Hearst Foundations' Mission

The Hearst Foundations identify and fund outstanding nonprofits to ensure that people of all backgrounds in the United States have the opportunity to build healthy, productive and inspiring lives.

Hearst Foundations' Goals

The Foundations seek to achieve their mission by funding approaches that result in:

• Improved health and quality of life
• Access to high quality educational options to promote increased academic achievement
• Arts and sciences serving as a cornerstone of society
• Sustainable employment and productive career paths for adults
• Stabilizing and supporting families

Funding Priorities

The Hearst Foundations support well-established nonprofit organizations that address significant issues within their major areas of interests – culture, education, health and social service – and that primarily serve large demographic and/or geographic constituencies. In each area of funding, the Foundations seek to identify those organizations achieving truly differentiated results relative to other organizations making similar efforts for similar populations. The Foundations also look for evidence of sustainability beyond their support.

Culture

The Hearst Foundations fund cultural institutions that offer meaningful programs in the arts and sciences, prioritizing those which enable engagement by young people and create a lasting and measurable impact. The Foundations also fund select programs nurturing and developing artistic talent.

Types of Support: Program, capital and, on a limited basis, general and endowment support

Education

The Hearst Foundations fund educational institutions demonstrating uncommon success in preparing students to thrive in a global society. The Foundations’ focus is largely on higher education, but they also fund innovative models of early childhood and K-12 education, as well as professional development.

Types of Support: Program, scholarship, capital and, on a limited basis, general and endowment support

Health

The Hearst Foundations assist leading regional hospitals, medical centers and specialized medical institutions providing access to high-quality healthcare for low-income populations. In response to the shortage of healthcare professionals necessary to meet the country’s evolving needs, the Foundations also fund programs designed to enhance skills and increase the number of practitioners and educators across roles in healthcare. Because the Foundations seek to use their funds to create a broad and enduring impact on the nation’s health, support for medical research and the development of young investigators is also considered.

Types of Support: Program, capital and, on a limited basis, endowment support

Social Service

The Hearst Foundations fund direct-service organizations that tackle the roots of chronic poverty by applying effective solutions to the most challenging social and economic problems. The Foundations prioritize supporting programs that have proven successful in facilitating economic independence and in strengthening families. Preference is also given to programs with the potential to scale productive practices in order to reach more people in need.

Types of Support: Program, capital and general support

Walmart’s more than 2 million associates are residents, neighbors, friends and family in thousands of communities around the globe. Walmart works to strengthen these communities through both retail business and community giving, and we support and invest in communities through local giving. The following programs have open application processes with specific deadlines for eligibility and consideration.

Local Community Grants

Each year, our U.S. stores and clubs award local cash grants ranging from $250 to $5,000. These local grants are designed to address the unique needs of the communities where we operate. They include a variety of organizations, such as animal shelters, elder services and community clean-up projects.

Areas of Funding

• There are eight (8) areas of funding for which an organization can apply. Please review the areas listed below to ensure your organization’s goals fall within one of these areas.
• Community and Economic Development: Improving local communities for the benefit of low-income individuals and families in the local service area
• Diversity and Inclusion: Fostering the building of relationships and understanding among diverse groups in the local service area
• Education: Providing afterschool enrichment, tutoring or vocational training for low-income individuals and families in the local service area
• Environmental Sustainability: Preventing waste, increasing recycling, or supporting other programs that work to improve the environment in the local service area
• Health and Human Service: Providing medical screening, treatment, social services, or shelters for low-income individuals and families in the local service area
• Hunger Relief and Healthy Eating: Providing Federal or charitable meals/snacks for low-income individuals and families in the local service area
• Public Safety: Supporting public safety programs through training programs or equipment in the local service area
• Quality of Life: Improving access to recreation, arts or cultural experiences for low-income individuals and families in the local service area

NOTE: We encourage you to call the Program Officer for your region before you apply. Through this call, you can determine whether your project is a good fit for the Foundation, determine an appropriate request amount, and get all of your questions answered.

