CFGV Community Grants

The CFGV Community Grants provide essential funding to nonprofit organizations in Gunnison County, supporting both General Operating and specific Project initiatives. Grants, capped at $7,000, aim to enhance community impact, with first-time applicants encouraged to consult staff prior to applying. Eligible 501(c)(3) organizations can apply for funding that supports their operations, while collaborative projects are also welcomed, ensuring that community needs are effectively addressed through targeted financial support.

NOTE: The rule that grantees must sit out a year after receiving three grants in a row has been suspended for 2020.  First-time applicants must talk with the staff before they apply.
Overview
Community Grants offers General Operating support to nonprofit organizations, and Project support to selected others. Grant dollars are intended for direct impact on Gunnison County and its residents.
Amount of Request
The maximum Community Grant award amount is currently $7,000; we discourage applicants from requesting any amount greater than that. The following are additional restrictions:
For General Operating support applicants, your request may not be more than 50% of your total cash operating budgetFor Project support applicants, your request should not be more than 50% of your cash project budget

Eligibility

All nonprofits designated as 501(c)(3) (including those under fiscal sponsorship) must apply for General Operating support. If you are a fiscal sponsor for another group, you may also submit an application for your own organization’s operations.501(c)(3) nonprofits based elsewhere must apply for General Operating support for their Gunnison County operations only. The budget they provide will be for their Gunnison County activities.Since General Operating support can be spent as needed on any of your organization’s programs and administration, you will not describe how you expect to spend it.The exception is faith-based organizations, that may only apply for Project support, and only for programs/projects with no religious message that are open and welcoming to anyone in the community.Public entities/programs may apply for funds to undertake or expand projects that serve the public at large; in the case of Gunnison Watershed School District or Western ColoradoUniversity programs, events must be available to the broader community and, ideally, designed with an entity outside GWSD or WCU.If you are applying for Project Support for something that CFGV has frequently funded, your narrative should reflect why this idea is still the best way to meet the need despite the changing environment. Collaborative groups may apply for Project support to address a significant need that members cannot do on their own. This could include research into constituent needs, a facilitated collective impact planning process, or a program. Group members may still apply for General Operating or other Project support for their own needs. Grants for collaborative activities will not necessarily be larger than those for individual organizations and the onus is on the participants to show that the proposed project could not be undertaken alone by any of the partners. If funds are awarded, CFGV may be able to divide the grant among the partners if warranted.