Search Through Denver County Grants for Nonprofits in Colorado

Program Overview 

The main objective of the foundation is to carry on the legacy of Joseph and Vera Dresner by supporting the work of organizations in our focus areas. It was the Dresner’s mission that the foundation would provide a channel to improve the lives of people and animals in their communities. 

The foundation’s approach empowers community members to benefit from the grant investments that we make. We partner with organizations that are committed to creating opportunities for the underserved in our communities. Those partners include a wide-range of entities, including hospitals, community centers, and other nonprofits. 

Our goal is to provide organizations with the necessary resources, so they can continue offering services to those most in need. We seek to test innovative approaches, determine lessons from current commendable activities, and promote the adoption of creative thinking on a broad scale through direct grant making and support for research and other ventures that advance community support. 

We Offer 3 Types of Support: 

• Project – Development of new programs, expansion of existing programs, or continuation of sustainable, recognized effective current programming. 
• Capital – Equipment purchase, acquisition, construction and/or renovation of facilities. 
• Funding for special circumstances, in support of existing grantee  programs, will be considered on a case by case basis. Please note the foundation will not accept unsolicited proposals for this type of support. 

Our Focus Areas Include: 

Health 

We fund projects that support institutions conducting medical research and clinical trials specifically related to Myelodysplastic Syndromes. We also fund projects that improve access to health care and health outcomes. Click here to view information about the Foundation's Myelodysplasia Research Grant.

- support for programs that improve the health outcomes of vulnerable people, particularly underserved, low-income individuals who don’t have adequate access to health care. 

The foundation is equally interested in efforts that have broad and meaningful impact and focus on intervention and prevention beyond the boundaries of any one disease. 

Therefore, we seek to support a network of hospitals and community-based organizations that work to improve the health outcomes of these individuals through enhanced access to health care.

Youth and Family 

It is critical that disadvantaged, underserved, and special needs children have access to programs that allow them to learn and foster important life skills. We help organizations develop and sustain programs that empower children and their families and offer opportunity to improve their lives. 

– support for youth programs that foster self-empowerment and self-esteem through academic, artistic, personal or social enrichment. 

Regardless, if a child lives in poverty or has a chronic disease, it is essential that they have access to programs that encourage self-expression and move their lives forward in a meaningful way. Therefore, we support organizations that empower children and optimize their development by providing access to programs that promote academic, artistic, personal and social enhancement opportunities. 

– support for programs that reinforce families. 

We are also interested in organizations that support youth through the provision of services that strengthen their families such as, but not limited to, workforce development, housing and family food assistance.

Animal Welfare 

We work with animal care organizations to make certain that they have the resources needed to ensure the best care and secure shelter for animals and offer corresponding public education initiatives.

– support for state-of-the-art facilities and services and corresponding public education initiatives.  

The foundation works with animal welfare organizations to make sure they have the resources they need to advance their work. We are interested in supporting state-of-the art facilities and services. Animal welfare efforts that the foundation will consider are, but not limited to, providing adequate treatment resources, upgrading equipment, improving and maintaining facilities, aiding in the shelter of animals in communities, and public education initiatives.

Newcomers Fund Grant

Since December 2022, over 40,000 people have arrived in the Greater Denver region after traveling from South and Central America. The city of Denver, the state of Colorado, and many local nonprofits have stepped in to welcome them and provide necessary services. For those individuals and families who intend to make their home here in Colorado, there are continued needs that our community can rally together to help address.

At this time, the Newcomers Fund steering committee is prioritizing grants to organizations that are helping new immigrants with housing, resource navigation, and workforce and employment opportunities. We are interested in supporting nonprofits working at a larger scale – those serving 20 or more people.

Funding

Funding amounts will be determined based on the breadth and depth of impact in addition to the total amount available to grant.

Our Process

SVP Denver provides social impact organizations with free training and pro bono consulting services to increase their capacity and expand their impact. Here’s what we offer:

Training Cohorts:

We run training cohorts several times a year on a variety of topics to help groups of 4-6 social impact organizations level up. Each cohort is facilitated by a subject matter expert and social impact organizations are matched with an experienced SVP Partner who will act as their coach, providing additional support and third-party feedback on deliverables. 

