Initiatives

NPI Grant Program

 

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The Nonprofit Infrastructure Grant Program will invest $33.1 million from the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 by providing grants to small community-based nonprofit organizations to build capacity and help mitigate the financial hardships of the COVID-19 public health emergency.    

In partnership with the Department of Local Affairs (DOLA), Caring for Colorado’s Centennial Fund has been selected as one of eight Regional Access Partners (RAPs) statewide to provide technical assistance to interested organizations, assemble review committees, and administer the funds.   

Colorado’s Nonprofit Infrastructure

Grant Program

25 Grants to Nonprofits in
16 Counties 

Caring for Colorado Centennial Fund in collaboration with the Department of Local Affairs (DOLA) awarded 25 grants totaling $1.2M to nonprofits that were affected by the infrastructure aftermath of COVID-19. Review a list of grant recipients here.

In total, the NPI Grant program awarded 489 nonprofits from across the state, submitted through the eight Regional Access Partners.  

The Nonprofit Infrastructure Grant was created after the Colorado House Bill 22-1356 was signed into law on June 3, 2022, to help underrepresented communities with limited access to state and federal funding and those impacted and disproportionately impacted by the pandemic. The emphasis on infrastructure and capacity building aims to help nonprofits with annual budgets between $150,000 and $2,000,000 build critical staff and boards, while providing funds to proactively invest in the organization’s makeup. 

If you have any questions about the NPI program or other grant opportunities, please contact us.

About the NPI Grant Program

Caring for Colorado Centennial Fund is one of eight Regional Access Partners (RAPs) designated as part of the Nonprofit Infrastructure Grant program to receive submissions and vet applicants across Colorado.  Caring for Colorado’s Centennial Fund is administering the Nonprofit Infrastructure Grant in the following counties:

Baca, Bent, Cheyenne, Crowley, Kiowa, Kit Carson, Las Animas, Lincoln, Logan, Morgan, Otero, Phillips, Prowers, Sedgwick, Washington, and Yuma.  

The Nonprofit Infrastructure (NPI) Grant has been created for small nonprofits, with annual budgets between $150,000 and $2,000,000, that can show they have been impacted or disproportionately impacted by COVID-19.

Communities that have been disproportionately impacted include: 

  • LGBT
  • BIPOC
  • Women
  • Gender non-conforming
  • Disability/neurodiversity
  • Low-income
  • Immigrant/refugee
  • Rural

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Applying organizations or groups must have a track record of providing effective, culturally appropriate, and relevant programs and services to their communities who have historically been underrepresented, underserved, or under-resourced in Colorado.

The governing bodies and staff of these organizations must consist of a majority of residents who live in the communities they serve, have a history of providing services in specific communities in the state, and have their main offices in one of the communities that they serve.

Using Grant Funds

The NPI Grant Program provides funding for infrastructure improvements that are intended to positively impact an organization’s operational structure.

Grant funds may be used toward things like:

  • Strategic planning and organizational development
  • Professional development for staff and board
  • Data technology, data collection and/or technology infrastructure
  • Marketing and communications
  • Existing program expansion, development or evaluation

Grant funds cannot be used toward programming or capital improvements, including:

  • Real estate or land acquisition
  • Building construction, renovation or improvement
  • Payment of debt
  • Advocacy or lobbying
  • Organizing
  • Endowments or reserves

About Our Partnership with DOLA 

The Colorado Department of Local Affairs (DOLA) is collaborating with Caring for Colorado’s Centennial Fund and seven other organizations across the state to help select and administer the NPI Grant. Learn more about the Colorado HB22-1356: Small Community-based Nonprofit Grant Program.