Beginning 2023, the following changes regarding Buell Foundation funding have been implemented:

• Applications for child care centers that serve fewer than 15% enrollment of low-income families will no longer be considered. THBF definitions for low-income by county can be found here.
• Applications for organizations that have operating reserves greater than nine months will no longer be considered.
  • Operating reserves are generally calculated by dividing net current assets into annual operating budget.
• Given budgetary restrictions following recent changes, we anticipate a more competitive selection process for capital applications.
• The Foundation will no longer be considering requests for capital projects in our January and May application cycles.
• All applications for capital projects must be submitted in our September cycle.
• At this time, the Foundation is only considering capital projects for licensed child care facilities, with priority given to those focused on expanding or creating new capacity.

What We Fund

At the Buell Foundation, we believe that investing in quality programs will lead to long-term changes in Colorado. The Buell Foundation seeks proven, promising, or developing programs that can demonstrate success in helping children thrive. We support efforts to improve quality and encourage meaningful evaluation and assessment. It is our goal to partner with outstanding organizations to improve the systems that serve children. Particular focus is placed on programs that target underserved communities.

Areas of Interest

Our funding strategy includes two primary areas of interest:

• Early Childhood Education and Development
• Teen Pregnancy Prevention

Funding Priority

Our funding priority at this time is on programs that support the education and development of children zero to five. In the last fiscal year, over 90% of grants paid were in that category. In addition, please note that it is also a priority for the Foundation to fund programs in rural Colorado. In recent years, over 65% of grants were awarded to programs serving communities outside of the Denver metro area.

Types of Program

Within our areas of interest, the majority of our grants will be of the following types:

• Program/project support
• Operating support
• Technical assistance
• Capital improvements (limited to early childhood programs)

Early Childhood Development

The Foundation will consider proposals in the following areas that directly support the healthy development of very young children between the ages of zero and five:

Assessment and evaluation – We support a variety of assessments used to gauge the effectiveness of programs and progress of program participants. This may include process/fidelity measures as well as outcome measures (e.g. Teaching Strategies GOLD, Adult-Adolescent Parenting Index, Social Competence Scale, etc.).

Behavior and social competence – We support direct programming as well as consultation in early learning settings with a focus on the promotion and prevention levels of behavioral health.

Capital – We support a range of capital improvements at licensed child care centers. We support smaller scale improvements (e.g. playgrounds, materials, fixtures) as well as large building projects (e.g. purchase and renovation of a building).

Early childhood and preschool programs – We support licensed child care centers and preschools that have a commitment to quality improvement and serving children from diverse populations. We also support the early learning components of community-based programs, such as family literacy.

Home visitation – We support evidence-based and evidence-informed home visiting programs with a focus on supporting positive parenting skills and increased knowledge about child development.

Improvements directly related to quality – We support ongoing quality improvement of all programs. This includes funding for materials, additional staff, coaching, and quality ratings.

Language development and early literacy – We support a wide range of early literacy programs ranging from book distribution to comprehensive early literacy programs.

Nutrition and physical activity in early learning environments – We support enhancements to programs (child care centers, parenting education, etc.) that promote increased physical activity and improved nutrition of participants.

Parenting education – We support evidence-based and evidence-informed parenting education programs with a focus on supporting positive parenting skills and increased knowledge about child development.

Professional development and education – We support projects that facilitate early childhood professionals’ access to college-level coursework, mentoring, or community-based trainings.

Teen Pregnancy Prevention

The Buell Foundation funds proven, comprehensive, medically accurate teen pregnancy prevention programs. The Foundation will not fund abstinence-only programs.

