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About Us

Our Mission

The mission of The Auto Club Group Foundation is to work on behalf of our members and the communities we serve to create lasting solutions, inspire learning and provide funding in the areas of traffic safety, driver education and financial literacy.

Our History

In 1902, nine motor clubs across the country joined together to form the American Automobile Association (AAA) to protect the rights and interests of automobile users and promote better highway and traffic safety. Today, The Auto Club Group Foundation continues to support those interests by investing in traffic safety, driver education and financial literacy initiatives. The Auto Club Group Foundation which is a private Foundation, represents 14 states and 2 U.S territories, and is an integral part of AAA's evolution and success.

How We Work

Our approach to grant funding comes from a very basic principle which is to have an understanding of the goals and objectives of local communities. Our relationships, which have developed from years of community service, allow us to offer support in a more impactful and meaningful way.

The Auto Club Group Foundation, which is a private foundation, is funded by our sponsoring organization, AAA – The Auto Club Group. We award grants to organizations and initiatives that enhance our mission in the areas of Traffic Safety, Driver Education and Financial Literacy throughout our 14 U.S. states and two U.S. territories.

Priority Areas

Traffic Safety

The Auto Club Group Foundation is dedicated to supporting traffic safety programs and initiatives that make our roadways safer for all users. The ACG Foundation strives to be responsive to emerging traffic safety issues by considering grant applications that are forward thinking and address new technology.

Financial Literacy

The Auto Club Group Foundation supports financial literacy programming in grades K – 12, empowering students with the tools they need to make sound financial decisions.

Driver Education 

The Auto Club Group Foundation wants to ensure everyone has access to quality driver education by supporting scholarships and programming needs in underserved communities.

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.

Background

Advocacy Rapid Response Funding aims to fund short-term advocacy initiatives (three-to-nine months in length) that ensure Coloradans’ interests and priorities are front and center in shaping policy decisions that will have long-term impacts on creating health equity in Colorado. 

Our Rapid Response funding focuses on advocacy work that reflects the following priorities:

• Creating equity in access to and use of high-quality, comprehensive primary care
• Supporting children to move their bodies safely and conveniently on a daily basis
• Enhancing services and supports that foster social-emotional development and resiliency of young children
• Ensuring teens and young adults have access to the resources they need to support healthy minds
• Ensuring adults have access to local recovery resources that promote healthy minds and productive lives
• Ensuring Coloradans have enough affordable, nutritious food
• Supporting access to affordable, safe and high-quality housing options

There is no application deadline or formal grant cycle for Advocacy Rapid Response Funding. Applications are accepted and reviewed on a rolling basis. All applications will undergo due diligence with a program officer assigned to the application. Rapid Response funding decisions will generally be made within 30 days of a proposal being submitted.

Proposed advocacy projects must reflect the Foundation’s cornerstones, as our work is grounded in serving Coloradans who have low income and historically have had less power or privilege, putting the creation of health equity at the center of everything we do, and being informed by the community and those we exist to serve.

Criteria

Advocacy Rapid Response grant applications should seek support for projects that meet the following criteria:

Focus on time-sensitive opportunities for public policy advocacy:

Proposed projects for rapid response funding may seek to:

• Promote a public policy change at the local, state and/or federal level related to one or more of the priorities listed below or;
• Protect or improve implementation of an existing local, state or federal policy related to one or more of the priorities listed below.

Reflect one or more of the following priorities that aim to advance health equity in Colorado by:

• Creating equity in access to and use of high-quality, comprehensive primary care
• Supporting children to move their bodies safely and conveniently on a daily basis
• Enhancing services and supports that foster social-emotional development and resiliency of young children
• Ensuring teens and young adults have access to the resources they need to support healthy minds
• Ensuring adults have access to local recovery resources that promote healthy minds and productive lives
• Ensuring Coloradans have enough affordable, nutritious food
• Supporting access to affordable, safe and high-quality housing options

Include each of the following features:

• Foundation Alignment: Aligns with and advances the Foundation’s cornerstones that are necessary to serve our mission.
• Priority Alignment: Clearly articulates how activities undertaken at this time contribute to and advance one or more of the Foundation’s seven issue-focused priorities above that aim to advance health equity in Colorado.
• Advocacy Focus: Focuses on advocacy related to public policy at the local, state and/or federal level. Activities that address individual behaviors or provide direct services will not receive consideration.
• Urgency: Describe the intended impact on public policy at the local, state and/or federal level and the critical importance of timeliness within the current policy environment.
• Community Support: Reflects the interests of community members most impacted by the current policy environment; this should go beyond demonstrating support of the sponsoring organization or group and instead show authentic engagement of and /or with community members.
• Impact: Describe the intended impact on public policy at the local, state and/or federal level related to the above priorities, as well as how activities undertaken will contribute to bringing health in reach for communities experiencing health inequities.
• Right Group: Reflect why this is an appropriate group to conduct this work, including expertise in the proposed approach, understanding of the issue, appropriateness for representing the community you are seeking to serve, and trust gained from the community, other advocates and policymakers. 

