Search Through Homelessness Grants 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

Next50

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

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

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

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

Our Equity Focus and Priority Populations

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

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

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

Colorado Organizational Resiliency (COR) Grant

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

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

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

Overview

The Daniels Fund supports highly effective nonprofit organizations working to improve lives and strengthen communities in Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming. We invest in programs that spark opportunity, uplift lives, and drive meaningful, lasting change. Our funding is highly competitive, with only the top organizations in their field selected. These are leading organizations solving the most complex challenges with innovative, impactful, and forward-thinking solutions. We focus on organizations that achieve significant results in the community, working tirelessly to address pressing issues and open new possibilities for the people they serve.

Our giving is rooted in the values, compassion, and entrepreneurial spirit of our founder, Bill Daniels. Bill Daniels helped a tremendous number of people during his lifetime and continues to do so in extraordinary ways through the foundation he established. The Daniels Fund honors Bill’s direction and carries forward his legacy of generosity in the funding areas of Aging, Amateur Sports, Disabilities, Drug & Alcohol Addiction, Early Childhood Education, Homeless & Disadvantaged, K–12 Education Reform, and Youth Development. 

Funding Areas

These funding areas were established by our founder and they do not change:

Aging

Bill helped to fulfill his mother's wish to remain in her own home and maintain her independence as she aged. In his later years, Bill gained additional insight from his own personal experiences.

• Older adults achieve maximum independence and quality of life.

• In-Home Services:
• Seniors receive the services they need to live independently in their own homes for as long as possible. Respite care and navigator services are readily available to support family members caring for their elderly loved ones.
• Community Engagement:
• Seniors enjoy the benefits of remaining physically and mentally active, and participate in meaningful activities that contribute to their sense of purpose.
• End-of-Life/Palliative Care
• Seniors nearing the end of their lives have access to high quality, compassionate hospice and palliative care.

Amateur Sports

Bill loved sports and knew from personal experience that participation in sports and the influence of quality coaches could change the direction of a young person's life for the better.

Youth experience the benefits of participating in sports programs. Elite amateur athletes have the opportunity to participate in national and international competition.

• Youth Sports
• Affordable, community-based, multi-sport activities are available for youth, led by coaches trained to build a positive youth sports culture that promotes confidence, discipline, teamwork, and sportsmanship.
• Competition
• National and international amateur sports competitions take place in the community. The costs of participation in national or international competitions — such as training and travel expenses — are offset for elite athletes.

Disabilities

One of Bill's sisters was born with developmental disabilities. Bill observed how his parents' choice to provide compassionate care at home enhanced his sister's health and happiness. Later in life, he suffered from his own disability — severe hearing loss.

People with disabilities achieve dignity through maximum independence and quality of life.

Drug & Alcohol Addiction

Bill suffered from alcoholism and embraced sobriety after seeking treatment. He talked openly about his ongoing recovery as a way to educate and provide hope to others. Bill personally helped countless friends and business associates seek treatment and regain control of their lives.

Adults and youth with drug and alcohol addiction challenges achieve and maintain stability.

• Prevention (Emphasis on Youth)
• The risks and repercussions associated with drug and alcohol addiction are effectively conveyed to young people, resulting in positive behavioral and perceptional changes.
• Treatment & After-Care Services (Recovery)
• Individuals maintain long-term sobriety by having access to high quality treatment programs and supportive after-care services.

Early Childhood Education

Bill saw the need for healthy, safe, and nurturing early childhood experiences in the home and beyond. He wanted to ensure early childhood education started children on a path to success.

Kindergarten readiness is ensured through an improved early childhood system.

• Teacher/Leadership Quality
• Teachers, leaders, and caregivers receive the essential training and support that ensures children in their care are well-prepared for kindergarten.
• Program Quality
• System-level investments improve curriculum, materials, and resources across multiple learning sites.
• Parental Engagement
• Parents and other caregivers are empowered to become "first teachers" by gaining awareness of important developmental milestones and knowledge of effective strategies to ensure children reach them.

Homeless & Disadvantaged

Bill's great compassion for people struggling to meet basic human needs fueled his desire to help them get back on their feet. He wanted to offer disadvantaged individuals and families a hand-up and spark their motivation to reenter the workforce.

Homeless individuals and families achieve and maintain self-sufficiency without the need for public assistance.

