Comprecare Fund


Supporting optimal wellness for older adults


The Denver Foundation is pleased to invite qualified nonprofits to apply for funding from the Comprecare Fund, a fund supporting community-based projects that focus on helping older adults maintain their health through self-help and lifestyle changes. Organizations that have a wide potential reach and influence in the field of optimal wellness for seniors in Colorado are encouraged to submit proposals for funding. The fund has adopted a broad definition of optimal wellness, and we will consider any project that addresses wellness.

Awards will range from $7,500 to $20,000.

ELIGIBILITY

  • Your organization must be a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization or have a 501(c)(3) fiscal sponsor.
  • Your organization may be government agencies if you collaborate with a nonprofit and can demonstrate the community outcomes for seniors in the areas of physical health, good nutrition, and management of chronic health conditions.
  • Your organization must be located in or serve people living in Colorado. 

Grant awards given in previous years are no guarantee of future grant awards.

Not eligible for funding:

  • Projects that focus on policy and/or advocacy, even if in the field of senior wellness. (If you are interested in learning more about funding for policy and advocacy work through our Civic Fabric Fund, please contact Naomi Amaha, director of policy and government affairs, at namaha@denverfoundation.org)
  • Capital campaigns.
  • For-profit hospitals or care facilities or the foundation arm of a for-profit hospital or care facility.
  • Planning grants, or grants that include planning as part of the request.
  • Scholarships, stipends, or related support for students studying in the areas of geriatric care.
  • Individual insurance coverage or payments, co-pays, or medications expenses.

Additional information

  • Applicants that can combine funds from other sources toward a common health care outcome/issue are encouraged. This speaks to sustainability and the diversification of funding sources, which is a best practice.
  • Approximately half of the awardees will come from rural communities.
  • Funding preference for new programs & projects that are creative & innovative.

About the donor


In 1987, Comprecare Foundation established the Elderly Health Promotion Initiative. This initiative funded many community-based projects that focus on helping older adults maintain their health through self-help and lifestyle changes. The initiative received recognition for its emphasis on innovative, collaborative, community-based efforts. In 2015, Comprecare Foundation closed and entrusted The Denver Foundation with $4.3 million to lead grant initiatives on aging issues in Colorado. Comprecare staff remains invested in this important work and are key partners in improving the health of seniors.

With the steady increase in the population of older adults in Colorado, there is a continued need to improve their quality of life by assisting them in developing and maintaining optimal wellness. Research demonstrates that physical activity, good nutrition, and proactive management of chronic conditions are essential to maintaining a healthy quality of life for older adults. Significant public and private funding have been devoted to advancing these components of healthy living in recent years, both nationally and in Colorado.

The challenge now is to bring these evidence-based interventions to older adults who have not been exposed to them or who have little motivation for behavior change. Programs or projects which involve older adults in their planning and administration have the most potential for reaching them effectively.