Capital Grants (Arts and Culture Category) is sponsored by Gates Family Foundation. The Gates Family Foundation supports capital projects in Colorado that enhance the cultural quality of community life, strengthen the economy, link a community with its heritage, and serve as an educational resource.

Colorado Capital Grant Opportunities - Gates Family Foundation Land, facilities, and civic infrastructure are long-term assets that can transform the ability of nonprofit and community organizations to serve Colorado communities. For this reason, the Gates Family Foundation invests in capital projects across the state, in both rural and urban areas. We strive to be responsive to each community’s unique needs and opportunities.

Explore the Capital Projects Guide Our capital grants are generally limited to comprehensive capital campaigns, which are typically for building purchases, construction, expansion, renovation, and/or land acquisition. Only nonprofit organizations with capital projects that benefit Colorado and its residents are qualified to apply.

When making funding decisions, we prioritize: Projects that address root problems with substantive solutions Projects with evidence of community involvement in setting project priorities Projects in rural and low-income areas across Colorado where there are fewer individuals and institutions providing support for capital projects Projects that serve individuals and communities of color who have faced historic inequities and lack of access to funding Projects with strong engagement and financial support from the organization’s governing board Projects that reinforce the foundation’s strategic priorities in K-12 public education, natural resources, community development, and informed communities Projects that address climate change, and/or incorporate green building and sustainable development practices We fund capital projects within five categories that overlap somewhat with the Foundation’s strategic priorities, but are broader in scope in order to be more responsive to community needs: Well-Being of Children, Youth & Families Artistic expression arouses the imagination, stimulates creativity, and prompts self-discovery.

Organizations dedicated to art and culture enrich the spirit and enhance economic vitality.

We support capital projects that: enhance the cultural quality of community life while also strengthening the economy link a community with its heritage and contribute to usable community infrastructure serve as an educational resource for children, youth, and adults Funding examples and limitations: We prioritize capital projects that support libraries and museums; community theaters; performing arts organizations; and historic preservation When funding historic preservation, we prioritize projects that contribute to community revitalization and/or will result in opportunities for significant community use, over those purely for the sake of preservation See our recent capital grants supporting Arts and Culture Colorado’s economic health is dependent on the vitality of all of the state’s communities — large and small, urban and rural.

We support capital projects that: create economic opportunity, add to the quality of life, and enhance stability for the residents of a community have the potential to reinforce and enhance the economic vitality of a community involve partnerships between public and private sector organizations that seek to improve the economic and cultural health of communities Funding examples and limitations: We prioritize capital projects that restore historically significant architecture, revitalize main streets, and/or support heritage tourism that contributes to community revitalization, particularly in rural areas We look for opportunities that leverage public-private partnerships to stimulate economic development We support a range of affordable housing – including emergency shelters and transitional housing – through our capital grants program We support permanently affordable housing through our impact investment in Elevation Community Land Trust , but are unlikely to support this need through our capital grants program See our recent capital grants supporting Community Development Closing the achievement gap for children from low-income families and increasing access to high-quality, life-long learning for all Coloradans enhances the economic, social and civic life of our communities.

We support capital projects that: serve a majority of students from low-income families (who qualify for free or reduced-price lunch) build or improve education facilities that will be heavily used by a majority of the community increase access to education in rural areas provide life-long learning to a broad audience Funding examples and limitations: We prioritize facilities for high-performing charter schools and other autonomous schools, particularly those seeking matching funds for a BEST grant Other examples include: rural schools improving facilities for community use; licensed early childhood education centers, particularly in underserved rural communities; and GED, literacy, or vocational training centers We generally do not support P-12 private schools or district-owned facilities, or higher education facilities or capital campaigns See our recent capital grants supporting Education We are committed to the conservation, management, and protection of Colorado’s natural resources.

Projects that qualify for capital grants include: public recreation facilities projects that acquire, construct, and improve parks, greenways, and trail systems Appreciation and conservation of Colorado’s natural beauty, resources, and opportunities for outdoor recreation are fundamental to the quality of life and the economy of the state.

