Search Through Workforce Grants in Colorado in the U.S.

Charitable Contributions

Our goal with financial contributions from BOK Financial and the BOKF Foundation is to enhance the quality of life and economic wellbeing in the communities where BOK Financial operates and where our employees work and live including Arkansas, Arizona, Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas. Our charitable contributions are focused on four pillars of giving: United Way, economic development, education and basic needs

Our long-term strategic plan guides all contributions to assure maximum impact in the community and to develop mutually beneficial relationships with our nonprofit partner agencies. BOK financial contributions are budgeted on an annual calendar basis. We accept online charitable contribution/grant applications throughout the year.

Pillars of giving

Basic Needs

We provide volunteer and financial support to organizations serving the most vulnerable members of our community. Our efforts largely focus on organizations providing direct services addressing such issues as poverty, hunger, healthcare, housing and safety.

Education

An equitable, robust educational system drives long-term community growth. We support local nonprofits whose primary mission is promoting basic education, including public school foundations, early childhood education, financial literacy, and institutions of higher education.

Economic Development

Actions that raise the standard of living and economic health of our communities make them better places to live and work. We provide support to local chambers of commerce; nonprofits focused on workforce development, job training, etc.; and public/private partnerships investing in our communities.

United Way

Our focus on strategically investing in the community aligns perfectly with United Way’s approach to achieving its mission of mobilizing the caring power of communities to advance the common good.

Background

Colorado Springs Health Foundation understands that health outcomes (length of life and quality of life) are influenced by multiple factors. These factors include clinical care, health behaviors, social and economic determinants and the physical environment. This is termed a “population health framework” or “population health model.” To learn more about it and how our community stacks up against other Colorado counties, check out the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s County Health Rankings and Roadmaps.

Funding Focus Areas

Colorado Springs Health Foundation has identified six funding focus areas. These areas align with the Foundation’s mission, community need, community and stakeholder input, and the population health framework described above. 

• Healthcare access*
• Suicide prevention
• Trauma prevention or healing
• Food
• Physical activity
• Transitional or affordable housing

*Healthcare access includes care for physical, mental, oral and/or substance use disorder-related concerns, and initiatives to address the healthcare workforce shortage.

Capacity-Building Mini-Grant Opportunity

CSHF defines capacity-building work as discreet projects that help an organization acquire or strengthen organizational skills, strategies, systems and/or structures. They often involve the use of an outside expert consultant. 

Colorado Springs Health Foundation makes grants to target immediate health care needs and encourage healthy living in El Paso and Teller Counties, Colorado. The Foundation acknowledges that organizations addressing the health and well-being of our community need to invest in their own capacities, competencies and skills in order to do this important work well.

As such, Colorado Springs Health Foundation is offering an additional capacity-building funding opportunity – one that is smaller, more responsive (faster decisions) and lower barrier (shorter application).

As always, the request must fit one of our funding focus areas and serve the El Paso and/or Teller County region. 

We are interested in discreet projects that enhance staff/volunteer skills and competencies toward greater organizational effectiveness and impact.

Funding

Mini-grant requests may not exceed $5,000. Applications will be accepted on an ongoing basis. Grant award decisions are expected within one month of the application’s submission.

Examples of Capacity-Building Initiatives

• Planning (strategic, operational, succession, funds development, communications etc.)
• Impact Assessment (e.g. program evaluation)
• One-time or infrequent volunteer or staff training, e.g. board governance training, leadership coaching, etc.)
• Merger, dissolution or other restructuring efforts
• Process improvement work (e.g. LEAN)
• One-time technology needs (e.g. computer hardware)

Opportunity Description

CSHF defines collaboration as: Multiple organizations, perspectives and disciplines formed and working together in pursuit of a common goal that could not be achieved individually. Collaboration is bigger than partnerships; it is more than a memorandum of understanding.

