lives. As such, we prioritize funding for projects and programs that seek to:

• Create, sustain or expand artistic and cultural experiences offered to a broad and diverse audience (e.g., museums, theaters, zoos, cultural and local heritage, visual and performing arts, etc.)
• Provide recreational opportunities that foster wellbeing, enrichment and/or an appreciation for our natural environment (e.g., parks, libraries, senior centers, recreation centers, learning centers, etc.).
• Revive neighborhoods and main street areas, especially in historically underinvested neighborhoods, to improve livability, promote commerce and attract more residents, businesses and visitors to town.
• Ensure residents’ basic needs are met and barriers are overcome (e.g., safe shelter and homelessness prevention, hunger relief, mental health and community health needs, etc.).
• Offer youth development and educational opportunities to ensure young people can thrive into healthy and productive community members (e.g., mentoring, leadership development, tutoring, services for youth in foster care, etc.).
• Build the capacity of community vitality-focused organizations to integrate practices that improve upon the diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts of the organization. This can take the form of internal capacity building or the creation/expansion of culturally relevant programming and services that seek to impact a broad and diverse audience. 

Environmental Sustainability

The future of our business, communities and planet depends on bold, collective action to reduce and slow the impacts of climate change while building a more sustainable economy for the next generation. Union Pacific is taking deliberate steps to reduce our environmental impact and helping our partners improve their own. Extending this commitment to our community investments, we seek to support leading environmental nonprofits and community-based organizations to advance the health of our environment. As such, we prioritize funding for projects and programs that seek to:

• Preserve and restore nature, including programs focused on natural habitats, ecosystems, and biodiversity.
• Protect and enhance water, soil and air quality through innovative and proactive solutions such as water conservation, carbon sequestration and emission reduction programs.
• Reduce waste through initiatives focused on promoting recycling and circularity throughout the community, including recycling and composting programs and other efforts that reduce waste.
• Develop environmental stewards through youth programs focused on fostering environmental appreciation, responsibility, and leadership.
• Advance a sustainable economy by helping communities accelerate their transition to environmental jobs and renewable energy, as well as helping nonprofits and small businesses build their own capacity to operate more sustainably.
• Promote environmental justice through initiatives that ensure access to clean air, water, and land and protect underserved populations from disproportionate and adverse environmental effects.
• Build the capacity of sustainability-focused organizations to integrate practices that improve upon the diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts of the organization. This can take the form of internal capacity building or the creation/expansion of culturally relevant programming and services that seek to impact a broad and diverse audience.

State Respite Grant

Purpose of Request

To respond to the growing respite care needs of Colorado’s family caregivers, the Colorado Respite Coalition, a program of Easterseals Colorado, is seeking applications from qualified non-profit and for-profit agencies which already provide respite care. Respite care provides family caregivers with a break from caregiving. Respite care can be provided in a home, at a center, or in the community. The key is that the caregiver must have the opportunity to leave and know their loved one is being cared for. This grant program supports services across the lifespan and health and disability spectrums and serves the entire state of Colorado. Grants are not available to individuals providing respite care independently. 

This grant program is funded through Colorado State General Funds and is managed by Easterseals Colorado and the Colorado Department of Human Services, State Unit of Aging. The intent of these funds is to increase access to respite care options for family caregivers and to help agencies build the capacity to provide additional services. All funds are specified to be used to support families as a Payer of Last Resort (i.e., families who do not actively receive respite allocations through Medicaid waivers or other funds).

Special Note: Easterseals Colorado also offers a separate Family Respite Voucher Program, where families can apply directly for financial assistance for respite services. Please contact us for further information.

Award Amount and Term

The organization/agency will be awarded funds to support families in need of respite care. The organization/agency is not required to provide a match or in-kind donations, but it is encouraged when available to stretch the funds further. The organization/agency which receives funds must currently provide respite services.

New changes to the grant for 2025-26 grant year:

• The award range will be between $10,000 and $30,000 per grant year.
• Monthly billing is required as of July 1, 2025. We will also accept quarterly billing in certain circumstances.
• Colorado Respite Coalition is updating the application requirements for the State Respite Grant.
• New requirement for grant application for the year 2025-2026 is the submission of a letter of intent (LOI).
• Competitive LOIs will be invited to submit a full application for the State Respite Grant.
• The grant period is July 1, 2025 through June 30, 2026.