• Transitional Housing & Supportive Services
• Individuals and families who are homeless or in danger of becoming homeless break the cycle of poverty and attain economic self-sufficiency by receiving access to transitional housing, comprehensive supportive services, and employment opportunities.
• Emergency Services*
• Individuals and families experiencing the initial stages of homelessness move from crisis toward economic self-sufficiency by receiving overnight shelter and food assistance in a structured manner that encourages both accountability and participation in case management.

* Our investment in this area is limited

K-12 Education Reform

Our Strategy: Support innovative efforts to reform the K-12 education system, resulting in a wider range of high quality school choices and increased student achievement.

Desired Outcomes:

• Reform/School Choice
• Achieve systemic education reform by supporting high-performing charter schools and tuition assistance programs (portable vouchers) that broaden quality educational options for families. Competition prompts challenges to the status quo.
• Teacher/Leadership Quality*
• Teachers and school leaders receive innovative training and support to maximize student achievement.
• Parental Engagement
• Parents are better educated in the areas of school quality and choice, and understand how to be effective advocates for their children.

* Emphasis is on charter schools

Youth Development

Bill supported character-building programs that help youth become confident, patriotic, and independent. He wanted kids to develop personal accountability and responsibility. He also wanted them to understand the value of money, the free enterprise system, and that success is earned through hard work.

Youth develop character and gain the necessary life skills to become successful adults.

• Career & Technical Education
• All youth — whether planning to earn a college degree or not — develop clear pathways to meaningful employment through opportunities for career exploration, job shadowing, internships, and apprenticeships.
• Civic Engagement
• Youth actively contribute to bettering their communities as engaged, informed citizens with strong American values.
• Financial Literacy & Free Enterprise
• Youth become active participants in the free enterprise system by developing a strong understanding of economics, business, financial literacy, and entrepreneurship.

We Would be Delighted to Visit with You

The Daniels Fund grants team spends time visiting the communities we serve to get to know area nonprofits, learn about effective programs and projects, and understand how needs vary from place to place.

We continually look for opportunities to support excellent programs that align with our funding priorities. We look forward to speaking with you.

Our State-Specific Grantmaking Approach

The Daniels Fund has tailored its grantmaking strategies and objectives for Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming to address specific needs in each state.

National Grant Funding

The Daniels Fund supports select programs with a nationwide focus by invitation only. We do not provide funding for regional, local, or community-based programs outside our four-state region.

Due to our focused strategy, we do not accept unsolicited national grant applications.

Global Impact Cash Grants

Identifying and incubating innovative early-stage solutions. We identify, incubate, and develop innovative early-stage solutions with the highest potential for impact. Global Impact Cash Grants go to nonprofit organizations (NPOs) and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) that address a significant social problem. We're looking for programs that fit within our investment sectors, focus on the underserved, and use technology to improve the reach and efficiency of services.

We accept applications year-round from eligible organizations. A brief Letter of Inquiry (LOI) is used to determine whether your organization will be invited to complete a full application. Please expand and carefully review each of the three sections below to learn more

Our priority social impact sectors

We focus on investing in innovative, tech-enabled solutions to the challenges and opportunities that matter most to communities in need, prioritizing four social impact sectors:

Cisco Crisis Response

Mobilizing to provide essentials to communities in need and those in crisis, including food, housing, secure connectivity, and disaster relief

By leveraging Cisco’s people, technology, financial resources, and strategic partnerships, we help strengthen community resilience and drive long-term recovery from crises.

Education

Supporting students, teachers, and schools by increasing engagement, building skills, promoting subject mastery, and expanding their capacity to thrive

Cisco is committed to inclusive access to digital skills training and supporting those who use technology to educate. Through programs like Cisco Networking Academy and social investments in education, we create new opportunities for individuals to thrive.

Economic Empowerment

Transforming communities through skill development, long-term career opportunities, entrepreneurship, and access to financial products and services

Strategic grants that unlock economic prosperity and growth for individuals and communities.

Climate Regeneration

Building an inclusive, regenerative, and resilient climate future through education, regenerative agriculture, conservation, protection, and clean energy solutions

Our efforts began in 2021, when the Cisco Foundation committed US$100 million over 10 years to fund nonprofit grants and impact investing in climate solutions. 

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

The Labcorp Charitable Foundation

We believe every person deserves equitable care and education.

In 2020 Labcorp established a private charitable 501(c)(3) foundation to advance our desire to bring quality healthcare access to all by supporting education and our local communities. 

