Applications Open for Colorado COVID Relief Fund

Deadline: 30 May 2020

Coronavirus (COVID-19) has created far-reaching economic and social impacts across Colorado and beyond. Coloradans who live daily without access to critical services and opportunities due to race and socioeconomic status are being especially hit hard and disproportionately affected.

The Colorado COVID Relief Fund’s purpose is to raise and coordinate allocation of funds based on prevention, impact and recovery needs of community-based organizations in Colorado. This Fund is organized to ensure that the most acute community needs across the state are being addressed and that community voice is reflected in all funding decisions made over time.

Funding Information

Through this Fund, eligible community-based organizations across Colorado may receive a general operating grant of up to $25,000.

How the Fund Works

The Fund is supported by a diverse team of volunteer community leaders from across Colorado. Together, they represent urban and rural sectors of government, philanthropy and business, and are committed to ensuring that funds impact people who are being disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 crisis.

• Fund Oversight and Fundraising: Led by an Executive Committee in coordination with the Governor’s Office, this Committee will take actions and make decisions that are informed with important data, including insights from the Office of Emergency Management and various aspects of community voice to ensure that the most pressing needs of Coloradans being disproportionately affected by COVID-19 are met.
• Grant Decisions: A Decision and Allocation Committee is responsible for reviewing grant recommendations and making final grantmaking decisions.
• Grant Reviews: Three grant review committees – one per funding priority – are responsible for reviewing grant requests and making funding recommendations for consideration by the Decision and Allocation Committee.
• Community Voice: In addition to diverse review committees, multiple points of community input will inform funding decisions by the Decision and Allocation Committee including:
  • Ongoing input from a group of community voice liaisons who are committed to supporting the Fund.
  • Gathering input from organizations who have a particular emphasis on equity and inclusion issues, and also serve individuals and communities disproportionately impacted by COVID-19.
  • Reviewing and synthesizing recent survey data on community needs related to COVID-19 to inform funding decisions.
  • Sharing survey analyses with existing community advisory groups (e.g., local and state offices of emergency management, chambers of commerce) across Colorado for input on missing areas of need or perspectives.

Grant Expectations

• Distributed funds will be for general operating, unrestricted needs of the grantee.
• All grantees must report back by November 30, 2020 on the number of people served and a narrative about how the funds were used to benefit communities.

Eligibility Criteria

Community-based organizations that meet the following three criteria areas are eligible to apply:

• Organization type: Nonprofit organizations, local government, school districts and small businesses who are:
  • Serving areas of the state with limited nonprofit capacity; and/or
  • Serving a community need resulting from the COVID-19 crisis.
  • Note: funding is not available for:
    • Businesses of any type seeking support related to operational needs, such as business interruption or closure, or employee-related issues such as payroll or paid leave. Small businesses who do not qualify may find funding options through the Colorado COVID-19 Business Resource Center and the U. S. Small Business Administration COVID-19 Disaster Assistance Website. If you are a business seeking operational/payroll relief, you can now apply for the Paycheck Protection Program.
    • Individuals or families.
• Populations served:
  • Eligible organizations must serve one or more of the following populations in Colorado through programs and services:
    • Children from families living on low income* who are impacted by school or childcare closures
    • Communities of color
    • Healthcare, hospitality, service industry and gig economy workers
    • Immigrant and refugee communities
    • Minimum or low-wage employees displaced by business closures
    • Older adults living on low income*
    • People who are immuno compromised or medically fragile
    • People with limited English proficiency
    • People with disabilities
    • People without health insurance
    • Victims of domestic violence or child abuse
    • People living on low income*
    • People experiencing homelessness
    • Tribal governments
    • Workers without access to paid sick leave
      • *For the purpose of this Fund, low income is defined as living at or below the poverty line or qualifying for free and reduced lunch.
• Alignment with one of the Fund’s three funding priority areas of Prevention, Impact and Recovery.
  • Eligible organizations must demonstrate that they are meeting a community-driven need through their programs and services within one of the following three funding priority areas of Prevention, Impact and Recovery: Note that for the first funding cycle, eligible organizations may only apply in the Prevention and Impact priority areas:
    • Prevention (examples include: medical supplies, shelter staff coverage, residential facilities staff serving vulnerable populations, nursing home staff coverage for low income households, mobility services serving vulnerable populations, cleaning supplies for shelters or care facilities of all kinds, medical information and support such as messaging campaigns)
    • Impact (examples include: economic impact of reduced and lost work due to the outbreak, early childhood education availability, technology assistance, childcare, education, volunteer services, food access or services, schools)
    • Recovery (examples include: medical supplies, activities to support small business focused on charitable efforts, mental and behavioral health for most vulnerable populations, volunteer services).

For more information, visit https://covrn.com/covid-relief-fund/