Grant Funding Opportunities

Locating Grant Funders

Locating the perfect funder can be a tedious process.  Carefully reviewing funders up front will greatly improve your chance of success. 

When reviewing funders ask the following questions:

• Is my library eligible to apply? 
  • Does the library need to have a 501(c) (3) status? If so do you have a Friends group that can act as your fiscal agent?
  • Does the funder support libraries and/or educational organizations?
  • Does the funder have a geographic preference? (For example, do they only fund libraries in the seven county metro Denver area?)
  • Review the funder’s eligibility checklist.
• Do my project goals align with the funder’s mission?
  • Review the funder’s areas of giving.
• Will the funder support my budget request?
  • Will the funder accept the dollar amount of your request?
  • Do they fund the items you are requesting? (Capital construction, technology, refreshments, furnishings, operating expenditures, etc.)
  • Do they have matching fund requirements?

Be sure to review funders “what we typically don’t fund” list.

Finally, review who the funder has previously funded, the types of projects, and funding amounts. If not listed on the funder’s web site you can locate this information in IRS Form 990’s.

Types of Funding Sources

Federal Government

• Grants.Gov
  The main portal to search and apply for federally funded grants.
• Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS)
  Federal grants for museums, libraries, and tribal organizations in the following programs: Native American Library Services, National Leadership Grants for Libraries, and the Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Program.
• National Archives – National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC)
  NHPRC offers grants for collecting, preserving, and publishing documents and archives.
• National Network of Libraries of Medicine (NNLM)
  NNLM offers funding for projects that improve access to health information, increase engagement with research and data, expand professional knowledge, and support outreach that promotes awareness and use of NLM resources in local communities.
• US Department of Agriculture (USDA)
  Community Facilities Direct Loan & Grant Program - “Funding can be used to purchase, construct, and/or improve essential community facilities, purchase equipment and pay related project expenses.” Rural libraries are considered to be an essential community facility.
• US National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH)
  Funding strengthens efforts to extend the life of historical materials and to make their intellectual content widely accessible, often through the use of digital technology.  NEH offers both implementation and planning grants. 

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State Government

• Colorado Department of Education
  The Adult Education Initiative’s Office has compiled a list of funding opportunities for adult education programs.
  The office also provides funding for the following grants “Adult Education and Family Literacy Act (AEFLA) Grants” and “Adult Education and Literacy Act (AELA) Grants” both of which libraries are eligible to apply.
• Colorado Department of Human Services
  The “Tony Grampsas Youth Services Program” is a program that provides funding to local organizations for prevention, intervention, and education programs for children, youth, and their families designed to prevent youth crime and violence, youth marijuana use, and child abuse and neglect.  The program operates on a three-year grant cycle. The current cycle runs July 1, 2017 through June 30, 2020. Applications will be accepted after this funding period ends.  
• Colorado Department of Local Affairs
  The agency offers Community Development Block Grants. Funding must be used for activities that benefit either low- and moderate-income persons; prevent or eliminate slums or blight, or address community development needs that have a particular urgency.  Eligible uses of funds include acquisition, design/engineering, construction, reconstruction, rehabilitation or installation of public improvements or public facilities.
• State of Colorado
  Search for “grants”
• Statewide Internet Portal Authority
  Offers Micro-grants averaging between $1,000 to $6,500. Libraries have received funding for digitization projects, wireless broadband infrastructure, and digital maps.

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Foundations - Community

• Aspen Community Foundation
  The foundation’s service area spans an 80-mile corridor along the Roaring Fork and Colorado Rivers from Aspen to Parachute. Offers support to non-profits working in early childhood education, family supports, and youth development.
• Community Foundation of Northern Colorado
  Primary communities serviced include Berthoud, Estes Valley, Fort Collins, Loveland, and Eastern Colorado. Currently the counties of Logan, Morgan, Phillips, Sedgwick, Washington, and Yuma are included in the Eastern Colorado region. The goal is to expand to include all of Colorado’s Eastern Plains.
• The Community Foundation of Southwest Colorado
  Counties served – La Plata, Archuleta, San Juan, Montezuma, Dolores
• The Denver Foundation
  Service area includes the seven-county Metro Denver area. Areas of focus include basic human needs, education, economic opportunity, and leadership & equity.
• The Grantsmanship Center
  The Center provides a list of community foundations located in Colorado with their geographic focus.
• Rose Community Foundation
  Service area includes the seven county greater Denver area (Adams, Arapahoe, Boulder, Broomfield, Denver, Douglas, and Jefferson). Program areas include aging, child & family development; education; health; and Jewish life.
• Southern Colorado Community Foundation
  The foundation provides funds to organizations that support Alamosa, Baca, Bent, Chafee, Conejos, Costilla, Crowley, Custer, Fremont, Huerfano, Kiowa, Las Animas, Mineral, Otero, Prowers, Pueblo, Rio Grande, and Saguache counties.  The majority of grants awarded are $2,000 - $5,000
• Western Colorado Community Foundation
  The foundation serves a seven county region that includes Mesa, Garfield, Eagle, Delta, Montrose, Ouray and Rio Blanco Counties. Funding supports health and human services, education, environment and arts/culture.

