Search Through Grants for the Arts in Colorado in the U.S.

We care about the communities in which we live and work. Amcor Cares (formerly the Bemis Company Foundation) was founded as our principal tool in the United States to serve our Amcor Flexibles communities. From volunteer work to monetary donations and community support, Amcor Cares donates several million per year to charitable organizations.

Community Support Grants

Encourage

• Fighting Hunger & Homelessness
• Supporting Disaster Relief

Empower

• Expanding STEM Education
• Building Life Skills
• Improving Health & Wellness

Elevate

• Promoting Arts & Culture
• Funding Amcor Scholarships

Types of support:

• Non-profit Organization Programs
• Non-profit Organization Operating Support
• Capital Campaigns
• STEM Programs

Mission: Support nonprofit organizations serving the Pikes Peak region, with a specific focus on organizations working in arts and culture, civic and community initiatives, education, health and human services.

History: The Anna Keesling Ackerman Fund seeks to continue the charitable intent of Mr. Jasper D. Ackerman, who supported numerous charitable organizations and causes throughout the Pikes Peak region. 

Our competitive process is the primary grant making vehicle for organizations to receive funding. We are a general purpose foundation, which means the Trustees approve grants across a wide spectrum of focus areas including:

• arts and culture,
• civic and community initiatives,
• education,
• health and
• human services.

Under our competitive process we accept applications for general operating, program and capital support. 

Please note, if funded through the competitive process applicants must wait three years (36 months) before submitting a new application. If declined applicants must wait one year (12 months) before submitting a new application.

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.

The FHL Foundation board meets four times a year to consider proposals for trackable projects in four focus areas:

• Arts & Humanities (Fall),
• Education (Winter),
• Animal & Human Welfare (Spring), and
• the Environment (Summer).

Indigo Oak Fund

The Indigo Oak Fund is a Colorado-based private foundation focused on education, the arts, women and children’s issues, and ensuring equal justice under the law. Our Mission is to recognize and advance individual potential and support effective programs which contribute to that purpose.

The Fund supports selected programs and initiatives which promote personal empowerment and achievement and which qualify as related to the above-named issues. We seek to contribute to a better world by recognizing and respecting the value of each individual, funding programs which have the potential to improve lives, fostering lifelong learning, and ensuring access to equal opportunity for all.

Education Grant Program

This grant program aims to support traditional schools and out-of-school learning experiences catering to children and adults. Previous recipients have included organizations that assist adults in advancing their careers, as well as schools and learning institutions that require additional resources to support their teachers.

Indigo Oak Fund

The Indigo Oak Fund is a Colorado-based private foundation focused on education, the arts, women and children’s issues, and ensuring equal justice under the law. Our Mission is to recognize and advance individual potential and support effective programs which contribute to that purpose.

The Equal Justice Under the Law grant supports organizations committed to fairness in the justice system, rehabilitation and anti-recidivism programs, and support for the 7th Amendment. We also champion organizations that promote more civic engagement and those helping to educate the next generation of attorneys and social justice workers who fight for these causes. 

The fund supports selected programs and initiatives which promote personal empowerment and achievement and which qualify as related to the above-named issues. We seek to contribute to a better world by recognizing and respecting the value of each individual, funding programs which have the potential to improve lives, fostering lifelong learning, and ensuring access to equal opportunity for all.

Indigo Oak Fund

The Indigo Oak Fund is a Colorado-based private foundation focused on education, the arts, women and children’s issues, and ensuring equal justice under the law. Our Mission is to recognize and advance individual potential and support effective programs which contribute to that purpose.

The Fund supports selected programs and initiatives which promote personal empowerment and achievement and which qualify as related to the above-named issues. We seek to contribute to a better world by recognizing and respecting the value of each individual, funding programs which have the potential to improve lives, fostering lifelong learning, and ensuring access to equal opportunity for all.