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.

About GOCO

Since 1992, GOCO has been investing a portion of Colorado Lottery proceeds to help preserve and enhance the state’s parks, trails, wildlife, rivers, and open spaces.

Our independent board awards competitive grants to local governments and land trusts and makes investments through Colorado Parks and Wildlife. Created by voters, GOCO has committed more than $1.4 billion in Lottery proceeds to more than 5,600 projects in all 64 counties without a single dollar coming from taxpayers’ pockets.

Community Impact Grant

Communities deserve the best quality of life possible. GOCO invests in the processes and projects to give people greater access to the outdoors. Apply to this program to help develop and revitalize parks, trails, schoolyards, fairgrounds, environmental education facilities, and other outdoor projects important to your Colorado community.

We fund community-driven projects of all sizes in communities big and small through this flexible program. We collaborate with grantees to support efforts through all phases, concept to completion. For example, funding might support local capacity for project management, land acquisition for development, community-centered planning and design, and project implementation—and all within a single grant. In the end, through this program, we celebrate the incredible and unique impacts the outdoors has across Colorado’s diverse communities.

About GOCO

Since 1992, GOCO has been investing a portion of Colorado Lottery proceeds to help preserve and enhance the state’s parks, trails, wildlife, rivers, and open spaces.

Our independent board awards competitive grants to local governments and land trusts and makes investments through Colorado Parks and Wildlife. Created by voters, GOCO has committed more than $1.3 billion in Lottery proceeds to more than 5,500 projects in all 64 counties without a single dollar coming from taxpayers’ pockets.

Pathways Program

The Pathways Program helps address pressing issues and opportunities through research and knowledge-building activities; data-gathering and analysis; development of tools and models; and expanding staff capacity.

What We Fund

At the Buell Foundation, we believe in the power of investing in quality programs to create lasting, positive changes in Colorado. Our focus is on partnering with organizations that have proven, promising, or developing programs dedicated to helping children thrive.

We are committed to supporting efforts that enhance quality and encourage meaningful evaluation and assessment. Our goal is to work hand-in-hand with exceptional organizations to improve the systems that serve children, with a particular emphasis on programs that support underserved communities.

We value the people behind these programs and are here to support you every step of the way.

Areas of Interest

Our funding strategy focuses on one primary area of interest:

At the Buell Foundation, we believe in the potential of young children. As we work to support Colorado communities in raising thriving kids, we seek grant partners who work in the following areas: 

• Assessment and evaluation:
  • We support a variety of assessments used to gauge the effectiveness of programs and progress of program participants.
  • This may include process/fidelity measures as well as outcome measures (e.g., Teaching Strategies GOLD, Adult-Adolescent Parenting Index, Social Competence Scale, etc.). 
• Behavior and social competence:
  • We support direct programming as well as consultation in early learning settings with a focus on the promotion and prevention levels of behavioral health. 
• Early childhood education and preschool programs:
  • We support licensed child care centers and preschools that have a commitment to quality improvement and serving children from diverse populations. We also support the early learning components of community-based programs, such as family literacy. 
• Home visitation:
  • We support evidence-based and evidence-informed home visiting programs with a focus on supporting positive parenting skills and increased knowledge about child development. 
• Improvements directly related to quality:
  • We support ongoing quality improvement of all programs. This includes funding for materials, additional staff, coaching, and quality ratings. 
• Parenting education:
  • We support evidence-based and evidence-informed parenting education programs with a focus on supporting positive parenting skills and increased knowledge about child development. 
• Professional development and education:
  • We support projects that facilitate early childhood professionals’ access to college-level coursework, mentoring, or community-based trainings. 