Collaboration is best used to address complex problems through systems change. It is difficult, resource-intensive, and time-consuming. As such, it is an approach that should be pursued sparingly and thoughtfully, only when the challenge warrants this level of investment. Principles of collective impact, when applied, have been shown to improve a collaboration’s ability to achieve real and measurable progress.

Collaboration applicants with the following attributes are considered more competitive:

• The purpose behind the collaboration aligns tightly with one of CSHF’s funding focus areas
• The collaboration addresses a key community health challenge that requires the intentional and combined efforts of diverse organizations, perspectives and disciplines for its resolution
• The collaboration applies principles of the collective impact model, including backbone functions. See “Understanding the Value of Backbone Organizations in Collective Impact” by Turner et al, Stanford Social Innovation Review, July 2012 for more insight on backbone functions
• Participating organizations contribute resources (in-kind or cash) to the effort
• The work involves evidence-based practices, whenever possible
• The collaboration has transformative potential

Funding Focus Areas

Colorado Springs Health Foundation has identified six funding focus areas. These areas align with the Foundation’s mission, community need, community and stakeholder input, and the population health framework described above. Colorado Springs Health Foundation prioritizes high-need and underresourced populations.

• Healthcare access
• Suicide prevention
• Trauma prevention or healing
• Food
• Physical activity
• Transitional or affordable housing
• Healthcare access includes care for physical, mental, oral and/or substance use disorder-related concerns, and initiatives to address the healthcare workforce shortage.

Colorado Springs Health Foundation understands that health outcomes (length of life and quality of life) are influenced by multiple factors. These factors include clinical care, health behaviors, social and economic determinants and the physical environment. This is termed a “population health framework” or “population health model.” To learn more about it and how our community stacks up against other Colorado counties, check out the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s County Health Rankings and Roadmaps.

Funding Focus Areas

Colorado Springs Health Foundation has identified five funding focus areas. These areas align with the Foundation’s mission, community need, community and stakeholder input, and the population health framework described above.

• Expand access to healthcare for those in greatest need. This includes care for physical, mental, oral and/or substance use disorder-related concerns.
• Address the healthcare workforce shortage
• Prevent suicide
• Cultivate healthy environments in high-need or underserved communities. Healthy environments are those that encourage greater physical activity or those that increase access to healthy, affordable food.
• Prevent or heal trauma; Strengthen resilience

Grant Length

Multiyear grant requests are considered when an organization or collaboration needs support to initiate a new approach to addressing a community need or concern. CSHF will not entertain multiyear requests for general operating support or ongoing program operations.

Starting Jan. 1, 2022, a current funded partner may not request additional funding from CSHF until/unless it has spent down its current grant funds and submitted its final grant report. After these steps are completed, the organization is welcome to pursue funding again.

As has been CSHF’s ongoing practice, this time-out guideline does not apply to capacity-building/technical assistance requests. An organization may apply for and/or receive capacity-building/TA funding even if it is a current funded partner.

Other

The Colorado Springs Health Foundation will consider emergency funding requests in exceptional and uncommon circumstances. Please contact CSHF staff for additional information.

In rare occasions, the Colorado Springs Health Foundation may choose to consider requests that are within its mission yet outside the funding focus areas and offer both high potential for impact and strong alignment with CSHF values.

Building Organizational Capacity

CSHF defines capacity-building work as discreet projects that help an organization acquire or strengthen organizational skills, strategies, systems and/or structures. They often involve the use of an outside expert consultant. For CSHF, capacity-building funding may not be used for ongoing operating expenses or capital projects. CSHF offers other grant opportunities designed for general operating, program or capital needs and you can learn more about them here.

The purpose is to help organizations function more effectively.

