Cool Homes Mini-Grants

Cool Homes Mini-Grants is sponsored by City and County of Denver Office of Climate Action, Sustainability and Resiliency. These grants are available to community-based organizations and nonprofits to help low-income households in Denver install portable AC units to community members most vulnerable to extreme heat.

Cool Homes Mini-Grants - City and County of Denver opens in new tab or window These links change page section content below 2026 Cool Home Mini Grant Recipients Climate change is making our summers hotter, which means living without cooling is more dangerous. Extreme heat threatens human health and well-being.

Denver’s Office of Climate Action, Sustainability and Resiliency is providing up to $50,000 to organizations to purchase, distribute, and install eligible cooling equipment in Denver’s heat-vulnerable neighborhoods. Equipment can include, but is not limited to, air conditioning units and cold climate heat pumps.

This program will prioritize outreach and distribution to seniors (aged 65 or older) and people with pre-existing health conditions. Other targeted outreach communities include: People living in NEST Neighborhoods We are looking for organizations with strong community ties to one or more of the targeted outreach communities, the infrastructure to purchase, distribute, and install the cooling equipment within the community.

Funding applications are now closed for 2026. Organizations applying for this funding must: Have demonstrable ties within their communities, especially within the senior community or one or more of the targeted outreach communities.

Have the organizational infrastructure to: Identify community members to receive cooling equipment Purchase, distribute and install the cooling equipment in recipients’ homes Track and report community impacts and outcomes. Have the ability to focus efforts in one or more of Denver’s NEST neighborhoods and verify participant eligibility. Provide a Certificate of Good Standing from the Colorado Secretary of State.

For nonprofits: Provide proof of tax-exempt status or copy of the fiscal sponsor’s tax-exempt status (see the Additional Information section for more details on this requirement). See the Scope of Work (SoW) section, next, for a full list of tasks we expect awardees to complete.

Selected organizations will be expected to complete each of the following items: Community Outreach, Eligibility, and Intake Conduct outreach through locations such as senior centers, food pantries, and in-person presentations at community meetings. Utilize community navigators or similar mechanisms to conduct door-to-door visits, if needed, and provide information in the residents' preferred languages.

Facilitate landlord permission letter, when applicable. Bilingual intake must occur before equipment purchase . The intake form will be created by the city and will assess: Individual address within the City and County of Denver Attestation of self-reported need for home cooling support Window type and dimensions Ability to accommodate cooling equipment Maintain a waitlist for households that cannot be immediately served.

Purchase eligible cooling equipment, such as ENERGY STAR-rated AC units or cold climate heat pumps Equipment selection must prioritize: Appropriate room coverage. Provide delivery and installation by trained staff Include all required supplemental materials (e.g., window kits, drip trays, extension cords, sealing materials) Installation must comply with safety standards and manufacturer guidance.

Provide simple, accessible instructions on s afe use and basic maintenance Answer participant questions at the time of installation. Pre-installation socio-demographic survey (target ≥80% response). A downloadable template is provided by the city.

Post-installation satisfaction survey administered at least one month after installation. A downloadable template is provided by the city.

Final report documenting: Number of individuals served and demographics of populations served Challenges and lessons learned All households must be identified early in the contract period Installation must be completed no later than 1–2 months before contract end Cooling installations must align with peak heat season and to be complete by October 30, 2026 .

Where the applicant program is not separately incorporated as a nonprofit, the fiscal sponsor must serve as the legal grantee and execute the grant agreement on behalf of the program. Applicants working with a fiscal sponsor must clearly identify the sponsor in the application and provide all required documentation (including certificate of good standing and 501(c)(3) determination letter).

Any fiscal sponsorship or administrative fees charged to the grant must be: Clearly justified and directly attributable to grant-related work; Reasonable and proportional to the scope of services provided; and Generally capped at 10% of the total grant amount, consistent with federal indirect cost limitations and City practice.

Fees exceeding this threshold will be subject to additional review and may require justification or adjustment prior to award. Organization shall maintain Commercial General Liability coverage with limits of $1,000,000 for each occurrence, and property damage occurrence, $2,000,000 products and completed operations aggregate (if applicable), and $2,000,000 policy aggregate.

For Worker's Compensation Insurance, Organizations shall maintain the coverage as required by statute and shall maintain Employer's Liability insurance with limits of $100,000 for each bodily injury occurrence claim, $100,000 for each bodily injury caused by disease claim, and $500,000 aggregate for all bodily injuries caused by disease claims.

If the entity is a non-profit and is covered under a third party for their WC, provide a document showing the coverage. For automobile insurance, if the Organization is a business that owns vehicles, then the Organization shall maintain the Business Automobile coverage with minimum limits of $1,000,000 combined single limit applicable to all owned, hired and non-owned vehicles used in performing services under the Agreement.

If the Organization is not a business or is a business that does not own any vehicles, then Participant shall ensure that personal automobile insurance is in force with current state minimum limits for all vehicles used in performing services under the Agreement. 2026 Cool Home Mini Grant Recipients Are you a community member hoping to work with one of our nonprofit awardees to get a cooling unit?

Review the organizational information below to see if you qualify based on your neighborhood or status. If you believe you qualify to work with one of our partners, please reach out to them directly. Focus Points Family Resource Center At Focus Points, we believe that a strong family is made up of thriving individuals.

This means that both children and caregivers have the support they need to pursue their goals. Our multigenerational programs meet families’ needs by connecting them to resources to build healthy, strong families. Address: 2501 E.

48th Ave, Denver, CO, 80216 Service Area: Globeville/Elyria-Swansea (GES) neighborhoods and surrounding areas. Spanish-speaking individuals and families Other underserved communities.

Contact Information: Mayra Aviña, (303) 292-0770 Learn More About Focus Points Family Resource Center Bright Leaf Inc. is a Colorado nonprofit dedicated to helping low‑income and disabled seniors and veterans remain safe, supported, and independent in their own homes. We provide free food boxes, free home services, and essential resources that make aging in place possible for those who need it most.

Bright Leaf Inc. is no longer accepting new requests for equipment.

Service Area: Denver-wide, prioritizing NEST neighborhoods and other high-vulnerability areas Denver seniors, with an emphasis on those living in high-vulnerability areas Contact Information: Steve Olguin, (303) 641-8754 Learn More About Bright Leaf Inc. Colorado Changemakers Collective Our program model sets us apart from other organizations in that we set out to empower our community through collective knowledge-creation and collective transformation, as well as by providing much-needed services to marginalized communities.

We utilize engagement specialists we call promotoras to be able to accomplish this goal. Colorado Changemakers Collective is no longer taking new requests for equipment.

Service Area : Montbello Neighborhood (zip code 80239) Households at or below 80% of Denver's average median income Individuals with disabilities Households with members who have medical conditions Contact Information : Carlos Herrera, carlos@colectivacreandocambiosencolorado.

org , (720) 385-9173 OR (720) 257-9860 (ask for the Cool Homes program, texting okay) Learn More About Colorado Changemakers Collective Address: 6260 E Colfax Ave, Denver, CO 80220 Service Area : All Denver NEST Neighborhoods Adults aged 50 and older living with HIV, recruited through a partner organization serving this population Contact Information: Erin Burk-Leaver and Haley Sanner, aging@coloradohealthnetwork.

org , (303) 921-2283 Learn More About Colorado Health Network