October 20, 2021
NEW! Report on Together We Protect and Ongoing Funding Opportunity
Together We Protect – Colorado’s COVID-19 Vaccine Equity Fund (TWP) was launched in March 2021, with Caring for Colorado Foundation serving as the coordinating entity. To date, the Fund has awarded more than $5.2 million in grants to more than 115 community partners. We are deeply grateful for everything grantees have done to support equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines across Colorado. We are in awe of their commitment, tenacity, and meaningful connections to community and residents. Read some highlights from grantees and partners in our new Vaccine Equity Fund Report.
Ongoing Funding Opportunity
As the emergency authorization approval for children ages 5-11 seems imminent, Together We Protect is continuing to fund child and youth-focused COVID-19 vaccine outreach, education, supports and equity clinics. Learn more about applying here.
NEW! COVID-19 Relief and Recovery – Report to the Community
Caring for Colorado is honored to be a part of the web of support, working to help Colorado emerge from the pandemic and advance equity in health, well-being and opportunity for Colorado’s children and families. We are resolute in our commitment to support communities through the long-term effects of this crisis. This new Report to the Community: COVID-19 Relief and Recovery shares some of what we learned during this tumultuous time and spotlights the incredible people and community-based organizations and leaders who have taken on the challenges of reimagining and strengthening health, mental health, social services, basic needs, and economic supports to care for and support the well-being of Coloradans.
Recent COVID-19 Grant Awards
Caring for Colorado awarded more than $1.5 million in COVID Relief and Recovery funds to 35 nonprofits to support youth well-being. These grantees from across Colorado promote youth well-being by focusing on social and emotional supports, strengthening access to mental health services in their communities and caring for their youth-serving staff. View the list of grantees here.
Youth Connections – Meet Cohort 2
In partnership with the Colorado Education Initiative, we’re excited to announce the second cohort of Youth Connections partners: Adams 12 Five Star Schools, Delta County School District, Pueblo School District 60, and Weld County School District RE-1. These districts will join Alamosa School District, Cañon City Schools, Mesa County Valley School District 51 and Sheridan School District in a multi-year effort to strengthen the capacity of schools to respond to and promote social, emotional and mental well-being for middle and high school students. Through Youth Connections, students, teachers, administrators, and families are working together to build healthy social and emotional ecosystems that ensure youth who experience the greatest barriers feel connected, supported, and engaged.
Statewide Philanthropy Program – Evaluation Highlights
Caring for Colorado strives to be a learning organization – we are curious and eager to hear from our grantee partners about what works, doesn’t work, and how we can grow. Over the last year, we’ve partnered with Results Lab to conduct an evaluation of our statewide philanthropy program which offers responsive grants through the Healthy Beginnings, Healthy Youth, Strong and Resilient Families and Public Policy Advocacy focus areas. This evaluation allowed partners to provide input, guidance and feedback on how this grantmaking program operates and how we might adjust and improve our work. We are deeply grateful to our grantee partners for their willingness to share their experiences, reflections and perspectives on our processes and engagement approaches. From this evaluation, we’re eager to incorporate feedback and suggestions related to how we can better advocate, convene, collaborate, and optimize our program to achieve our mission of equity in health, well-being and opportunity for Colorado’s children, youth and families.