Grant types we prioritize:

• Program/project support and/or planning
• Operating support
• Technical assistance
• Capital improvements (limited child care programs)

Attributes we prioritize:

• Organizations/projects serving rural or underserved populations (e.g., low-income families, teen parents, communities of color, etc.) where there are fewer individuals and institutions providing financial support
• Organizations/projects with evidence of engaging community members to inform project priorities and best meet community needs (e.g., a parent advisory board, focus groups with local families, etc.). This includes collaboration with local stakeholders, such as the region’s early childhood council, a family resource center, the school district, and/or elected officials
• Projects that leverage public funding as sustainable revenue sources (e.g., the Colorado Child Care Assistance Program and Universal Preschool Program)
• Organizations with a commitment to continuous learning and improvement

History

Over more than 25 years, the Fishing Is Fun program has supported nearly 300 angling improvement projects across the state, from the smallest towns on the Eastern Plains and the West Slope to the major metropolitan areas along the Front Range. In just the last few years, grants have been awarded for projects in or near Steamboat Springs, Lake City, Hudson, Idaho Springs, Pueblo and nearly two dozen other locations. Project sponsors have included open-space programs, water trusts, angling organizations, local and county governments and park and recreation departments.

Fishing Is Fun Grant Program

The Fishing Is Fun program provides up to $700,000 annually in matching grants to local and county governments, park and recreation departments, angling organizations, water districts and others for projects to improve angling opportunities in Colorado. For over 30 years, the program has supported 375 angling improvement projects across the state.

Project Types

Among the types of projects supported through Fishing Is Fun are stream and river habitat improvements, access improvements, perpetual easements for public access, pond and lake habitat improvements, fish retention structures, development of new fishing ponds, and amenity improvements such as shade shelters, benches and restrooms.

The four categories of projects are:

New Angler Access 

This category covers projects developing access to streams and lakes that have been previously closed to the public or to lands that are owned by public agencies but have been largely inaccessible by the public for lack of development or other site challenges. Access can be accomplished by easements, leases, or in some cases, fee title acquisition. It can also include site and facility development associated with that access such as trails or access steps to fishing waters.

Habitat Development

Includes in-stream structures, bank stabilization, erosion control, revegetation, submerged fish habitat improvements, and renovation to irrigation diversion structures to facilitate fish migration or float angling access.

Fishing Site Improvements 

This category includes development activities at existing public fishing sites such as restrooms, angler trails, fishing piers, shade shelters, parking lots, and other angler amenities.

Boat Access 

This category covers all types of amenities associated with motor boat access. Projects can be on rivers or lakes and include improvements such as boat ramps, docks, restrooms, parking lots, fencing and access road improvements.

Fishing Is Fun projects often include one or more of the following elements:

• Construction or renovation of public fishing ponds
• Construction or renovation of boat ramps, docks, or fishing piers
• Restrooms
  • If restrooms are involved, they must be an integral part of a fisheries project and substantially benefit anglers. Grant funding must be commensurate with the overall project benefit to anglers, i.e. costs may be pro-rated to reflect anticipated angler share of usage. 
• Stream or lake habitat improvement structures
• Fencing of stream riparian habitat
• Facility improvements such as access trails, parking, shade shelters, bank stabilization
• Angler access structures
• Public access for stream or lake fishing by fee title, easement, or lease 
  • If new public access involving a property interest (i.e. access easement, fee title acquisition) is part of a project, the sponsor must contact the FIF program coordinator early in the process and prior to submitting the application. Additional requirements are involved with real estate actions that must be addressed by CPW staff.

Lois Webster Fund

The Lois Webster Fund (LWF) of the Audubon Society of Greater Denver (ASGD) was  established in 1995 specifically to support Colorado non-game wildlife research and education projects that lead  to the conservation of these species. 

It  should be noted that the LWF will consider projects focused on all non-game wildlife in Colorado and is by no  means limited just to Colorado birds or to particular habitats. 

The LWF intends to fund at least one project per year and will consider multiple year projects but funding will only be awarded on an annual basis. 

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Wetlands Project Funding

The Colorado Wetlands for Wildlife Program is a voluntary, collaborative, and incentive-based program to restore, enhance, and create wetlands and riparian areas in Colorado. Colorado Parks and Wildlife annually seeks applications for wetland and riparian restoration, enhancement, and creation projects to support the goals of this program.Wetlands Priority SpeciesColorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) seeks applications for wetland and riparian restoration, enhancement, and creation projects to support the two primary goals of its Wetlands for Wildlife Program:

• Improve the distribution and abundance of ducks, and opportunities for public waterfowl hunting.
  • Applications supporting this goal should seek to improve fall/winter habitat on property open for public hunting (or refuge areas within properties open for public hunting), or improve breeding habitat in important production areas (including North Park and the San Luis Valley in Colorado, and other areas contributing ducks to the fall flight in Colorado).
• Improve the status of declining or at-risk species.
  • Applications supporting this goal should seek to clearly address habitat needs of these species. See species list in Attachment 1. Also, see the identified threats, recommended conservation actions, and progress to date for these species in the Colorado State Wildlife Action Plan (SWAP) Conservation Dashboards.