About Our Program

Our investments are guided by the fundamental belief in the power of live theatre to spark dialogue, bring different viewpoints together on challenging subjects, and provide a lens to process the critical issues of contemporary society.  

Through our Social Impact Theatre grant program, we proudly recognize organizations with production-specific support that are intentional and innovative in engaging with their audiences around these issues and are committed to reaching new audiences. This year, in addition to production-specific grants, we are introducing a new opportunity reflecting our value to support the health and sustainably of the American theater ecosystem.

We understand the current climate for theatres is incredibly challenging – with decreasing revenue sources and increasing costs, many theatres are struggling (and even those thriving face seemingly insurmountable challenges). And yet, we know that in times of challenge, the sector will apply its boundless creativity to adapt models and practices to remain sustainable.

This year, in addition to production specific grant awards, we will be selecting a small number of theatres to receive change capital grants of $10-$25K to kickstart new plans or to adapt and deepen strategies already in process. Awardees will form a cohort to share insights and to support each other and will commit to sharing lessons learned with the Foundation so that we can reshare information to more broadly support the field.

Given our available resources and in the spirit of focusing on our own learning, we will be considering change capital grants in the following three categories:

• Business models. We hear “the current model is broken!” and want to learn how you are experimenting economically. Ex. Letting go of spaces or activating new spaces, shared leadership, cost-sharing partnerships, alternatives to the subscription model etc.
• Building and deepening connection with your community. Are you exploring new programs or projects to increase interconnectivity between your community and the art on stage?
• New leaders. Does your theatre have a leader who has started within the last year who needs capacity to enact their vision and implement necessary changes?

 Grant Process

Interested organizations may request funding for one production and, if interested, one project for which change capital is needed, by submitting an LOI when our grant cycle is open. From this applicant pool, select organizations will be invited to submit a full application. Social impact theatre grants can cover artistic, production, and community engagement expenses.

Community-Initiated Solutions

At The Colorado Health Foundation, we believe that keeping equity at the heart of our work will lead us to better health. We know that all communities have their own unique assets and often have the best ideas for solving their own health-related challenges. When community members themselves identify the issue and then work to generate and implement the solutions, they are able to raise their collective voice and strengthen their own power. The resulting community-initiated solutions are more likely to serve the needs of the specific community and demonstrate more long-term impact.

However, community change efforts are too often carried out by organizations whose work is done “to” or “for” community members, rather than in partnership “with” them or “by” the community members themselves. 

With this funding opportunity, the Foundation is reaching out to community members directly and the organizations that support their actions through partnerships. Given the Foundation’s intent to advance health equity, proposals that center on communities of color shall receive priority consideration. We want to fund ideas that increase health equity and lead to healthier communities by implementing solutions where community members drive the decision-making. We want to provide an opportunity for the people themselves to address the health challenges that directly affect their lives. The Foundation is not determining which health focus/challenge will be chosen, or suggesting the approach to solving it. We want community members themselves to identify the health issue they want to tackle and take the lead in implementing solutions. 

Thus, applications may request funding to support a range of programs and/or projects identified by community members as necessary to address their own health challenges. As part of these proposed programs and/or projects identified, we require that organizations collaboratively work with community members to: 

• Address a health challenge 
• Develop and implement a solution
• Leverage existing strengths and resources
• Improve health equity

Proposed programs and/or projects must reflect the Foundation’s cornerstones. These outline who we serve, how our work is informed and our intent to create health equity.

Boettcher Fund Capital Grants

This grant from the Boettcher Fund is for capital projects in Weld County. It is awarded to nonprofits making the greatest positive impact and addressing the greatest community needs.

What is a Capital Project?

A capital project is the addition of a permanent structural change or the restoration/ renovation of some aspect of a property that will either increase the property’s useful or essential function or service capacity, enhance quality of services, prolongs its useful life, or adapt it to new uses. Properties must be owned and used by a qualified Weld County, Colorado nonprofit organization.

Details

The nonprofit’s capital project must be in Weld County and serve the Weld County community. It should also be financially healthy with the ability to maintain the project after completion.

If awarded, the grant will not exceed a one year payment schedule and won’t be released until building permits are approved for construction or renovation projects.

