Colorado Creates Grant

Colorado Creates Grant

Status: ACTIVE
Funder: Colorado Office of Economic Development & International Trade
Amount: US $4,000 - US $10,000
Last Updated: February 10, 2026

Summary

The Colorado Creates Grant, offered by the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade, supports nonprofit arts organizations in Colorado. This competitive grant program provides general operating support based on the applicant's cash operating revenue. Eligible organizations must have been active for at least three years, hold a cash operating budget of at least $25,000, and focus on arts activities. The grant fosters collaboration and community engagement, aiming to enhance economic growth through the creative sector.

Overview

Background Colorado Creative Industries (CCI) is a division of the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade. Established to capitalize on the immense potential for our creative sector to enhance economic growth in Colorado, the mission of Colorado Creative Industries is to promote, support and expand the creative industries to drive Colorado's economy, grow jobs and enhance our quality of life. Colorado Creates Grants The purpose of Colorado Creates, Creative Industries’ largest annual competitive grant program, is to provide support to nonprofit arts organizations who produce and present arts and cultural activities. All grants are for General Operating Support. Grant awards are flat amounts based on the size of the applicant’s cash operating revenue for the organization’s most recently completed fiscal year (as of the grant deadline date). All applicants in the same budget range who are recommended for funding will receive the same dollar amount. Both the first year and the continuation of a second-year grant is contingent upon available funds. If your cash operating revenue in your most recently completed fiscal year was $1 million or more, you will request $10,000. For $500,000-999,999 the amount is $8,500. For $250,000-499,999 the amount is $7,500.  For $100,000-249,999 the amount is $6,500.  For $25,000-99,999 the amount is $4,000.

Eligibility

You can learn more about this opportunity by visiting the funder's website. Your organization needs to:Be an arts-focused 501(c)(3) organization or an independent component of a program associated with a college, university, or unit of governmentA qualified nonprofit organization has a stated and board-adopted mission specific to visual, performing, media, and literary arts.Examples include art museums, ceramic studios, community arts councils, creative writing programs, dance organizations, film festivals, music festivals, opera societies, orchestras and choral societies, photographic studios, quilting and fiber arts organizations, theatre groups, tribal cultural organizations, and visual arts centers.An independent component is a program of an organization, college/university, or a unit of government that is both programmatically and administratively distinct from its parent organizationTo qualify as an independent component, your organization needs to:Have a community-based independent board or advisory committee with substantial responsibility for oversight and managementHave a distinctive and separate mission from the parent organizationHave staff and volunteers explicitly for the independent component’s programsHave a budget separate from the parent organization, producing a distinct set of financials as a part of the grant applicationProvide programs or services open to the publicIf affiliated with a university or college, document that the programs/services/activities serve 50% or more non-student or faculty audiencesHold your primary business location in ColoradoHave supporting the arts as your organizational mission, including but not limited to visual, performing, literary, and media arts organizationsHave held public arts programs in Colorado for at least three years before the application deadlineHave a cash operating budget of at least $25,000 for your last completed fiscal yearBe registered in Good Standing with the Colorado Secretary of State and current with annual corporate reports and charitable solicitation registrationBe current in reporting for other Colorado Creative Industries grants or programsShow collaboration, a mutual investment of funds or other resources to the activity, with other organizationsThis grant is for general operating support. Allowable operations and facilities expenses include:Facilities rent (home base of operations, not special program expenses)Operations costsMaintenanceInsurance

Ineligibility

Applicants may not apply using a fiscal agent.No organization may be the lead applicant on more than one application.These organizations are not eligible:Organizations managing a state certified Colorado Creative Districtchurch or religious, sectarian organization, or a public or private K-12 school or school district organizations are required to sit out for one year after two consecutive years of Colorado Creates funding. View your ineligibility status.An organization whose primary purpose is to channel resources — financial, human, or other — to an affiliated organization may not apply if the affiliated organization submits an application, even if both organizations have their own 501(c)(3) status. Generally, history museums, botanic gardens, preservation organizations, economic development and planning agencies, and therapeutic and social service agencies are not eligible, even if they have 501(c)(3) status.  (stated mission is not specific to arts)Organizations that have other goals but include some arts programming are not eligible, unless they program and/or present proportionally-significant artistic or cultural programming in an area, or to a specific community with limited access.These do not qualify as independent components:Academic departments or schools of colleges and universitiesPrograms or projects of organizations, for example, “friends of” groups sponsored by the organization that are programs or fundraising bodies, not independent componentsGeneral city or county governmentsFunds cannot be used for:Capital improvementsNew constructionRenovationRestorationPurchase of major equipment ($5,000 or more)Debt and deficit reductionRe-granting of grant fundsIndirect costs