How much funding does Care Over Incarceration (Alternatives to Jail) provide?

Funding amounts vary. Check the grant details for specifics.

Care Over Incarceration (Alternatives to Jail)

Foundation Grants for Nonprofits Grants for Mental Health Addiction & Substance Abuse Grants Grants for Criminal Justice

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Funding Amount

Varies

Deadline

May 6, 2026

28 days left

Grant Type

foundation

Overview

Care Over Incarceration (Alternatives to Jail)

Focus Area: Mental health, substance misuse, and trauma support for individuals at risk of entering, currently involved with, or exiting the criminal legal system.

Geographic Scope: Denver and Denver residents only. Applicants must be located and/or offer services in Denver.

Call Timeline:

Proposal Release Date: March 31, 2026

Application Due Date: May 6, 2026

Notification Date: Late July 2026

Eligibility

Applicants must be:

Nonprofit organizations designated by the IRS as tax-exempt under Internal Revenue Code Section 501(c)(3), or under other sections of the code or fiscally sponsored by a 501(c)(3) nonprofit entity

Faith-based organizations designated by the IRS as tax-exempt nonprofit organizations (if all Foundation grant funds are used for non-religious purposes)

Indian or Native American entities

Government-supported entities, including schools, museums or libraries, and City and County of Denver agencies

Located and/or offering services in Denver to Denver residents

Have at least one year of tax returns and financial statements (or work with an eligible fiscal sponsor)

Resident Definition: Individuals who physically reside or present and intend to stay in Denver full time without regard to housing status, national origin, immigration or citizenship status; individuals under 18 with at least one Denver resident parent/guardian; individuals under 21 in custody of Denver Human Services; non-residents in mental health/substance misuse programs while in custody of Denver's legal system; non-residents registered as DPS students in a DPS-funded program.

What We Fund

Program/project support addressing mental health and/or substance misuse needs
Multiyear grants up to three years
Supplemental funding to expand or replicate existing programs
Supplies and items under $5,000 per unit (not equipment)

What We Don't Fund

Grants to individuals, for-profit organizations, or private foundations
Annual appeals, membership drives, underwriting, or fundraising events
Endowments
Loans
Fellowships or scholarships
Debt reduction
Partisan causes
Programs requiring participation in specific religion or advancing religious faith
General operating costs (program/project support only)
Facilities projects
Equipment (items with useful life >1 year and cost ≥$5,000 per unit)
Program-related investments
Matching funds
Fee-for-service or individual care payments
Re-granting to other organizations
Funds that supplant existing federal, state, city or other local agency funds

Additional Requirements

Organizations with fiscal sponsors must submit written agreements before grant award is final
Fiscal sponsor fees capped at 15% of total direct costs when combined with indirect costs
Preference that Caring for Denver funds not exceed 1/3 of organization's budget
One application per organization per Call for Proposals
Generally not funding more than one funding area per organization in same calendar year
No more than three open grants per organization
Grantees must sign document affirming funds will serve Denver residents
Must maintain same fiscal sponsor throughout grant duration

Contact Information

Email: grants@caring4denver.org Grants and Operations Manager: Tish Gonzales Address: Kaleidoscope Collaborative Center, 1035 Osage Street, 8th Floor, Denver, CO 80204

How to Apply

1. Check Eligibility: Review general criteria, current Call for Proposals, and specific funding area requirements

2. Register in Grants Portal: Prior to submitting an application, complete the eligibility screening and register in the Grants Portal by the registration date listed in the current Call for Proposals
- Access: caring4denver.org/grants

3. Gather Application Resources:
- Download the current Call for Proposals
- Download application Word template (available at caring4denver.org/grants/resources/)
- Prepare required documents

4. Prepare Required Documents:
- Line-Item Budget Form - Use provided template, update with figures, save and upload
- Budget Narrative Form - Use provided template, update with details and figures, save and upload
- Tax returns and financial statements (at least one year)
- If using fiscal sponsor: written fiscal sponsor agreement and fiscal sponsor's financial documents

5. Complete Application Online: Submit through Grants Portal with all required documentation
- Use Word template to compose responses first, then copy and paste into Grants Portal
- Allow plenty of time to transfer information before deadline

6. Submission: All applications must be submitted online through Grants Portal by May 6, 2026

Application Components

Format: Online through Grants Portal (standard format provided)
Budget Requirements: Submit both Line-Item Budget Form and Budget Narrative Form using provided templates
Multiyear Proposals: Budget Narrative and Line-Item Budget must include costs for each year
Maximum Request: No minimum or maximum, but should be reasonable for proposed project/program
Funding Preference: Foundation funds should not exceed 1/3 of organization's budget

Post-Submission

Foundation may contact applicants for additional information, documents, or site visits before making final decision
All applicants will be notified of status in late July 2026
Upon grant award, submit Statement of Grant Expenditures with End of Grant Year Reports
Submit End of Grant Year Reports in Grants Portal as required by Evaluation Touchpoints

Resources Available

Livestream Q&A recording on YouTube
Video and slides on "Caring for Denver Foundation's Grant Request: Requested Documents"
Application Word template
Detailed FAQ page for common questions
Evaluation Touchpoints document explaining requirements