Who We Are

For 100 years, The Denver Foundation has been building a stronger, thriving Metro Denver, Colorado, and beyond. We’ve received $2.1 billion from generous donors and given $1.6 billion in grants to support community initiatives. We’re the foundation of Denver, connecting and collaborating to address the current and future challenges of our community.

What We Do

As a tax-exempt, nonprofit, philanthropic organization, The Denver Foundation stewards more than 1,000 funds established by generous donors. In partnership with the foundation, our donors make gifts to organizations throughout the seven-county Metro Denver region, across Colorado, and beyond.

Nonprofit Capacity Building Fund from The City and County of Denver

The Denver Foundation is pleased to invite qualified nonprofits to apply for funding for the City and County of Denver Nonprofit Capacity Building Fund, funded by Denver Economic Development & Opportunity’s (DEDO) Division of Neighborhood Equity and Stabilization (NEST).

The City and County of Denver Capacity Building Fund is a program developed by The Denver Foundation in partnership with the DEDO to strengthen nonprofit organizations. The grants aims to build capacity in Denver’s neighborhoods and enhance collaboration and power building. The goals of the program are to strengthen nonprofit organizations that serve Denver’s NEST neighborhoods to increase community capacity and civic engagement.

Grants will range from $2,000-$20,000 and the program plans to award 5-15 grants in 2025. 

Mission

We make the healing presence of God known in our world by improving the health of the people we serve, especially those who are vulnerable, while we advance social justice for all.

Vision

A healthier future for all — inspired by faith, driven by innovation, and powered by our humanity.

Values

Collaboration, compassion, excellence, inclusion, integrity.

CommonSpirit Health Equity & Advancement Fund

The CommonSpirit Health Equity & Advancement Fund, soon to be the CommonSpirit Mountain Region Community Health Improvement Grant, was launched in 2021 in support of CommonSpirit’s commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) across our vibrant communities in Colorado, Kansas, and Utah. Our commitment to social justice lies in CommonSpirit’s Core Values, and advances our Mission to make the healing presence of God known in our world by improving the health of the people we serve, especially those who are vulnerable, while we advance social justice for all.

Applicants should ensure their proposed work/project:

• Serves a specific diverse, underrepresented, or underserved community (either based on geography or lived experience).
• Addresses specific Social Determinants of Health (SDOH)
• Integrates members of communities being served (community participatory approach)
• Builds community capacity, with an emphasis on utilizing community health workers
• Identifies specific objectives that will be measured and reported.

What are the 2026 funding focus areas?

• Mental health/Substance Use
• Access to Care
• Food Security/Nutrition
• Proposals otherwise advancing social justice and health equity

Our Focus

Children are more likely to thrive when caregivers, families and communities experience opportunities for health and well-being. We believe all children, youth and families deserve equitable access to systems of support.

Partnering to promote public policy advocacy and systems change can promote justice and equity and achieve the greatest good for the greatest number of people in Colorado.

What We Fund

Caring for Colorado seeks to create lasting, meaningful and broad change that improves the lives of children for generations to come. We support public policy advocacy as a central tool for advancing our mission.

Public policy advocacy funding can support general operating, capacity building, network and coalition building, research and analysis, public education, policy implementation engagement and monitoring, leadership development, polling, nonpartisan voter education, regulatory efforts, and, in some cases, limited lobbying.

Public Policy Advocacy

Caring for Colorado funds public policy advocacy at local and state levels to support efforts that improve health, well-being and opportunity for children, youth, and families in Colorado. We prioritize work that aligns with the foundation’s Guiding Principles.

Statewide

We fund statewide public policy advocacy efforts that improve access to high quality health care for children, youth, and families experiencing barriers to care or support efforts to strengthen or expand public programs or benefits to help families prosper.

Children, youth, and their families must be a core component of an organization’s advocacy agenda, and the organization must explicitly work to create or improve policies that reduce economic, racial and gender-based inequities.

Local

We fund local policy advocacy efforts that respond to emergent or urgent issues, or capitalize on new opportunities to improve health, well-being and opportunity for children, youth, and their families.

Youth-Led

We fund policy advocacy efforts that partner with young people to identify and respond to issues that affect youth health, well-being, and opportunity.