We support capital projects that: protect and steward land and water resources, habitat, and the health of natural systems preserve the state’s agricultural legacy construct and improve parks, trail systems, and open space for public recreation and access provide environmental education and leadership opportunities for young people Funding examples and limitations: We prioritize park and recreation facilities in smaller, rural and/or low-income communities Land conservation and easement purchases outside of our two “focused landscapes” ( Southeast Colorado and the San Luis Valley ) are eligible for support from our capital grants program Other examples include: greenways and trail systems; urban public spaces and community gardens; and outdoor/indoor recreation facilities We only consider school athletic or recreation facilities when they will be widely used by the community, in addition to the school See our recent capital grants supporting Parks and Recreation Well-Being of Children, Youth, and Families Healthy individuals have greater opportunities to be productive members of society who contribute to the economic, social and cultural life of their communities.

We prioritize capital projects that: develop greater self-sufficiency, including the well-being and independence of disadvantaged families and the elderly increase leadership and life skills promote good health and well-being rather than cure disease Funding examples and limitations: We support job training centers, family resource centers, and transitional housing facilities We support youth mentoring organizations, community centers and senior centers We rarely support medical and dental facilities, though in rare occasions will prioritize those in remote rural areas with service to low-income populations We do not fund mental and behavioral treatment facilities for adults; senior care facilities; or hospice facilities We only fund faith-based organizations that serve and welcome all individuals, and do not require participation in religious activities We do not fund animal service or animal welfare organizations See our recent capital grants supporting the Well-Being of Children, Youth, and Families If the application deadline falls on a weekend or holiday, the due date will move to the next business day.

Applicants must have at least 30% of their project budget secured before being considered. Deadlines Gates reviews capital grant applications TWICE each year. Annual deadlines are: March 15 at 5:00 p.

m. (for a mid-June decision) September 1 at 5:00 p. m.

(for a mid-December decision; NOTE this is changed from previous deadline of Sept. 15) Please note: If the application deadline falls on a weekend or holiday, the due date will move to the next business day. Additionally, applicants must have at least 30% of their project budget secured before being considered.

Prior to submitting a proposal, many applicants find it useful to contact Lisa Rucker to review the substance of the proposed project. We also accept inquiries that follow the Narrative Section III of the Colorado Common Application for Capital Grants . Have questions about requirements, restrictions, and how to submit?

Office and Assistant Grants Manager Senior Program Officer and Grants Manager Tabor Opera House Preservation Foundation Childrens Museum of Northern Colorado Grand Lake Creative District Northern Chaffee County Library District Sand Creek Massacre Foundation Avalon Theatre Foundation Grand Valley Creative Alliance Homelake Historic Preservation and Restoration Foundation Southeast Colorado Creative Partnership Art Students League of Denver NATURAL RESOURCES – 2025 YEAR IN REVIEW The Gates Family Foundation’s Natural Resources portfolio is rooted in the Gates’ family legacy of land stewardship in the West.

While the program’s priorities have long focused on protection of the lands and waters of Colorado, the program remains responsive and evolves to adapt to changing community priorities and external forces.

Balanced Water Management : Recognizing the value of Colorado’s Water Plan (launched in 2015), Gates Family Foundation modeled its water priorities after the state’s own framework, addressing water challenges including the water-land use nexus, water conservation, and achieving balance among the needs of multiple water users and nature.

Land Conservation : In a state known for its iconic scenery, stretching from the eastern grasslands to its numerous 14,000-foot peaks, the Foundation strives to find balance among growing rural communities, wildlife and its habitat, working landscapes, and the ecosystem services provided by Colorado’s land and water.

Forest Health and Watershed Restoration: Elevated to a priority after 2020—a year in which more than 625,000 acres burned across the state with the three largest recorded fires in Centennial State history occurring in a single season. The Foundation strives to address the scale of the forest health problem through both grassroots partnerships and systems-level change via the forest economy.

