Civic Fabric Fund

The Denver Foundation is a private philanthropic foundation serving Colorado communities, with a particular focus on creating a healthy and equitable Metro Denver. In 2021, the foundation adopted a policy framework and policy principles designed to advance systemic change at the local and state levels. The framework addresses economic opportunity, environment and climate, housing, and youth well-being. In developing this framework, The Denver Foundation also identified a need to prioritize populations including American Indian and Alaska Native, Asian American or Pacific Islander, Black, Indigenous, Latino and Latina communities, and people experiencing economic disadvantage. The Civic Fabric Fund - State & Local Policy is one mechanism through which the foundation supports nonprofit organizations working toward these policy and advocacy objectives. The Civic Fabric Fund provides funding for nonprofit policy and advocacy efforts at the state and local levels. Supported activities may include research, community engagement, coalition building, and other efforts to advance and implement policy change on issues identified in The Denver Foundation's Policy Principles. The foundation describes this work as including advocacy for policy proposals such as legislation, ordinances, regulations, and ballot measures at the local and state levels. Invited organizations may request either general operating support or a program-specific grant. Applicants will also be asked to characterize their policy change efforts as either grasstops or grassroots. The source does not identify a required cost share or matching contribution. This opportunity is available only to organizations specifically invited to apply by The Denver Foundation. An applicant must be a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization or operate with an equivalent fiscal sponsor, and the organization must be located in Colorado and conduct work in Colorado. An organization that has already received a grant from the Community Grants Program during the same calendar year as this funding opportunity is not eligible to apply. Coalitions may seek funding, but one organization must submit the application on behalf of the entire coalition. The foundation also states that receiving an award in a previous year does not guarantee a future award. Typical Civic Fabric Fund grants range from $15,000 to $30,000. The source does not state the total amount available through the program or the number of awards expected. Applicants are required to provide their organization's mission, a summary of the proposed work, the requested dollar amount, the organization's current budget, and a project budget when applicable. Applicants must explain how their work fits the issue areas in The Denver Foundation's Policy Principles and, when applicable, how their policy work responds to federal actions. They must also identify where the proposed work falls along the policy-making continuum, including problem identification, policy analysis, policy strategy and development, and policy enactment and implementation. Applicants are additionally asked to describe efforts to engage the voice, experience, and leadership of residents, constituents, and clients in developing, implementing, and evaluating organizational activities. These questions indicate that applicants should clearly connect their proposed work to the foundation's stated policy priorities, identify the stage or stages of policy making being addressed, and document meaningful community engagement. The source does not provide a separate scoring rubric, formal evaluation criteria, award notification date, or performance period, so those details cannot be established from the provided material. The funding opportunity opened on August 3, 2026, and closes on September 15, 2026. Applications are accepted by invitation only. Invited applicants must register through The Denver Foundation's grant application portal before completing the online application. No letter of intent, concept paper, pre-proposal, or other qualifying pre-application deadline is identified. Questions about the grant process may be directed to Naomi Amaha, director of policy and government affairs, at namaha@denverfoundation.org. The source does not state that the opportunity recurs annually or on another established schedule, so recurrence and a future cycle cannot be verified from the supplied information.

Demonstrate a direct connection between the proposed work and The Denver Foundation's Policy Principles. Clearly identify where the work falls along the policy-making continuum and provide concrete evidence of resident, constituent, or client voice and leadership. Clearly distinguish whether the request is for general operating or program-specific support and identify the policy effort as grassroots or grasstops.