Caring For Denver Grants - Alternatives to Jail

Caring For Denver Grants - Alternatives to Jail

Status: ACTIVE
Funder: Caring For Denver Foundation
Last Updated: April 01, 2026

Summary

The Caring for Denver Grants for Alternatives to Jail focus on reducing the interaction of individuals with mental health and substance misuse challenges with the criminal legal system. The initiative emphasizes equity, inclusivity, and ongoing support for individuals, ensuring they receive appropriate care that fits their needs. By funding innovative programs, the foundation aims to enhance access to mental health resources, improve care transitions, and ultimately promote healthier outcomes for Denver residents.

Overview

Background Caring for Denver Foundation was founded and funded to address the mental health and substance misuse challenges facing City and County of Denver residents. Focus Area: Alternatives to Jail This funding area seeks to prevent people with substance misuse, mental health, and trauma needs from unnecessarily interacting with the criminal legal system. And to support those who are involved in the criminal legal system through their recovery by providing access to a wide range of mental health and substance misuse care to prevent re-entry. Priorities The Foundation will prioritize funding for projects and programs that address Denver’s mental health and substance misuse challenges in at least one of the areas below: Inclusive Access Helps people access mental health care and substance misuse support in ways that make sense for them, in places that feel comfortable, and at times that fit their schedules, so they are better able to participate, build skills, and apply what they have learned in their daily life. Attention to Fit Ensure those providing mental health care and substance misuse support treat those seeking care and support with respect, and help them feel connected and understood—primarily through offering culturally designed and matched care options. These projects also support the mental health and substance misuse needs of those providing support, so that they can be at their best as they support others. Care Over Time Improve care transitions, making them easier to navigate and more seamless for people. The goal is to minimize the starts and stops in mental health and substance misuse care that often happens when needs change, and prevent the trauma that comes when people must re-tell, or redocument their journeys, and increase stability. Shared Impact Goals Applicants must explain how their work will support at least one of the shared impact goals below, and, if possible, how they intend to measure their progress toward impact. Reduced substance misuse (including maintained healthy relationship with substances) Improved or maintained positive mental health (including reduced harm to self and others) Increased equity in mental health and substance misuse outcomes Read more about Shared Impact Goals.

Eligibility

We've imported the main document for this grant to give you an overview. You can learn more about this opportunity by visiting the funder's website. Projects and activities supported by Caring for Denver’s grantmaking must serve or support only residents of the City and County of Denver (“City”). Caring for Denver’s general definition of residency is derived from the State of Colorado Medical Services Board Rule 8.607.1(F) around Areas of Service. The following individuals will be considered City residents by Caring for Denver:An individual physically residing full time in the City An individual experiencing homelessness presenting in the City and intending to stay in the City An individual, under 21 years of age and in the custody of Denver Human Services (“DHS”) An individual, under 18 years of age and in primary legal and residency custody of a City resident A non-City resident who is placed in a mental health and/or substance abuse program while in a City JailApplicants can be any nonprofit organization designated by the IRS as tax-exempt under IRC Section 501(c)(3), or under other sections of the U.S. tax code or fiscally sponsored by a 501(c)(3) nonprofit entity. If an organization does not have a 501(c)(3), has a pending 501(c)(3), is not in good standing, and/or does not have at least one year of tax returns and financial statements, it will be required to work with a fiscal sponsor.Applicants may also be an Indian or Native American entity. Government-supported entities, including schools, museums, or libraries, and City and County of Denver or State of Colorado agencies are eligible to apply.

Ineligibility

Generally, we do not fund an organization in more than one funding area in a year. Caring for Denver Foundation will not fund:Grants to individuals, for-profit organizations or private foundationsAnnual appeals, membership drives, underwriting or fundraising eventsEndowmentsLoansFellowships or scholarshipsDebt reductionPartisan causesPrograms that require membership in a certain religion or seek to advance a particular religious faith or beliefGeneral operating costsFacilities projectsProgram-related investmentsWe will not make grants to organizations that practice discrimination of any kind.We will not make grants to, participate in, or intervene in (including the publishing or distributing of statements), any political campaign on behalf of, in support of or in opposition to any candidate for public office.​Our founding ordinance prohibits us from using our grant dollars to supplant existing funds.Grant recipients may not replace existing federal, state, city or other local agency funds with funds from Caring for Denver.However, our funds may be used to supplement existing funds to replicate or expand the scope of an existing program or project.