The Natural Resources team looks to strategically deploy all the tools the Foundation provides to meet partners’ needs. Beyond grant dollars, the team uses impact investing, capital funds from the Foundation’s responsive capital grants program, and convenings and collaborative efforts. In 2025, the Natural Resources program awarded 25 grants totaling $2,842,800.

Resilience in a Year of Disruption 2025 marked one of the most disruptive periods Colorado communities have faced due to federal funding freezes, staffing cuts at key environmental agencies, and changes to policy. This period also demonstrated the resilient and steadfast nature of our partners in advancing their missions .

State efforts to enact laws and provide funding to protect working and natural lands as well as the waters of Colorado continue to move forward, despite shifts in federal priorities. The 2025 Colorado legislative session resulted in significant positive movement for water resilience in the state, despite a challenging budget outlook.

Lawmakers approved a near-historic level of funding for water programs ($67 million), eliminated a tax break for free sports bets to increase revenue for programs that support water projects, and established a task force to explore future water funding mechanisms .

In addition, the state implemented first-in-the-nation state level water and wetland protections legislation in reaction to the loss of federal Clean Water Act protections due to the 2023 United States Supreme Court Sackett v. EPA decision. Colorado’s legislation now serves as a model for other states across the West.

The summer of 2025 marked the worst fire season for the state since 2020 . More than 200,000 acres of Colorado’s public and private lands burned, with the Lee Fire ranked as the fifth largest in the state’s history.

O n November 11, 2025, the seven states reliant on the Colorado River —Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming— failed to meet a federal deadline to produce the outline of a joint agreement on managing the river’s dwindling water supply .

This impasse occurs as the current operating guidelines, established in 2007, are set to expire in 2026, forcing a reckoning over the future of a water source for 40 million people, vast agricultural lands, and critical industries.

Strengthening Colorado’s Forests, Waters, and Working Lands In 2025, the Natural Resources program supported a diverse portfolio of partners working to protect and restore Colorado’s forests, waters, and landscapes in the face of significant federal policy uncertainty and a more challenging conservation environment.

Investments in Forest Health and Watershed Restoration supported organizations working to reduce wildfire risk, advance forest management, and strengthen regional collaboration.

Partners include the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (RESTORE Colorado), the Colorado Forest Health Collaboratives Network, Colorado Mass Timber Coalition, Dolores Watersheds Collaborative, and Yampa Valley Sustainability Council (now Western Resilience Center).

These efforts connected locally led initiatives to statewide and regional goals and reflected a growing urgency as 2025 marked one of Colorado’s worst wildfire seasons since 2020. Investments in Balanced Water Management addressed the pressing needs of Colorado’s rivers, aquifers, and communities.

Partners including Colorado Water Trust, River Network, the Colorado River Sustainability Campaign, Ogallala Commons, the Salazar Center, the Water and Tribes Initiative, the Colorado Plateau Foundation, and the Sonoran Institute are working to advance sustainable water use, support tribal water rights, and build collaborative capacity across the state and region.

These investments reflected the urgency of Colorado River post-2026 management negotiations and the need for equitable, durable solutions to water scarcity affecting millions of people. Investments in Landscape Conservation and Land Trust Capacity Building supported partners advancing land protection, community-based stewardship, and conservation leadership.

Keep It Colorado, Colorado West Land Trust, Montezuma Land Conservancy, Western Resource Advocates, Conservation Colorado Education Fund, the National Wildlife Foundation, RE:PUBLIC, and Keystone Policy Center contributed to a broad vision of conservation that is inclusive, durable, and responsive to shifting public and policy landscapes.

Focus Landscape partners Palmer Land Conservancy and Rio Grande Headwaters Land Trust continued to advance work launched under the program’s decade-long commitment in the southeastern grasslands and San Luis Valley. Beyond grantmaking, staff contributed to several strategic initiatives.