Common grant opportunities include:

• Supporting food pantries and meal programs
• Providing healthcare and patient services for underserved populations
• Encouraging STEM programming
• Advocating for healthy lifestyles through ongoing medical research and screening

About Us

Saving pets. Together.

The Petfinder Foundation has been helping animal shelters and rescue groups since 2003. We are the ONLY national organization that does nothing but give cash and product grants to adoption groups.=

How We Work

Our programs are designed to keep homeless pets physically and mentally healthy so they can find loving forever homes.

Our grants put food in bowls, provide medical care, and help rescue animals from disasters. When pets are in need, we’re there to help.

P.L.A.Y. Pet Beds 

Applications are reviewed and awarded 10 Chill Pads on a monthly basis to specific geographical regions. 

The Petfinder Foundation has partnered with P.L.A.Y. Pet Lifestyle and You through the Warm Bellies Initiative to give luxury beds to shelter pets. P.L.A.Y. joins us in the belief that every pet deserves a warm and cozy place to sleep

Applications are reviewed and awarded 10 Chill Pads on a monthly basis to specific geographical regions. You may apply for this grant program once. Grant applications from this program are reviewed based on the location of your organization and the monthly state awarding schedule below:

• January: Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts
• February: Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York
• March - Pennsylvania, New Jersey
• April: Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia
• May: North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida
• June: Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin
• July: Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky
• August: Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi
• September: Minnesota, Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Montana, Wyoming
• October: Missouri, Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Kansas
• November: Washington, Oregon, Idaho, California, Nevada
• December: Utah, Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas

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

Ameriprise Financial Grantmaking

At Ameriprise Financial, giving back is deeply rooted in our culture. We’ve initiated positive change in the communities where we live and work for more than 120 years. We believe our community involvement enables us to actively live our values. Through grant making, volunteerism and employee and financial advisor gift matching programs, we support a diverse group of over 6,000 nonprofits across the country.

Focus Areas

Awarding grant dollars to nonprofits is one way we strengthen our communities and help individuals on a path to financial independence. To ensure we're meeting the needs of our communities and making an even greater collective impact, we focus on three key giving areas when awarding grants.

Volunteer engagement is a priority across all focus areas:

The engagement of Ameriprise employees and financial advisors is a critical component of our philanthropy. Whether it’s serving on a nonprofit board, engaging friends, clients and community members in volunteering or providing skills-based support, our relationships with nonprofits go deep. For this reason, we give priority across all focus areas to applications where there is active volunteer engagement of Ameriprise advisors and employees. 

Meeting Basic Needs

At Ameriprise Financial, we help clients achieve financial security and peace of mind. That’s satisfying, meaningful work. We also help the people in our neighborhoods who struggle to meet basic needs such as where their next meal comes from, where they’ll sleep tonight or how they’ll find a higher wage job. We’re here to help them through the three platforms of our Meeting Basic Needs focus area.

Consideration is given to applications addressing the following: 

• Hunger
• Food banks, food shelves and food pantries, daily meal programs or meal services for the homebound
• Hunger-relief programs targeted to meet the special needs of children, ethnic populations or veterans
• Food programs run by nonprofits where hunger is not their sole focus, for example a youth meal program at the YWCA or a backpack program run by a Boys & Girls Club
• Shelter
• Emergency shelter, including youth homelessness
• Transitional housing, permanent supportive housing and efforts to end chronic homelessness
• Housing-first models (programs quickly providing housing and then addressing needed services)
• Achieving and maintaining home ownership, repair and maintenance efforts helping keep seniors, veterans and other populations in their homes 
• Adult Self-Sufficiency: Programs serving adults age 21 and older that help address the following areas:
• Basic hard and soft skills that help adults achieve economic and family stability
• Basic financial and budgeting skills
• Increase employability and wages, including work readiness and job transitions
• Employment of disabled adults

Supporting Community Vitality

We believe communities should be strong, healthy and resilient. We want livable places for all, where neighbors look out for one another, cultural events are well-attended and people pull together in times of crisis and joy. We work to create economic vitality and cultural enrichment through the following areas of focus.

Consideration is given to applications addressing the following: 

• Community Development
• Neighborhood revitalization
• Economic development
• Strengthening and supporting small businesses and nonprofits through technical expertise
• Cultural Enrichment
• Arts education
• Access for underserved populations
• Diverse artists and performances that spark topical community conversations 

Volunteer Driven Causes: Ameriprise employees and financial advisors are outstanding volunteers who serve in teams and also as individuals bringing personal skill-sets to nonprofits. Volunteering is part of the culture at Ameriprise and we are proud to support communities through contributions of both service and financial resources. 