Individual Strategic Projects:

Leadership and staff from your organization will work directly with SVP Denver partners rather than in a group cohort setting. Examples of projects include:

• Improving your financial management system
• Guiding you through a merger of two nonprofit organizations
• Supporting improvement of board of director governance processes
• Developing a business plan to guide your organization’s growth
• Tapping into masterminds by assembling a group of SVP Denver experts on a specific need (real estate, mergers/acquisitions, fundraising, etc.) to share expertise and solve problems.

Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis from organizations focused on basic human needs or economic mobility (e.g. housing, food security, education, job training, etc). Selected organizations will participate in a one-on-one virtual discussion to better understand your goals. If you are selected to become a capacity-building investee, we will begin the matchmaking process of finding SVP Denver partners who have relevant skills and a passion for your mission.

Capacity Building Grants

What SVP Will Bring to the Table

• Targeted investments. Our SVP Denver partners’ (members) time, professional expertise and resources include dedicated pro-bono consulting teams with relevant skill sets.
• Skilled volunteers. Our dedicated and passionate SVP partners roll up their sleeves and help build your organization’s capacity in areas that are keeping you from reaching your full potential.
• Commitment to working in partnership. Often there’s a power dynamic in capacity- building relationships; we do our best to mitigate that. We invite honest feedback, own up to our mistakes and strive to find a path forward that works for all. SVP Denver partners may have specific expertise and skills that can help you, but you’re the expert in your mission. Thus, we see our investee engagements as peer-learning opportunities where we can learn from each other while working towards goals.

What SVP Denver Will Ask of the investee

• Willingness to take a hard look at what’s holding your organization back, and share those weaknesses openly. After honest conversations, we can get to work – together.
• Flexibility and openness to working with our SVP Denver partners who have busy schedules, varied professional backgrounds and joined our organization to give back strategically to yours.
• A commitment to calling us out when something’s not working for you. That may be uncomfortable, but our best results come from honest relationships.
• Identifying the capacity-building areas you want to work on with us and how they relate to your mission.
• Be open to metrics/assessments throughout the process. We want to understand what impact our work together has so we can track our progress.
• Employ a work plan that follows a logic model framework as outlined in this resource.
• Develop impact metrics for each change project, both at the end of our engagement and one year later.

Bonfils-Stanton Foundation

Mission Statement

Bonfils-Stanton Foundation invests in inclusive, diverse, and equitable arts & culture and nonprofit leaders to create a thriving and just Denver.

Vision Statement

Denver is a diverse, vibrant community where arts and culture are essential, relevant and accessible to all, and nonprofit leaders have the tools and support they need to lead with vision, creativity, compassion and equity.

Technical Assistance

The Foundation recognizes the need for small, technical assistance grants especially as organizations and groups are reimagining their operations or programming, exploring ways to sustain and/or grow operations, or seeking to enhance team skill sets. Support may be used for a consultant, planning, technology or training/professional development. Grants are capped at $5,000 and are intended as one-time awards, not ongoing support. 

The Bonfils-Stanton Foundation has a longstanding commitment to empowering organizations dedicated to community development and enrichment. With a vision to foster sustainable growth and impact, the Foundation has initiated the Quarterly Community Grants program (which includes Technical Assistance grants) to offer vital support to organizations striving for long-term stability and effectiveness in fulfilling their missions.

Project Examples

Examples of types of projects eligible for funding:

• Strategic planning
• Governance and board development
• DEI and racial equity training
• Leadership and staff training
• Marketing and communications planning
• Fund development planning
• Membership, donor, ticketing software or other data and systems management

Bonfils-Stanton Foundation

Bonfils-Stanton Foundation strategically provides grants and fellowships to advance the arts and inspire creative leadership in Denver. Our foundation is richly steeped in Denver’s cultural history, but we are also a contemporary leader in fueling innovation and exploration in our creative economy.Denver is a diverse, vibrant community where arts and culture are essential, relevant and accessible to all, and nonprofit leaders have the tools and support they need to lead with vision, creativity, compassion and equity.Each year we give more than $3.5 million to arts organizations and nonprofit leaders, because we believe these entities and individuals are critical to building and sustaining a vibrant and just community.