In partnership with Walton Family Foundation and Mighty Arrow Family Foundation, staff worked with Quantified Ventures to assess the design and feasibility of a pooled revolving loan fund to support conservation projects that integrate land protection, water resilience, and agricultural viability — advancing a buy-innovate-protect-sell model with significant potential for replication.

This work informed an innovative collaboration between Colorado West Land Trust, several philanthropic organizations, and Great Outdoors Colorado to protect high-value agricultural properties and water rights in the Uncompahgre River Valley. Staff launched a new cohort of Colorado funders focused on Tribes and conservation to foster co-funding and learning regarding indigenous-led conservation efforts.

Across all quarters, the program’s work aligned closely with its strategic goals and was strengthened by long-standing partnerships, collaborative grantmaking, and the resilience of partners navigating an uncertain and rapidly shifting national landscape. One theme that emerged across Natural Resources proposals presented this year is the power and importance of strong collaborative organizations.

For example, the Colorado River Sustainability Campaign provides strategic guidance and on-the-ground project coordination among seven nonprofits influencing local and national efforts to steward the Colorado River into the future. The Colorado Forest Collaboratives Network is a central hub connecting over fifty locally led organizations focused on science, policy, education, and each other to advance the sector.

Everyone Outdoors (formerly Next 100 Colorado) is a statewide coalition of conservation-sector staff and entities concerned with removing barriers to leadership and ensuring access to the outdoors for all Coloradans. Collaborative efforts often produce impact that exceeds the sum of individual contributions, creating durable results.

Colorado state agencies are trending toward and increasingly embracing collaborative, action-oriented work to accelerate progress addressing Colorado’s most pressing conservation priorities. Colorado’s Outdoors Strategy is a collaborative, statewide framework launched in April 2025 to guide conservation, outdoor recreation, and climate resilience efforts in the face of population growth and climate change.

The strategy uses data, mapping tools, and aligned funding to support local decision-making and regional efforts under three main goals: achieving climate-resilient conservation and restoration, ensuring exceptional and sustainable outdoor recreation, and promoting coordinated planning and funding.

In June of 2021, the Foundation approved an agreement with Palmer Land Conservancy (Palmer) for a program-related investment (PRI) in the amount of $500,000. With the pending dry up of 3,000 acres of prime farmland in the Arkansas River Valley east of Pueblo, Palmer designed a tool to work with landowners to transfer water from less productive agricultural land parcels for use on the most productive farms on the Bessemer Ditch system.

This dry-up on farms that are less productive will support fallowing that results in environmental benefits (restoration of riparian zones, for example) while supporting agricultural productivity on the most prime farmland. In 2025, with support from the Foundation’s PRI, Palmer purchased a 620-acre farm on the Bessemer Ditch that would otherwise be dried up in 2039 if action was not taken.

This farm provides an opportunity to keep agricultural water and land in agriculture for perpetuity. For over two decades, Palmer and Gates have partnered using both traditional and innovative tools to protect working lands, communities, and water in southern Colorado. This long-standing relationship has provided the trust and commitment to finding long-term strategies, anchored in community-led solutions.

The Foundation has used all its tools in partnership with Palmer: capital and initiated grants, impact investing dollars, and collaborative space to realize its vision. “At Palmer Land Conservancy, durable land and water conservation centers around resilience, creativity, and flexibility. Success requires acknowledging the rapidly changing world around us.

We set concrete goals based on community needs and also recognize that attaining on-the-ground impact demands graceful adaptability. With our farmland conservation work, we are charting pathways and creating new tools that create much-needed flexibility centered on longevity, so that rural communities thrive into an uncertain future with resilient people, economies, and ecosystems.

” – Rebecca Jewett, President and CEO, Palmer Land Conservancy In 2025, the Natural Resources program made a strategic investment in RE:PUBLIC, recognizing the critical role of credible, nonprofit journalism in an increasingly uncertain policy environment.

While support for a single‑issue news organization focused on public lands might not typically be prioritized in more stable times, staff viewed this investment as both timely and necessary. The stewardship of public lands—and the principle of keeping public lands in public hands—remains one of the few issues with broad bipartisan support and strong resonance with the American public.