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Foundations - Corporate

• Bank of America Charitable Foundation
  Bank of America is helping to build thriving communities by addressing issues fundamental to economic health and sustainability. They are advancing economic mobility by addressing issues related to: workforce development and education; community development; and basic needs. Applicant must be based and serve communities in Denver.
• BetterWorldBooks
  Literacy grants for libraries. Projects should address the literacy needs of under-served populations. Maximum award amount is $15,000
• Dollar General Literacy Foundation
  • Adult Literacy Grants program supports organizations that provide adult basic education, GED or high school equivalency preparation, or English language acquisition. Maximum grant amount: $15,000
  • Beyond Words: The Dollar General School Library Relief program is administered by the American Association of School Librarians (AASL) and benefits public school libraries recovering from major disasters.
  • Family Literacy Grants program supports organizations that provide adult education instruction, children’s education, and parent and child together time. Maximum grant amount:  $15,000
  • Summer Reading Grants provide funds to help with the implementation or expansion of summer reading programs. Maximum grant amount: $3,000
  • Youth Literacy Grants provide funding to schools, public libraries, and non-profits to help students who are below grade level or experiencing difficulty reading. Grant funding is provided to assist in the following areas: implementing new or expanding existing literacy programs; purchasing new technology or equipment to support literacy initiatives; and purchasing books, materials or software for literacy programs. Maximum grant amount: $4,000
• Home Depot Foundation
  Community Impact Grants program offers grants up to $5,000. Grants are given in the form of Home Depot gift cards for the purchase of tools, materials, or services. Their primary goal is to provide grants and volunteer opportunities to support the renovation, refurbishment, retrofitting, accessibility modifications, and/or weatherization of existing homes, centers, schools and other similar facilities.
• Kroger
  Areas of support include hunger relief, women’s health, children’s health and wellbeing, K-12 education, advancing diversity, sustaining the environment, grassroots community programs, and local disaster relief.    
• Walmart Foundation
  The Community Grant Program offers eight areas of funding including Hunger relief and healthy eating, health and human services, quality of life, education, community and economic development, diversity and inclusion, public safety, and environmental sustainability. Awarded grants range from $250 - $2,500.
• Wells Fargo
  Strategic focus areas include Education (early learning and literacy, closing the achievement gap, and post-secondary college/career readiness) and Community Development (affordable housing, access to economic opportunity, homelessness, and hunger).
• Xcel Energy
  • Economic Sustainability Grants support programs that promote workforce development, workforce readiness, specific job skills training, job placement and job creation.
  • Education grants support organizations that improve science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education.