The Colorado Health Foundation

Our Vision

Across Colorado each of us can say: “We have all we need to live healthy lives.”

Our Mission

Improve the health of Coloradans.

Our Cornerstones

It is essential that every step we take creates fair opportunities for people who health is furthest from reach. This is why our work, and that which we expect in the work of our partners, is rooted in three cornerstones:

• We serve Coloradans who have less power, privilege and income, and prioritize Coloradans of color.
• We are informed by the community and those we exist to serve.
• We do everything with the intent of creating health equity.

Priority Area: Thriving Young People- Equitable Community-Designed Outdoor Spaces - Planning Grants

This funding opportunity supports planning grants to inform the design and construction of outdoor spaces, such as playgrounds and parks across Colorado that allow children, youth and families to become co-designers of their own reimagined spaces for physical activity while fostering a sense of community, agency and belonging.

Race is a central consideration for the development of healthy communities. Effective strategies that engage all youth, especially youth of color, must recognize race and place barriers that impact opportunities to create lifelong physical activity practices. Limited recreation space coupled with safety concerns restricts the physical activity opportunities of communities of color. Families in rural communities also lack outdoor amenities and safe places to play. Often, the areas with the least access to public play spaces are the most stressed. Rarely are spaces provided for intergenerational physical activity and cohesion in rural communities.

This funding opportunity prioritizes outdoor spaces that center the needs of communities living on low-income, communities of color and rural communities in Colorado in the pursuit of health equity.

This funding opportunity differs from previous opportunities as it emphasizes a more dynamic planning process for how communities are engaged in designing outdoor spaces. Applicants must undertake a planning process that includes deep community engagement bringing community members together to actively co-design spaces that reflect the community’s needs, history and culture, and encourages positive physical activity and psychological safety. Projects may utilize the Community Engagement Spectrum, Equity-Centered Community Design, or another relevant model to support the planning and design process. We invite you to work with a program officer to determine the right process for your community project.

Planning funds in the range of $25,000 - $50,000 can be used to support community engagement and co-design activities. Planning grants may include personnel costs, meeting space needs, stipends for community members, administrative costs, meeting materials, translation and interpretation costs, among other needs. Landscape architects selected by the Foundation will provide technical assistance to support communities through the design process, as needed. Costs for this technical assistance will be covered by the Foundation separately from the planning grant.

Proposed projects must reflect the Foundation’s cornerstones. These outline who we serve, how our work is informed and our intent to create health equity.

Supporting Historic Sacred Places

A program of Partners for Sacred Places in collaboration with the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the National Fund for Sacred Places provides financial and technical support for community-serving historic houses of worship across America.

What We Offer

The National Fund for Sacred Places provides matching grants of $50,000 to $250,000 to congregations undertaking significant capital projects at historic houses of worship, along with wraparound services including training, technical assistance, and planning support.

What We’re Looking For

The National Fund for Sacred Places assesses applicant eligibility according to the core criteria shown below, while also striving to build a diverse participant pool that reflects a broad range of geographic, cultural, and religious identities.

Historic, Cultural, or Architectural Significance

We are looking for buildings that have historic, cultural, or architectural significance—and sites that have important and relevant stories to tell. Many of our participants are listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the state register, or the local register. Your building does not have to be on one of these lists, but eligibility for one or more of these lists is a good benchmark for National Fund eligibility.

As part of the National Trust’s commitment to telling the full American story, we particularly encourage congregations to apply that illuminate a unique or overlooked aspect of American history and that expand our understanding of our shared national heritage. We encourage submissions related to historic sacred places of importance to historically and contemporaneously underrepresented communities including, but not limited to, women, immigrants, Asian Americans, Black Americans, Latinx Americans, Native Americans, Native Hawaiians, Pacific Islanders, and LGBTQIA communities.

Successful applicants are able to demonstrate their place in history by answering questions such as:

• Does the building tell a story relevant to our history—either cultural or religious?
• Does the history highlight previously underrecognized communities, stories, or locations?
• How has the building served the community over time? Does the building have a great physical presence in its community due to its location or programming?
• Is the building the work of a notable architect? If so, is it a high-quality example of their body of work?
• Is the building an exceptional example of its architectural style or building technology?
• Does the building embody the congregation’s resilience over time?

Community-Serving Congregations

We are looking for congregations that are engaged in their communities and that are serving others. Engaged congregations operate and host programming that serves vulnerable, at-risk, and diverse populations; share space with non-affiliated groups and organizations (often at subsidized rates); work with other congregations, faith-based organizations, nonprofit organizations, and/or municipalities; and have a widespread reputation for being a welcoming center of community life.