Equity-Focused Leadership Grants

The Equity-Focused Leadership Grants program seeks to nurture a pipeline of diverse leaders committed to driving positive change within their communities. The nonprofit sector has consistently struggled with a lack of diversity of staff – especially at the executive level. This persistent racial leadership gap negatively impacts the career trajectories and well-being of BIPOC professionals who face systemic barriers that prevent them, and others from historically marginalized communities, from pursuing pathways to executive leadership. To help address these disparities and build on our longstanding commitment to support leaders who affect change, Bonfils-Stanton Foundation seeks to support the pipeline of potential leaders through the Equity-Focused Leadership grants which provide up to $10,000 to six (6) organizations that support the leadership development of BIPOC, LGBTQ+, and/or adults with disabilities aspiring to lead in the nonprofit sector. 

Process

Grant awards will be determined by a panel of BSF staff and community members who will evaluate proposals based on the following criteria:

• Development and use of innovative, culturally relevant methods to supporting leaders
• Degree and depth of community involvement in both identifying and addressing the issue(s)/need(s) of aspiring leaders
• Centering BIPOC, LGBTQ+, disability and/or other underrepresented communities and their lived experiences in program design and implementation
• Potential for the program to cultivate leaders who champion systems change
• Organizational commitment to fair wages/stipends for program staff/collaborators

Caring for Denver Foundation was founded and funded to address the mental health and substance misuse challenges facing City and County of Denver residents.

Community-Centered Solutions

This funding opportunity aims to support trusted, community-based organizations that address mental health and substance misuse while prioritizing access to care, cultural relevance, connections, and collaborations. Funding will also support providers, peer specialists, and care navigation to ensure community can receive trusted care.

Equity

As we work to address mental health and substance misuse needs in Denver, we are committed to funding and supporting established and innovative efforts that move us toward equity and outcomes where race, ethnicity, disability, immigration status, and identity can no longer be used to predict life outcomes. Our ongoing efforts must elevate the voices of those impacted and repair historical trauma and oppression.

Priorities

We will prioritize funding for projects and programs that address Denver’s mental health and substance misuse challenges in at least one of the areas below:

• Inclusive Access: Help people access care and support in ways that make sense for them, in places they feel comfortable, and at times that fit their schedules, so they are better able to participate, learn, build skills, and address mental health and substance misuse issues.
• Attention to Fit: Ensure that when people seek care, they feel understood, connected, and respected by those providing care, primarily through culturally affirming care options. Also, ensure the mental health needs of those providing care are supported so they can be at their best as they help others.
• Care Over Time: Improve care transitions, coordination, and create better systems that make care more seamless for individuals and families. The goal is to increase stability and minimize the starts and stops in mental health and substance misuse care that often happens when needs change and prevent the trauma 

The Venable Foundation envisions that its philanthropic investments provide essential resources to nonprofit organizations in communities across the country. Guided by the belief that everyone has the right to equitable employment opportunities, healthcare, housing, food, and a vibrant cultural community, Venable grantees ensure that economically disadvantaged people are given the tools they need to thrive.

The average size of a Venable Foundation grant is approximately $10,000. First-time awardees are usually on the smaller end of the spectrum. It is up to the organization to determine what it feels is an appropriate request.

Funding Priorities

Grant support is provided to assist with general operations and projects. Currently, the Venable Foundation’s funding priorities include:

• Human Services
• Legal Services
• Education
• Workforce Development
• Youth Impact
• Health
• Environment
• Arts and Culture

You can learn more about each of these funding priorities below:

Human Services – The Foundation has a strong track record of supporting a breadth of essential human services, including programs that impact people experiencing homelessness and food insecurity, incarcerated and returning citizens, LGBTQ+ and immigrant communities, and those affected by domestic violence and housing insecurity.

Legal Services – We support the delivery of free or affordable legal services in our communities. Pro bono consulting and representation focus on a variety of issues, including domestic violence, housing, immigration, public benefits, and discrimination, among other areas. Legal service nonprofits providing “know your rights” training and other activities are also supported. The Foundation also supports training for youth and adults to ensure diversity and access to careers in the legal profession.