Funding for Volunteer-Driven Causes is determined by current Ameriprise volunteerism. In general, funding is in proportion to the size of the Ameriprise volunteer team supporting a nonprofit. A team may include employees, financial advisors and/or staff or a combination of any Ameriprise volunteers. 

Anschutz Family Foundation Grant

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

Funding Areas

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

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

What we look for: 

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

Funding

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

Disability Funding Committee Mission Statement

To maximize support for new and innovative programs benefiting Colorado's disability community by raising and distributing funds as authorized by the Laura Hershey Disability Support Act.

Colorado Disability Funding Committee Grants

Under the Laura Hershey Disability Support Act, as amended, C.R.S. § 8-88-200 et seq., the Colorado Disability Funding Committee (the “CDFC”) "shall invite nonprofit entities to submit a proposal for a program to aid persons with disabilities in accessing disability benefits" and “shall accept and review proposals to fund projects or programs that study or pilot new and innovative ideas that will lead to an improved quality of life or increased independence for persons with disabilities.”.

The Committee defines "new and innovative ideas," as that term is used in C.R.S. 8-88-204, to mean novel or original concepts for improving quality of life or increased independence for persons with disabilities, whether such concepts are completely new or propose changes to existing concepts, programs, projects, products, or fields.

The Colorado Disability Funding Committee (CDFC) is created under the Laura Hershey Disability Support Act, as amended, C.R.S. § 8-88-200 et seq.  The CDFC funds grants in the following categories:

• Disability Application Assistance and New and Innovative Projects
  • Financial and medical disability application assistance as outlined in C.R.S. § 8-88-203. 
  • Programs and/or projects that study or pilot new and innovative ideas that will lead to an improved quality of life or increased independence for persons with disabilities as outlined in C.R.S. § 8-88-204.
  • The CDFC generates revenue for these grants through the sale of the rights to use unique Colorado license plates under C.R.S. § 24-30-2208 and the sale of historic license plate backgrounds under C.R.S. § 42-3-206.5.
• Disability Parking Education as outlined in C.R.S. § 42-1-227.
  • The CDFC generates revenue for these grants through 50% of fines for disability parking violations throughout Colorado under C.R.S. § 24-30-2204.5.

Funding

Total Amount Available: $500,000

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.

Program Summary

The Veterans Assistance Grant (VAG) was established by the State General Assembly to provide services that enhance the health and well-being of veterans who live in Colorado. Formerly known as the One Year Grant, the VAG is funded through appropriations by the General Assembly. 

In 2014, the grant program was established in the Colorado Statute, Section 28-5-712, C.R.S. to provide ongoing funding for the Veterans Assistance Grant Program through annual appropriations. These funds are to be used for services that increase over-all well-being, such as mental health services, family counseling, job training, employment, housing for homeless veterans and other types of assistance. 

Purpose and Scope

The overarching goal of the Veterans Assistance Grant is to support organizations in meeting community defined needs of veterans, ultimately resulting in improved health and well-being for veterans in the State of Colorado. 

The scope of program services includes direct assistance to veterans to address unmet needs. The expected outcomes include enhanced self-sufficiency and economic stability, increased access to healthcare, stable housing and supportive services, increased food security, enhanced relationships and overall well-being.

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

At Caring for Colorado, we believe reproductive healthcare, including access to affordable, person-centered contraception, is a fundamental human right. The power to decide if and when to start a family is essential to a person’s health, autonomy, and future. We work to improve health outcomes for people experiencing the greatest inequities in health, well-being, and opportunity. We seek to remove health disparities and build a more equitable future for:

• Young people ages 9-25 and their families - Our primary focus is on prevention and early intervention to support the optimal health and well-being of young people. Our priority is to support programs and organizations that serve those who are pregnant or parenting; aging out of the foster care system; rebuilding their lives after exiting the juvenile justice system; and at risk of homelessness. Recognizing that young people are part of family systems, we also focus on supporting the parents and caregivers of these youth.
• Young people furthest from opportunity and experiencing the greatest health inequities - Our goal is to eliminate disparities in health, well-being, and opportunity for young people due to race and ethnicity, socio-economic status, stigmatized identities, or disabilities.
• Rural communities - Rural communities working to address health inequities for young people will receive high priority in Caring for Colorado funding decisions due to resource constraints in rural communities, such as lack of transportation, inadequate or aging infrastructure, workforce shortages, lack of a robust tax base, and other barriers.
• Other considerations - Other community health indicators will be considered when making decisions regarding grant awards. These indicators include, but are not limited to the rates of child abuse and neglect; the rates of out-of-home placements of young people; High school graduation rates; adolescent pregnancy rate, especially for adolescents under 19; adolescent suicide rate; and adolescent homicide rate.