Project Scope and Need

We fund historic preservation projects addressing urgent repair needs and/or life safety. We also fund projects that increase congregations’ ability to open their buildings to new populations or to serve greater numbers of people. All projects must adhere to the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation, which is a universally accepted framework for doing work to older and historic properties.

We prioritize congregations/projects where there is a demonstrated need (meaning that the congregation cannot raise the funds alone) or where it is clear that our grant will have a catalytic effect (meaning that our grant is likely to lead to additional monies being contributed to the project).

Readiness

Once-in-a-generation capital projects require a great deal of planning. We are looking for applicants that understand their buildings’ needs and that are ready to undertake a capital campaign. National Fund congregations typically have a history of successful capital campaigns, which demonstrate an ability to raise significant funds and complete a project.

Successful congregations come to us with a realistic fundraising goal, which has been generated with the help of qualified preservation professionals and is not too far beyond the congregation’s fundraising capacity.

Healthy Congregations

The National Fund prioritizes healthy, stable congregations so that our investment is truly impactful and lasting. We look for the following, although this is not an exhaustive list of characteristics that indicate healthy congregations: tenured, well-respected clergy; capable lay leadership; stable or growing membership; financial strength and stability; support of the judicatory or governing body, if applicable; and a history of weathering any congregational conflict or trauma with resilience.

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

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.

Environmental Initiative Program

The Laura Jane Musser Fund assists public or not-for-profit entities to initiate or implement projects that enhance the ecological integrity of publicly owned open spaces, while encouraging compatible human activities. 

The Fund's goal is to promote public use of open space that improves a community's quality of life and public health, while also ensuring the protection of healthy, viable and sustainable ecosystems by protecting or restoring habitat for a diversity of plant and animal species.

The Laura Jane Musser Fund encourages the use of a community-based approach with broad and active local stakeholder participation in both planning and implementation stages of projects concerning the environmental preservation and sustainable use of public open spaces. It has been our experience that projects designed through this process have a greater chance of acceptance and lasting success.

The Musser Fund is likely to make a total of 5 to 7 grants in the Environmental Initiative this year. This is a very competitive granting initiative.

Funds will be available for: 

• Planning (UP to $8,000)
• Implementation (Up to $35,000)

Planning Grant Requests: Planning grant applications must demonstrate commitment to a broad-based, active community process for the design and use of local publicly-owned open spaces.

Note - The planning 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. 

Implementation Grant Requests:  Implementation grant applications must demonstrate clear evidence of local community active participation and support.

COCO (a Colorado-based nonprofit) started the Action, Implementation and Mitigation (AIM) Program to accelerate fire adaptation concepts and reduce the risk from wildfire across the U.S. by increasing capacity and on-the-ground work. Since its inception in 2018, we have supported over 90 organizations. COCO hopes to increase community resilience, restore fire-adapted ecosystems and create safer conditions for residents and firefighters. This funding opportunity is open to organizations working to advance wildfire risk reduction.

The AIM grant is available for a wide variety of capacity-building activities, including personnel, planning efforts, and wildfire risk reduction work on non-federal lands.

COCO funds organizations across the country with a focus on programs and projects that increase communities’ ability to overcome barriers to successful community wildfire mitigation, multiply the efforts, achieve quantifiable outcomes, support equitable and inclusive community wildfire mitigation programs across the fence, and support place-based solutions.

COCO will be looking to fund a variety of different types of projects across the country. Applicants must demonstrate how their proposal fits into the larger community wildfire strategy, including coordination with federal partners on nearby public lands. Applicants must contribute a 100% match (cash or in-kind match is eligible).  Award funding may range from $10,000 – $75,000. Grants are contracted for a period of one year.

The Colorado Health Foundation believes it is essential that every step we take creates fair opportunities for people who health is furthest from reach. This is why our work, and that which we expect in the work of our partners, is rooted in three cornerstones:

• We serve Coloradans who have less power, privilege and income, and prioritize Coloradans of color.
• We are informed by the community and those we exist to serve.
• We do everything with the intent of creating health equity.

The Advancing Advocacy and Justice with Communities of Color funding opportunity aims to build power in the advocacy ecosystem with organizations led by or centered on people of color, and that are most critical and closest to the communities for whom health is furthest from reach. It will support both long-term movement-building and the ability of advocacy groups to act when high-leverage opportunities to change influence more equitable policy solutions and civic reforms arise. The Foundation hopes to shift and elevate power and further strengthen a nimble, adaptive, diverse and durable advocacy ecosystem.