Education – The Foundation supports a wide array of early childhood, in-school, and out-of-school time initiatives that provide in-depth opportunities for learning and engagement to position children for success and level the playing field for economically disadvantaged youth.

Workforce Development – We believe that every individual deserves the opportunity to pursue gainful employment. Thus, we support organizations with the goal of developing the workforce of today and tomorrow. Successful programs recruit and train individuals and place them in relevant jobs so that they can earn a sustainable living wage for themselves and their families. Skill development is focused on low-income, underemployed, and unemployed community members, and on preparing youth for careers after their schooling is complete.

Youth Impact – The Foundation invests in services that impact children in each of our communities. These initiatives ensure economically disadvantaged youth are healthy and safe and have opportunities to thrive.

Health – The Foundation is committed to improving wellness and increasing access to care for economically disadvantaged individuals in the region. Successful organizations and programs work to eliminate barriers to healthcare for all ages and provide accessible and no-stigma testing for a variety of diseases. We support pediatric to geriatric services that address a variety of health concerns.

Environment – We support organizations involved in the preservation of our natural resources and those that are addressing natural or man-made disasters in our target regions. Programs educate communities and work for change on a variety of environmental issues, from wildfires to pollution.

Arts and Culture – The Foundation supports initiatives in the arts that promote deeper public engagement and build up the creative economy, with an emphasis on low-income and underserved communities.

About Us

In 1952, the U. of C. Federal Credit Union was founded with 12 members and less than $100 in assets to serve the financial needs of CU Boulder staff and faculty. Today, Elevations is an award-winning Colorado financial institution with over $3 billion in assets and more than 170,000 members. While our name has changed and our credit union has grown, our focus remains on empowering our members with financial solutions and education.

Elevations Foundation Community Grants

The Local Change Foundation is proud to support Front Range nonprofits through our Community Grants Program. Grant awards will generally range from $5,000 - $10,000 to organizations that strengthen our communities in the following focus areas: 

• Mental Health
• Affordable Housing

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.

Art for the Culture, Leaders for the People.

Bonfils-Stanton Foundation, Denver’s leading private arts funder, has distributed over $90 million in grants since 1981.

We extend grantmaking opportunities to arts institutions and organizations dedicated to fostering a just and vibrant city. Bridging arts and leadership, we shape Denver's cultural and civic landscape through investing with impact, innovative grant-making, and community partnerships. We are creating a vibrant city that works for everyone.

Capital

Grants for capital projects, typically for organizations with operating budgets under $5 million.

Grants for capital projects are generally considered for organizations with which the Foundation has an established relationship. To allow for more community-focused and opportunistic grantmaking capacity the Foundation is unlikely to fund significant capital gifts for the largest cultural organizations with operating budgets typically over $5 million. 

Art for the Culture, Leaders for the People

Bonfils-Stanton Foundation, Denver’s leading private arts funder, has distributed over $90 million in grants since 1981.

We extend grantmaking opportunities to arts institutions and organizations dedicated to fostering a just and vibrant city. Bridging arts and leadership, we shape Denver's cultural and civic landscape through investing with impact, innovative grant-making, and community partnerships. We are creating a vibrant city that works for everyone.

Our Grantmaking Approach

Bonfils-Stanton Foundation invests in inclusive, diverse, and equitable arts and culture organizations and nonprofit leaders to create a thriving and just Denver. We seek to impact three of our five main goals through our grantmaking initiatives:

• Strengthen cultural organizations and increase arts engagement
• Nurture creative, transformational nonprofit leaders and artists
• Elevate the visibility and value of the arts, cultural heritage, and identity

Quarterly Community Grants

Unrestricted operating grants for ongoing stability to carry out an organization’s mission. Project support considered for relationship building.

A priority of the Foundation is to provide unrestricted operating grants for ongoing stability to carry out an organization’s mission. These grants may take time to secure as we build a relationship together. A new applicant to quarterly community grants may have received support through another Bonfils-Stanton initiative that supported a stage of earlier development. Project support may also be considered as a way to build our relationship. General operating and project support is currently capped at $60,000.

