Community Trust Grant

Community Trust is a grantmaking initiative of the Community Foundation Boulder County designed to address diverse and evolving needs across Boulder County, Colorado. As a locally focused philanthropic program, Community Trust funds efforts in animal care and welfare, arts and culture, civic engagement, education, environment, and health and human services. Each of these focus areas is intended to strengthen the fabric of the local community by supporting organizations that address systemic challenges and improve quality of life for residents. The foundation has been a trusted community partner, managing this fund with input from local stakeholders to ensure community needs remain at the forefront of its giving strategy. The Community Trust operates through a highly participatory model. Every year, over 90 Boulder County residents volunteer more than 2,500 hours to review grant proposals. These community reviewers play a direct role in shaping funding decisions, with Community Foundation staff facilitating the process and presenting final recommendations to organizational leadership. This approach ensures that funding is not only responsive to current issues but also informed by those with deep connections to the community. The grant review process exemplifies a collaborative, grassroots approach to philanthropy, distinguishing it from more centralized or opaque funding models. The 2026 Community Trust grant cycle opens on April 1, 2026, and closes at 5:00 p.m. on May 1, 2026. All applications must be submitted online during this window, and once submitted, applicants receive a confirmation email. No late or unsolicited applications are accepted outside the designated period. Final award decisions will be announced in mid-August 2026. The foundation has streamlined its application and reporting procedures to reduce the administrative burden on applicants. For instance, the final reporting process is flexible: grantees can choose from various formats such as a brief report, video, blog post, or an existing annual report. Funding from Community Trust is provided as general operating support, offering recipients flexibility in how they allocate funds. This is particularly valuable for nonprofits seeking to strengthen internal capacity or respond dynamically to emergent needs. Grant awards will range from $3,000 to $9,000, with a minimum award size of $3,000. In the 2025 cycle, the fund distributed a total of $377,000 to 100 organizations, highlighting the breadth of its reach and commitment to smaller, community-based efforts. The number and size of awards suggest that funding is intended to have targeted, community-level impact across multiple sectors. The application process is unified across all eligible program areas, meaning that organizations apply only once, regardless of the issue area they work within. The fund does not require pre-application steps such as letters of intent or concept papers. Eligibility is open to nonprofit organizations operating in Boulder County; the grant program does not accept applications from individuals, businesses, or entities outside this geographic area. Specific eligibility conditions—such as 501(c)(3) status and operating location—are expected but not exhaustively detailed on the public-facing materials. Interested applicants are encouraged to check the foundation's website when the application window opens, as the Request for Proposals (RFP) and any additional documentation will be posted then. No PDF guidelines were found prior to the cycle opening. For questions, the foundation can be contacted via email at [email protected] or by phone at 303-442-0436. This community-based model, combined with flexible funding and streamlined processes, positions the Community Trust as a locally embedded and responsive grantmaking mechanism that supports a wide array of nonprofit activity in Boulder County.