Women & Children's Issues

This area of our mission is all about supporting girls and women as well as families. We support organizations committed to providing opportunities and advancement for girls and women, as well as crisis centers, organizations addressing food and housing insecurity, and those promoting healthy communities. Grantees in this category have included domestic abuse shelters, food banks, organizations addressing homelessness, after-school programs for girls, and organizations promoting gender equity.

Our Focus

• Fostering Lifelong Learning
• Ensuring access to equal opportunity for all
• Improving the quality of lives
• Recognizing and advancing individual potential

Indigo Oak Fund

The Indigo Oak Fund is a Colorado-based private foundation focused on education, the arts, women and children’s issues, and ensuring equal justice under the law. Our Mission is to recognize and advance individual potential and support effective programs which contribute to that purpose.

The Fund supports selected programs and initiatives which promote personal empowerment and achievement and which qualify as related to the above-named issues. We seek to contribute to a better world by recognizing and respecting the value of each individual, funding programs which have the potential to improve lives, fostering lifelong learning, and ensuring access to equal opportunity for all.

Our Focus

• Fostering Lifelong Learning
• Ensuring access to equal opportunity for all
• Improving the quality of lives
• Recognizing and advancing individual potential

Fostering Creative Expression - The Arts

Our foundation is committed to supporting the arts in a variety of forms and expressions and for every member of our community. We support programming for both youth and adults, amateurs and professionals. Past grants have supported funding for classes and camps, community theaters, internship programs, and one-time events in the fields of visual arts, music, writing, graphic design, and drama.

Our Mission

Knight Foundation is a national foundation with strong local roots. We invest in journalism, in the arts, and in the success of cities where brothers John S. and James L. Knight once published newspapers. Our goal is to foster informed and engaged communities, which we believe are essential for a healthy democracy.

Community and National Initiatives

Supporting equitable, inclusive engagement

What We Fund

We fund primarily in eight cities where the foundation has resident program officers, including Akron, where our founders started Knight Newspapers, and Miami, where their business was eventually headquartered. We invest through grantmaking directly from our endowment and from endowed donor-advised funds (DAF) at local community foundations in the Knight communities.

In the 18 cities where our foundation does not have a program director living in the community, we primarily work with community foundation leaders and local advisory committees to identify investment opportunities that support engaged, inclusive and equitable communities.

Communities Program

Our work in community focuses on attracting and nurturing talent, enhancing opportunity, and fostering civic engagement. Rather than a single approach, we seek to support efforts authentic to each community.

Learn more about our work in each of the communities where Knight has offices: 

• Akron, Ohio
• Charlotte, North Carolina
• Detroit
• Macon, Georgia
• Miami
• Philadelphia
• San Jose, California
• St. Paul, Minnesota

In these cities, Knight program directors are your first point of contact.

Knight works in 18 small to mid-sized communities in partnership with local community foundations. Learn more about this program. 

• Aberdeen, South Dakota;
• Biloxi, Mississippi;
• Boulder, Colorado;
• Bradenton, Florida;
• Columbia, South Carolina;
• Columbus, Georgia;
• Duluth, Minnesota;
• Ft. Wayne, Indiana;
• Gary, Indiana;
• Grand Forks, North Dakota;
• Lexington, Kentucky;
• Long Beach, California;
• Milledgeville, Georgia;
• Myrtle Beach, South Carolina;
• Palm Beach County, Florida;
• State College, Pennsylvania;
• Tallahassee, Florida;
• Wichita, Kansas

If you are interested in receiving Knight funding in these 18 communities, please read more about our individual community strategies and ask your local community foundation about the local Knight donor-advised fund.

National Initiatives

Our National Initiatives program seeks to accelerate and amplify the work we do in communities by identifying opportunities in common, and ideas that can be shared across communities. Current areas of focus include:

• Smart cities: Harnessing the growth of digital technology to improve how communities respond, connect to and engage with residents;
• Public Spaces: Investing in spaces such as parks, trails, libraries to engage and connect residents to each other and to the places where they live, such as through our multi-city initiative, Reimagining the Civic Commons.

