Please click on one of the links below for more information.
General Grantmaking
Competitive Grant Cycle
Scholarships
General Grantmaking
Do you make grants to individuals?
The Community Foundation only makes grants to 501(c)(3) chartiable organizations, educational institutions, and governmental entities.
Can our organization apply to a Donor Advised Fund?
Grants from Donor Advised funds are made as a result of recommendations from the fund's Donor Advisors. While the Community Foundation does not accept unsolicited proposals for such funds, we may highlight your organization's needs on our website (see below.)
Will you tell donors about the offerings and needs of our nonprofit organization?
Each month the Community Foundation sends an e-newsletter to our donors and fund advisors. The enewsletter links to the "News from Nonprofits" page of our site, which provides agencies with valuable exposure to our donors and allows our donors to stay up-to-date with current projects and funding needs. To request inclusion on our website, please complete the electronic submission form. Please note that we only highlight 501(c)(3) organizations that primarily serve residents of Larimer County.
Competitive Grant Cycle
How can our agency apply for funding?
To apply for a grant from the Community Foundation, an organization must be a 501(c)(3) charitable organization that directly serves residents of Berthoud, the Estes Valley, or Loveland. The Community Foundation's competitive grant program begins July 1 when we post the grant application form on our website; the deadline for submission of grant applications is typically the last week of July. Funding decisions are typically completed by late November. A nonprofit agency may submit one application for our annual competitive grant cycle. All applications must be submitted online using our online application tool (links are posted on July 1 of each year). Please do not mail, fax, or personally deliver any hard copies of your LOI or related materials. Please see the Apply for a Grant page for specific details and deadlines regarding this year's competitive grant cycle.
What is the average size of competitive grant awards in recent years?
The size of our competitive grant awards varies a great deal, depending on the size of the fund and the assessment of need. Please keep in mind that less than 3% of our annual grant and program distributions are made as a result of our annual competitive grant cycle. However, we would be pleased to spotlight your Northern Colorado nonprofit agency on our website at any time throughout the year. Simply complete our online request form.
Should we contact the Community Foundation to ensure that our grant application was received?
Once you submit your grant application using our online tool, an email message confirming receipt of your submission will be sent to the address you provided. The email is generated automatically so you should receive it soon after your submission. Please be sure to check your spam filter to ensure that the confirmation email was not quarantined.
Should we contact the Community Foundation to ask questions about the competitive grantmaking process?
Thanks in part to helpful feedback from nonprofit agencies, this website provides answers to the most frequently asked questions posed by grant seekers. We encourage you to carefully review the Apply for a Grant page and each of the questions on this 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, your phone number, your question, and the name of the organization you represent.
Scholarships
How do I apply for a scholarship?
Most of our scholarships are coordinated directly through local high schools. Graduating high school seniors should contact the scholarship coordinator at their school to determine eligibility for any of the Foundation's scholarship programs. A few of our scholarships are coordinated directly through Colorado State University, service organizations, churches, or community committees. Because the Community Foundation doesn’t directly collect or coordinate any applications, students currently enrolled in college should contact the CSU or Front Range Community College financial aid offices for more information on scholarship availability.
If I receive a scholarship, how and when does the money get sent to my school?
You will receive a form from the Community Foundation, which you must complete and return as soon as possible. Typically the forms are mailed to scholarship recipients by mid-June. If you return your form by mid-July, your scholarship will be mailed to your university by mid-August. Forms received after August 1 will be processed as quickly as possible, with the check typically sent to your university within two weeks of the date your form is received at the Community Foundation. Please be aware that it may take an educational institution 2-4 weeks to complete its scholarship processing procedure. You should make sure that your form is submitted to the Community Foundation office as promptly as possible to avoid delays in having the scholarship funds transferred to your student account.
May I contact the donors who provide the funds for my scholarship?
The Foundation encourages recipients to contact their scholarship donors to express their appreciation. However, some scholarships are set up as memorials, leaving only the Community Foundation to accept your gratitude.
To request inclusion on our website, please complete the electronic submission form. Please note that we only highlight 501(c)(3) organizations that primarily serve residents of Larimer County. If you have any questions, please contact our staff. Each month the Community Foundation sends an e-newsletter to our donors and fund advisors. The enewsletter links to the "News from Nonprofits" page of our site, which provides agencies with valuable exposure to our donors and allows our donors to stay up-to-date with current projects and funding needs.
To request inclusion on our website, please complete the electronic submission form. Please note that we only highlight 501(c)(3) organizations that primarily serve residents of Larimer County. If you have any questions, please contact our staff.