Comprehensive teen pregnancy prevention programs must:

• Be facilitated by trained and experienced professionals, ideally by someone who has been prepared to facilitate sexual health education programs and/or a curriculum
• Emphasize the importance of delaying sex
• Instruct about the benefits and risks of condoms and contraception when engaging in sex
• Impart information about sexual activity and the use of condoms and contraception that is deemed medically accurate by sources on which medical professionals rely
• Provide education about consent and refusal skills
• Occur in a safe, confidential, and non-judgmental learning environment for all youth
• Be inclusive of the cultures, values, sexual orientation, and gender identity of youth participating in the program
• Assess the effectiveness of the programs on the skills, knowledge, and attitudes or behavior change of the participants

Other considerations:

• If adapting an evidence-based program, organizations must ensure that the intent of the program is not compromised and that the same skills, knowledge, and attitudes or behaviors are evaluated.
• When an option, programs should link students to clinical and medical providers and services.

Given budgetary restrictions following recent changes, we anticipate a more competitive selection process for capital applications.

Community Enrichment Grant History

The Community Enrichment Grant (CEG) funding was created by the Adams County Board of County Commissioners to provide financial support to carry out human service missions of selected Adams County nonprofits. Grant funding was intended to fill direct service gaps in the organizations’ budgets that were not typically covered by other sources of funding they received.

Community Enrichment Grant Program Areas

Community Well-Being: Programming that provides educational, financial, medical, housing, or nutritional support for residents of any age and their families.

Community Enrichment: Programming or initiatives that assist residents to thrive in the community. This includes initiatives that assist with homelessness, workforce, housing, advocacy, legal advocacy services for under-served populations, financial security classes/services/support, emergency assistance, transportation, nutritional, medical and mental health support. Other programming considered also includes community art projects, public infrastructure for direct use in any of the above capacities and providing new services or supports that have been an identified need in the community.

Community Innovation: Collaborative initiatives that utilize a multi-organization, multi-school/school district, or multi-city partnerships. Initiatives in this category demonstrate a detailed plan that leverages resources and partnerships to bring additional services or benefits to any population birth through seniors in Adams County.

Funding Tiers

Tier I. Up to $49,999- This category is designed for on-going programs or projects that are not complex.  

• All grant requests must be for program or project support only. 
• Programs/projects must directly serve or demonstrate clear value for Adams County residents.
• The funding request needs to be based on the actual cost to serve Adams County residents. Please identify the actual cost of services for Adams County residents and the percentage of the overall program costs for serving Adams County residents.  
• Staff costs must be based strictly on the cost to serve Adams County residents. (i.e. if a staff member operates a program for four counties including Adams County, only 1/4 of the staff member's salary is eligible as a grant reimbursement).
• Applications must identify program inputs, outcomes and benefits.

Tier II. $50,000 to $99,999- This category is designed for larger nonprofit initiatives that can demonstrate metrics, best practice research, and outcomes-based data as well as the bulleted criteria in Tier 1. Funding in this Tier requires at least a 25% match of funding to achieve project or program. 

Tier III. $100,000 and greater- This category is designed for collaborative initiatives. Nonprofits, educational groups, collaborative networks currently engaged or set to pilot a collaborative initiative that:

• Involves a partner network with verified Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) and/or letters of support.
• Have a minimum of $50,000 in leveraged funding/in-kind support for the program.
• Have research to validate innovative direct service programming.
• Demonstrate well-researched community need or gaps that this program will fill.
• It can provide a detailed programmatic overview with detailed metrics, outcomes, and impact.

What We Fund

• Supportive Human Services
• Health Programs
• Educational / Workforce Programming
• Afterschool / Out of School Time
• Poverty / Homeless Prevention
• Housing
• Specialized Gap Programs / Services
• Cultural / Arts
• Neighborhood Initiatives
• Innovative Pilots

The Foundation supports organizations that promote the western values of self-reliance, personal responsibility and integrity. We believe these values foster an environment where entrepreneurial spirits flourish, helping Coloradans reach their full potential. The Foundation places a high priority on programs that help youth to prosper, encourage economic opportunities for adults and advance public policies that reflect our nation’s founding principles.

Our grantmaking places a premium on entrepreneurship. Specifically, our traditional areas of support include one-on-one mentoring programs, job training and a variety of self-help initiatives. The Foundation also has an interest in bringing integrative medicine into the medical mainstream. In each of its giving areas, the Foundation seeks evidenced-based results.

