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.

Any time you access the system, there may be other application opportunities open. Please ensure you are applying to the correct funding opportunity.

On January 20, 2021, the City of Grand Junction allocated $250,000 in funds for Hunger Relief to help Grand Junction nonprofits respond to the sustained increase in demand for food assistance resulting from the extended 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, be focused on hunger relief and primarily serve the residents of Grand Junction.

Funding Purpose:

To provide funding to Grand Junction nonprofits who provide hunger relief efforts to meet the ongoing demand for these services from people who have reduced income, lost jobs/hours or otherwise been impacted as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Process and Timeline:

• Organizations apply online via wc-cf.org.
• Organizations can apply one time for this funding.
• Deadline to apply is February 22^nd by 5pm MDT. Funds will be disbursed on March 2^nd, 2021.
• Organizations will be asked to demonstrate how the COVID-19 crisis is impacting their organization, the clients they serve, and how this funding will be used to help with hunger relief/food assistance for Grand Junction residents in response to the ongoing pandemic.

For questions about eligibility or for assistance in applying, please contact Tedi Gillespie, tgillespie@wc-cf.org.

Resources for Housing Related Needs in Mesa County

This process closed for applications on October 21, 2020.

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

Now in it’s second year of funding, the Bray Cares Foundation awarded grants to six organizations to address this issue in 2019, including Grand Valley Catholic Outreach, HomewardBound, Joseph Center, and Karis, among others.

Any time you access the system, there may be other application opportunities open. Please ensure you are applying to the correct funding opportunity.

Resources for Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment

​This process closed for applications on June 30, 2020 and will open again in 2021.

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 $370,000 to organizations addressing substance abuse prevention and treatment in Mesa County. The Mesa County Substance Use Resource Guide was created as a result of a partnership between the Brownson Memorial Fund and the Mesa County Opioid Response Group.

Read the latest newsletter here.

Any time you access the system, there may be other application opportunities open. Please ensure you are applying to the correct funding opportunity.

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 grant application cycle ran in Spring 2020 and is currently closed until 2021.

Any time you access the system, there may be other application opportunities open. Please ensure you are applying to the correct funding opportunity.

Small Grants that Make a Difference

This process closed October 16, 2020.

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.

Any time you access the system, there may be other application opportunities open. Please ensure you are applying to the correct funding opportunity.

Grant application will return in 2021.

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

Any time you access the system, there may be other application opportunities open. Please ensure you are applying to the correct funding opportunity.

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.

The process closed September 18, 2020.

Any time you access the system, there may be other application opportunities open. Please ensure you are applying to the correct funding opportunity.

Click here to read full brochure

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.

The process closed September 18, 2020.

Any time you access the system, there may be other application opportunities open. Please ensure you are applying to the correct funding opportunity.

The new Surface Creek Community Fund was established in 2019 by local community leaders to benefit the towns of Austin, Cedaredge, Cory, Eckert, and Orchard City in Delta County.

The process closed September 18, 2020.

Any time you access the system, there may be other application opportunities open. Please ensure you are applying to the correct funding opportunity.

Funding Available for Organizations Serving Veterans in Mesa and Delta Counties

This grant application cycle closed September 1, 2020.

Any time you access the system, there may be other application opportunities open. Please ensure you are applying to the correct funding opportunity.

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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. 

This process closed September 18, 2020.

Any time you access the system, there may be other application opportunities open. Please ensure you are applying to the correct funding opportunity.

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.

The process closed September 18, 2020.

Any time you access the system, there may be other application opportunities open. Please ensure you are applying to the correct funding opportunity.

 Improving Access to Health Care

This process closed October 30, 2020.

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.

Any time you access the system, there may be other application opportunities open. Please ensure you are applying to the correct funding opportunity.

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.