Choose When: Reduce Financial Barriers to Contraception Grant

Choose When began in 2017, created by a group of community members concerned about access to reproductive healthcare in Northwest Colorado. With insight from healthcare professionals and community members experiencing barriers to care, they decided to fund local clinics to increase access to long-acting reversible contraception for patients who could not afford it. This decision came after learning that women in the community desired more birth control options beyond the pill and that long-acting methods were financially out of reach for those without insurance or in need of confidential services. Their successful approach inspired Caring for Colorado to expand Choose When statewide in 2023. Choose When continues to support clinics in the Northwest region.

• Choose When is committed to making all contraceptive methods affordable and accessible for everyone in Colorado.
• We prioritize support for health clinics serving communities that face the greatest obstacles to care, including financial hardship, geographic location, language and cultural barriers, and obstacles based on age or identity. By addressing these systemic gaps, we’re working to make reproductive healthcare more equitable for all.
• Our funding opportunity provides financial support to cover the costs of contraception, especially long-acting methods, to improve access to this basic healthcare need. Through grants to community-based safety-net health clinics, we help eliminate cost barriers for people who are uninsured, underinsured, or in need of confidential care. These grants allow clinics to offer contraception at no cost to patients, expanding their access to the full range of options.

Who We Are

The Community Foundation of Northern Colorado fosters collaboration, serves as a catalyst for community projects, and is a trusted steward and service provider to philanthropists and nonprofit organizations. We manage and administer over 500 charitable funds and over $185 million in assets (as of June 30, 2021). Donations to our funds are tax deductible and grants from the funds are distributed to public charities, schools, and churches based on the charitable intent of our donors. Our staff and board are 100% local, and we have served Northern Colorado since 1975.

The Community Foundation of Northern Colorado meets national standards for operational quality, donor service and accountability in the community foundation sector. This accreditation provides our donors with peace of mind and the knowledge that funds are managed in compliance with established best practices and the highest standards for community philanthropy.

Loveland Generations Fund

The Loveland Community Fund is an endowment supported by local residents since 1992 to provide a sustainable funding source for long-term community benefit.

A committee comprised of community members from Loveland (the Loveland Community Fund Committee) provides input to the Community Foundation’s Board of Trustees and staff and is responsible for recommending grants from unrestricted and field of interest funds established to support the Loveland community, including the Loveland Community Fund.

Mrs. Lucille Drinkwater Allen died a resident of Denver, Colorado in 1965. Mrs. Allen had a lifelong passion for animals and for their proper treatment and general well-being. Her greatest joy in life was received from the affection, devotion and loyalty of dogs. The Lucille Drinkwater Allen Trust was created by her Last Will and Testament for the care of neglected, homeless, injured or abused domestic animals, particularly dogs. The trust has a practice of primarily supporting organizations located in Colorado due to the donor’s ties to the area.

Mission

To provide for the care of neglected or homeless domestic animals and to alleviate the sickness, suffering, hunger and want of such animals, particularly dogs, and to allow them to live their given life span without ever being, under any circumstances, euthanized.

Program areas

• Environment
• Animals

About our Foundation

We believe in community. When communities come together to take care of each other and the planet, when they work as a team to tackle issues like poverty, climate change, or mental illness, when communities are strong- profound change can happen. Our founder’s vision was a world where: we lift others up in hard times, we help vulnerable populations- not just humans, but animals too, and we work hard to create a more sustainable future for our children and beyond.

We believe in the ripple effect: you can make a big difference by starting small. That’s why our foundation seeks out smaller, forward-thinking organizations that are looking to create better communities through outreach in areas of mental health, child health and development, community welfare, animal welfare and environmental impact. We seek out problem-solvers, innovators, educators, dreamers and do-ers. We hope that by helping these small organizations carry out their visions and achieve their goals, our impact will be exponential.