In addition, our national program responds to opportunities that emerge from the 26 cities where we work.

About the Foundation

Established in 2022, the Roy and Gloria Dinsdale Foundation is a private foundation based in Omaha, Nebraska. The foundation honors the late Gloria and Roy Dinsdale, executive chairman of Pinnacle Bancorp, Inc. and founder of Pinnacle Bank. The Board of Directors is made up of Roy and Gloria’s three children, Jane Dinsdale Rogers, Chris Dinsdale, and Sid Dinsdale.

Roy Dinsdale was the 3rd generation to live in Palmer, Nebraska. He and Gloria married in 1949 and settled in Palmer. Both Roy and Gloria were influenced by their upbringing in small Nebraska towns, where people help each other and support each other, when there is a need.

This concept of helping each other by giving back drives the Foundation to provide support in the communities Pinnacle Bank, Bank of Colorado and other Dinsdale companies serve.

Mission

The Roy and Gloria Dinsdale Foundation seeks to improve lives by providing food, shelter, clothing, and support for daily living, in addition to providing support for the arts and education.

Focus Areas

The family prefers to support local needs, including organizations, programs and initiatives in rural communities that impact the local economy when possible.

• Persons with Disabilities:
  • Provide support for the daily needs and enrichment of persons with disabilities.
• Healthcare:
  • Improve the health and lives of people, emphasizing access to quality care including specialized services such as hospice care in rural communities.
• Education:
  • Enhance educational opportunities and access for children and adults to local educational facilities embedded in community, specifically in the areas of early childhood education, child care, and junior colleges.
• Arts:
  • Increase access to the arts, enrich lives, and contribute to the creation of vibrant communities.
• Veterans and First Responders:
  • Support the needs of veterans, first responders and their families.

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

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

Mission and Focus Areas

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

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

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

Program Areas Funded

The Following organization program areas are eligible for consideration:

• Arts & Culture
• Performing Arts
• Visual Arts
• Music

• Civic & Community
• Parks, Trails and Community beautification efforts
• Civic enhancement
• Adult and Youth leadership

• Education
• K-12 (Public, Private and Charter)
• Early Childhood Education
• Special Education
• Colleges and Universities

• Healthcare
• Direct service
• Health access

• Medical Research (by invitation only)

• Nature & Wildlife
• Land and Wildlife Conservation & Protection
• Restoration

• Social Services
• Housing
• Mental Health
• Feeding programs and Food Access
• Basic Needs provision

Type of Funding Provided

The Chapman Trusts currently provide funding for general operations, projects and programs, capital needs (brick and mortar, equipment purchases, etc.), and organization capacity building. 

WESTAF’s TourWest Grant provides flexible funding for presenters/presenting organizations within the WESTAF region to support their regional touring program. WESTAF also encourages the inclusion of community/educational outreach as part of an organization’s presentation of touring artists. 

TourWest is a competitive grant program funded by the National Endowment for the Arts to provide subsidies to arts and community organizations in the 13-state WESTAF region and jurisdictions, including Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and American Samoa for the presentation of touring performers and literary artists. 

Through TourWest, WESTAF and the National Endowment for the Arts aim to encourage the presentation of performing arts programming to culturally diverse audiences and those that do not typically enjoy ready access to the performing arts. In order to understand local needs and interests, WESTAF advocates working directly with individuals and groups from the communities that your organization seeks to serve. Community engagement and participation are key components of a successful TourWest grant application. 

WESTAF defines regional touring as programming that presents out-of-state touring artists and/or in-state touring artists traveling at least 50 miles to your venue. Presenters/presenting organizations are defined as organizations that present or host guest artists for engagements in their communities. Presenters can include but are not limited to community cultural organizations, community centers, churches, schools/colleges/universities, libraries, museums, film festivals/series, and performing arts centers. Typically, producing organizations or performing arts groups are not considered presenters, and are encouraged to contact WESTAF to discuss eligibility.

