Denver Foundation’s Community Grants Program

Deadline: 3-Mar-25

The Community Grants Program is The Denver Foundation’s signature funding strategy, which is supported by the Fund for Denver, the permanent endowment.

This funding opportunity’s goal is to support organizations working to reduce disparities by incorporating community and constituent leadership and racial equity into their approach.

Through the Community Grants Program, they aim to improve the lives of historically oppressed people living in Metro Denver, with a particular focus on people who live in low-income communities and communities of color. They seek to reduce racial and ethnic, and economic disparities.

Priority Areas

They fund organizations working in at least one of these priority areas:
- Economic Opportunity
  - Community wealth-building
  - Workforce development
- Environment and Climate
  - Energy efficiency
  - Renewable energy
  - Air quality
- Housing
  - Affordable housing
  - Homelessness
- Youth Well-Being
  - K-12 school reforms
  - School funding
  - Youth mental health

Funding Information

The Community Grants Program grants approximately $4M each year during two grant cycles. Each grant ranges from $20,000-$50,000.

Geographic Focus

The Community Grants Program supports nonprofits that work in the seven-county Metro Denver region. The organization does not need to be located in Metro Denver to be considered for funding. They also consider nonprofits who are working on statewide efforts, as long as they impact the Metro Denver region.

Eligibility Criteria

Economic Opportunity
- They fund organizations working on community wealth building (as defined by the Democracy Collaborative) and workforce development.
- They seek nonprofits working on community wealth building, which is a method to improve local economies by giving communities ownership and control over their resources. They aim to create pathways for individuals and communities to achieve economic stability and upward mobility.
- They seek nonprofits investing in initiatives that promote economic development, entrepreneurship, and career training.
- They do not fund financial literacy work, or higher education readiness programs. They do not consider internal staff development and growth to be a priority area fit.
Environment and climate
- They fund organizations working on air quality, energy efficiency, and renewable energy.
- They seek nonprofits working to support air quality, energy efficiency, and renewable energy in the community.
- They do not fund projects for the applicant’s physical space.
- They do not fund access to the outdoors, wildlife, land conservation, or recreation.
Housing
- Thy fund organizations working to address affordable housing and homelessness, including temporary housing, permanent housing, and keeping residents in their homes.
- They seek nonprofits working on long-term solutions, to impact those living with the lowest incomes (0-30% AMI, or area median income).
- They also consider nonprofits who address the immediate needs and temporary shelter of unhoused people.
- They do not fund nonprofits focused solely on wraparound services.
Youth well-being (expanded focus starting 2025)
- They fund organizations working on school funding and K-12 reforms with a focus on racial equity, and youth mental health.
- School funding and reform: They fund organizations working on systemic improvements of K-12 schools and school funding, all with a focus on racial equity.
- They seek nonprofits working on school reforms that reduce disparities for students of color.
- They seek nonprofits working on systemic efforts to improve educational outcomes, increase access to quality education, and provide young people with the tools and resources they need to succeed in school. These systemic changes must be focused on core curriculum and classroom experiences, not supplemental programming or mentoring.
- They do not fund enrichment programs operating outside the school day as they are not considered a priority area fit.
- They do not fund early education, or private school education.
- Youth mental health: They now also fund organizations working on youth mental health for K-12 age youth.
- They seek nonprofits working on youth mental health in both prevention and intervention, using both evidence-based and community-informed programming.
- They fund nonprofits working on youth mental health both in community and in-school programs. This could include after-school programs.
- They do not fund applications focused solely on substance misuse.

Ineligibility Criteria

They do not fund:
- Proposals that fall outside the priority areas
- Capital campaigns
- Building endowments or reserve funds
- Membership campaigns
- Sponsorships

For more information, visit The Denver Foundation.