Civic Fabric Fund – State & Local Policy

Supporting state and local policy and advocacy

The Denver Foundation is pleased to invite qualified nonprofits to apply for funding from the Civic Fabric Fund. 

Through the Civic Fabric Fund, The Denver Foundation provides nonprofits with funding to support their policy and advocacy efforts at the state and local levels, including community engagement and coalition building.

State and local policy grants will support nonprofits’ efforts to organize and lead policy campaigns on the issues outlined in the foundation’s policy principles. Organizations invited to apply will have the option to apply for a general operating grant or a program-specific grant. Organizations will also be asked to clarify if their work focuses on grasstops policy and advocacy, or grassroots coalition-building and community engagement.

For organizations applying for funding to engage in grassroots coalition-building and community engagement, the foundation is prioritizing funding to support efforts in the seven-county Metro Denver region. Grants from the fund typically range from $15,000 to $30,000.

ELIGIBILITY

  • This funding opportunity is open only to eligible organizations that have been invited to apply by The Denver Foundation. 
  • Your organization must be a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization or have an equivalent fiscal sponsor.
  • Your organization must be located in and do work in Colorado.

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

Additional information

Within the online application, you will be required to submit

  • Your organization’s mission
  • A summary of your proposed work
  • The dollar amount requested
  • Your organization’s current budget and, if applicable, a project budget 

You will be required to answer:

  • Which populations will your policy and advocacy or community engagement and coalition-building efforts prioritize?
  • How will you embed a lens of racial equity in your policy and advocacy or community engagement and coalition-building efforts?
  • How are you working with community members to achieve goals of policy and advocacy or community engagement and coalition-building efforts?
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At a Glance

  • Status: Closed
  • Opening Date: August 1, 2025
  • Closing Date: September 15, 2025
  • Typical Grant Range: $15,000 - $30,000
  • Funding Area: Policy & Advocacy
  • Regions: Metro Denver, Statewide Colorado

How to apply

Apply by invitation only.

You will need to register on The Denver Foundation’s grant application portal before completing your online application. Read our Grant FAQs.

Apply

Questions? If you have questions during this grant process, please contact Naomi Amaha, director of policy and government affairs, at namaha@denverfoundation.org.

About the donor

In 2021, the foundation adopted a policy framework and principles that outline its efforts to advance systemic change at the local and state level in the following issue areas: economic opportunity, K-12 education, environment and climate, housing, and transportation.

When creating the framework, the foundation recognized the need to invest in policy efforts that prioritize the following populations (American Indian/Alaska Native, Asian American or Pacific Islander, Black, Indigenous, and Latino/Latina, and those of economic disadvantage). A component of the foundation’s commitment to advancing systemic change is funding nonprofit organizations to further their work to advocate for policy proposals, including legislation, ordinances, regulations, and ballot measures at the local and state level, that will promote a healthy and equitable Metro Denver.

Learn more about the foundation’s policy and advocacy work on our website.