Capacity Building Fund

he Denver Foundation is pleased to invite qualified nonprofits to apply for funding from the Capacity Building Fund at The Denver Foundation, a developmental support that enables you to do your work more effectively. The Denver Foundation recognizes the need for continued support for learning after receiving an initial grant.

Capacity building activities build new skills and provide learning opportunities that will help your organization change and grow. They should include the active involvement of staff, constituents, and/or board members.

Not all forms of capacity building are eligible for funding from The Denver Foundation. For example, we would not provide a grant for printing a new brochure designed to increase awareness of an organization, but we would consider a grant for staff, constituents, and board members to work with a consultant to develop an organizational marketing plan. The first is passive: You pay someone to do something for you. The second is active: You pay someone to do something with you and, in the process, acquire new knowledge and skills. 

Funding

• Grant Range: $500 – $6,000.
• Though the average grant is $2,500 – $3,000. 

Please consider applying early in the year. Grant awards given in previous years are no guarantee of future grant awards.

Community Grants Program (CGP)

Funded by our endowment to support our priority areas

The Community Grants Program is The Denver Foundation’s signature funding strategy, which is supported by The Fund for Denver, our permanent endowment. Our permanent endowment is made up of unrestricted gifts from dozens of donors to The Denver Foundation given in the past 100 years. These gifts are intended to meet the needs of today and ensure there are resources for building a better Denver far into the future. 

The Community Grants Program supports nonprofits in the seven-county Metro Denver region working in our four priority funding areas: economic opportunity, environment and climate, housing, and youth well-being.

This funding opportunity’s goal is to support organizations working to reduce disparities by incorporating community and constituent leadership and racial equity into their approach. Through the Community Grants Program, we aim to improve the lives of historically oppressed people living in Metro Denver, with a particular focus on people who live in low-income communities and communities of color. We seek to reduce racial and ethnic, and economic disparities. 

We invest in your vision

The Denver Foundation and our donors are honored to support a diversity of organizations and community groups who are working to foster a more just, healthy, and vibrant Metro Denver area and beyond.

Through the Community Grants Program, the foundation invests in nonprofit organizations and collaborations that are reducing disparities and promoting equity for communities, prioritizing people living in poverty, immigrants and refugees, and people of color in Metro Denver.

Priority Funding Areas

Through the Community Grants Program, The Denver Foundation supports nonprofits that serve the seven-county Metro Denver area; advance our Core Values of constituent engagement and racial equity; and align with our priority funding areas:

Economic opportunity

• community wealth-building
• workforce development

Education- K-12 in-school reforms with an emphasis on:

• racial equity
• school funding

Environment

• energy efficiency
• renewable energy
• air quality

Housing and Homelessness

• affordable housing
• homelessness

Transportation

• public transit accessibility and affordability

Mission Statement

We invest in equitable arts and culture organizations and nonprofit leaders to create a thriving and just Denver.

Bonfils-Stanton Foundation strategically provides grants and fellowships to advance the arts and inspire creative leadership in Denver. Our foundation is richly steeped in Denver’s cultural history, but we are also a contemporary leader in fueling innovation and exploration in our creative economy.

Denver is a diverse, vibrant community where arts and culture are essential, relevant and accessible to all, and nonprofit leaders have the tools and support they need to lead with vision, creativity, compassion and equity.

Inclusive Communities

Local, community-oriented organizations offering programs that integrate arts and culture play a critical role in the Denver area’s cultural ecosystem. In recognition of their important contributions, Bonfils-Stanton Foundation’s Inclusive Communities grant program provides $5,000 in unrestricted funding to Denver-area arts and culture organizations that are informed by, majority led by and serve BIPOC, LGBTQ+, and disability communities. Annual Inclusive Communities grants are awarded to small-budget nonprofits or fiscally-sponsored organizations for fostering deeper engagement with art and culture across our community through public programming.

Black Resilience in Colorado (BRIC) Fund

RIC Grants direct resources to address systemic racism and its impact on Black communities across Colorado’s front range. BRIC Grants support nonprofits that are Black-led and serving Black communities to withstand current crises and build long-term sustainability.