Examples of capacity-building or technical assistance projects include but are not limited to:

• Planning (strategic, operational, succession, funds development, communications etc.)
• Impact Assessment (e.g. program evaluation)
• One-time or infrequent volunteer or staff training, e.g. board governance training, leadership coaching, etc.)
• Merger, dissolution or other restructuring efforts
• Process improvement work (e.g. LEAN)
• One-time technology needs (e.g. computer hardware)

Overview

The Daniels Fund provides grants to support highly effective nonprofit organizations in Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming through the Daniels Fund Grants Program.

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. We strive to be compassionate, approachable, and responsive. 

The Daniels Fund focuses on supporting highly effective and ethical nonprofit organizations that achieve significant results in the community. The geographic regions we serve, as well as our grant funding areas, were personally defined by our founder, and they do not change.

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.

Newcomers Fund Grant

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

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

Funding

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

Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade

The Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT) creates a positive business climate that encourages dynamic economic development and sustainable job growth. We advance the state’s economy through financial and technical programs under the leadership of the Governor and Executive Director. We work hard to grow a resilient economy where everyone not only gets by, but thrives. Our agency consists of 14 divisions and offices that support various industries, regions, and sectors.

Skill Advance Colorado Job Training Grant

Grant Summary

The Skill Advance Colorado Job Training Grant (formerly the Colorado First and Existing Industry Grant) helps businesses and nonprofits create customized job training for employees.

This training:

• Develops Colorado’s workforce.
• Builds workers’ transferable skills.
• Improves workers’ resumes and long-term employment opportunities.
• Helps Colorado businesses remain competitive.

The funds are broken down into Colorado First funds and Existing Industry funds. Colorado First grant funds customized training only for net new hires at companies relocating to or expanding in Colorado. Existing Industry grant funds customized training to help established Colorado companies and nonprofits remain competitive in their industry, adapt to new technology, and prevent layoffs.

We alongside the Colorado Community College System jointly administer this program. Participating colleges manage the program.

Training Grants Support

• Net new hire and incumbent worker reskilling and upskilling
• Short term worksite training aligned with organization needs
• Wide ranging essential and technical skills development
• Employee retention efforts

Businesses interested in applying for funding work directly with a local college representative, who assists with eligibility determination, training needs assessment, and grant application development.

Grantees receive ongoing assistance with training implementation and grant management.

Our Grants

The Weld Trust awards grants to nonprofits, schools, and government entities located in Weld County or exclusively for Weld County residents.

Cycle grants

Triannual Grant Cycles

The Weld Trust is accepting Letters of Inquiry for Cycle grant applications three times per year.

In accordance with The Weld Trust's vision to help Weld County become the healthiest and most educated County in the State of Colorado, The Weld Trust is accepting Letters of Inquiry for all six Key Funding Initiatives.

Six Key Funding Initiatives

• Access to Resources
• Childhood Literacy
• Food Security
• Housing Stability
• Behavioral and Physical Health
• Workforce Development

Funding Focus Areas

Colorado Springs Health Foundation has identified six funding focus areas. These areas align with the Foundation’s mission, community need, community and stakeholder input, and the population health framework described above. Colorado Springs Health Foundation prioritizes high-need and underresourced populations.

• Healthcare access*
• Suicide prevention
• Trauma prevention or healing
• Food
• Physical activity
• Transitional or affordable housing

*Healthcare access includes care for physical, mental, oral and/or substance use disorder-related concerns, and initiatives to address the healthcare workforce shortage.

Opportunity Specifics

The Summer/Fall 2025 Funding Opportunity will accept requests related to:

• Food
• Physical activity
• Transitional or affordable housing. This includes home improvement, weatherization and energy efficiency efforts to maintain affordable housing as well as efforts to connect people in need with transitional or permanent affordable housing, e.g. case management, resource coordination, navigation, and support.

Funding Focus Areas

Colorado Springs Health Foundation has identified four funding focus areas. These areas align with the Foundation’s mission, community need, community and stakeholder input, and the population health framework described above.

