The Colorado COVID Relief Fund’s purpose is to raise and coordinate allocation of funds based on prevention, impact and recovery needs of community-based organizations in Colorado. This Fund is organized to ensure that the most acute community needs across the state are being addressed and that community voice is reflected in all funding decisions made over time.
Through this Fund, eligible community-based organizations across Colorado may receive a general operating grant of up to $25,000. Read below for more information.
Eligibility and Funding Priorities
Community-based organizations that meet the following three criteria areas are eligible to apply: Organization type, populations served, and alignment with one of the Fund’s three funding priority areas of Prevention, Impact and Recovery.
- Organization type: Nonprofit organizations, local government, school districts and small businesses who are:
- Serving areas of the state with limited nonprofit capacity; and/or
- Serving a community need resulting from the COVID-19 crisis.
- Note funding is not available for:
- Businesses of any type seeking support related to operational needs, such as business interruption or closure, or employee-related issues such as payroll or paid leave. Small businesses who do not qualify may find funding options through the Colorado COVID-19 Business Resource Center and the U.S. Small Business Administration COVID-19 Disaster Assistance Website. Visit the Funding Resources section of this site for other information about funding for businesses.
- Individuals or families
- Populations served:
- Eligible organizations must serve one or more of the following populations in Colorado through programs and services:
- Children from families living on low income* who are impacted by school or childcare closures
- Communities of color
- Healthcare, hospitality, service industry and gig economy workers
- Immigrant and refugee communities
- Minimum or low-wage employees displaced by business closures
- Older adults living on low income*
- People with limited English proficiency
- People with disabilities
- People without health insurance
- Victims of domestic violence or child abuse
- People living on low income*
- People experiencing homelessness
- Workers without access to paid sick leave
*For the purpose of this Fund, low income is defined as living at or below the poverty line or qualifying for free and reduced lunch.
- Eligible organizations must serve one or more of the following populations in Colorado through programs and services:
- Alignment with one of the Fund’s three funding priority areas of Prevention, Impact and Recovery.
- Eligible organizations must demonstrate that they are meeting a community-driven need through their programs and services within one of the following three funding priority areas of Prevention, Impact and Recovery: Note that for the first funding cycle, eligible organizations may only apply in the Prevention and Impact priority areas.
- Prevention (examples include: medical supplies, shelter staff coverage, residential facilities staff serving vulnerable populations, nursing home staff coverage for low income households, mobility services serving vulnerable populations, cleaning supplies for shelters or care facilities of all kinds, medical information and support such as messaging campaigns)
- Impact (examples include: economic impact of reduced and lost work due to the outbreak, early childhood education availability, technology assistance, childcare, education, volunteer services, food access or services, schools)
- Recovery (examples include: medical supplies, activities to support small business focused on charitable efforts, mental and behavioral health for most vulnerable populations, volunteer services)
- Eligible organizations must demonstrate that they are meeting a community-driven need through their programs and services within one of the following three funding priority areas of Prevention, Impact and Recovery: Note that for the first funding cycle, eligible organizations may only apply in the Prevention and Impact priority areas.