Colorado, and the world, continues to navigate the “new normal” that includes the ongoing presence of COVID-19 and escalated racial injustice. The BRIC Fund recognizes the disproportionate and long-lasting effects on Black communities and will continue to support efforts to address community-identified issues.

Grants are made under the leadership of a community-led Black advisory committee dedicated to improving Colorado's Black communities.

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.

Helen M. McLoraine Nonprofit Employee Scholarship (UA2)

This scholarship opportunity supports employees of Denver area nonprofit organizations who are pursuing undergraduate or graduate coursework in human services. Applicants do not need to be pursuing a degree and can attend school part-time or full-time.

Selection

Applicants will be evaluated based on academics, commitment to the field/passion for the work, extracurricular activities and leadership, financial need, essay(s), and reference information. Preference will be given to applicants whose planned coursework has direct application to their current work or future career goals within the nonprofit sector.

Award

Scholarship awards will be paid directly to a recipient’s educational institution and may be used for tuition and fees. Automatic renewals for this scholarship do not take place, nor is awarding guaranteed simply because a recipient received the award previously. A student may re-apply for the opportunity if they have been previously awarded with a maximum of three years to receive funding.

Awards may be used for part-time or full-time undergraduate study. Please note that award disbursement is contingent upon the outside scholarship policies of a recipient’s college or university. Awards must be used for the upcoming academic year.

The In-N-Out Burger Foundation’s mission is to assist children and youth who have been victims of child abuse and neglect, and to prevent others from suffering a similar fate. The Foundation will only consider requests from organizations that closely align with our mission and that serve communities where In-N-Out Burger does business.

The In-N-Out Burger Foundation is happy to consider the following types of grants:

Traditional Grants: Grant awards range from $5,000 - $25,000.

Program: Restricted funding to support the development, expansion, or enhancement of programs within an existing organization.

General Operating Support: Unrestricted funding to support the overall operations and sustainability of your nonprofit. Applicants must present a strong case on how this funding will help sustain the organization’s mission and provide benefits to the children in their care. *Please note that all of your organization’s programs must align with our mission to be considered for this type of support.

Capital Grants: Grant awards range from $5,000 - $50,000.

Capital Campaign: Restricted funding for the construction of new facilities, renovations or upgrades to existing buildings, and other special projects that will enhance the organization’s mission.

Capital Purchase: Restricted funding to purchase equipment, furnishings, or any other major material purchases that will enhance the organization’s mission.

Capital grants are awarded on a very limited basis each year. The Foundation will only consider requests from organizations that meet all other funding criteria and who already have an established long-term funding relationship with the Foundation (minimum of 2 years).

Please carefully review the Capital Grant Guidelines above to ensure that your organization meets the requirements to apply. Capital Grants are invitation-only. Please contact us to set a 30-minute meeting to discuss your project and be prepared to send a draft summary of the project for review beforehand. 

Background

Caring for Denver Foundation was founded and funded to address the mental health and substance misuse challenges facing City and County of Denver residents. 

Focus Area: Alternatives to Jail

This funding area seeks to prevent people with substance misuse, mental health, and trauma needs from unnecessarily interacting with the criminal legal system. And to support those who are involved in the criminal legal system through their recovery by providing access to a wide range of mental health and substance misuse care to prevent re-entry.

Equity

As we work to address mental health and substance misuse needs in Denver, we are committed to funding and supporting established and innovative efforts that move us toward equity and outcomes where race, ethnicity, disability, immigration status, and identity can no longer be used to predict life outcomes. Our ongoing efforts must elevate the voices of those impacted and repair historical trauma and oppression.

Priorities

The Foundation will prioritize funding for projects and programs that address Denver’s mental health and substance misuse challenges in at least one of the areas below:

Inclusive Access

Helps people access mental health care and substance misuse support in ways that make sense for them, in places that feel comfortable, and at times that fit their schedules, so they are better able to participate, build skills, and apply what they have learned in their daily life.

Attention to Fit

Ensure those providing mental health care and substance misuse support treat those seeking care and support with respect, and help them feel connected and understood—primarily through offering culturally designed and matched care options. These projects also support the mental health and substance misuse needs of those providing support, so that they can be at their best as they support others.

