Grant Guidelines
The Foundation focuses primarily on mission-related, targeted priorities and proactively seeks organizations and programs to support.
Working cooperatively with other agencies and organizations, the Foundation identifies community needs that can be significantly impacted by contributing financial and other resources.
Grant Priorities
The Foundation’s focus on improving the health and well-being of our community is broad. Targeted priorities in the area of health and well-being of our community include the following in the Pikes Peak Region (El Paso and Teller Counties):
- Access to health and human service programs which promote the physical, emotional, mental and behavioral health of the underserved
- Direct health care services for the underserved
- Upstream preventive care and service strategies for health equity focusing on the root causes of the conditions, illness or disease
- Partnering with other organizations to meet health and human service needs in our community
Grant Details
Grant Restrictions
Grants are made only to 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations with a 509 (a)(1) or 509 (a)(2) designation or governmental agencies. No grants are awarded to individuals. No grants are awarded for research. No grants are made to “pass through” nonprofit organizations. No grants are awarded for housing or the arts.
Grant Types
Project support grants: funds a particular program or project with expected outcomes
General operating support: allows a grantee to decide how funds are used, though most grantees have conversations about expectations and intended outcomes
Capital support: for equipment (and limited bricks & mortar)
Challenge/matching grants: provides funds to an organization with the expectation (or on the condition) that additional funds are raised from other sources
Grant Range
Generally between $5,000 and $25,000 per selected grantee. Multi-year grants or grants larger than $25,000 may be awarded; these are limited by invitation only.
Consistency of Grants
Nonprofit organizations that receive a grant award for three consecutive years, must take a year off before they are eligible to be considered for another grant award.
Grant Cycle
Proposals should be received no later than June 21st for the 2024-2025 fiscal year grant cycle. Proposals received after the deadline will not be considered. Grant decisions are made in October/November.
Application Form and Process
Our Foundation now utilizes an online grant application process using both the Colorado Common Grant Application and the Colorado Common Grant Report. Please click the button below to access the online application. You will be prompted to create an account—once you do so, please be certain to retain your login information for future reference. The email you submit on the login page is the email address we will use to communicate with you.
For any questions or issues regarding this new online process, please contact:
Doris Ralston
Executive Director & CEO
719.635.9057
DRalston@csof.org
Grant Recipients
$196,000 Awarded in Community Grants to 13 Health and Human Service Nonprofit Organizations
Fiscal Year 2022-2023 Grant Recipients
Atlas Preparatory School
$15,000 in Program Support to improve their mental health services for middle school youth
www.atlasprep.org
CASA
$20,000 in Program Support for their Dependency and Neglect program addressing the health and welfare of abused and neglected children
www.casappr.org
Children’s Hospital Colorado Springs
$15,000 in Program Support for their school based Behavioral Health Navigation Program
www.supportchildrenscolorado.org
Community Partnership for Child Development
$10,000 in Program Support for a nursing position for their Health & Wellness program
www.cpcdheadstart.org
DayBreak
$10,000 in General Operating Support to assist with the ongoing program services for their patients as well as respite care
www.daybreakadp.com
Dream Centers
$20,000 in Program Support for their Women’s Clinic program
www.dreamcenters.com
Fostering Hope
$10,000 in General Operating Support to alleviate childhood trauma that improves mental health and changes the circumstances of foster youth
www.fosteringhopefoundation.org
Friends of the Children
$10,000 in General Operating Support for their two-generation mentoring program
www.friendscoloradosprings.org
Kidpower
$30,000 per year for three years, a General Operating Support grant award to support their strategic expansion for their upstream, prevention approach to provide high quality personal safety and confidence building training for children, teens and their caregivers to reduce their risk of abduction, assault and emotional, physical and sexual abuse
www.kidpowercs.org
NAMI Colorado Springs
$10,000 in General Operating Support
www.namicoloradosprings.org
Safe Passage
$20,000 in Program Support for their Forensic Medical Services program for child abuse victims
www.safepassagecac.org
Silver Key
$10,000 in Program Support for their Durable Medical Equipment program
www.silverkey.org
Teller Senior Coalition
$6,000 in Program Support for their Respite Program for caregivers
www.tellerseniorcoalition.org
Discretionary Grant Awards – a total of $6,000 in collaborative grants was awarded
Gazette Charities
$1,000 for Empty Stocking Fund
www.emptystockingfundco.org
Youth Documentary Academy Rocky Mountain Film Institute
$5,000 in Program Support for Youth Media Matters (teen mental health, domestic abuse and prevention and suicide prevention) in El Paso County schools
www.rmwfilm.org