Due to the sheer volume of proposals it is not possible for staff to meet individually with each organization. However, program officers are available to meet with you at various times throughout the year. The Denver Foundation offers opportunities to meet with Program Officers during monthly office hours. To schedule a conversation with a program officer, email Alma Martinez at amartinez@denverfoundation.org or call 303-300-1790 ext. 155.

No. All organizations that meet the guidelines and priorities of the Community Grants Program may apply. If you have a question about whether or not your organization meets proposal guidelines, please feel free to call us. To schedule a conversation with a program officer, email Alma Martinez at amartinez@denverfoundation.org or call 303-300-1790 ext. 155.

The average grant size is $13,000 -$16,000. The range of grants made is from $3,000 to $30,000. Please keep this in mind when considering your grant request.  The Foundation never makes grants for more than is requested and it is common for grant awards to be less than is requested. Many factors are considered when deciding what level of funding to award. In addition to the Foundation’s average grant size, some things for you to consider about your request size might be:

• How well does the request meet the “Key Factors We Consider” and the Foundation’s funding priorities?
• What percentage is this request of the total budget?
• Is this a first time request or does the organization have an established relationship with the Foundation?
• How does the organization rate in regard to sound fiscal management, diversified funding, and solid, well-evaluated programs?  

We strive to be very specific about what we do not fund. There is a section devoted to this in our Community Grants Program Guidelines, titled “What We Do Not Fund.” Please read this carefully and if you have any questions, contact the Grants Manager.

The Denver Foundation funds organizations that serve residents of the Denver metro area – Adams, Arapahoe, Boulder, Broomfield, Denver, Douglas, and Jefferson Counties. We will consider requests from organizations based outside of the Denver metro area as long as the program or project serves residents in one or several of the seven counties listed above.  If your organization provides services statewide or nationally, your proposal must address how the requested funding will be limited to the seven counties listed above.

We fund both general operating and program/project requests; we do not fund capital requests, scholarships, or research, among other areas.  The vast majority of our grants are for general operating support, and the remainder are for program support.

No. Receiving funding from one program of The Denver Foundation does not necessarily affect your chances of receiving a grant from the Community Grants Program.