• Expand access to healthcare for those in greatest need. This includes care for physical, mental, oral and/or substance use disorder-related concerns, and initiatives to address the healthcare workforce shortage.
• Prevent suicide
• Prevent or heal trauma
• Cultivate healthy environments in high-need or underserved communities, specifically and exclusively:
  • Efforts that encourage greater physical activity
  • Efforts that increase access to healthy, affordable food
  • Efforts that increase or retain transitional or permanent affordable housing

Grant Length

Most grants are for one year. Multiyear grant requests are considered when an organization or collaboration needs support to initiate a new approach to addressing a community need or concern. CSHF will not entertain multiyear requests for general operating support, ongoing program operations, or capital requests. 

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.

Building a Pipeline of Primary Care Providers to Serve Diverse Communities

Focus Area: Maintain Healthy Bodies

This funding opportunity is designed to increase the number of individuals working within Colorado’s primary health care workforce who reflect the diverse patient population served by the state’s safety net system and/or who are committed to serving rural and frontier communities. We define primary health care workforce as those working to provide physical, behavioral or oral health within the integrated, team-based primary care setting.

This funding opportunity is focused on:

• Supporting high school graduates pursuing health care careers in the primary care setting who are not ready or do not want to attend college;
• Early career individuals working in the health care field who want to move into primary care and/or up the primary health care workforce ladder;
• Individuals not in the health care field but who want to transition into primary care.

Applicants may request a grant of up to $600,000 over three years.

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

Purpose of the Professional Development Award

The purpose of this funding is to strengthen the professional knowledge and experience of individual network members within Region 4 in data science or health information access/delivery, build professional capacity in support of the mission of the NNLM, and enable libraries and other organizations to train staff in skills needed to deliver reliable health information.

Professional development awards are intended to expand beyond the organizations you associate with as a normal part of your profession. For example: MLA and MLA Chapter meetings will not be considered for health science librarians.

Potential Project Ideas

Professional development opportunities such as classes, conferences, or workshops for individuals or groups of individuals associated with NNLM institutional members. Ideas include but are not limited to:

• Introduce students to the health sciences, trusted National Library of Medicine (NLM) resources, and develop their professional skills.
• Prepare individuals for a leadership position in a hospital or academic health sciences library.
• Host a reading club with learning outcomes focusing on health information access issues that can be used to improve library programming that are more impactful to your underrepresented communities.
• Costs associated with arranging for an expert speaker to give a talk, workshop, class, or lecture.
  • NOTICE: Applications that include speaker fees over $1000 MUST sufficiently justify the expense.
• Educational activities that relate to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility and prepare professionals to better serve underserved, minority, and underrepresented communities.

Award Focus & Impact

Applicants should plan to describe how their professional development activity will improve their ability to provide improved health information access related library services to their communities.

Applicants should consider submitting proposals that support:

• An INDIVIDUAL to attend a workshop, conference, or meeting (example topics - patient safety, diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility, health information access, data services, etc.).
• NETWORK MEMBER INSTITUTIONS to host a CE event, workshop, or speaker (example expenses - speaker fees. reading club materials, funding licenses to online training services, hosting a virtual book club discussing diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility, etc.)
• STUDENTS currently enrolled in a library and information science, iSchool, or health occupations program (this funding is ideal for students interested in exploring health information as a career path or the role that information plays in improving the knowledge of health care providers).
• ONLINE CONFERENCES EXPRESS APPLICATION registration costs (under $500) for individuals interested in attending an online workshop, conference, or meeting that meets the purpose and alignment with NNLM and NLM mission and strategic plan

Successful applications will demonstrate how community-based health organizations, public health organizations, and libraries work together in addressing the health information needs of NNLM priority populations. (see NNLM Overview, section "Underrepresented Populations" for details).

NNLM Region 4 Core Aims

Project proposals are intended to support the following core aims of NNLM Region 4 program:

• Construct a rich culture built on a foundation of inclusive programming designed to attract and engage a diverse regional network through effective membership management.
• Use community-driven approaches to increase access to health information.
• Work through libraries and other members to support a highly trained workforce in biomedical, health information, and data science resources.