At a moment of unprecedented threats to public land protections, RE:PUBLIC works to elevate these issues, ensuring that the value of public lands and the risks they face remain visible and accessible to decision‑makers, stakeholders, and the public alike.

Colorado West Land Trust: The Colorado West Land Trust (CWLT) was founded in 1980 by a group of community leaders and agricultural families who recognized that western Colorado’s productive farmland, wildlife habitat, and scenic open spaces were at risk of fragmentation and development.

Over the last 45 years, CWLT has grown into one of the most effective regional land trusts in Colorado, conserving 150,000 acres across Mesa, Delta, Montrose, Gunnison, Ouray, and San Miguel counties. A 2025 commitment to provide a $1. 25 million loan guarantee will help CWLT acquire and steward three irrigated farms in Montrose County.

The project aims to pilot the Buy, Innovate, Protect, Sell (BIPS) approach, which could transform how Colorado land trusts secure water rights and farmland for future generations. The project’s primary goals are to safeguard senior water rights, restore riparian habitats, and sustain agriculture amid development pressures. The guarantee would leverage additional capital and serve as a model for future conservation efforts.

Two additional complimentary grants aims to support the acquisition as well as the suite of activities required to conserve critical lands and waters, enhance habitat, protect local economies, facilitate access to nature, and maintain community identities and sense of place.

Whitney Johnson, Senior Program Officer, Natural Resources Senior Program Officer, Natural Resources Sustaining Local News Ecosystems : Supporting nonprofit and public media organizations with innovative business models. Building Inclusive Leadership and Voices : Investing in diverse media outlets and collaborative reporting.

Strengthening Field Infrastructure : Supporting convening, capacity-building, and shared services through intermediaries like the Colorado Media Project (CMP). During 2025, the Informed Communities program awarded and paid strategic grants to a diverse set of organizations working across public media, nonprofit journalism, legal advocacy, and community‑based information access .

The portfolio reflected a deliberate balance between statewide intermediaries and mission‑critical field infrastructure, alongside targeted support for individual outlets serving priority communities. Latia Henderson has also joined the Foundation as a new program officer. In 2025, the Informed Communities program awarded eight grants totaling $186,000.

Stabilizing and Coordinating Colorado’s Information Ecosystem I n 2025, the Informed Communities strategy operated in a moment of transformative change for Colorado’s local news and information ecosystem. What began as a period of innovation and experimentation accelerated into a year defined by stabilization, coordination, and collective defense of local journalism as civic infrastructure .

Against a backdrop of declining traditional outlets and expanding news deserts, 2025 marked a turning point with the elimination of federal funding for public media following the closure of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), which rescinded more than $1 billion in previously allocated support nationwide.

In this context, the Foundation’s work focused on preserving core capacity, strengthening collaboration, and positioning Colorado’s information ecosystem for long‑term resilience. Trustworthy local news remains essential to a functioning democracy, yet the conditions supporting it grew more fragile throughout 2025. Financial strain intensified across the sector, particularly for rural, tribal, and community outlets.

The loss of federal public media funding elevated local news, radio, and the information ecosystem from a “sector issue” to a statewide civic concern, underscoring the reality that access to reliable information is foundational to community resilience, accountability, and democratic participation.

Protecting What Communities Rely On In response to these dynamics, philanthropic strategies across the country—and in Colorado—shifted in 2025. The emphasis moved away from pilots and experimentation toward general operating support and emergency stabilization. The information ecosystem increasingly came to be treated not as an innovation problem to solve, but as a public good to defend.

Within this context, the Informed Communities portfolio prioritized protecting trusted institutions, maintaining coverage in at‑risk communities, and supporting the legal, financial, and operational infrastructure that allows local journalism to function.

In 2025, this approach supported partners such as the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press and the Colorado Freedom of Information Coalition, which work to safeguard press freedom, government transparency, and public access to information across Colorado .