TourWest seeks to support the engagement of new audiences as well as collaboration between the presenters, artists, agents, and communities. In addition to working collaboratively with the artist(s) and/or community partners in planning the project, WESTAF encourages presenters to take advantage of opportunities such as block booking, presenter networks, and booking conferences to reduce costs and make artistic opportunities available to a broader audience. Partnerships and collaborative efforts between presenters are considered in the panel’s evaluation of an application and project.

Program Overview

Creative West’s TourWest grant program, supported by the National Endowment for the Arts, provides funding to presenters and presenting organizations to bring touring performers and literary artists to communities throughout the Western region.

Regional touring is defined as:

Programming that brings out-of-state touring artists to your venue, or In-state artists traveling at least 50 miles from their home base TourWest focuses on expanding access to the performing arts, especially in underserved communities.

To support this goal:

• Creative West encourages working closely with local individuals and groups to understand and meet community needs.
• Applicants are urged to include community engagement or educational outreach activities in their projects.
• Collaboration with artists, agents, and community partners is highly encouraged, along with strategies like block booking and using presenter networks to reduce costs and maximize impact.

The Sally Brown McInnes and John “Mac” McInnes Charitable Trust was created by Sarajane “Sally”Brown McInnes. Mr. and Mrs. McInnes were residents of Colorado and were passionate about providing for the welfare of animals and children’s health and overall well-being.  Mr. and Mrs. McInnes were also supporters of organizations serving Veterans, Native Americans, environment, arts, religion, and national treasures.

Mission

To perpetuate the generosity of the McInnes family by supporting charitable causes with a preference toward organizations located in or serving Colorado that promote animal welfare, children’s health, education and empowerment.

Program areas

• Arts 
• Education 
• Environment, animals 
• Health 
• Human services 
• Public/society benefit 
• Religion 

The Laura Jane Musser Fund wants to encourage collaborative and participatory efforts among citizens in rural communities that will help to strengthen their towns and regions in a number of civic areas including, but not limited to, economic development, business preservation, arts and humanities, public space improvements, and education.

Priority is placed on projects that: 

• Bring together a broad range of community members and institutions
• Provide the opportunity for diverse community members to work together
• Contain measurable short term outcomes within the first 12 to 18 months
• Include community members actively in all phases of the process 
• Work toward an outcome of positive change within their community

Projects must demonstrate:

• Support from a diverse cross-section of community members and institutions
• Matching financial and/or in-kind support from the local community
• Significant volunteer participation
• Reasonable plans to complete the project within 18 months or less

Funds will be available for: 

• Planning (up to $5,000) - These funds may support costs like: consultant or staff time, meeting costs, mailings, secretarial support, refreshments, local travel, childcare, etc.
• Note - this stage is optional and not a required phase prior to applying for or receiving an implementation grant. If an organization receives a planning grant from the Musser Fund, this in no way implies a commitment on the part of the Musser Fund to provide the organization with any subsequent implementation grant.
• But organizations that receive a planning grant may apply for subsequent implementation support after their planning activities are completed.      
• Implementation (Up to $25,000) - These funds are available to implement community based rural projects that originate in, have been planned by, and involve diverse people from the local community.
• Capital campaigns will not be supported.
• The projects should result in a tangible outcome within at least the first 18 months.
• Projects will be eligible for either planning or implementation funds during any one grant period.

What the Program will Cover:

• New programs or projects within their first three years
• A planning, and/or implementation phase

About

The Melvin & Elaine Wolf Foundation was started by Melvin and Elaine Wolf in 1979 and is now joyfully run by Melvin and Elaine's daughter, Sandy Wolf and granddaughters Ashly Wolf and Kelly Ann Hodges. The family continues to contribute to the community based on the goals and guidelines set forth by Melvin and Elaine in order to continue the legacy of giving to the community for future generations to come.