Colorado Grantmaking

The Boettcher Foundation believes in the promise of Colorado and the potential of Coloradans because courageous leadership benefits every community in our state. By investing in people, programs, and organizations, we provide a foundation for transformational impact and community building.

Rural Catalyst Grants

The Rural Catalyst Grant Program strengthens the internal capacity of organizations as they work to achieve goals outlined in Boettcher’s Rural Leadership Collaborative meetings. Our Rural Leadership Collaborative meetings are quarterly gatherings where rural leaders come together to discuss strategies that advance their organizations, communities, and regions.

These capacity-building grants range from $1,000-$10,000 and are distributed to support the following types of projects:

• Strategic planning: Identifying elements of a blueprint that helps an organization accomplish its goals.
• Convening: Bringing people, ideas, and resources together to move forward an issue, topic, or opportunity.
• Short-term staffing or contractors: Supporting employees or expertise recruited for short term employment contracts to meet limited, one-time support needs.
• One-time operating costs: Covering expenses related to the operation of the organization or program that are not recurring, such as tap fees, application fees, public outreach, or education material expenses.

Overview

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

Kenneth King Foundation Focus

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

Job Creation & Entrepreneurship Grant

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

Criteria for strong proposals

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

Focus Populations

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

Funding

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

Overview

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

Kenneth King Foundation Focus

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

Removing Barriers to Employment Grant

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

Criteria for strong proposals

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

Focus Populations

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

Funding

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

Telligen Community Initiative (TCI) will continue to provide community-based funding support in 2025. This document outlines our funding approach and application process. Our Board of Directors has elected to move TCI’s resources largely to a more focused Strengthening Families and Communities funding opportunity. Moving forward, our Social Determinants of Health approach will be significantly different and more condensed, based on the last two years of applicant and funding experience. We will focus solely on those philanthropic resources at the intersection of Social Determinants of Health and within the context of work to build resiliency of youth and families. This intentionality will provide a greater focus of our support and narrow the applicant pool. Based on ongoing applicant survey feedback and TCI’s belief that the issues we want to resource need more intense and consistent funding support, TCI is transitioning to two-year funding periods in this call for applicants. We are also tabling our Health Workforce Development funding interest for the time being. We will have two grant deadlines again in 2025, with deadlines for two-state groupings staggered during the year

About Us

Serve Colorado works with the leadership of the Governor’s Commission on Community Service to distribute and administer Colorado AmeriCorps State funding from AmeriCorps. The portfolio consists of several grants that meet a variety of immediate and local community needs throughout Colorado, including environmental stewardship, academic tutoring, youth mentoring, healthy futures, and economic opportunity.

Colorado AmeriCorp Operational Grant

Purpose of AmeriCorps Funding

AmeriCorps is the federal grantmaker of all AmeriCorps programming nationwide. The mission of AmeriCorps is to improve lives, strengthen communities, and foster civic participation through service and volunteerism. Through AmeriCorps, AmeriCorps Seniors, and other initiatives, AmeriCorps has helped to engage millions of Americans in meeting community and national challenges through service and volunteer action.

AmeriCorps grants are awarded to eligible organizations proposing to engage AmeriCorps members in evidence-based or evidence-informed interventions/practices to strengthen communities. An AmeriCorps member is an individual who engages in community service through an approved national service position. Members may receive a living allowance and other benefits while serving. Upon successful completion of their service, members earn a Segal AmeriCorps Education Award from the National Service Trust that members can use to pay for higher education and training program expenses or apply to qualified student loans.