This funding opportunity will support:

• A continuum of advocacy efforts focusing on health equity for Arab/Middle Eastern, Asian/Pacific Islander, Black/African American, Hispanic/Latinx, Indigenous/Native American, Multiracial communities and groups that engage in intersectional work with communities of color (e.g. focusing on Indigenous women, Black LGBTQ+, immigrants and refugees);
• Long-term movement-building strategies that make decision-makers account to communities and strengthen their power to influence policy;
• Efforts for racial and economic justice, which will ultimately support health equity for people of color across the state.

Grants will typically range from $50,000 to $200,000 annually per organization. Grant duration will range from two to five years. Proposed advocacy efforts must reflect the Foundation’s cornerstones. As part of this funding opportunity, the Foundation will partner with an external evaluator, and grantees will need to participate in activities related to this evaluation

The Colorado Health Foundation believes all young people living in Colorado should live healthy and thriving lives. We envision a Colorado where physical and mental health is in reach for all young people in our state, especially for those who experience greater health inequities, including young people of color and LGBTQ+ youth.

Why it Matters

Physical fitness is just one aspect of a young person’s health. Their sense of belonging and community, the relationships that surround them, and access to resources like education and social supports all contribute to their mental health and total well-being. We know that encouraging not just a sound body through healthy movement and proper nutrition, but a sound mind through a strong sense of agency, safety, and identity are what it takes to set young people up to live healthy and thriving lives. Because we know that certain young people experience greater health inequities than others, we focus our efforts on young people of color and LGBTQ+ youth to ensure that physical and mental health is in reach for all.How We Will Reach Our Vision

The Foundation is currently updating our strategic approach to supporting thriving young people in Colorado. As that work takes shape, we will share more information.

2025 Funding Cycles: Equitable Community-Designed Outdoor Spaces

This funding opportunity supports planning grants to inform the design and construction of outdoor spaces, such as playgrounds and parks across Colorado that allow children, youth and families to become co-designers of their own reimagined spaces for physical activity while fostering a sense of community, agency and belonging.Race is a central consideration for the development of healthy communities. Effective strategies that engage all youth, especially youth of color, must recognize race and place barriers that impact opportunities to create lifelong physical activity practices. Limited recreation space coupled with safety concerns restricts the physical activity opportunities of communities of color. Families in rural communities also lack outdoor amenities and safe places to play. Often, the areas with the least access to public play spaces are the most stressed. Rarely are spaces provided for intergenerational physical activity and cohesion in rural communities.This funding opportunity prioritizes outdoor spaces that center the needs of communities living on low-income, communities of color and rural communities in Colorado in the pursuit of health equity.This funding opportunity differs from previous opportunities as it emphasizes a more dynamic planning process for how communities are engaged in designing outdoor spaces. Applicants must undertake a planning process that includes deep community engagement bringing community members together to actively co-design spaces that reflect the community’s needs, history and culture, and encourages positive physical activity and psychological safety. Projects may utilize the Community Engagement Spectrum, Equity-Centered Community DesignTM*, or another relevant model to support the planning and design process. We invite you to work with a program officer to determine the right process for your community project.Planning funds in the range of $25,000 - $50,000 can be used to support community engagement and co-design activities. Planning grants may include personnel costs, meeting space needs, stipends for community members, administrative costs, meeting materials, translation and interpretation costs, among other needs. Landscape architects selected by the Foundation will provide technical assistance to support communities through the design process, as needed. Costs for this technical assistance will be covered by the Foundation separately from the planning grant.At the conclusion of planning grants and by invitation-only, projects will be considered for capital grant support for construction of shovel-ready projects. This funding is not guaranteed. We expect that the strength and depth of the community engagement process will yield a competitive project to be considered for implementation funding by the Foundation and other funders.Proposed projects must reflect the Foundation’s cornerstones . These outline who we serve, how our work is informed and our intent to create health equity.Have questions? We are here to talk through your ideas and encourage you to connect with us before applying for funding.

Background

Women of color contribute immensely to the health, well-being, and advancement of our communities. They mobilize grassroots movements that create real change, they are thought leaders who shape our understanding of gender and race, and they are uniquely positioned to lead us into a better future because of their lived experiences. At the same time, women of color face greater disparities in health outcomes, pay, wealth, access to capital, and more.

Two leading philanthropic organizations – Echoing Green and Bridgespan – found in a recent research report that “racial inequity is built into philanthropic norms.” Black- and Latino-led organizations face significant disparities in revenue, assets, and acquired funding. Gender only compounds these disparities, despite the monumental achievements of grassroots, women-of-color-led initiatives.

