Community Grant Program

The Richard C. Saunders Annual Community Grant Program is a charitable initiative funded by Saunders Construction in honor of company founder Richard "Dick" Saunders. Saunders has worked with communities across Colorado for more than 54 years, and the grant program extends the company's community investment and philanthropic commitment by providing direct support to nonprofit organizations. The program is intended to create meaningful and measurable community impact and reflects Saunders' stated values of Care, Collaboration, Commitment and Community. Its three principal focus areas are youth education and development, mental health, and arts and creative expression. One eligible nonprofit organization will receive a grant of up to $10,000. Funding may be used for program development, project implementation, or general operating expenses. Within youth education and development, supported work may include early childhood education, K-12 learning, post-secondary readiness, workforce development, career exploration, mentoring, STEM education, literacy initiatives, and leadership development. Mental health activities may include services, prevention and early intervention programs, wellness initiatives, and efforts to increase access to care for youth and families. Arts funding may support arts education, creative programming, and community-centered arts initiatives that promote learning, connection, and personal growth. No cost share or matching requirement is stated in the provided program information. Eligible applicants must be registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations in good standing within Colorado. They must serve communities where Saunders has a presence or impact, demonstrate organizational and financial stability, align with at least one of the program focus areas, and provide the required financial and governance documentation. Individuals, for-profit entities, political organizations, sectarian religious organizations, capital campaigns, and organizations with direct conflicts of interest involving Saunders employees are not eligible. The source does not define the specific Colorado communities that constitute areas where Saunders has a presence or impact, so applicants should assess this geographic requirement carefully. Applications are accepted by email to Teena Bergstrand, vice president of market strategy and communication, and each nonprofit may submit one application per organization each year. Applicants are directed to download and complete the RCS Grant Program Application 2026. Required organizational information includes the legal name, EIN, mission statement, and primary contact information. The program or project section requests a description of the initiative to be supported, target population and geographic area, and alignment with one or more focus areas. Applicants must also provide a statement of impact describing the community need, anticipated outcomes, and how success will be measured, along with the total program budget, requested amount, and explanation of how the funds will be used. Supplemental materials consist of the organization's IRS determination letter, most recent financial statement or Form 990, Board of Directors list, and conflict of interest acknowledgment. Applications will be reviewed by members of Saunders' Executive Team. The stated evaluation criteria are mission alignment, demonstrated community impact, organizational capacity, fiscal responsibility, long-term sustainability, and the strength of the proposed outcomes and budget. Selected organizations will enter into a grant agreement establishing the approved use of funds, reporting requirements, and acknowledgment of Saunders' support. The recipient will be asked to submit a brief one-page report within 12 months describing use of the grant funds and the impact achieved, and the organization may also be featured in Saunders communications and community storytelling. The inaugural application period opens August 17, 2026 and closes October 30, 2026. Applications are scheduled for review in November 2026, followed by Executive Team selection in December 2026, recipient announcement in January 2027, and funding distribution in February 2027. The program is identified as annual, and organizations may submit one application each year, supporting treatment of the opportunity as recurring. The next cycle's exact dates have not been announced; using the current August opening month as the recurrence anchor indicates an expected next cycle in August 2027. The named contact is Teena Bergstrand. The source provides m.inquiries@saundersinc.com and (303) 699-9000 as contact information.

Demonstrate clear mission alignment and measurable community impact; show organizational capacity and fiscal responsibility; address long-term sustainability; present strong proposed outcomes and a well-supported budget.