Grant for Youth-Serving Nonprofits Supporting BIPOC and LGBTQIA2S+ Young People

Grant for Youth-Serving Nonprofits Supporting BIPOC and LGBTQIA2S+ Young People is sponsored by Colorado Health Foundation. This opportunity supports mission-aligned projects and measurable outcomes.

**How competitive is this funding opportunity? ** It is highly competitive. We will likely only be able to fund 15-25% of applications.

**What does the application process look like? ** Once you apply, there will be several layers of internal review of your request. We may reach out with questions, or schedule time to connect or conduct a site visit.

We will try to provide a decision to all applicants within 90 days of the application deadline. **What should our evaluation look like? ** We are interested in a variety of types of evaluation.

We appreciate organizations that use evaluation to learn and improve their programming. We recognize that the concepts we are focusing on can be difficult to measure, and trust organizations to explore evaluation that makes sense for them. **Can we apply for multiple chapters/programs at once?

** Yes, if your organization has multiple chapters or programs, you can include them in **one application**. Please explain how they are connected and how, if they are separate programs, each helps to contribute to the criteria we are looking for. **Can you get a renewal grant after the first two years?

Is there a standard time between an initial grant and a renewal application? ** Yes, while there is not a separate process for renewal grants, we will consider renewing a program/organization after their first grant ends. There is no set break period between grants.

However, you cannot receive two grants from this funding opportunity at the same time. So please wait to apply until you are within 3-4 months of your current grant ending. **Note: if your programming is in a rural area and is more informal, you are trying to reach young people virtually, or your focus is on young adults, please reach out.

We will not fund your work through this funding opportunity, but there may be other ways we can partner. ** **Do we still meet the criteria if we only focus on BIPOC young people or only focus on LGBTQ+ young people, but not both? ** Yes.

Programs can be focused on BIPOC **and/or** LGBTQIA2S+ young people. They do not have to focus on both. However, young people from both groups must feel safe and welcome, and we value intersectional work.

**Will you consider programs that include young people who are not BIPOC/LGBTQ+? ** Yes. While our criteria include that specific demographic focus, we do not have a minimum percentage and will consider programs that include other young people.

This is especially important given our understanding of rural contexts across the state. **We do not track demographic criteria. Are we still eligible to apply?

** Yes, however, please provide your best guess or an explanation of who you believe you are serving in your application so that we can understand. **Do we still meet the criteria if we only meet the minimum time requirements for summer, or only for the school year, but not both? ** Yes.

Programming can be over the summer (3 weeks, minimum of 75 hours) **and/or** over the school year (minimum of 35 hours). Programs only need to meet the minimum hours for one or the other, even if they have programming during both time periods. **We serve a large geographic area or multiple regions of the state.

How do we know if we qualify for the rural or urban standard? ** We evaluate these criteria with an understanding of your context. Make your best guess based on who most of your program participants are and where they live.

**Our program focuses on a specific demographic group (e.g., young people living with a disability, young people involved in the juvenile legal system, etc.). Could my program qualify? ** Yes.

We will still evaluate your program based on a focus on LGBTQ+/BIPOC young people. However, we are interested in supporting organizations who have an intersectional focus. **How many young people need to be served by our program?

** We fund a range of programs. Some of them take a broad approach and reach hundreds of young people. Some of them take a deep approach and reach fewer than twenty.

### **Types of Programming** **Will you fund in-school programming? ** We will not fund programming that is part of classroom work in a school (curriculum). Programs can occur physically within a school, and even during the day as long as they are outside of instructional time and not for school credit.

**Will you fund clinical mental health programs? ** No, we will not fund clinical supports through this funding opportunity. **Will you fund 1:1 mentoring?

** No, we will not fund programs that are exclusively 1:1 mentoring. If a mentorship program also includes extensive group/community programming that allows young people to develop relationships with each other and trusted adults, we will consider it. **Will you fund programs that are focused on physical activity/sports?

** Yes, we are open to considering programs focused on physical activity as long as they also meet all of the rest of the criteria. This can include sports-focused programming. **Will you fund programs that require payment to participate?

** Yes. However, the Colorado Health Foundation prioritizes Coloradans living on low income, and we want to ensure that everyone can participate. We expect organizations to have a thoughtful sliding scale/scholarship program for us to consider funding them.

**Will you consider funding current programming, expansion of programming, planning grants, and/or new programs? ** Yes, we will consider funding current programming, new programming, and expansion of programming. We will not fund planning grants.

**Are there any funding opportunity specific rules about the budget? ** No. Organizations must apply for program/project support. Your budget can include funding for staff, materials/supplies, and stipends for young people, among other things.

We will not fund capital grants. **Can we include indirect or overhead funding as part of our budget? ** Yes.

We generally consider funding up to 10% indirect costs. However, there is no line-item budget required as part of this application. Note: While a line-item budget is no longer required, you will need to provide a financial narrative that explains how you plan to spend the funds at a high level.

**Can you apply with partner organizations, and provide funding for them as part of the application? ** Yes. However, one organization will have to apply and manage the funds.