Pictured above: Leadership Networks Kick-Off Event, June 2026
Belonging Colorado, a special fund at The Denver Foundation, is entering its next phase, announcing its second cohort of organizations that are finding unique ways to connect people across divides.
Since launching in 2024, Belonging Colorado has identified and elevated projects across the state that have brought community members together across generations, newcomers and long-term residents, urban and rural youth, and more.
This second cohort will build upon that work, expanding its geographic reach and exploring new ways to strengthen connections across Colorado.
This cohort builds on early findings from Belonging Colorado’s inaugural cohort of community grantees, which demonstrate the promise of pairing practical training with ongoing technical assistance and opportunities for peer learning.
Survey results from cohort 1 grantees show that they better understand the concepts and are successful in using what they’ve learned to help build bridges across differences. They also reported stronger connections among participants, including increased confidence in connecting with people different from themselves and feeling welcomed by others.
These early findings reinforce the value of the cohort model and are helping shape the next phase of Belonging Colorado’s community grant program.
The 11 selected organizations have been invited to participate in a bi-weekly training program, Bridging Differences Program, which is led by Belonging Colorado’s implementation partner, Greater Good Science Center (GGSC). Through the program, participants will explore the science and practice of bridging differences, drawing on skills and concepts from GGSC’s Bridging Differences Playbook.
In addition to the training, organizations will receive ongoing technical assistance and opportunities to learn from one another as they develop project proposals in their communities.
Each organization has received a $15,000 grant to support its participation in the training. Upon completing the training, they will be invited to apply for an implementation grant.
Grant award recipients & project overviews
Organization | Description | Geography | Grant Award |
Colorado River Valley Economic Development Partnership aims to launch “Business Bridges,” a program that will convene a bilingual cohort for recurring shared meals and paired business exchanges. The program is designed to build trust and connection across differences in language, culture, and work schedules. It will bring together Hispanic and non-Hispanic business owners, workers, their families, and regional commuters who often face barriers to participating in community life. | Garfield County | $15,000 | |
Denver City Lax uses free, year-round lacrosse programming, academic support, mentorship, and enrichment activities to bridge divides between urban and suburban communities. The initiative intentionally connects youth (primarily elementary through high school) and families from historically underserved neighborhoods with the broader, higher-income lacrosse community, including peers, adult coaches, college partners, and business leaders, through leadership cohorts, community events, and joint discussion circles. | Denver metro | $15,000 | |
Interfaith Solidarity and Accompaniment Coalition (ISAAC) uses collaborative, side-by-side projects, including monthly community resource gatherings and emergency preparedness planning with local governments, to build trust and strengthen relationships across religious and political differences. The initiative will connect interfaith partners, including Jewish, Muslim, Christian, Evangelical, Black church, and Spanish-language congregations, with immigrant and refugee communities across generations and socioeconomic backgrounds. | Larimer County | $15,000 | |
Kids At Their Best aims to launch “We Are Morgan County,” an initiative that will convene a core cohort of community members at The Block to prepare and share monthly meals, followed by structured, curiosity-driven dialogue facilitated by Braver Angels. The project will connect residents with differing political views, generations, occupations, faith backgrounds, and lived experiences to strengthen civic trust and foster lasting community relationships. | Morgan County | $15,000 | |
L’Arche Northern Colorado brings people with and without intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) together as equal neighbors and co-leaders. Through community gardening, shared food preparation, and neighborhood gatherings at the Heartside Hill development, the project will build mutual trust among L’Arche Core Members, family caregivers, assistants, CARE Housing residents, Habitat for Humanity homeowners, and families from the surrounding neighborhood. | Fort Collins | $15,000 | |
Lake County Build a Generation aims to launch an arts- and dialogue-centered initiative that uses Theater of the Oppressed, storytelling, improvisation, and somatic workshops to deepen civic trust and collaborative problem-solving. The project will connect English- and Spanish-speaking residents, local government and business representatives, nonprofit leaders, youth, parents, and community members with differing political beliefs and lived experiences, including those navigating housing and food insecurity. | Leadville | $15,000 | |
The Lone Tree Arts Center Fund, in partnership with Phamaly Theatre Company, aims to launch “Creating Place: Stories that Shape Community,” a community-devised theatre project in which participants will build relationships through storytelling, music, movement, and performance workshops. The initiative will connect older adults and people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD), including participants from local senior living communities, Tall Tales Ranch, and Wellspring Community, to bridge generational differences, reduce social isolation, and welcome new residents into the growing city. | Douglas County | $15,000 | |
Merging Vets and Players (MVP) aims to establish a permanent Denver-based chapter offering weekly physical workouts and peer-led “huddle” support circles. The program will address the loss of identity, purpose, and team that participants may experience after military service or competitive athletics. It will connect military veterans and former collegiate and professional athletes across service branches, sports disciplines, political perspectives, generations, and urban-rural differences to build trust, reduce social isolation, and restore a sense of purpose. | Denver Metro | $15,000 | |
Miners Alley Performing Arts Center aims to expand its “Life Stages Theatre” program, an intergenerational playwriting and interview-based initiative in which participants collaborate to write and produce original short plays inspired by one another’s lived experiences. The program will connect high school students and older adults across Golden and Jefferson County to reduce social isolation, challenge age-based stereotypes, and foster mutual understanding through the arts. | Jefferson County | $15,000 | |
Street Soccer USA Denver, in partnership with Soccer Without Borders Colorado and the Colorado Soccer Foundation, aims to launch the “Colorado Unity Cup Series,” a sustained two-year program that will use the mediator-facilitated football3 methodology, shared meals, and family engagement events to build empathy and social connection. The initiative will bridge socio-economic, geographic, and cultural differences by bringing together middle school students and families from higher-income, pay-to-play clubs and lower-income communities. | Denver Metro, Weld County | $15,000 | |
Veterans Community Project aims to launch a two-year, community-wide initiative centered on a co-designed Veteran-Civilian Belonging Council. The council will host facilitated community dinners, service projects, neighborhood events, and an original theatrical production exploring transition and identity. By positioning veterans and civilian neighbors as co-leaders, storytellers, and creative partners, the initiative will bridge military-civilian, political, generational, cultural, and socioeconomic divides across Northern Colorado. | Longmont | $15,000 |
