A Busy Year for Grants


December 16, 2020

With the support of donors and in partnership with the community, The Denver Foundation distributed millions of dollars in grants in 2020. Here’s a recap of the final grants of the year.

For more detail on COVID-19 related grantmaking and donor-advised giving, read our 2020 Report to the Community.

Critical Needs Fund

Through this emergency fund, The Denver Foundation distributed $360,000 to five organizations that are addressing food insecurity across Colorado, which has increased greatly due to the pandemic. This is in addition to more than $1.5M in grants distributed through the Critical Needs Fund between March and October. These CNF grantees are:

Colorado Blueprint to End Hunger

Family Resource Center Association

Feeding Colorado

Metro Denver Homeless Initiative

Colorado Coalition for the Homeless

Denver Immigrant Legal Services Fund

A partnership between The Denver Foundation and the City of Denver, the Denver Immigrant Legal Services Fund supports qualified organizations that provide direct legal representation to low-income, unauthorized individuals who are current residents of Denver and who are subject to potential deportation. In late 2020, the following organizations received grants through the DILSF, bringing the total funding through this fund to nearly $1.09M since 2018.

Rocky Mountain Immigrant Advocacy Network (RMIAN)

Justice and Mercy Legal Aid Clinic

Lutheran Family Services

Catholic Charities

Black Resilience in Colorado (BRIC)

With the generous support of donors, who have invested nearly $1.3M in this new fund since its launch in June, BRIC distributed $467,500 in grants in its inaugural grant cycle. The 29 Black-led and Black serving nonprofit organizations to receive BRIC funding are:

Athletics & Beyond

SCD Enrichment Program

Issues of Life Church Ministries Aurora

Apprentice of Peace Youth Organization

The New Hope Baptist Church

Second Chance Center, Inc.

Another Life Foundation

Soul 2 Soul

New Dance Theatre, Inc.

RISE 5280

The EduCtr

Rocky Mountain Public Media

Park Hill Pirates Youth Sports Organization

Denver Kappa Alpha Psi Scholarship Foundation

Young African Americans for Social & Political Activism

Make a Chess Move-MACM

Thelma’s Dream

Crowley Foundation Inc.

Project VOYCE

Curls On the Block

Fighting to Farm

Black American West Museum & Heritage Center

5th Element Center for Dance

Ethiopian Community Television

Boss Generation

Foundation for Black Entrepreneurship

HOPE Center

Community Grants Program

Through the second Community Grants Program cycle of 2020, The Denver Foundation awarded nearly $1.9M to 113 organizations across Metro Denver. Grantees are:

9to5 National Association of Working Women, 9to5 Colorado chapter

Adams County Housing Authority/ Unison Housing Partners

Aurora Economic Opportunity Coalition

Bridge House

Clayton Early Learning, Trustee, George W. Clayton Trust

Colorado Center on Law and Policy

Colorado Criminal Justice Reform Coalition

Colorado Children’s Campaign

Colorado Immigrant Rights Coalition

Colorado People’s Alliance 

Community Outreach Service Center

Delores Project. The

Denver Homeless VOICE

Denver Indian Family Resource Center

Denver Public Schools Foundation (FACE Centers)

East Colfax Community Collective- Fiscal Sponsor 

Empowerment Program, Inc., The

Engaged Latino Parents Advancing Student Outcomes

Family Resource Center Association

Florence Crittenton Services of Colorado 

Generation Schools Network

Hope Communities, Inc.

Intercambio de Comunidades

International Rescue Committee, Inc.

Lincoln Hills Cares

Maria Droste Services of Colorado, Inc. 

Mile High Ministries/JAMLAC

Moonshot edVentures

Outreach United Resource Center, Inc.

Re:Vision

RedLine

Somali American Community Center of Colorado 

Together Colorado

United for a New Economy

Village Exchange Center 

West Community Economic Development Corporation

Westwood Unidos

Young Invincibles

Youth Initiative of Adams County, Inc. aka Adams County Youth Initative