Mission

The Melvin & Elaine Wolf Foundation began in Colorado and supports the state through funding commitments to its non-profit community. The The Melvin & Elaine Wolf Foundation is grounded in the belief that with the privilege of being part of a community comes the responsibility and pleasure of giving back. The Melvin & Elaine Wolf Foundation gives back to Colorado by providing funds to non-profit organizations whose programs address children's health and education access as well as programs that improve adult health and reduce suffering through education and technology.  

Rooted in Education

The Melvin & Elaine Wolf Foundation is rooted in the belief that opening children to the possibilities of wonder, enjoyment and enlightenment through learning and observation allows them to live more productively. This is reflected in the Foundation's funding support of organizations and projects that involve the whole child, particularly in art and education experiences.  

Advancing Quality of Life

Through its grant support, The Melvin & Elaine Wolf Foundation also seeks to provide adults with the opportunity to move beyond their environment by funding programs that include health, medical, housing, shelter, food and arts in the community.  

Carl W. & Carrie Mae Joslyn Trust

For the support of charities benefiting youth, elderly, and/or handicapped in El Paso County, Colorado.

Program Areas

• Animal Welfare,
• Arts and Culture,
• Civic Activities,
• Community Development,
• Education,
• Environment,
• Health and Medical Research,
• Human and Social Services,
• Religious

About

The Mabel Y. Hughes Charitable Trust was established under the Last Will and Testament of Mabel Y. Hughes, a resident of Denver, Colorado. Ms. Hughes died on April 9, 1969. Her legacy of giving continues through grants to charitable organizations in the state of Colorado.

Mabel Y. Hughes Charitable Trust Grant

The Mabel Y. Hughes Charitable Trust supports charitable, educational, religious, and hospital institutions in the state of Colorado.

Program Areas

• Arts, culture and humanities 
• Education 
• Environment, animals 
• Health 
• Human services 
• Religion

About the Collins Foundation

The Collins Foundation was established by William Ray Collins and Ruth E. Collins for charitable, religious and educational purposes and organizations within Boulder County, Colorado. Mr. and Mrs. Collins were residents of Boulder, and they were co-owners of a clothing and shoe store. Mrs. Collins died on May 22, 1978, and Mr. Collins died on June 11, 1981.

Mission

To support various charitable causes located in or for the benefit of Boulder County, Colorado.

Program Areas

• Arts, culture and humanities
• Education
• Environment/animals
• Health
• Human services
• Religion

Average Giving

• Average grant size: $2,000 to $7,500
• Average number of grants per year: 10 to 15
• Average total giving per year: $80,000

Application Period and Deadlines

Applications are accepted year-round. Applications must be submitted by November 30 to be reviewed at the annual grant meeting that occurs in January.

Mission

The William G. McGowan Charitable Fund brings our vision to life through grant-making efforts in three program areas: Education, Human Services, and Healthcare initiatives. We give priority to programs that have demonstrated success, have measurable outcomes and plans for sustainability, and aim to end cycles of poverty and suffering.

Resolute in our belief in the power of partnerships or collaborative efforts to maximize impact, we embrace opportunities to work with other funders in our program areas. We look for funding opportunities that share our philosophy and explore the possibility of joint projects with other nonprofit organizations.

Vision

To impact lives today, create sustainable change, and empower future generations to achieve their greatest potential.

Funding Focus

The Fund puts an emphasis on the building blocks that adults and children need to flourish. While many community efforts are important and enriching—including the arts, animal welfare, and civic life—the programs that are most likely to receive our support hone to our mission and vision of addressing the roots of poverty. In our community grantmaking, we look toward programs that address immediate needs and those that reach for long-term impact in the lives of vulnerable families and individuals.

Education Initiatives

Education makes all the difference. It is the most powerful point of departure for children struggling with poverty, community disruption, family stress, or failure. It’s the prerequisite for most long-lived careers that provide sustainable wages.

