Best Unrestricted Grants for Nonprofits in Colorado

The Gridiron Veterans Scholarship, provided by the Bob Woodruff Foundation, offers essential financial support for military veterans and first responders. This initiative focuses on wellness, rehabilitation, and recovery programs, ensuring participants can access mental health services, physical therapy, and holistic resources. The foundation prioritizes those facing emotional and physical challenges, empowering them to overcome barriers and improve their quality of life through customized, evidence-based support.

The Coaching Enhancement Grant - Division II aims to enhance diversity in NCAA coaching by providing financial support for new assistant coaching positions. This grant specifically targets increased representation of ethnic minorities and women in athletics. Selected schools receive funding for three years to cover salaries and benefits, totaling $370,000 annually for up to 21 institutions. Eligible schools must be active NCAA Division II members committed to these diversity efforts.

The Donor Alliance Foundation Grant aims to enhance access to organ and tissue donation resources in Colorado and Wyoming. With an annual allocation of $225,000, this initiative focuses on providing educational support, family assistance, and research funding. The Foundation seeks projects that are inclusive and innovative, ensuring equitable access for vulnerable populations, including living donors and their families. Applications are encouraged from nonprofit organizations that align with these goals and have a proven impact on the community.

The Lowe Fund Grant, established by the Lowe family in the 1960s and managed by The Denver Foundation, aims to support Colorado nonprofits focused on training and research related to developmental disabilities, including cerebral palsy. Eligible organizations must be 501(c)(3) nonprofits operating in Colorado, with an emphasis on those in rural areas. The fund particularly seeks initiatives that directly assist individuals with these disabilities, fostering effective treatments and advocacy.

The Strategic Alliance Matching Grant - Division II offers financial support to enhance ethnic minority and gender representation in mid- to senior-level athletics administration roles across NCAA Division II institutions. With an annual budget of $860,000, the grant aims to fund up to 20 schools and conferences each year. Eligible applicants must be active Division II members and are encouraged to collaborate with their human resources departments during the proposal process, ensuring compliance with grant requirements.

The TourWest Grants, funded by the National Endowment for the Arts, aim to support presenters and organizations in the Western region by providing flexible funding for touring artists. This competitive grant encourages community engagement and outreach, fostering collaboration between artists and local communities. It prioritizes accessibility to the performing arts, especially in underserved areas. Applicants must be tax-exempt organizations or local government units and demonstrate a commitment to community needs through their projects.

The Auto Club Group Foundation focuses on creating a positive impact through grants that enhance traffic safety, driver education, and financial literacy across 14 U.S. states and two territories. With a mission rooted in community service, the foundation supports nonprofit organizations and government entities that align with its goals. Grants typically range from $5,000 to $15,000, addressing crucial areas such as traffic safety initiatives, financial literacy for K-12 students, and equitable access to driver education programs.

The Kroger Foundation is dedicated to uplifting communities through significant charitable contributions, having donated over $1.9 billion in the past six years. Their focus on combating hunger through the Zero Hunger | Zero Waste initiative exemplifies their commitment to social impact. Annually, they provide over $300 million to nonprofit organizations aligned with their mission, promoting health, education, and disaster relief while fostering diversity and inclusion. This initiative reflects Kroger's belief that strong communities are a shared responsibility.

The Habitat Partnership Program (HPP) aims to mitigate wildlife conflicts, particularly with big game species in Colorado. It supports agricultural operators by enhancing migratory corridors and promoting private land conservation. Funded by a portion of hunting license revenues, HPP requires matching contributions for projects. Eligible applicants include agencies and individuals, while prioritizing collaborations. Projects can involve fence improvements, habitat enhancements, water development, and emergency conflict response, all focused on effective wildlife management and conservation efforts.

About Us

advancing the science of water ®

Who We Are

The Water Research Foundation (WRF) is the leading research organization advancing the science of all water to meet the evolving needs of its subscribers and the water sector. WRF is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, educational organization that funds, manages, and publishes research on the technology, operation, and management of drinking water, wastewater, reuse, and stormwater systems—all in pursuit of ensuring water quality and improving water services to the public.

5430 - Unlocking Value and Opportunities from Carbon Flows in Water Utilities

Grant Information

• Identify carbon flows across drinking water, stormwater, wastewater, and advanced treatment systems. Carbon flows may include source water, stormwater, process emissions, process inputs, residuals, and biogas.
• Identify the most relevant carbon recovery, capture, conversion, storage, and avoidance opportunities.
• Evaluate value creation pathways, including products, avoided costs, and environmental attributes, and mechanisms and partnerships needed to put them into practice.
• Assess how opportunities vary across system types and local contexts by focusing on more common scenarios for utilities.
• Provide practical, research-based insights to support identification, prioritization, evaluation, and advancement of carbon management opportunities under site-specific conditions and constraints.
• Evaluate implications for greenhouse gas (GHG) accounting, environmental attribute claims, and other potential benefits across pathways.