Funding Priorities

• Workforce Development, including Quality Credentialing
• Health Care
• Green Infrastructure
• Advancing Racial Equity
• Economic Mobility
• Other Areas of Interest:
  • Organizations leading service in communities with concentrated poverty, and those organizations serving historically underrepresented and underserved individuals, including but not limited to communities of color, immigrants and refugees, people with disabilities, people who identify as part of the LGBTQIA+ community, people with arrest and/or conviction records, and religious minorities; and
  • Programs that provide additional benefits to AmeriCorps members aimed at enhancing member experience and bolstering member recruitment and retention such as paying more than the minimum living allowance, transportation, housing, food, etc.;
  • Development in rural and mountainous communities;
  • Veterans and military families;
  • Youth aging out of the foster care system.

To receive priority consideration, applicants must show that the priority area is a significant part of the program focus and intended outcomes; and must include a high-quality program design. Proposing programs that receive priority consideration does not guarantee funding. In addition, programs are encouraged to submit concepts that do not necessarily fit into a priority area.

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.

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

Community Investment Fund - Climax Area (CO), Globe-Miami (AZ), Graham (AZ), Grant (NM), Green Valley + Sahuarita (AZ) & Henderson (CO)

Freeport-McMoRan's group-wide guiding philosophy for its community development activities is Transforming Tomorrow Together. This philosophy drives implementation of a social impact framework that includes priorities, strategies and goals that allow us to work collaboratively with communities to make transformative change and increase overall individual/ community opportunity, wellbeing and capacity.

We are driven to partner to build long-term resiliency and support the community’s ability to successfully navigate commodity market downturns, end of mine life and other economic/social disruptors or shocks. Our framework or approach for delivering on our guiding philosophy of Transforming Tomorrow Together is based on three main priority areas that we believe help deliver on our commitment:

• Education and Workforce Development:
  • The following are examples of the types of programs we seek in support of the Education & Workforce Development priority and goals.
    • PK-12:
      • Professional development programs for teachers and/or school administrators
      • Student preparation, incentive or other programs that drive achievement /performance and matriculation (including early childhood)
      • Classroom equipment or supplies that are proven to drive achievement /performance and are tied to a program or training/professional development
      • Programs that remove barriers or address problems related to lack of performance
      • Programs that engage parents in supporting their student’s achievement in reading, math or the pursuit of graduation and/or enrollment in higher education
      • Research studies, surveys or other activities to identify gaps and needs
    • Higher Education:
      • Student counseling or advising services that help students navigate the process of enrollment in a higher ed program
      • Programs that increase access / remove barriers to enrollment or the pursuit of higher ed
      • Teacher/school administrator or counselor training needed to fully understand the higher education landscape, what is available to students and how to access it
      • Student preparation, awareness, incentive or other campaigns or efforts that drive enrollment and attainment
      • Research studies, surveys or other activities to identify gaps and needs
• Economic Opportunity:
  • The following are examples of the types of programs we seek in support of the Economic Opportunity priority and goals.
    • Small Business Development:
      • Programs that provide training or skill-building to entrepreneurs on start-up or growth
      • Access to capital programs
      • Other support services that drive start-up, expansion or retention
      • Research studies, surveys or other activities to identify gaps and needs among small business owners
    • Affordable Housing:
      • Loan funds or other resource programs that help families access housing options or make housing more affordable for them
      • Housing improvement programs that allow families to stay in safe, quality housing
      • Research studies, surveys or other activities to identify gaps, needs or viable models
    • Other Economic Opportunity:
      • Programs that provide transportation to health, education, recreation or other critical activities
      • Programs that increase the availability of and access to quality healthcare facilities and services
      • Projects that create or improve parks or other recreational activities
      • Projects that improve or eliminate blight or beautify high traffic areas in the community
      • Restoration of lands for habitat or public use
      • Projects that improve river or waterway health
• Capacity and Leadership:
  • The following are examples of the types of programs we seek in support of the Resiliency, Capacity and Leadership priority and goals.
    • Programs that provide leadership or other skills for staff, board, volunteers or other community constituents to improve organizational or community performance.
    • Organizational self-assessment or diagnoses activities to determine gaps and needs.
    • Efforts to develop leadership succession plans that protect and prolong organizational effectiveness.
    • Planning initiatives to evaluate, identify and/or consider supports needed to weather future economic disruptions (commodities market or global economy downturns, health pandemics, technological disruptors to the future of jobs/economies, etc.)
    • Programs, training or other efforts that aid organizations in understanding the broader social context of which they are part and how they can collectively mobilize to address community needs and create resiliency.
    • The development of leadership networks as a tool for transformative social change and amplifying impact across social systems or issues.
    • Projects to increase citizen engagement in solving or addressing community challenges or opportunities.