Through our grant-making in five geographic regions, the McGowan Fund focuses on innovative programs that show measurable improvement in addressing achievement gaps, improving teaching and learning, and reducing disparities among students.

Areas of support in this initiative include:

• Out-of-school Programs
• Charter, faith-based, and alternative schools
• Scholarships for high potential students in private education.

Human Services Initiatives

The cycles of poverty and homelessness can seem intractable. Homelessness decreases access to food, health, and work and this limited availability in turn hinders access to long-term housing. Recognizing the complexity and dependencies of the problem, the Fund focuses on projects that address basic human needs and stabilize individuals and families.

Areas of support in this initiative include:  

• Stabilized Housing
• Food/Clothing Security
• Adult Education (e.g. ESL, Financial Literacy, GED Attainment)
• Homelessness Remediation/Prevention

Healthcare Initiatives

Lack of healthcare can be a barrier to work, education, and a family’s mobility out of poverty. We fund programs that seek to remove this barrier by providing quality care to those who may not have other care options.

Areas of support in this initiative include:

• Primary Care
• Dental/Vision
• Mental Health Services
• Pharmacy

Overview

The Foundation is interested in grants and Program Related Investments that advance Coloradoan’s ability to improve earning potential and quality of life. The Foundations places premium on programs that have a proven track record in creating jobs with livable wages / pathways to self-sufficiency / wealth creation and entrepreneurship opportunities / growth. Giving areas include Entrepreneurship and Job Creation programs (50% of giving), Barriers to Employment (25% of giving) and General Purpose Funding (25% of giving). Within our General Purpose portfolio, the Foundation allocates funds towards pre-determined legacy organizations and arts, culture and sciences.

Kenneth King Foundation Focus

• Programs developing individuals with increased skills in high-demand fields
• Training and support that results in increased entrepreneurial skills and/or new businesses.
• Seed capital bundled with support services to help grow small to mid-sized ventures,
• jobs created because of new businesses or growth, financial skill building
• Programs placing individuals in jobs with living wages
• Apprenticeship programs
• Job training through social enterprise
• Jobs created through social enterprises or for-profit companies
• Financial literacy training, adult education
• Workforce development

Job Creation & Entrepreneurship Grant

Programs promoting job creating and entrepreneurship represent 50% of the Foundation's giving.

Criteria for strong proposals

• Programs developing individuals with increased skills in high-demand fields
• Training and support that results in increased entrepreneurial skills and/or new businesses.
• Seed capital bundled with support services to help grow small to mid-sized ventures,
• jobs created because of new businesses or growth, financial skill building
• Programs placing individuals in jobs with living wages
• Apprenticeship programs
• Job training through social enterprise
• Jobs created through social enterprises or for-profit companies
• Financial literacy training, adult education
• Workforce development

Focus Populations

• Low -income entrepreneurs
• Individuals lacking credit needed to secure traditional loans
• Women
• People of color
• Justice involved individuals
• Rural communities
• People with disabilities 

Funding

An average grant is between $5,000 and $20,000.

Overview

The Foundation is interested in grants and Program Related Investments that advance Coloradoan’s ability to improve earning potential and quality of life. The Foundations places premium on programs that have a proven track record in creating jobs with livable wages / pathways to self-sufficiency / wealth creation and entrepreneurship opportunities / growth. Giving areas include Entrepreneurship and Job Creation programs (50% of giving), Barriers to Employment (25% of giving) and General Purpose Funding (25% of giving). Within our General Purpose portfolio, the Foundation allocates funds towards pre-determined legacy organizations and arts, culture and sciences.

Kenneth King Foundation Focus

• Programs developing individuals with increased skills in high-demand fields
• Training and support that results in increased entrepreneurial skills and/or new businesses.
• Seed capital bundled with support services to help grow small to mid-sized ventures,
• jobs created because of new businesses or growth, financial skill building
• Programs placing individuals in jobs with living wages
• Apprenticeship programs
• Job training through social enterprise
• Jobs created through social enterprises or for-profit companies
• Financial literacy training, adult education
• Workforce development

Removing Barriers to Employment Grant

Programs promoting job creating and entrepreneurship represent 25% of the Foundation's giving.