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Foundations - Private

• Adolph Coors Foundation
  Special consideration is given to rural Colorado nonprofits.  Funding goals are primarily in youth and youth development.
• Anschutz Family Foundation
  Grant funding areas include homeless and disadvantaged, youth development, early childhood development, community and capacity building, seniors, and the disabled. Typical grants range from $5,000 to $10,000. General operating or program/project requests within the funding areas are accepted. Does not fund capital campaigns/building construction.
• Bohemian Foundation
  Pharos Funds are available to those who provide services within the Poudre School District boundary. Program goals include: encourage and enable youth to thrive; empower individuals and families on the path toward economic stability; and strengthen our vibrant community.
• Buell Foundation
  Funding available for programs that support the education and development of children zero to five. It is a priority of the Foundation to fund programs in rural Colorado.
• El Pomar Foundation
  A general purpose foundation which means grants are approved across a wide spectrum of focus areas including: arts and culture, civic and community initiatives, education, health, and human services.  Applications accepted for general operating, program, and capital support. Priority consideration will be provided to capital projects that have received local community and other support.  
• Next 50 Initiative
  NextFifty Initiative seeks to identify and partner with organizations that are working to improve the lives of the current aging population. The Initiative seeks projects that target the most vulnerable in the aging sector including low income individuals, ethnic minorities, the homeless and LGBT communities. 
• Pilcrow Foundation
  The Foundation provides a 2-to-1 match to rural public libraries that receive a grant through its Children’s Book Project and contribute $200-$400 through local sponsors for the purchase of up to $1,200 worth (at retail value) of new, quality, hardcover children’s books. Grant recipients can select titles from a list of over 500 books.
• Schlessman Family Foundation
  Funding is limited to the seven-county Metro Denver area.  Primary funding areas include: disadvantaged youth programs and services; special needs groups; and education programs that work to address the needs of at-risk students and improve literacy among adult learners.
• Snapdragon Book Foundation
  The foundation provides funding for school/educational libraries that serves disadvantaged youth. Funds may be used for circulating books, processing or cataloguing fees from book vendors, reference materials, and magazine or newspaper subscriptions.

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Local Clubs and Organizations

Many local chapters of clubs and organizations have a service, civic, or skills-based focus and will provide funding for local projects.  Networking with members of these establishments can uncover what they have to offer as they don’t typically advertise or promote these opportunities.  Some local clubs can apply for grants at the national level for projects to support the community.

• Association of Junior Leagues International
  The Junior League is an organization of women committed to promoting voluntarism, developing the potential of women, and improving communities through the effective action and leadership of trained volunteers. Its purpose is exclusively educational and charitable. The site has a league locator.
• Elks
  State Associations sponsor programs to build stronger communities. Through the Elks National Foundation’s Community Investments Program, Lodges can apply for grants to serve their communities, meeting local needs.  The site has a lodge locator to find the Elks lodge closest to you.
• Kiwanis International
  The Kiwanis Children’s Fund helps children through service projects promoting: healthy children, educated children, leadership development, and priority children’s issues. The site will help you locate a club in your community.
• Lions Club International
  Lions Club International focuses on the following service areas - diabetes, environment, hunger relief, pediatric cancer, and vision. The site will help you locate a club in your community.
• Rotary
  The Club supports the following causes: promoting peace; fighting disease; providing clean water; saving mothers and children; supporting education; and growing local economies.
  The Rotary Foundation offers grants to members of the Rotary Club. Grants are also available to districts to fund small-scale, short-term activities that address needs in the community. 
• Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW)
  The organization is dedicated to establishing programs designed for young people and educators- offering everything from college scholarships to classroom resources for teachers.
  They also volunteer in opportunities benefiting education, the environment, health sciences and civic projects. The site will also help you locate a post in your community. 

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Directories

• Candid: 990 Comprehensive Nonprofit Information
  Nonprofit organizations are required by the IRS to file a Form 990. These forms can provide you with information on whom the organization has funded, the dollar amount distributed and type of projects.  The forms are long but the information that will be of most use will be located towards the end!
• Candid: Foundation Directory Online (Foundation Center)
  This fee based directory contains expanded profiles for over 108,000 U.S. Foundations.
• Candid: Funding Information Network (Foundation Center)
  For those who don’t have the funding to subscribe to the Foundation Directory Online Colorado has several network locations where users can access the database and other grant finding tools free of charge. Locations include Denver Public Library, Mesa County Libraries, Eagle Valley Library District and others. It is recommended you call the location before your visit to set up an appointment with a trained staff person.
• Candid: Visualizing Funding For Libraries (Foundation Center)
  This free tool is a wonderful source for locating funders and grant recipients.  You can identify who is funding library projects in the state or narrow your search to your county.  The site also offers brief information on the types of projects being funded.  Funder profiles and contact information is included.  Take the time to explore this site as there are numerous features to master
• Community Resource Center- Colorado Grants Guide
  This fee directory is the most comprehensive database of funders that support Colorado-based community organizations. The website also provides access to the Colorado Common Grant Application and user’s guide that many funders require. 
• GrantStation
  This directory provides access to grant opportunities from all types of grantmakers. One good feature is the ability to search by type of support. Make sure to sign up for their free weekly newsletter that includes announcements of timely grant opportunities.

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For more information contact Jean Heilig, 303-551-4711