Onward! A Legacy Foundation Grant

Onward! A Legacy Foundation supports philanthropic activity and nonprofit work serving Southwest Colorado and the broader Four Corners community. The foundation states that more than 20 years of work have created a structure through which donors can make philanthropic contributions to investment funds that grow and provide income for nonprofit efforts. Through the Onward! Grant Cycle, the foundation considers proposals that make significant contributions to the health and quality of life of residents of Southwest Colorado. The current source page identifies the upcoming cycle as the 2026 Grant Cycle and states that it opens September 1. The grant program supports programs and projects addressing the specific needs of the diverse Southwest Colorado community. The guidelines identify potential areas of contribution including social, emotional, or physical well-being, youth, diversity, economic enhancement, civic beautification, arts and culture, and leadership development. These examples are not presented as an exclusive list. Applicants should have well defined goals, measurable objectives, and a method for evaluating the success of the proposed grant activity. Short-term grants range from $500 to $5,000 and have a maximum duration of one year. The guidelines similarly state that grant requests must be $5,000 or less and are to be spent in the next year. The source does not identify a total amount available for the grant cycle, a fixed number of awards, or a required cost share or matching contribution. Four additional grant fund partners participate in the grant cycle to increase the level of giving. The foundation reports that in 2024 it fully or partially funded applications from 34 nonprofit organizations, demonstrating that awards may cover all or only part of an applicant's requested amount. Eligible applicants must be not-for-profit projects or organizations located in and providing services to one or more of five Colorado counties: Montezuma, Dolores, La Plata, Archuleta, or San Juan County. The grant cycle webpage additionally requires applicants to have 501(c)(3) status. Applicants must demonstrate an organizational structure reflecting professionalism and accountability, such as a board of directors or a similar governance structure. The guidelines also require the grant seeker to have well defined goals, measurable objectives, and a method for evaluating success. Grant recipients must provide a follow-up report and be willing to participate in a local media event. The foundation provides an online Grant Application page as part of its application materials and also publishes Grant Guidelines and Grant FAQs. The grant cycle is scheduled to open September 1 and close October 15. The source page specifically states that the 2026 Grant Cycle opens September 1, making the upcoming application open date September 1, 2026. No letter of intent, concept paper, pre-proposal, notice of intent, or other pre-application gating requirement is identified in the supplied materials. Applicants should use the grant application and consult the published guidelines and FAQs for grant requirements and answers to questions. The supplied guidelines contain a timeline for the 2025 cycle showing applications opening September 1, 2025, applications due October 15, 2025, grant awards announced November 20, 2025, and funds disbursed in December 2025. Those award and disbursement dates are specific to the 2025 guidelines and are not automatically treated as confirmed 2026 dates. The recurring September 1 and October 15 application window, the reference to opening the cycle for another year, and the separately identified 2026 Grant Cycle support treating this as an annual recurring opportunity. Based on that annual pattern, the cycle following the 2026 round is expected to begin in September 2027, subject to confirmation by the foundation. Questions about the grant program may be directed to grants@onwardfoundation.org. The foundation lists a general telephone number of 970-565-9200 and identifies its mailing address as P.O. Box 26, Cortez, Colorado 81321, with the website also listing 33 N. Chestnut in Cortez. The guidelines specifically instruct grant seekers to use the grants email address and the FAQ website posts for answers to grant questions. No individual grant officer is named in the supplied materials.

Connect the proposed activity to the health and quality of life of Southwest Colorado residents; clearly define goals and measurable objectives; provide a credible method for evaluating success; demonstrate professional and accountable governance; keep the request within the $500 to $5,000 short-term grant range.