As the only community foundation in our state focused on Colorado women and their families, it is up to us to change that. From the purpose, goals, creation, and management of the fund, we are committed to rejecting the problematic philanthropic norms that cause women of color to receive just .5% of all philanthropic dollars.

WGCF Grants

Our framework and priorities for the Women & Girls of Color Fund are based on your feedback. The fund focuses on organizations led by women or girls of color executive directors that are committed to building economic power and dismantling oppressive systems through direct service or community organizing.

The Women & Girls of Color Fund has two grant cycles per year: Rural focus and Front Range focus (Larimer, Boulder, Broomfield, Jefferson, Denver, Arapahoe, Douglas, Adams, and El Paso counties)

Our funding priorities are grounded in increasing investments in Colorado women and girls of color, their leadership, their futures, and their economic security.

• Led by women and girls of color: Women of color have the experience and community knowledge to best lead our communities into an equitable future. Grantee organizations will be led by women of color executive directors.
• Focused on women and girls of color: Women and girls of color receive just .5% of all foundation funding. Programs we fund will have a focus on the power and potential of women and girls of color.
• Colorado-based and Colorado-focused: Colorado is a large and diverse state. Grantees will take a range of approaches to advancing the economic security of women and girls of color based on their specific communities' needs.
• Liberatory leadership: Grantees will not only reject systems of racism, classism, homophobia, and patriarchy, they will also demonstrate radical practices of liberatory leadership such as self care and collective leadership, which undermine white supremacy culture.
• Advancing economic security: In alignment with The Women's Foundation of Colorado's mission, the fund will support programs that advance the economic security of women and girls of color.
• Those most underfunded: Following principles of intersectionality, the Women & Girls of Color Fund will prioritize those communities marginalized by multiple systems of oppression and most underfunded.

Background

Women of color contribute immensely to the health, well-being, and advancement of our communities. They mobilize grassroots movements that create real change, they are thought leaders who shape our understanding of gender and race, and they are uniquely positioned to lead us into a better future because of their lived experiences. At the same time, women of color face greater disparities in health outcomes, pay, wealth, access to capital, and more. 

Women and girls of color are immense assets to our communities, yet women and girls of color receive just .5% of all foundation funding. The Women & Girls of Color Fund is a community-developed, community-led field-of-interest fund dedicated to investing in and partnering with women-of-color-led organizations that are committed to building economic power and dismantling oppressive systems through direct service or community organizing. Our approach will focus on elevating women and girls of color across the state of Colorado to create a better future for all of us.

Grantmaking priorities

Our funding priorities are grounded in increasing investments in Colorado women and girls of color, their leadership, their futures, and their economic security.

Led by Women and Girls of Color

Women of color Grantee organizations will be led by women of color executive directors.

Focused on Women and Girls of Color

 Programs we fund will have a focus on the power and potential of women and girls of color. 

Colorado-based and Colorado-focused

Colorado is a large and diverse state. Grantees will take a range of approaches to advancing the economic security of women and girls of color based on their specific communities' needs.

Liberatory Leadership

Grantees will not only reject systems of racism, classism, homophobia, and patriarchy, they will also demonstrate radical practices of liberatory leadership such as self care and collective leadership.

Advancing Economic Security

The fund will support programs that advance the economic security of women and girls of color. 

Those Most Underfunded

Following principles of intersectionality, the Women & Girls of Color Fund will prioritize those communities marginalized by multiple systems of oppression and most underfunded.

 Outdoor Regional Partnerships Initiative Grant Program

Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) and Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO) offer grant funding to support and grow a network of regionally driven collaboratives working to ensure that Colorado’s land, water, and wildlife thrive while also providing exceptional, equitable, and safe access to quality outdoor recreation experiences through the development and implementation of regional visions, goals, objectives, and collective actions that advance Colorado’s Outdoors Strategy (COS) to achieve the following outcomes:

• Conservation and restoration of lands and waters help wildlife and biodiversity thrive; habitats are resilient and connected; communities benefit from healthy ecosystems and agricultural lands.
• A diversity of high-quality outdoor recreation experiences are accessible, equitable, and inclusive; management and stewardship enhance benefits and minimize impacts for people, landscapes, and local communities.

For areas that do not have a partnership, these grants support collaborative efforts to establish a coalition that is committed to convening a broad range of outdoor interests to identify and advance conservation and sustainable recreation objectives. For areas with established Regional Partnerships, grant funds support collaboration, public involvement, research, planning, and plan implementation. 

With the Regional Partnerships Initiative, coalitions representing regions across Colorado, are provided tools, resources, best practices, and connections to a statewide network of recreation and conservation leaders. Designated CPW staff support the growth and development of regional coalitions and provide information as needed.