This philosophy includes securing and maintaining our social license to operate and delivering transformation through robust stakeholder engagement and consultation, social investment, and impact evaluation. 

Funding

Your program or project must directly benefit those living in the communities outlined below. Requests should be for more than $10,000. Requests for less than $10,000 may be eligible for funding from one of our site operations. Typically, awards are between $500 and $5,000.

Requests of $10,000+ should be submitted to the Freeport-McMoRan Foundation via the appropriate Investment Fund must meet the criteria of those grant programs. 

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.

We provide grants to nonprofits working to drive positive social change and prosperity for Jefferson County (Jeffco) residents. Our funding opportunities focus on impact areas developed through active community listening to create a more equitable and resilient community. By providing these grants, we strive to increase the resources for nonprofits to advance their mission to make good happen so Jeffco can thrive.

Workforce Development Grant Opportunity

Funding to support Jeffco residents as they adapt to evolving job markets and securing better employment opportunities that exceed the cost of living.

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 

Our Mission

The Grand Foundation is a philanthropic organization serving all of Grand County, Colorado. The Foundation seeks to improve the quality of life in Grand County by proactively addressing current and future needs in the areas of Health & Human Services, Arts & Culture, Education, Sports & Recreation, and Environment.

Community Priorities Fund Grant

The Community Priorities Fund, a fund of the Grand Foundation, was established by the Grand County Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) because of the 1A ballot measure that was approved in November 2024, as a result of Colorado HB 22-1117. This allowed for the expanded use of lodging tax revenue to also support childcare and housing for the local workforce, as well as to facilitate and enhance the visitor experiences. The BOCC believes the citizens and residents of Grand County would be better served if a portion of the lodging tax revenue went to these needs. The approved ballot language allowed that no less than 30% of the new lodging tax revenue would be allocated for the community needs and that no less than 50% be allocated for advertising and the market of local tourism. The remaining 20% would be allocated during the annual budget appropriations each year. For 2025, the BOCC decided to allocate 20% to the community priorities fund.

At Delta Dental of Colorado Foundation, we believe every person deserves a healthy mouth regardless of life circumstances. As an organization guided by equity, we also understand that every community has unique assets, needs, and priorities. We want to understand what your community needs to be healthy. Together we can address community needs, implement activities to improve oral health, and influence long-term change.

Our funding initiatives

It is well documented that health disparities are closely linked to race and ethnicity, income, geography, and age. Oral health outcomes are no different. Delta Dental of Colorado Foundation has taken a multifaceted approach to achieve oral health equity by investing in the areas that research and data tell us are most pressing. As a result, the foundation is funding programs that address root causes through the following initiatives. 

Prevention

Prevent tooth decay among pregnant people and the youngest Coloradans.

Place-Based Access to Care

Workforce

Increase the presence of underrepresented communities in dental health professions.

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

Diverse Approaches to Behavioral Health

The Colorado Trust is seeking to increase and improve access to quality mental and behavioral health care for those who face barriers to living a long and healthy life. The purpose of this initiative is to fund entities to ensure the delivery of effective and/or innovative mental and behavioral health services.

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

• Expand access to quality mental and behavioral health services
• Improve the quality of mental and behavioral health services
• Increase the diversity of the mental and behavioral health workforce