On April 6, 2020, the City of Grand Junction allocated up to $500,000 in emergency funds to help Grand Junction nonprofits respond to the significant increase in demand for basic needs of food and shelter resulting from the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.  See below for eligibility requirements and criteria before applying for this funding.

Who Can Apply:

• 501 (c)(3) organizations only (no churches, schools or other charitable entities) who provide food and housing assistance and who are seeing a sudden increase in demand for services.
• No grants will be made to individuals, businesses or organizations that serve as a fiscal sponsor.
• Organizations must have a physical address in the City of Grand Junction and serve primarily Grand Junction residents.

Funding Purpose and Priorities:

To provide emergency funding to relieve the stress and strains that Grand Junction nonprofits who provide basic needs of food and shelter to meet the new/increasing demand for these services from people who have reduced income, lost a job or otherwise been impacted as a result of the COVID-19 crisis.

Organizations providing direct service basic needs (food, shelter) with an ability to expand services.

Organizations will be asked to demonstrate how the COVID-19 crisis is impacting their organization and the clients they serve, and how this funding will help them maintain and expand services and programs in response to COVID-19.

Funding can be used for general support, to support reorganized operations to address safety and social distancing requirements, and maintain staff salaries to continue or expand operations in light of this crisis.

Process and Timeline:

• Organizations apply online via wc-cf.org.
• Organizations can apply one time for this emergency funding.
• Deadline to apply is April 10, 2020, by 8:00 pm MDT.
• Applications will be reviewed by April 14, 2020, and applicants will be informed of their status as soon as possible after the deadline date. Grant checks are targeted for distribution on or close to April 20, 2020.
• Maximum amount to apply for is $50,000.
• For questions about eligibility or for assistance in applying, please contact Tedi Gillespie, tgillespie@wc-cf.org.

Please note, organizations not already registered in WCCF’s online grant system will need to register first.  See more information on registering here.

As of January 1, 2020, WCCF’s RFF process will be temporarily unavailable as we make upgrades and improvements to this process.  This process will open again on April 1, 2020.  If your funding needs are critical for 1st Quarter 2020 only, contact Tedi Gillespie at 243-3767.

The Western Colorado Community Foundation (WCCF) offers nonprofit organizations an open Request for Funding (RFF) opportunity as a means to share information with our grants team about funding needs.  This is not an application process and there is no guarantee of funding, since the majority of our grant making is donor-advised/donor directed.  The RFF is an opportunity for organizations to submit a summary of their funding needs (general operating, project/program or capital campaign) so that the grant team can determine if there is a good fit with one of our donor-advised or field of interest funds. The RFF is available to organizations that operate within the seven counties we serve (Delta, Eagle, Garfield, Mesa, Montrose, Ouray and Rio Blanco).

Eligible organizations must be a qualified 501(c)(3), public school or tax-exempt public service agency providing services within WCCF’s seven county region.  Organizations should also be registered with the Colorado Secretary of State and be in good standing.

Questions should be directed to Tedi Gillespie, Director of Grants and Community Outreach through our contact form.

Resources for Housing Related Needs in Mesa County

This process will open again in the summer of 2020 with a new deadline, to be determined based on the committee review schedule.

The Bray Cares Foundation supports organizations that operate within Mesa County to provide support for housing-related needs.

​Resources for Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment

This process will open again in the summer of 2020 with a new deadline, to be determined based on the committee review schedule.

Formerly the Bridge House, the Brownson Memorial Fund affiliated with WCCF in 2004, becoming WCCF’s first field of interest fund.  Since 1985, the Brownson Memorial Fund has granted over $350,000 to organizations addressing substance abuse prevention and treatment in Mesa County.

These grants are for the purpose of improving education by supporting special projects, professional development of teachers, classroom environment improvements, field trips, etc.

Applicants must be a certified teacher ( no administrative or support staff) from one of the following schools:

Crystal River Elementary
Carbondale Community School
Carbondale Middle School
Roaring Fork High School
Ross Montessori
Bridges High School

Up to $1,000 in funding may be requested. The review committee will make final selections and candidates will be informed of the outcome.

This fund will open for applications on February 3, 2020. Applications are due March 3, 2020 by 5:00 pm.

Small Grants that Make a Difference

This process will open again in the summer of 2020 with a new deadline, to be determined based on the committee review schedule.

The community leaders who established this fund are fond of quoting Eleanor Roosevelt, “Energy can be generated for the solution of all kinds of problems by having a small amount of money in the right place.”  Mesa County Small Grants are available for Mesa County projects where a modest amount of dollars ($200 to $500) in the right places will make a difference.

This process will open again in the summer of 2020 with a new deadline, to be determined based on the committee review schedule.

The Mt. Callahan Community Fund  was established in 2002, by local community leaders to benefit the people in communities from Parachute to Battlement Mesa.

​This process will open again in the summer of 2020 with a new deadline, to be determined based on the committee review schedule.

The San Juan County Community Fund (SJCCF) was established by local community leaders in order to help local nonprofits through the distribution of annual grants. This is made possible with support from both the Western Colorado Community Foundation – Dave and Mary Wood Fund, and Citizens State Bank.

Citizens State Bank (CSB) has been in operation for over 100 years with locations in Ouray, Ridgway, Silverton and Naturita. CSB partners with people and businesses to make the communities they serve successful today and sustainable tomorrow.

Click here to read full brochure

This process will open again in the summer of 2020 with a new deadline, to be determined based on the committee review schedule.

The Two Rivers Unrestricted Endowment Fund (T.R.U.E.) was established in 2018, by local community leaders to benefit the people in communities from Carbondale to New Castle.  This year, in celebration of the Two Rivers Community Foundation’s 20th Anniversary, the TRUE grants committee would like applicants to document how this year’s funding will help their organizations grow and have impact over the next 20 years.

Funding Available for Organizations Serving Veterans in Mesa and Delta Counties

This process will open again in the summer of 2020 with a new deadline, to be determined based on the committee review schedule.

 Improving Access to Health Care

This process will open again in the summer of 2020 with a new deadline, to be determined based on the committee review schedule.

The Western Colorado Health Fund offers funding for clinics, hospitals and other organizations to address issues of access to health care and to improve health care delivery in smaller, rural communities in our region. Tax-exempt organizations with programs to improve resident health through innovative or creative staffing arrangements, new technologies or other program, system or infrastructure investments are invited to submit an application. Preference will be given to programs serving less populated communities.

This process will open again in the summer of 2020 with a new deadline, to be determined based on the committee review schedule.

The Ouray County Community Fund was established as an endowed fund by local community leaders in Ouray County in order to build resources to help local nonprofits through annual grant distributions.

Click to read full brochure

This process will open again in the summer of 2020 with a new deadline, to be determined based on the committee review schedule.

WECF grant funding is available to organizations that primarily operate within the three communities we serve (Hotchkiss, Paonia and Crawford). This funding is made possible from WECF’s community grants endowment and from generous donors in the North Fork Valley.

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General Project Budget Template
Youth Outside! Budget Template – Spring 2020

If you are applying on behalf of a charitable organization (such as a church or school) that is not registered with the Colorado Secretary of State then you can fill in the CO SOS number as zeros.