Capacity, Plan Development, and Early Wins Grant

$50,000 - $350,000 for one to three-year terms to support Regional Partnership capacity and work to complete a regional conservation and recreation plan that aligns with Colorado’s Outdoors Strategy. May include early win projects that support collaboration and/or advance regional planning. This funding is for Regional Partnership collaboratives who are in the process of developing a regional plan.

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.

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

About Colorado Parks & Wildlife (CPW)

The mission of Colorado Parks and Wildlife is to perpetuate the wildlife resources of the state, to provide a quality state parks system, and to provide enjoyable and sustainable outdoor recreation opportunities that educate and inspire current and future generations to serve as active stewards of Colorado's natural resources.

Non-Motorized Trails Grant

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​The Colorado State Recreational Trails Grant Program funds projects to continue to improve outdoor recreation opportunities, including trail construction, maintenance, planning, and support while protecting wildlife, habitat, and cultural resources. Funded by Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO) and the Federal Recreational Trails Program (RTP), eligible project types include trail construction, maintenance, planning, and support.​

Which projects are eligible?

Eligible projects fall under one of the following non-motorized trails grant categories:

• Planning - Trail layout, design, engineering, feasibility studies, inventory, use studies, analysis of existing and proposed trails, and master plans.
• Support - Building and enhancement of volunteer organizations, increasing volunteer capacity, and implementing trail training and education.​

Our Focus

Children are more likely to thrive when caregivers, families and communities experience opportunities for health and well-being. We believe all children, youth and families deserve equitable access to systems of support.

Partnering to promote public policy advocacy and systems change can promote justice and equity and achieve the greatest good for the greatest number of people in Colorado.

What We Fund

Caring for Colorado seeks to create lasting, meaningful and broad change that improves the lives of children for generations to come. We support public policy advocacy as a central tool for advancing our mission.

Public policy advocacy funding can support general operating, capacity building, network and coalition building, research and analysis, public education, policy implementation engagement and monitoring, leadership development, polling, nonpartisan voter education, regulatory efforts, and, in some cases, limited lobbying.

Public Policy Advocacy

Caring for Colorado funds public policy advocacy at local and state levels to support efforts that improve health, well-being and opportunity for children, youth, and families in Colorado. We prioritize work that aligns with the foundation’s Guiding Principles.

Statewide

We fund statewide public policy advocacy efforts that improve access to high quality health care for children, youth, and families experiencing barriers to care or support efforts to strengthen or expand public programs or benefits to help families prosper.

Children, youth, and their families must be a core component of an organization’s advocacy agenda, and the organization must explicitly work to create or improve policies that reduce economic, racial and gender-based inequities.

Local

We fund local policy advocacy efforts that respond to emergent or urgent issues, or capitalize on new opportunities to improve health, well-being and opportunity for children, youth, and their families.

Youth-Led

We fund policy advocacy efforts that partner with young people to identify and respond to issues that affect youth health, well-being, and opportunity.

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 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

Caring For Colorado Grant Program: Youth Health and Well-Being

Priority: Youth Health and Well-Being

We’re working to advance health and well-being for young people, ages 9 to 25, in Colorado who experience health inequities due to economic injustice, racism, and discrimination through strategic investments designed to support young people, strengthen families, and build youth-centered communities.

Our Approach

Guided by local youth and community insight, and informed by the science of adolescent development, we believe that young people will experience greater health and well-being if they:

• Develop a strong sense of belonging, identity, purpose, and agency
• Experience secure and supportive relationships with their parents and caregivers
• Have equitable access to services, spaces, and systems that are youth-centered, culturally responsive, and trauma-informed

To advance youth health and well-being, Caring for Colorado will invest $6 million in the upcoming year through our Youth Health and Well-Being Funding Priority in three focus areas:

• Supporting Young People
• Strengthening Families
• Building Youth-Centered Communities

The Youth Health and Well-Being funding priority is designed to be flexible, leverage local community assets, and support grantee partners as they work to improve conditions for young people and their families. To understand how grant decisions are made, see our Guiding Principles.

We believe that investments in these focus areas have the power to yield a triple benefit: increased health and well-being for young people today, into adulthood, and for the next generation.

Funding

• Supporting Young People and Strengthening Families Focus Areas: The annual grant range for this focus area is $50,000-$125,000. We will also consider multi-year requests, for up to 36 months.
• Building Youth-Centered Communities: The annual grant range for this focus area is $25,000-$100,000. We expect the majority of grants in this focus area to have a term of 12 months.

Grant size depends on several factors, including but not limited to, the scale and scope of the proposal, other sources of funding available to support the work, and our available budget.