Criteria for strong proposals

• Wraparound services that support people including services such as emergency financial assistance, food, childcare, transportation, work clothes etc.
• Navigation through health care, adult education, food assistance, rental assistance/housing to increase stability.
• Programs must be directly connected to training and employment opportunities through partnerships or within the organization.

Focus Populations

• Individuals experiencing homelessness
• Low-income single parents
• Low-income individuals and families
• Low-income individuals and families from rural communities
• Justice involved individuals
• People with disabilities

Funding

An average grant is between $5,000 and $20,000.

Mission Statement

The Sheila Fortune Foundation was formed in 1998 by Sheila Fortune to promote the interests of at-risk youths by providing them the opportunity to experience and participate in educational activities through the arts. 

The Foundation holds the philosophy that many youths from all backgrounds and experiences are gifted but need a medium and the opportunity to express and develop their talents. In accordance with its philosophy and the resources available to the Foundation, it has initially established the following guidelines for its activities.

• The Foundation will identify organizations which are familiar with at-risk youths and provide the youths with a stabilized setting, and the Foundation will grant support in order to enable these organizations to develop and administer programs promoting the interests and abilities of these youths in the arts.
• The scope of arts programs is not intended to be limited to any particular programs but could include interests in theatre, dance, painting, music, film and photography.
• The Foundation will defer to other organizations as to the identification, intervention, and the immediate or long-term physical and emotional needs of these youths.

THE LAURA JANE MUSSER FUND was established by the estate of Laura Jane Musser of Little Falls, Minnesota to continue the personal philanthropy which she practiced in her lifetime.

Intercultural Harmony Grant

The LAURA JANE MUSSER FUND would like to promote mutual understanding and cooperation between groups and citizens of different cultural backgrounds within defined geographical areas through collaborative, cross-cultural exchange projects. Projects must be intercultural and demonstrate intercultural exchange, rather than focused on just one culture.

Priority is Placed on Projects that . . .

Include  members of various cultural communities working together on projects with common goals

Build positive relationships across cultural lines

Engender intercultural harmony, tolerance, understanding, and respect

Enhance intercultural communication, rather than cultural isolation, while at the same time honoring the unique qualities of each culture

Projects must demonstrate:

• Need in the community for the intercultural exchange project
• Grassroots endorsement by participants across cultural lines, as well as their active participation in planning and implementation of the project
• The ability of the organization to address the challenges of working across the cultural barriers identified by the project
• Tangible benefits in the larger community

Available Funds

Planning (up to $5,000) 

These funds may support costs like: consultant or staff time, meeting costs, mailings, secretarial support, refreshments, local travel, childcare, etc.

Implementation (up to $25,000)

These funds are available to implement collaborative cross-cultural exchange projects. The projects should result in a tangible outcome within at least the first 18 months. Projects will be eligible for either planning or implementation funds during any one grant period

Outcomes

Outcomes should include:

• A demonstration of intercultural exchange between cultures
• Increased comfort in interaction between the groups and individual citizens addressed by the project
• Harmonious shared use of public space and community facilities
• Continued cooperation by the participants or communities addressed by the project

Intercultural Harmony projects can be carried out in a number of areas, including (but not limited to):

• Community service
• Youth activities
• The arts

What the program will cover

• New programs or projects within their first three years
• The planning or implementation phase of a project

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 Fred & Jean Allegretti Foundation provides financial support to various domestic charitable organizations and institutions that work to improve the lives, minds, health and well being of children, adults, the elderly, animals and those physically challenged. It is our goal to provide a quality of life and dignity through humanitarian support, medical treatment, housing, education and the arts.