The Virginia H. Glasson Charitable Trust Grant supports Christian charitable organizations and preferred beneficiaries. It funds projects in areas such as education, scientific research, religious activities, and arts and culture. Eligible applicants are nonprofit organizations recognized under section 501(c)(3) of the IRS tax code, located in states such as California, Colorado, Florida, Missouri, North Carolina, and Washington D.C. However, individuals cannot apply for funding.

The Western Society of Malacologists offers Student Research Grants in Malacology to support research in the study of mollusks. Grants of up to $1000 are available for full-time students engaged in relevant projects. Applicants from all countries are welcome, with no citizenship restrictions. This initiative encourages students to present their findings at WSM meetings, promoting academic growth and collaboration within the malacological community.

The California Health Care Foundation (CHCF) is committed to enhancing California's health care system, particularly for low-income individuals. CHCF focuses on improving access to coverage and care, advancing people-centered approaches, and laying the foundation for meaningful change. Grants are awarded for projects that align with these goals, emphasizing relevance to California's health care challenges. While unsolicited proposals are welcomed, most grants result from competitive requests, supporting innovative solutions to enhance health care delivery.

The Asian Cultural Council's New York Fellowship offers a transformative six-month program for artists, scholars, and arts professionals from Asia. Participants engage deeply with New York City's vibrant cultural landscape, attending performances, exhibitions, and workshops while building networks with local communities. This unique opportunity fosters peer-learning and individual artistic development, encouraging fellows to incorporate their experiences into their practices and contribute to their home cultures. The fellowship emphasizes exploration, exchange, and support, culminating in a rich cultural immersion.

The Reisher Graduate Scholarship, offered by the Denver Foundation, supports alumni of the Reisher Scholars Program in pursuing advanced degrees in Colorado. This scholarship provides financial assistance for tuition, fees, and educational expenses, with award amounts ranging from $5,000 to $20,000. Applications are accepted in three cycles starting in Fall 2025, and eligibility requires prior funding from the Reisher Scholars Program and enrollment in a graduate program.

El Pomar Foundation

El Pomar Foundation was established in 1937 by Spencer and Julie Penrose, creating an enduring legacy to carry out their philanthropic wishes.

Our Mission: Since 1937, we have continued the mission set by Spencer and Julie Penrose to enhance, encourage, and promote the current and future well-being of the people of Colorado.

El Pomar's Grant Making

• El Pomar provides grants for general operating support, programs, and capital needs.
• The Trustees are interested in increasing support in Southern and rural Colorado. While they make grants in metro Denver, they are much more competitive in that region.
• Due to the tremendous need throughout the state of Colorado, requests, if funded, are often funded at lesser levels than requested. Generally speaking, the Trustees prefer to go broad rather than deep and therefore tend to make a lot of smaller grants rather than a few larger ones.
• For programs and capital needs, we recommend having about half the needed funds secured before submitting an application.

Bill and Kathy Hybl Fund

Mission: The Hybl Fund supports Olympic, Paralympic, and youth sports.

History: Bill Hybl, a lifetime public servant, has long been dedicated to amateur sport. Currently chairman of the United States Olympic Endowment, he believes the ideals of excellence, fair play, and hard work through sport are important for athletes as well as children.

If funded, applicants must wait two years (24 months) to be considered again. If declined, applicants must wait one year (12 months) to be considered again.

The Asian Cultural Council's Individual Fellowship provides artists, scholars, and arts professionals from Asia and the United States with opportunities for self-directed cultural exchange and research in unfamiliar regions. This program supports activities such as interviews, workshops, and archival research, fostering cultural immersion and collaboration. With a funding limit of $35,000, the fellowship encourages innovative proposals that enhance creative perspectives and relationships among peers, while also ensuring strong eligibility criteria for applicants.

The LFF: Nature-Based Climate Action Grant aims to support initiatives that leverage natural systems to combat climate change. By funding projects focused on tree planting, prairie restoration, and carbon sequestration, the program seeks to engage communities and enhance understanding of climate challenges. Ideal applicants include rural organizations working to create measurable environmental impacts while fostering collaboration and policy change. This grant represents an opportunity for organizations ready to take significant strides in addressing the climate crisis.

About NCRC

The National Community Reinvestment Coalition (NCRC) is a nationwide network of nearly 800 organizations and champions working for a Just Economy, where all Americans can build wealth and provide for their families with stability and dignity.

