Caring For Denver Grants - Community-Centered Solutions

Caring For Denver Grants - Community-Centered Solutions

Status: ACTIVE
Funder: Caring For Denver Foundation
Last Updated: July 29, 2025

Summary

Caring For Denver Grants focuses on community-centered solutions addressing mental health and substance misuse in Denver. The initiative prioritizes equitable access to culturally relevant care, emphasizing the importance of community-based organizations. By supporting peer specialists and care navigation, the foundation aims to improve access and outcomes for marginalized populations. Grant applicants must be nonprofit organizations or government entities serving Denver residents. This funding opportunity seeks to uplift voices affected by historical trauma and promote innovative approaches to mental health care.

Overview

NOTE: Caring for Denver’s Grants Portal requires registration for new users by August 29 at 5:00 pm (MT). The deadline for new registrations is at the 'Pre-Proposal' deadline above. Caring for Denver Foundation was founded and funded to address the mental health and substance misuse challenges facing City and County of Denver residents. Community-Centered Solutions This funding opportunity aims to support trusted, community-based organizations that address mental health and substance misuse while prioritizing access to care, cultural relevance, connections, and collaborations. Funding will also support providers, peer specialists, and care navigation to ensure community can receive trusted care. Equity As we work to address mental health and substance misuse needs in Denver, we are committed to funding and supporting established and innovative efforts that move us toward equity and outcomes where race, ethnicity, disability, immigration status, and identity can no longer be used to predict life outcomes. Our ongoing efforts must elevate the voices of those impacted and repair historical trauma and oppression. Priorities We 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: Help people access care and support in ways that make sense for them, in places they feel comfortable, and at times that fit their schedules, so they are better able to participate, learn, build skills, and address mental health and substance misuse issues.Attention to Fit: Ensure that when people seek care, they feel understood, connected, and respected by those providing care, primarily through culturally affirming care options. Also, ensure the mental health needs of those providing care are supported so they can be at their best as they help others.Care Over Time: Improve care transitions, coordination, and create better systems that make care more seamless for individuals and families. The goal is to increase stability and minimize the starts and stops in mental health and substance misuse care that often happens when needs change and prevent the trauma

Eligibility

You can learn more about this opportunity by visiting the funder's website. Caring for Denver Foundation will accept one application per organization in an open Call for Proposals Projects and activities supported by Caring for Denver’s grantmaking must serve or support only residents of the City and County of Denver (“City”).  The following individuals will be considered City residents by Caring for Denver:An individual who physically resides, or presents and intends to stay in Denver full time, without regard to their housing status, national origin, immigration or citizenship status to the maximum extent permitted by law.An individual under 18 years of age and has at least one parent/legal guardian who is a Denver resident (can also have an out-of-home placement as long as not in custody of another county’s Department of Human Services);An individual physically residing part time in the City, under 21 years of age and in the custody of Denver Human Services (“DHS”);A non-City resident who is placed in a mental health or substance abuse program while in the custody of the City and County of Denver’s legal system; orA non-City resident registered as a Denver Public Schools student participating in a DPS program/project funded by Caring for Denver Foundation.Applicants 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 are not seeking to fund an organization in more than one funding area in a year or any organization that has three open grants (this does not include grants that are expiring in this funding area in 2023).Grant requests for the following will not be supported:Grants to individuals, for-profit organizations, or private foundationsAnnual appeals, membership drives, underwriting, or fundraising eventsEndowmentsLoansFellowships or scholarshipsDebt reductionMatching or challenge grantsPartisan causesPrograms that require participation or membership in a specific religion, or seek to advance a particular religious faith or beliefGeneral operating costsFacilities projectsProgram-related investments (PRIs)We 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 Caring for Denver funds.However, our funds may be used to supplement existing funds to replicate or expand the scope of an existing program or project.