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 fill out a brief summary of 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.  In some cases (requests under $5,000) the RFF will be enough for our team to make a determination, in the event there is a funding opportunity.  Other RFF’s may be asked to submit a more detailed application to further determine whether funding is available.   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 at tgillespie@wc-cf.org.

Resources for Housing Related Needs in Mesa County

The Bray Cares Foundation application process will open on August 1, 2019 and funding is available to organizations that operate within Mesa County to provide support for housing-related needs.

Grant funding will target projects that:

• provide emergency shelter and/or rent assistance
• offer affordable housing, housing for people living with special needs
• provide services to help seniors stay in their homes
• assist veterans with housing needs

Criteria:  Eligible organizations must be a qualified 501 (c) (3), or qualified tax-exempt charitable entity providing services within Mesa County.  Organizations should also be registered with the Colorado Secretary of State and be in good standing.

Funding Range
Grant requests should range from $500 to $5,000.

Deadline to apply is September 16, 2019.

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 $350,000 to organizations addressing substance abuse prevention and treatment in Mesa County. Deadline is June 30th, annually.

This process is closed until 2020.

Small Grants that Make a Difference

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. Opens September 1, 2019. Deadline is October 15, 2019.

Mt. Callahan Community Fund – Grant Opportunity

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

WHO IS ELIGIBLE
Qualified organizations are invited to apply to the Mt. Callahan Community Fund. Applicants must be a 501c3 organization, or public charity such as school, church or government entity, as recognized by the IRS. Organizations should also be registered and in good standing with the Colorado Secretary of State, and serving the communities of Parachute and Battlement Mesa.

DEADLINE
The deadline for submitting your grant application is October 30, 2019. Grant funding will be distributed in early November.

FUNDING RANGE
Grant requests should range between $500 to $1,500.

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.  The OCCF grant application process will open August 1, 2019 and the deadline to apply is September 16, 2019.

 All applicants will be required to register in the system in order to have access to the application.  All applicants, including new, former, and those that have an organizational summary on file, will need to create a new account when accessing the system for the first time. 

If your organization is already registered in the system, click the “submit application” button below to log in and return to your grants dashboard to see current year grant opportunities. 

For questions or or problems with submitting an application, email tgillespie@wc-cf.org.

For a list of OCCF grants for the current year, click here.

San Juan County nonprofit organizations are encouraged to apply to the San Juan County Community Fund for the 2019 grant cycle, now open.  Western Colorado Community Foundation and Citizens State Bank partner to support this local community fund.  A Steering Committee comprised of local community leaders will review the applications and select the successful organizations for funding. 

The application deadline is September 16, 2019, 5pm MST.  Applications should be submitted through the WCCF website at wc-cf.org/nonprofits/grantmaking, by clicking “San Juan County Community Fund” tab. 

Now in its second year, 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. With support from both the Western Colorado Community Foundation – Dave and Mary Wood Fund, and Citizens State Bank, this year, the SJCCF will have $14,000 in grant funding to distribute.  

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 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.  

WHO IS ELIGIBLE
Qualified organizations are invited to apply to the T.R.U.E. Fund.  Applicants must be a 501c3 organization, or public charity such as school, church or government entity, as recognized by the IRS.  Organizations should also be registered and in good standing with the Colorado Secretary of State, and serving the communities of Carbondale, Glenwood Springs, West Glenwood and New Castle.

DEADLINE
The deadline for submitting your grant application is September 27, 2019.  Grant funding will be distributed on November 14, 2019 at the Two River Community Foundation’s Board meeting.

FUNDING RANGE
Grant requests should range between $500 to $2,500.

Trutta Fund To Support Veterans 

Funding Available for Organizations Serving Veterans in Mesa and Delta Counties

The Western Colorado Community Foundation (WCCF) in partnership with the Trutta Fund to Support Veterans is pleased to announce a new grant opportunity to address the needs of veterans and their families in our community.   The Trutta Fund to Support Veterans application process opened August 5, 2019 and funding is available to organizations that operate within the counties of Mesa and Delta.    

Grant funding will target projects that:

• Assist veterans with basic needs including food, shelter and healthcare
• Assist veterans with mental health and wellness
• Provide recreational and other positive activities directly to veterans
• Help veterans connect with each other and the larger community
• Help veterans and their families connect with services and benefits
• Other projects considered as applicable

Criteria:  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.  Organizations should also be registered with the Colorado Secretary of State and be in good standing.  Grants can not be made to individuals.

Funding Range

Grants can typically range up to $10,000 but all appropriate requests will be considered.

 Improving Access to Health Care

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. Opens September 1, 2019. Deadline is October 15, 2019.

West Elk Community Fund – Grant Opportunity

The West Elk Community Fund (WECF) announces the 2019 funding opportunity opens on August 1, 2019 and the deadline to apply is September 16, 2019.  WECF is comprised of local donors and leaders who raise funds and direct grants annually to address community needs. This year, WECF funding will target more selective grants that will maximize impact in the community.

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.

Goal of 2019 Community Grants: To fund projects that encourage collaboration and collective learning and that strengthen our community by advancing local economic, physical, cultural or social outcomes.

Primary consideration will include projects that:

• Demonstrate a real collaborative effort that maximizes program efficiency and mission impact.
• Demonstrate a learning component that benefits the nonprofit partners and/or the community.
• Demonstrate intention to bridge a gap or find a solution to a local challenge.
• Clearly demonstrates desirable outcomes.

Additional guidance

• Preference will be given to projects that involve collaboration across organizations and those that develop alignments between atypical partners.
• Grants will not support sponsorship of an event.
• Funding may not be used for direct lobbying activities.
• Funding is intended to have a concrete and demonstrable impact on the work or issue being addressed.

Criteria:  Eligible organizations must be a 501 (c) (3) or other qualified charitable entity, recognized by the IRS and working in the North Fork Valley.  Organizations should also be registered with the Colorado Secretary of State and be in good standing.

Process: Grant requests should be submitted via Western Colorado Community Foundation’s website http://wc-cf.org/nonprofits/grantmaking/ and click on the West Elk Community Fund tab. The application deadline, September 16, 2019, 5pm MST.  Organizations must first register in WCCF’s Online Grants Center.

Proposals will be reviewed by WECF’s Grant Committee and applicants will be notified of their status by October 15, 2019.   For more information, contact Tedi Gillespie, Director of Grants and Community Outreach at tgillespie@wc-cf.org.