Grantmaking Priorities: Youth and Adults

Youth and Youth Development

• One-to-one mentoring
• Academic tutoring
• Character development
• Leadership
• STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics)
• Financial literacy

Adult Work Programs

• Paid on the job training
• Vocational training
• Job placement

NOTE: Prior to submitting a proposal, many applicants find it useful to contact a program officer of the Foundation to review the substance of the proposed project.

Land, facilities, and civic infrastructure are long-term assets that can transform the ability of nonprofit and community organizations to serve Colorado communities. For this reason, the Gates Family Foundation invests in capital projects across the state, in both rural and urban areas. We strive to be responsive to each community’s unique needs and opportunities.

Our capital grants are generally limited to comprehensive capital campaigns, which are typically for building purchases, construction, expansion, renovation, and/or land acquisition. Only nonprofit organizations with capital projects that benefit Colorado and its residents are qualified to apply. When making funding decisions, we prioritize:

• Projects that address root problems with substantive solutions
• Projects with strong evidence of support from the community and the organization’s board
• Projects in rural and low-income areas across Colorado where there are fewer individuals and institutions providing support for capital projects
• Projects that serve individuals and communities of color who have faced historic inequities and lack of access to funding
• Projects that reinforce the foundation’s strategic priorities in K-12 public education, natural resources, community development, and informed communities
• Projects that address climate change, and/or incorporate green building and sustainable development practices

Priority Funding Areas

We fund capital projects within five categories that overlap somewhat with the Foundation’s strategic priorities, but are broader in scope in order to be more responsive to community needs.

Arts & Culture

The Foundation supports cultural organizations that:

• enhance the quality of community life while also strengthening the economy
• link a community with its heritage and contribute to usable community infrastructure
• serve as an educational resource for children, youth, and adults.

Funding examples in this area are:

• libraries & museums
• community theaters
• performing arts organizations
• historic preservation that contributes to community revitalization

Education

The Foundation supports major capital projects for:

• charter schools that serve a substantial proportion of low-income students (generally, at least 50% of the student body will qualify for Free and Reduced Lunch), have demonstrated high academic achievement, and are utilizing a sustainable financial model
• public schools in rural areas that have planned capital improvements which are heavily used by the community, and that reinforce the long-term viability of the area
• licensed early childhood education centers with particular, but not exclusive, interest in rural areas of the state to assure readiness for elementary school and to strengthen rural economies
• organizations that provide life-long learning and experiential learning to a broad audience
• independent school and public and private university capital campaigns on a highly selective basis

Funding examples in this area:

• participation in the matching requirement for a charter school receiving a BEST grant
• rural school improving its auditorium or athletic field for school and community use
• rural community establishing an early childhood education center to fill an unmet need
• early childhood education center making significant facility improvements in order to advance the quality of care for the children served
• facility improvements for an organization that provides adult GED, literacy, or vocational training
• on a highly selective basis, support for public and private universities with campaigns to improve their science, technology, library, and engineering related facilities

Well-being of Children, Youth & Families

The Foundation supports organizations that encourage individuals to:

• develop greater self-sufficiency, including the well-being and independence of disadvantaged families and the elderly
• increase leadership and life skills
• maintain good health and well-being rather than cure disease

Funding examples in this area:

• human service organizations promoting self-sufficiency
• community and senior centers
• family resource centers
• youth mentoring organizations
• nonprofit dental clinics
• residential treatment centers for youth
• transitional housing facilities
• job training
• rural health centers (non-FQHC)

Parks & Recreation

The Foundation supports capital projects that:

• invest in land and water protection that safeguards important natural resources, habitat, and the health of natural systems
• help preserve the state’s ranching and agricultural legacy and encourage smart land use patterns
• construct and improve urban and mountain parks and open space for public recreation and access
• maintain the state’s urban and mountain trail systems
• provide recreation, environmental education and leadership opportunities for young people
• encourage the spirit of scientific inquiry as well as the preservation of natural habitat