Care Over Time

Improve care transitions, making them easier to navigate and more seamless for people. The goal is to minimize the starts and stops in mental health and substance misuse care that often happens when needs change, and prevent the trauma that comes when people must re-tell, or redocument their journeys, and increase stability.

Shared Impact Goals

Applicants must explain how their work will support at least one of the shared impact goals below, and, if possible, how they intend to measure their progress toward impact.

• Reduced substance misuse (including maintained healthy relationship with substances)
• Improved or maintained positive mental health (including reduced harm to self and others)
• Increased equity in mental health and substance misuse outcomes

Read more about Shared Impact Goals.

Background

For almost 100 years, Denver residents have trusted The Denver Foundation to steward charitable funds to meet today's needs and tomorrow's opportunities. It's a growing legacy and a community-wide effort to build a better future for everyone. As a tax-exempt, nonprofit, philanthropic organization, The Denver Foundation stewards more than 1,000 funds established by engaged philanthropists. In partnership with the foundation, our donors make gifts to organizations throughout the Seven- county Metro Denver region, across Colorado, and beyond.

Mission

We inspire people and mobilize resources to strengthen our community.

Vision

A Metro Denver that is racially equitable in its leadership, prosperity, and culture.

Purpose

To achieve our vision, we will be proactive, collaborative, and resolute leaders in reducing racial disparities

Grants

The Denver Foundation is pleased to invite qualified nonprofits to apply for funding for The Gorham/McGee Early Learning Fund. The Gorham/McGee Early Learning Fund is a new fund that The Denver Foundation created to support programs that further the education of children aged 0-12 by focusing on literacy, nature and the environment, and/or arts, including visual arts, music and theater.

Grants from the fund are currently $5,000. This year the fund will award two grants.

The Denver Post, The Denver Post Community Foundation and Denver Active 20-30 Children’s Foundation, with funds raised through Season To Share, are committed to helping those less fortunate in our community improve their lives and become self-sufficient. Thanks to the generous support of donors, readers and corporations…grants are made to qualified nonprofit organizations that focus on children and youth, health and wellness, homelessness and hunger.

Grant Making Focus Areas

Children and Youth

All children should have the chance to succeed in life and opportunities to help them reach their full potential by being on track for success in the classroom and in life.

Funding will focus mainly on out-of-school time programs that support the development of children and youth in the community, ages 5 – 18. Programs must be evidence-based and demonstrate positive outcomes in academic achievement and/or social and emotional development and show ongoing relationships with children/ youth beyond a one-time encounter. Programs must also focus on youth with barriers to success, serving at least 60% who qualify for free and reduced lunch or other low-income indicator.

Health and Wellness

Everyone deserves access to services that help them be healthy, including physical, behavioral and dental health care.

Funding will focus on established programs providing access to affordable, high-quality health care services for low-income residents in under-served communities. Programs of interest include community health centers serving under- and uninsured populations that provide integrated care and K-12 school-based health centers in schools where at least 60% of students qualifying for free and reduced lunch. Organizations must be able to demonstrate positive health outcomes for clients in addition to other output measures.

Homelessness

The issue of homelessness persists in our community and providing housing and services is important in working to end homelessness and support families and individuals.

This funding area supports prevention services and/or long-term housing strategies with multiple wrap-around services for individuals and families. Eligible programs include homelessness prevention programs that provide short-term financial support (i.e. rent, utilities, mortgage) to maintain current housing and supportive and transitional housing (six months or more) with additional supporting services. Programs must effectively demonstrate impact by tracking clients who are able to maintain housing and/or those who transition into and maintain more permanent and/or stable housing.

Hunger

Families and individuals deserve access to nutritious, supplemental food in order to meet their daily needs and to help support them in work and school.

Funding priority is given to established providers with large-scale programs or initiatives that reduce food insecurity. Eligible organizations and programs must meet the following criteria: effectively use data to make organizational decisions; provide client-choice services; offer nutritious food options; work in geographic areas where gaps for and access to nutritional services exist; support enrollment in SNAP/benefit programs; and provide warm referrals to other community supports.