Our vision: To solve America’s historic racial and socio-economic wealth, income and opportunity divides. This vision is the foundation of the Just Economy Pledge.

NCRC Field Empowerment Fund (FEF) - Housing Counseling Services

The Field Empowerment Fund (FEF) empowers NCRC network members to level up established service lines.

The Housing Counseling Services series within FEF supports HUD-approved housing counseling agencies in driving homeownership, such as through pre-purchase counseling. In addition, the program builds agency knowledge on heirs’ property challenges to better equip first-time and low-income homebuying households with the know-how to retain intergenerational wealth.

In doing so, FEF-HCS aims to help underserved families begin their homeownership journey, with an additional goal of ensuring foresight into the long-term future of their home purchase.

The FEF-HCS series is funded in partnership with Key Bank and HSBC, and targets communities within the Key Bank and HSBC branch footprints.

Through these partnerships, $2.5 million in Key Bank geographies and $1.5 million in HSBC geographies has been allocated for the subgrants for direct-to-client housing counseling services that will be awarded in three rounds in the FEF-HCS track.

Funding Support

Awardee agencies will receive subgrants to support their housing counseling services to clients.

Knowledge Building

Awardee agencies will attend a training session on heirs’ property challenges and best practices, hosted by NCRC National Training Academy. Bolstering counselor knowledge on this topic will ensure that your agency is not only serving clients in their personal wealth-building journey now, but also helping them preserve that wealth in generations to come.

The Denver Scholarship Foundation (DSF) provides need-based scholarships to graduates of Denver Public Schools, empowering them to pursue higher education at various college partners across Colorado. Founded in 2006, DSF addresses the barriers students face in accessing and completing postsecondary education by offering financial resources and support. The DSF Scholarship can be renewed for up to five years, ensuring continuous assistance for scholars as they navigate their college journey.

The Lillis Foundation Grant supports early-stage projects focusing on educational access, assistance for disadvantaged children, and enhancing seniors' quality of life. Grants are available for tax-exempt organizations under 501(c)(3) classifications. However, the foundation does not fund ongoing operational costs, endowments, or religious activities. Their goal is to create impactful programs that improve lives and alleviate loneliness among seniors, thereby fostering a supportive community for all.

The North Central Branch John Henry Comstock Award recognizes one graduate student from each of the Entomological Society of America's six branches. This award promotes graduate-level entomology and encourages attendance at the ESA Annual Meeting. Benefits include an all-expense-paid trip to the national meeting, a $500 cash prize, and a certificate presented during the meeting. Eligibility includes current enrollment in a graduate entomology program or recent graduation.

The Colorado Health Foundation is offering funding to support nonclinical programs aimed at aiding Coloradans in recovery from mental health and substance use challenges. This initiative emphasizes community and purpose, fostering culturally responsive peer support services that enable individuals to engage with their heritage, find meaningful employment, and build supportive networks. Organizations must align with the Foundation's health equity goals and serve diverse populations to be eligible for funding.

The Care Fund Grant, offered by The Denver Foundation, supports nonprofits dedicated to enhancing the health and mental well-being of low-income individuals with disabilities. This initiative spans 100 years of philanthropic efforts in Metro Denver, allocating grants between $10,000 and $20,000. Eligible organizations must be 501(c)(3) nonprofits operating within Colorado, aligning their missions with the fund's purpose. This grant aims to uplift marginalized communities by providing essential resources and support.

The Growing Tribal Economies Through Forest Market Innovations grant program, initiated by First Nations Development Institute, aims to empower Tribes and Alaska Native Villages to engage in emerging markets that enhance forest health and resilience. With funding of $200,000 to $500,000 per grant, this initiative supports projects focusing on sustainability, innovation, and traditional knowledge. Eligible applicants are encouraged to develop forest products, certifications, and practices that contribute positively to biodiversity and ecosystem management.

The Stimulating Hematology Investigation: New Endeavors (SHINE) program aims to enhance nonmalignant hematology research aligned with the goals of the NIDDK, NIA, and NHLBI. It invites R01 grant applications focused on innovative and early translational hematology topics, fostering growth in this critical research area. Key deadlines for applications span from February 2025 to October 2027, allowing for both standard and renewal submissions.

The Denver Foundation Community Scholarship supports first-generation, economically disadvantaged college students in Colorado. Aimed at promoting racial equity, this scholarship prioritizes students of color pursuing higher education. Selection criteria include academic performance, resilience, community service, leadership, and work experience. Recipients must demonstrate economic need and maintain a minimum GPA of 2.25. The scholarship funds are paid directly to the educational institution for the academic year.