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.

Western Colorado Community Foundation (WCCF) Community Grants for 2021 will open on May 17, 2021 and focus on helping youth regain skills and build resilience, coming out of COVID. WCCF recognizes the clear need to help our youth recover academic and social emotional skills lost during the past year of disruption and isolation due to the pandemic.  Our communities also see the need to help youth manage their emotional responses and inability to focus caused by the increased use of social media. This funding seeks to help youth and families get “back on track” through programs that develop coping, confidence-building, and self-regulation skills for youth K-12, while offering academic and/or extracurricular activities.

WCCF’s Community Grants for Recovery and Resilience for Youth! funding opportunity is available to organizations that operate within the seven counties we serve (Delta, Eagle, Garfield, Mesa, Montrose, Ouray, and Rio Blanco).  Funding is made possible through WCCF’s community grants endowment and generous donors across western Colorado.

Goal of 2021 Community Grants for Recovery and Resilience for Youth! To fund projects that help youth recover and rebuild academic, coping, and resilience skills to come through COVID stronger and more successful.

Primary areas of focus are projects that address one or more of the following:

• Programs that teach coping and confidence-building skills while offering academic and/or extracurricular activities to youth K-12.
• Programs that offer families activities and resources to help develop and increase self-regulation and other strategies to deal with challenging and difficult situations.
• Programs that help youth and parents understand the impact of social media on how we see and respond to each other and the wider world and how to “go in” and stay strong while using social media.

Additional guidance and programs that may be eligible include:

• After-school and school break programs that target social emotional skill building.
• School and church-led programs that specifically work on helping youth develop tools to manage their emotional responses and the challenges of anxiety, isolation, and depression.
• Youth mentoring and tutoring programs that include the specific skill development outlined above.
• Programs that offer curriculum and support to school staff for teaching skills to help youth focus, and that includes take-home and parent resources to support the learning.
• Parenting programs that teach family-based strategies for self-regulation and resilience.
• Grants will not support marketing or sponsorship of an event.

Funding Range: Grants will be awarded in the $2,500 – $10,000 range.  A total of up to $100,000 will be available.

Criteria:  Eligible organizations must be a 501 (c) (3) or other qualified charitable entity (school, church, govt.), recognized by the IRS and working within WCCF’s seven county region. Organizations should be registered with the Colorado Secretary of State and be in good standing.

Process: To apply, visit https://wc-cf.org/nonprofits/grantmaking/.  Deadline to apply is July 8, 2021, 5pm MT. Organizations must first be registered in WCCF’s Online Grants Center.  Applicants will be notified of their status by early September 2021.  For more information, contact Tedi Gillespie, Director of Grants and Community Outreach at 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

​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.

Applications for 2021 are now closed. Deadline to apply was June 30, 2021

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 but will have a 2021 cycle.

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.

Applications for 2021 will open Monday, August 2nd and close September 10, 2021. 

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. The theme for this year’s funding is: Make an Impact. Rebuild and Renew your organization.

The application process is now open for nonprofits serving Carbondale, Glenwood Springs and New Castle, and grants can range from $500 to $2,500. 501c3 status is requested but the Two Rivers Community Foundation encourages small nonprofits with a strong mission to apply by first contacting Mandy Murray at email2rcf@gmail.com for assistance.

Applications for 2021 are now closed. Deadline to apply was June 24, 2021.

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.

Applications for 2021 will open Monday, August 2nd and close September 10, 2021.

To learn more about Surface Creek Community Fund click here.

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

Eligible organizations must be a qualified 501 (c) (3), public school, or tax-exempt public service agency providing services within Mesa and/or Delta County

The Trutta Fund is managed by the Western Colorado Community Foundation and supports organizations that serve veterans and their families.  The Fund is named in honor of the USS Trutta SS 421, which was established by the donor as a way to support and give back to those who served.

Applications for 2021 are now closed. Deadline to apply was June 30, 2021

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.

Applications for 2021 will open Monday, August 2nd and close September 10, 2021

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.

Applications for 2021 will open Monday, August 2nd and close September 10, 2021

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.