Funding & Technical Assistance

National Fish and Wildlife Foundation: Five Star & Urban Waters Restoration Grant Program
Deadline: Jan. 15, 2022. The Five Star and Urban Waters Restoration grant program seeks to develop community capacity to sustain local natural resources for future generations by providing financial assistance to diverse local partnerships focused on improving water quality, watersheds, and the species and habitats they support. Grants are available nationwide, but additional funding is available for specific geographic priorities.

Federal Emergency Management Agency - Support Available to Help Firefighters
Deadline: December 17. The Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program provides support to fire departments, nonaffiliated emergency medical service organizations, and state fire training academies to equip and train emergency personnel in order to foster interoperability, strengthen community resilience, and enhance the safety of the public and emergency responders before, during, and after hazardous events.

The Community Food Projects Competitive Grants Program
Deadline: December 20 | All details here. Seeks to improve food and nutrition security in low-income communities through a food systems approach and social determinants of health framework. Two types of grants are available: Community Food Projects and Planning Projects.

Peace Development Fund: Community Organizing Grants
Deadline: December 29. The Peace Development Fund believes that the change in values needed to establish a more just and peaceful world can come about only if it is strongly rooted in local communities that recognize the importance of building movements to create systemic social change. The Fund's Community Organizing Grants provide support to community-based organizations that are working for social justice.

Grants Strengthen Programs for Incarcerated Individuals
The mission of the Bob Barker Company Foundation is to develop and support programs that help incarcerated individuals successfully reenter society and stay out for life. The Foundation supports organizations that work with the incarcerated community in order to prepare them physically, spiritually, and emotionally for successful reentry into society. Grants ranging from $5,000 to $25,000 are provided to nonprofit organizations, government agencies, and educational institutions.

Major League Baseball (MLB) and the Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA) Youth Development Foundation
More info here at the YDF website. Grants to increase participation in and expand access to youth baseball and softball. In response to the rising costs to access youth sports and children's rights in sports, YDF funds capital projects, programming, and education initiatives in the United States and internationally to ensure that all youth have an opportunity to play and learn through baseball and softball.

Colorado Emergency Mortgage Assistance Program (EMAP)
More info here on EMAP. The Division of Housing (DOH) is pleased to announce the launch of EMAP. As part of the larger Homeowner Assistance Fund allocation through the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, DOH will be administering Colorado EMAP as a pilot program, which will provide financial assistance on behalf of income-eligible households experiencing a financial hardship associated with the COVID-19 health crisis, by disbursing funds directly to the homeownership loan lender/servicer, land contract holder, manufactured/mobile home lender, and/or other housing provider as appropriate.

WaterNow: Project Accelerator
Deadline: December 13 | More info here. This opportunity provides towns, water agencies, and other organizations with pro-bono support to jumpstart a sustainable water project. During this application cycle, WaterNow is focusing specifically on projects based in Colorado. Through this approach they hope to not only support individual communities, but also to deepen connections across communities, foster knowledge-sharing and collaboration, and open the door to innovative, regional solutions.

Deadline: November 21 | More info here. The grant provides funding to Colorado businesses that were disproportionately impacted by the pandemic and did not receive meaningful access to federal loans and grants. Eligible businesses will receive a minimum of $1,500 and a maximum of $10,000. This grant is intended to cover expenses that have not been covered by other federal funding.

Colorado Revolving Loan Fund
The Colorado Revolving Loan Fund provides loans that help small to medium-sized Colorado businesses negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. These loans range from $5,000 to $750,000 and are intended to provide startup and working capital that will help create and retain jobs. This fund prioritizes socially and economically disadvantaged businesses and non-profits. These loans are funded by the US Department of Commerce's Economic Development Administration and is administered by these Colorado-based nonprofit lenders:
  • B:Side Fund (formerly Colorado Lending Source)
  • Colorado Enterprise Fund
  • Region 9 Economic Development District of Southwest Colorado

Colorado Community Revitalization Grant
Application period: thru December 1, 2022. The Colorado Community Revitalization Grant provides gap funding for projects in creative districts, historic districts, main streets or neighborhood commercial centers. This grant will support creative projects that combine creative industry workforce housing, commercial spaces, performance space, community gathering spaces, child care centers, and retail partnerships for the purpose of economic recovery and diversification by supporting creative sector entrepreneurs, artisans, and community non-profit organizations.

Innovative Affordable Housing Strategies Planning Grant Program
Third Funding Round Deadline: December 6| More info here. Colorado Dept. of Local Affairs. Colorado municipalities and counties are eligible. The Planning Grant Program has approximately $6.8 million in funding available to local governments to help them understand their housing needs and adopt policy and regulatory strategies to qualify for the Incentives Grant Program. Planning Grants can fund data collection (e.g., housing needs assessments) paired with strategic policy and regulatory updates to remove barriers and incentivize affordable housing at the local level. 
Training Opportunities & Events

EDCC Knowledge Network Series: Advocacy and Leadership
December 8 | 10:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. | Register here.
Offered by the Economic Development Council of Colorado (EDCC). In this hour-and-half presentation, economic development practitioners will engage with highly successful practitioners around the state, on garnering support for high-impact community projects, which in turn, brings community awareness back to the organization. Elements of discussion will include: Building Community Support; Raising Public Awareness; Developing Partnerships; Building Coalitions.

Write Winning Grant Proposals
Dec. 6-7 | with follow-up Dec. 16-17 | On-line via Zoom | Register here.
Offered by Grant Writing USA in partnership with the Denver Regional Council of Governments. In this workshop we cover how to write grant proposals start to finish and how to locate and track relevant grant opportunities. We will then offer our follow-up grant management workshop on December 16-17, 2021. This workshop will review key concepts associated with accepting and managing grant awards; including reporting and record keeping, audit requirements, and program evaluation.

Summit Biz Bootcamp powered by CO.STARTERS Winter 2022 Cohort
9-week program starting January 19, 2022 | More info and apply here.
The Summit Biz Bootcamp is a 9-week business development program that is powered by CO.STARTERS and brought to you by the Summit Prosperity Initiative, the economic development arm of the Summit Chamber. This is a program developed to help and support new and existing business owners and entrepreneurs with workshops, guest speakers, mentoring, coaching and educational classes. It's an interactive program with hands-on learning and activities.

Career Development Incentive Program Information Session
Dec. 1 | 3:30 p.m.| Register here. The CWDC and CDE are hosting an information session about the Career Development Incentive Program (CDIP). The webinar will inform schools and districts about the CDIP program and how it can support closing postsecondary credential attainment gaps, as well as how the money can be used to continue to develop programs. The session will also include discussion of a pilot program with CareerWise for developing independent study programs for students to earn credentials. 

Northwest Colorado Council of Governments
Economic Development District | www.nwccog.org/edd