Funding examples in this area:

• land conservation and easement purchases
• greenways and trail systems
• outdoor/indoor recreation facilities
• urban public spaces and community gardens

Community Development & Revitalization

The Foundation invests in projects that:

• have the potential to reinforce and enhance the economic vitality of a community
• involve partnerships between public and private sector organizations that seek to improve the economic and cultural health of communities

Funding examples in this area:

• restoration of historically significant architecture that contributes to community revitalization
• development of rural main streets as a means of promoting community revitalization
• heritage tourism as a means of promoting economic health for rural areas
• public-private partnerships for economic development

The Community Foundation serving SW Colorado and the Business Education Connection (BEC) are offering an amazing, hands-on, paid summer internship program during the month of June with comprehensive learning opportunities for local high school students benefitting 12 lucky La Plata County nonprofits. Nonprofits will receive a complete marketing/social media campaign for your organization, as well as an operational grant to cover marketing expenses.

CAUSE (Community Action Utilizing Service Experience) is not your run-of-the-mill internship! It will include local marketing professionals as mentors for the students. The students, who must be rising juniors and seniors, will be coordinated by the work-based learning coordinators at the BEC and paid through the Community Foundation.

Nonprofits selected to participate will host a high school intern for 4 weeks in June. In addition to helping at the office, the interns will be assigned social media marketing tasks. At least one staff supervisor needs to be available throughout the month of June to create a fantastic learning opportunity for their student intern.

Required all-cohort, joint meetings for the supervisors and their interns will occur (TBD). Interns will be matched with their nonprofits in May.

Here is what the work week will look like:

• Students will be onsite working directly with nonprofit staff, in person, on Monday mornings and all day Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays.
• Students will be offsite working with local experts to create social media products for your nonprofit Monday afternoons and all day Fridays.

Nonprofits will be expected to provide an engaging professional work environment where the interns will learn professionalism and office skills. In addition to the intern and the marketing assets, the nonprofit will receive an operational grant (minimum of $2,500) upon successful completion of this program. This money could be used, for example, to execute marketing efforts related to the intern’s campaign.

Max and Victoria Dreyfus Foundation Grant

The Foundation will consider requests to support museums, cultural and performing arts programs; schools and hospitals; educational, skills-training and other programs for youth, seniors, and persons with disabilities; environmental and wildlife protection activities; and other community-based organizations and programs.

CHFA’s Direct Effect Awards recognize Colorado nonprofit organizations whose missions align with CHFA’s work to strengthen Colorado by investing in affordable housing and community development.

Does your mission align with CHFA’s mission to strengthen Colorado by investing in affordable housing and community development in the following ways:

Affordable Home Ownership - Strengthening low- and moderate- income Coloradans ability to achieve or sustain affordable homeownership, financial literacy and education, home maintenance repairs and renovations, housing counseling, or foreclosure prevention.

Affordable Rental Housing - The development or preservation of affordable rental housing, or providing support and wrap-around services for residents, rental assistance, tenant legal aid and fair housing support, or rental housing search services, or eviction prevention, or support for people experiencing homelessness.

Economic Development - Strengthening economic development and small business access to capital, fresh food access in food deserts, entrepreneurship, leadership, business-readiness, job training and skill development, or nonprofit-sector development and support.

Does your organization work in any of the following areas that further CHFA’s vision that everyone in Colorado will have the opportunity for housing stability and economic prosperity?

Education - Increasing access to or achievement in early childhood education, K-12, higher education, or financial education; mentoring and scholarships; or narrowing the education gap particularly among diverse, rural, and economically disadvantaged populations.

Mobility - Mobility, transit, and alternative modes of transportation, increasing access and affordability, jobs and housing in proximity to transit.

Health - Increasing health access and affordability, improving health outcomes for underserved populations inclusive of either physical, mental, or behavioral health.

Energy - Providing energy cost assistance for low income households, weatherization, retrofits, or upgrades for energy efficiency.