The Community Foundation of Northern Colorado promotes philanthropy by responding to the needs of donors and investing in the vision, passion, and expertise of local nonprofit organizations. The Foundation's grants help improve the quality of life in  Northern Colorado and encourage a more giving community.

To apply for a grant from the Community Foundation, an organization must be a 501(c)(3) charitable organization that directly serves residents of Larimer County. We do not make grants to individuals or businesses.

Grantmaking Overview 

The Community Foundation distributed $2 million in grants and programs during calendar year 2009. The vast majority of our grants are made from Donor Advised and Designated funds; typically less than 3% of our annual distributions are made as part of the annual competitive grant cycle. To increase your agency's visibility throughout Northern Colorado, we encourage you to share information about your programs and needs with our fund advisors by requesting the opportunity to be featured on our website.

Competitive Grant Cycle

Each summer, nonprofit agencies serving Berthoud, Loveland, and the Estes Valley are invited to submit a grant application for consideration by our grantmaking committees. (We are no longer accepting grant applications for funding requests that focus on the Fort Collins community.)

All grant applications must be uploaded to our website using the form and process provided (CLICK HERE). A nonprofit agency may submit one application. Please do not mail, fax, or personally deliver any hard copies of your grant application or related materials. The deadline for grant applications for agencies serving Berthoud, Loveland, and Estes Valley is Friday, July 23, 2010. Funding decisions for the those communities are typically made by early November.

Prior to contacting the Community Foundation, please carefully review the Frequently Asked Questions page. In the event that you are not able to locate an answer to your question, please email your inquiry to applications@CommunityFoundationNC.org. Your email should clearly state your name, the name of the organization you represent, the community to which you are applying for funding, your phone number, and your question.

Final Report Requirements

A Final Report is required of any agency that applies for and receives a competitive grant of $2,500 or more from the Community Foundation. Nonprofit agencies receiving grants as part of our annual competitive grant cycle must submit their Final Reports by Sept. 1 of the following year (i.e., approximately 9 months after funds were received.) The report must be submitted electronically using the online Final Report Form. Agencies receiving competitive grants of less than $2,500 should not submit a final report.

Donor Advised Funds

Grants from Donor Advised funds are made based on recommendations from the fund's advisors. The Community Foundation does not accept unsolicited proposals for grants from Donor Advised Funds.

Inspiration Playground Endowment Fund

The mission of the Inspiration Playground Program Endowment fund is to optimize the use of Inspiration Playground within the area served by Poudre School district through promoting educational use of the playground and its equipment. Applicants must be a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt nonprofit organization, a school, or a city-affiliated program that serves residents of Poudre School District. Requests for more than $1,000 will not be considered. Click here to submit a funding request to the Inspiration Playground Endowment Fund.

Questions

Prior to contacting the Community Foundation, please carefully review the Frequently Asked Questions page. In the event that you are not able to locate an answer to your question, please email your inquiry to applications@CommunityFoundationNC.org. Your email should clearly state your name, the name of the organization you represent, the community to which you are applying for funding, your phone number, and your question.