Investments in organizations like Enterate Latino LLC helped expand access to trusted, culturally responsive local reporting —particularly for rural and historically underserved communities. As the Foundation entered 2026, Informed Communities is at a strategic bridge point—between short‑term stabilization and longer‑term decisions about how to support durable local information infrastructure in Colorado .

Emergency funding helped avert immediate service loss for some outlets, but the year made clear that lasting solutions will require coordinated, place‑based approaches, deeper collaboration, and potentially new public funding mechanisms.

Looking forward, success will mean reduced near‑term risk for at‑risk outlets, stronger statewide coordination among public and nonprofit media, and increased readiness to pursue sustainable, system‑level solutions.

The lessons of 2025 affirmed the Foundation’s role not only as a grantmaker, but as a convener, partner, and steward of Colorado’s local information ecosystem—working to ensure all Coloradans can access trustworthy, high‑quality local news and information in the years ahead. The Colorado Media Project (CMP) emerged as a central force in the state’s response to public media disruption.

As the Foundation’s primary ecosystem‑level intermediary, CMP played a critical role in coordinating philanthropic resources, distributing stabilization funding, and convening funders and news organizations during a period of uncertainty.

In direct response to federal CPB funding cuts, CMP directed $1 million in general operating support in 2025 to 11 Colorado public media outlets, prioritizing rural stations and high‑need communities that rely heavily on public media for local news and information. These dollars provided both immediate stabilization and support with longer-term transformation efforts.

“At a moment when Colorado’s news ecosystem was under real strain, the Colorado Media Project gave us a way to act at the scale of the challenge. CMP allowed funders to move beyond fragmented, short‑term responses and instead align around shared infrastructure, collaboration, and long‑term sustainability.

By treating our information ecosystem as essential civic infrastructure, CMP helped stabilize the field while also pointing toward a more resilient future for local news in Colorado. ” — Kimberly Spencer, Executive Director, Colorado Media Project CMP also began laying the groundwork for deeper system change, including shared services, strengthened partnerships among outlets, and early exploration of public funding pathways.

Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press: The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press (RCFP) strengthens the legal and safety infrastructure that enables journalists to serve the public.

Through legal representation, training, and resources, RCFP helps news organizations navigate open records laws, defend First Amendment rights, and maintain public access to government information—especially in moments of heightened legal and political pressure.

In 2025, Informed Communities supported RCFP’s Colorado‑based media law attorney position, reinforcing the legal backbone that local journalism depends on to function effectively. This investment helped ensure that reporters across the state—particularly those with limited in‑house legal capacity—could access expert guidance and support as they pursued accountability reporting and public‑interest journalism.

Latia Henderson, Director of Strategic Communications and Informed Communities COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT – 2025 YEAR IN REVIEW The Gates Family Foundation’s Community Development program works to expand economic opportunities and strengthen the community assets that help Colorado residents thrive.

In 2025, our grantmaking focused on two strategic priorities: Economic Mobility , which supports pathways to quality jobs, entrepreneurship, and financial stability; and Equitable Community Assets, which advances affordable housing, food access, community‑serving real estate, and neighborhood well‑ Together, these priorities reflect our belief that economic mobility is shaped not only by individual opportunity, but also by the strength of the community’s people call home.

This year, we were privileged to work alongside partners whose resilience, creativity, and deep connection to community guided our efforts. Their work unfolded during a period of significant external volatility, including rising construction costs, federal policy shifts, and statewide budget constraints.

Over the year, the Foundation awarded funding supporting organizations that are building more equitable systems and expanding opportunities across the state. In 2025, our team also hired and onboarded new Senior Program Officer, Helen Katich, and deepened relationships with partners. In 2025, the Community Development program awarded 26 grants totaling $1.

23 million. Community Development Context: 2025 Colorado’s community development landscape continued to reflect both persistent challenges and emerging opportunities in 2025. Housing affordability remains one of the most pressing issues facing the state .