Grant Information 

The Richard Reed Foundation seeks out smaller, forward-thinking, non-profit organizations that are looking to create better communities through outreach and programs in areas of mental health, child health and development, community welfare, animal welfare, and community environmental impact.

Best Life Community Awards

Nominate a nonprofit that you support with your time, talents, or money to receive a grant.

Funding

The winner will be awarded $10,000!

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 

Fall Community Grants are administered in partnership with local donors and the Sangre de Cristo Electric Association for organizations serving Chaffee, Custer, Fremont & Lake Counties.

The grant process has two funding options. Applicants can apply for one or both based on the eligibility criteria. Applicants will submit one application but can identify and address their impact in the outlined criteria even if it covers multiple areas of impact.

While there is no maximum award, the average grant awarded in 2023 was $1,600.

Option 1

The SDCEA Grant Fund has $35,000 in funding available for organizations that meet the following criteria:

• Serves the communities of Chaffee, Custer, Fremont and/or Lake Counties.
• Organizations or projects with a focus of: 
  • Community-based Health Programs: Such as Community Health Clinics, Substance Abuse Dependency, Prevention, and Treatment, Hot Lines and Crisis Intervention, Sexual Assault Services, Protection Against Abuse, Spouse/Child/Sexual Abuse
  • Support of Food, Shelter, and Human Services: Such as Food Programs/Food Banks/Food Pantries, Homeless Shelters, Temporary Housing, Children and Youth Services, Child Day Care, Family Services, Family Violence Shelters, Pregnancy Centers
  • Disaster Preparedness & Relief Services: Such as Search & Rescue, Fire Prevention, Safety Education, First Aid
  • Animal Protection & Welfare
  • Environmental and Historical Preservation: Effort to preserve and protect the natural environment for the benefit of the public and preservation of a historically important area or structure

Option 2

CCCF Community Grants has $15,800 in funding available for organizations that meet the following criteria:

• Serves the communities of Chaffee County
• Organizations or projects with a focus of Community Health, Community Vitality, and Community Capacity

Saint John’s Cathedral makes grants to organizations to further the mission and ministry of the cathedral. The vestry has charged the Grants Committee to review grant applications and to make grants.

Purpose of Grants

Grants are made to organizations or projects to address one or more issues raised by the priorities set by the cathedral’s Faith in Action Commission. This year Saint John’s Cathedral will consider grant applications from Colorado’s nonprofit organizations that address:

• Mental health, homelessness, and housing
• Food insecurity and hunger
• The needs of and advocacy for immigrants and refugees
• Criminal justice reform, as well as services provided to the incarcerated or recently incarcerated

In addition to the areas noted above applications from organizations that focus on social, economic and racial justice efforts may also be considered. The priorities may change from year to year.

Funding

Recent grants have ranged between $1,000 and $10,000.

The Colorado Trust

Our Vision

All Coloradans have fair and equal opportunities to lead healthy, productive lives regardless of race, ethnicity, income or where we live.

Our Mission

Advancing the health and well-being of the people of Colorado.

Community Resilience Initiatives

The Community Resilience Initiatives are three-year investments demonstrating the foundation’s belief in and commitment to the strengths, abilities and resiliency of Colorado communities. These seven grantmaking initiatives address the strategic plan’s three focus areas of food, housing, and mental and behavioral health, all of which emerged during the planning process as top priorities in communities across Colorado. This funding aims to bolster entities working to respond effectively to disruptions in communities resulting from economic downturns, social turbulence, public health crises, or a lack of coherent or effective public policy.

The Community Resilience Initiatives include seven (7) competitive grant initiatives:

• Sustaining Housing Solutions
• Diverse Approaches to Behavioral Health
• Expanding Access to Behavioral Health
• Accessing Healthy Foods
• Building Food Systems
• Capacity Building Assistance
• Policy and Advocacy

Sustaining Housing Solutions

The Colorado Trust is seeking to increase housing affordability and stability for those who face barriers to living a long and healthy life. The purpose of this initiative is to fund entities to provide comprehensive, wraparound housing and assistive services.

The Colorado Trust is hoping to achieve, through this funding and through the work of its grantees, the following longer-term outcomes:

• Increase comprehensive housing services focused on unhoused individuals
• Increase stability for those at risk of losing housing or unable to secure adequate housing
• Reduce stigma associated with people experiencing homelessness.