About the Donor

Gwen Bowen started out as a promising dancer and later shared her love of dance with thousands of others in the Denver area through her Gwen Bowen School of Dance Arts. Gwen “Miss B” Bowen spent more than five decades teaching thousands of people in Denver to dance. When she wasn’t at her studio, Miss B still occupied her hours with dance. She was on the director’s board of the University of Denver’s Friends of Carson-Brierly Dance Library and taught dance as an extracurricular activity at Lincoln Elementary School.

Bowen Family Performing Arts Fund Grant

This fund helps low-income children learn to dance, act, and sing, with all the creativity and zest for life that comes through these opportunities. Miss Bowen’s legacy continues to help young people experience the joy of performing for generations to come. The mission of the fund is to support performing arts programs for elementary and middle school youth who have fewer opportunities to learn and appreciate the arts.

Please see FAQs for additional guidelines.

About the Denver Foundation

For almost 100 years, Denver residents have trusted The Denver Foundation to steward charitable funds to meet today's needs and tomorrow's opportunities. It's a growing legacy and a community-wide effort to build a better future for everyone. As a tax-exempt, nonprofit, philanthropic organization, The Denver Foundation stewards more than 1,000 funds established by engaged philanthropists. In partnership with the foundation, our donors make gifts to organizations throughout the Seven-county Metro Denver region, across Colorado, and beyond.

Greenwood Fund

The Greenwood Fund is a donor-advised fund of The Denver Foundation that provides small grants for the conservation of museum artifacts and collections care for museums in Colorado, New Mexico, and Wyoming.

The focus of this funding opportunity is on small museums with collections and conservation budgets less than $1 million. The Greenwood Fund gives priority to smaller museums.

Types of Projects:

The Greenwood Fund supports two types of museum projects:

• Conservation treatment of art and objects and
• Collections care, including supplies, equipment, and personnel including contract personnel.

Conservation is a discipline that seeks to extend the lifespan of artworks and cultural heritage objects through interventive treatments such as cleaning, reassembly, stabilization, or by providing an environment that helps protect against agents of deterioration including insect pests, light, vandalism, and chemically unstable storage materials.

An important aspect of collections care is the use of appropriate, approved storage materials and furniture which is typically the purview of a curator/collections manager.

Our Mission

Uniting people, ideas, and resources to advance the common good.

What We Do

Working side-by-side with the community, Mile High United Way takes on critical human services issues facing our seven-county footprint of Adams, Arapahoe, Boulder, Broomfield, Denver, Douglas, and Jefferson counties. For the current grant cycle, our priority will continue to be placed on basic needs services (access to housing, access to food, tax preparation, and legal services), out of-school time, and early childhood education.

What We Believe

• We believe every person who calls Colorado home deserves the opportunity to thrive
• We believe every young person deserves a strong start
• We believe every family should be economically stable
• We believe in community
• We believe in neighborhoods
• We believe in the power of diverse and inclusive voices
• We believe in data

Our Community Priorities

• Giving all children a strong start
  • Ensuring all children entering kindergarten ready to succeed
• Supporting Education and Academic Success
  • Building educational success through partnerships with schools, families, and communities
• Creating Economic Opportunity For All
  • Ensuring people can meet their basic needs and have opportunities to move toward economic success

Strategic Investment Grant (SIG) opportunity

The Strategic Investment Grant (SIG) opportunity is our flagship grantmaking program investing in eligible nonprofit organizations across the seven-county Metro Denver area. These organizations are an extension of our mission in the community. The goal of this Strategic Investment Grant opportunity is to focus investments on outstanding organizations whose work aligns with our overarching strategy to provide high-quality early childhood education, high-quality out-of-school time programming and access to housing, food, legal services, and tax preparation. Strategic Investment Grants are awarded through a competitive, community-driven process.

Issue Areas

We selected six issue areas for funding, under three categories:

• Basic Needs
  • Access to Housing
  • Access to Food
  • Legal Services
  • Tax Preparation
• Out-of-School Time
• Early Childhood

Types of Support

Organizations can apply for General Operating or Program support. The following organizations can apply for Program support only:

• Schools, school districts, school foundations.
• Government entities.