Tariffs on lumber, steel, and gypsum continued to drive construction costs, and many affordable housing developments struggled to complete their capital stacks. Proposition 123, now in its second year of implementation, funded more than 8,000 units statewide; however, many projects still faced financing gaps averaging approximately 15 percent.

At the same time, state and local governments navigated new housing laws aimed at reducing barriers to increasing housing supply, with a particular focus on affordable options for low‑ to middle‑income Coloradans. The year also included a prolonged federal government shutdown, which threatened SNAP benefits for more than 600,000 Coloradans and disrupted staffing at the Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI) Fund .

Reductions and uncertainty across federal programs, including Medicaid and community development funding, created instability for families and organizations providing essential services. These disruptions were felt most acutely by partners working in food access, small business support, and community‑serving real estate.

Workforce development systems continued to evolve as AI adoption accelerated across industries, reshaping entry ‑ level hiring and requiring training providers to adapt quickly . New statewide dashboards revealed wide variation in workforce program outcomes , underscoring the importance of data‑driven investment and highlighting organizations, such as ActivateWork, that consistently deliver strong earnings outcomes for participants.

At the same time, the rural entrepreneurship ecosystem continued to grow and sharpen through technical assistance, and partnerships focused on expanding access to capital . Rural communities developed locally driven solutions to challenges related to housing, transit, and workforce development, reinforcing the importance of sustained, relationship‑based engagement.

Community ‑ Centered Investments in Housing, Food, and Place In 2025, the Community Development program supported a wide range of partners advancing economic mobility and strengthening community assets across Colorado. Investments in Economic Mobility supported organizations working to expand workforce pathways, strengthen small business ecosystems, and build community capacity.

Partners such as Latino Leadership Institute, Mission Driven Finance, Small Capital, Community Builders, Startup Colorado, BEN Colorado, and ActivateWork played critical roles in helping Coloradans access meaningful work, build businesses, and pursue economic stability. Their efforts spanned urban and rural regions alike, reflecting the diverse needs and opportunities across the state.

Investments in Equitable Community Assets advanced affordable housing, food access, community planning, and land stewardship. Partners including CAST, Enterprise Community Partners, Commún, Western Colorado Alliance, Nourish Colorado, the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe, and Hugo Housing worked to preserve and expand community‑serving spaces, strengthen local food systems, and support neighborhood‑driven development.

Beyond grantmaking, staff contributed to several strategic initiatives. The Foundation supported research into a Proposition 123 “side ‑ car fund” to complement public investments, participated in the development of a statewide one ‑ stop funding portal to streamline housing incentives, and convened food access organizations to prepare for upcoming SNAP changes .

Staff also responded to time‑sensitive opportunities, including supporting a community benefits agreement for a new women’s soccer stadium and advancing a neighborhood needs assessments in Globeville ‑ Elyria ‑ Swansea . Across all quarters, the program’s work aligned closely with its strategic goals and was strengthened by the trust and collaboration of partners across the state.

The year offered important lessons about the resilience and ingenuity of Colorado’s community development ecosystem. The Foundation’s partners demonstrated adaptability in the face of policy volatility, economic uncertainty, and rising community needs.

Their work reinforced the importance of flexible philanthropic capital, especially housing projects facing unpredictable costs and organizations navigating shifting federal and state landscapes. The year also underscored the value of data transparency in workforce development, the need for innovative financing mechanisms in affordable housing, and the importance of sustained engagement with rural and tribal communities.

Howdy Partners is purpose ‑ built around a clear but often overlooked reality: while roughly 20 percent of Colorado’s population lives in rural communities, less than 1 percent of institutional venture capital reaches those places. The organization pairs institutional‑grade capital with deep, place‑based relationships to help close this gap and strengthen rural entrepreneurship.

“Rural communities are not innovation deserts—they are opportunity dense, capital light, and underestimated. ” — Marc Nager, Managing Partner, Howdy Partners Howdy Partners combines local trust networks built over more than 15 years, institutional investing discipline , and narrative amplification to elevate rural founders as drivers of statewide innovation.

Through partnerships with organizations such as Startup Colorado and locally rooted