Colorado Law Justice and Legal Services Grants

This grant provides funding to Colorado artists, activists, and organizations to implement projects that use the arts to promote social justice and improve community welfare.

The Rose Community Foundation is pleased to announce the funding opportunity for nonprofit organizations in the Greater Denver region. Donor Name: Rose Community Foundation State: Colorado County: Adams County (CO), Arapahoe County (CO), Boulder County (CO), Broomfield County (CO), Denver County (CO), Douglas County (CO) Type of Grant: Grant Deadline: (mm/dd/yyyy) 07/25/2024 Size of the Grant: $10,000 to $100,000 Grant Duration: 1 Year Details: The foundation seeks to fund a diverse slate of organizations engaging in equity-focused policy and advocacy work. Applicants may work at the state level, the local level or both and may pursue short- or long-term policy objectives. They aim to support policy efforts across a range of issues, representing a broad spectrum of approaches, perspectives, and populations served.  This grant cycle is intended to support Greater Denver’s diverse and dynamic ecosystem of organizations that leverage policy and advocacy efforts to help local communities furthest from opportunity create conditions for equity, justice, inclusion and engagement. Types of support  General Operating Support. To provide maximum flexibility for nonprofit organizations engaging in policy and advocacy work, They anticipate that most grants will be for general operating support.  Program or Project Support. Organizations that have a primary organizational focus that does not include policy and advocacy should apply for policy-specific program funding. Non-policy work will not be considered through this grant opportunity.  Organizations that do national or multi-state work should apply for program funding and specify that grant dollars would be used exclusively for local activities or statewide efforts that benefit our region.  Organizations applying on behalf of a coalition are required to apply for program funding.  501(c)(4) organizations are required to apply for program funding to distinguish from candidate or partisan work, which the Foundation cannot fund.  Any grant applicants may opt to have funding structured as program support if that is preferred.  Please note: Organizations that receive program or project support will be required to report direct and grassroots lobbying expenses, as applicable. Funding Information  Funding amounts will typically range from $15,000 to $75,000. Grant Duration  Most grant lengths will be one year. Eligibility Criteria This opportunity is open to nonprofit organizations – 501(c)(3)s and 501(c)(4)s – or fiscally sponsored projects serving the seven-county Greater Denver region (Adams, Arapahoe, Boulder, Broomfield, Denver, Douglas and Jefferson counties) or advancing statewide policy efforts that benefit those within that catchment area.  Local/municipal, state and federal government agencies are not eligible for this opportunity.  Organizations funded through donor-advised funds or giving circles at Rose Community Foundation are eligible for this opportunity, if other eligibility requirements are met.  Organizations that house endowments at Rose Community Foundation are eligible to apply, but like all other applicants, are not guaranteed a grant award.  Organizations that have received a separate grant from Rose Community Foundation in 2024 are unlikely to receive funding via this opportunity. They encourage organizations that think they may still be eligible to meet with Ray Barrie-Kivel, policy and advocacy manager, before beginning their application.  Organizations that have active multi-year grants from Rose Community Foundation are not eligible for this opportunity.  Rose Community Foundation has multiple open RFPs every year, and They encourage organizations that think they could be a fit for more than one opportunity to speak with a member of our grantmaking team before beginning their application. For more information, visit Rose Community Foundation.

The Caring for Denver Foundation is accepting proposals for its Alternatives to Jail grant. Donor Name: Caring for Denver Foundation State: Colorado County: Denver County (CO) Type of Grant: Grant Deadline: 05/08/2024 Size of the Grant: More than $1 million Grant Duration: Grant Duration Not Mentioned Details: Focus Areas  Foundation aims to fund a diversity of projects—from preventing people with substance misuse and mental health conditions from unnecessarily interacting with law enforcement or other aspects of the criminal legal system, to addressing mental health and substance misuse needs in jail or prison systems, to providing culturally responsive services based in community that promote mental health and address substance misuse for those impacted by the criminal legal system. Priorities  The Foundation will prioritize funding for projects and programs that address Denver’s mental health and substance misuse challenges in at least one of the areas below: Inclusive Access: Helps people access care and support in ways that make sense for them, in places that feel comfortable, and at times that fit their schedules, so they are better able to participate, learn, build skills, and address mental health and substance misuse issues. Attention to Fit: These projects ensure that when people seek care, they feel understood, connected, and respected by those providing that care, primarily through offering culturally designed and matched care options. These projects also support the mental health and substance misuse needs of those providing the supports so that they can be at their best as they support others. Care Over Time: Improve care transitions, making them easier and more seamless for people. The goal is to increase stability and minimize the starts and stops in mental health and substance misuse care. These projects are particularly important during transition times, including leaving the criminal legal system back into community. Funding Information The total amount available for all grant awards in this funding area is $14.4 million which includes a minimum of $4.8 million to City and County of Denver agencies. Applicants should consider the total amount available to organizations and agencies in the amount they request. Caring for Denver will evaluate grant budgets for their reasonableness and consider whether an organization has previously received a grant in allocation decisions. Eligibility Criteria Projects and activities supported by Caring for Denver’s grantmaking must serve or support only residents of the City and County of Denver (“City”). Caring for Denver’s general definition of residency is derived from the State of Colorado Medical Services Board Rule 8.607.1(F) around Areas of Service. The following individuals will be considered City residents by Caring for Denver: An individual physically residing full time in the City An individual experiencing homelessness presenting in the City and intending to stay in the City An individual, under 21 years of age and in the custody of Denver Human Services (“DHS”) An individual, under 18 years of age and in primary legal and residency custody of a City resident A non-City resident who is placed in a mental health and/or substance abuse program while in a City Jail. Applicants can be any nonprofit organization designated by the IRS as tax-exempt under IRC Section 501(c)(3), or under other sections of the U.S. tax code or fiscally sponsored by a 501(c)(3) nonprofit entity. If an organization does not have a 501(c)(3), has a pending 501(c)(3), is not in good standing, and/or does not have at least one year of tax returns and financial statements, it will be required to work with a fiscal sponsor. Applicants may also be an Indian or Native American entity. Government-supported entities, including schools, museums, or libraries, and City and County of Denver or State of Colorado agencies are eligible to apply. For more information, visit CDF.

OAJJA: Behavioral Health Information and Data Sharing Grant Program Overview: The Behavioral Health Information and Data Sharing Grant Program provides funding to support county jails in onboarding and integrating with the Colorado Trusted Interoperability Platform (CTIP). This initiative aims to exchange behavioral health, housing, and demographic information with the Colorado Integrated Criminal Justice Information System (CICJIS) to ensure continuity of care for individuals transitioning between criminal justice agencies and the community. Funding Details: Amount Available: $1,547,728 Award Period: December 1, 2024, to June 30, 2026 Match: Match is not required for this funding Restrictions: Supplanting of funds is not allowed. Program Description: Purpose of the Funds: The goal of the Behavioral Health Information and Data Sharing Grant Program, established by SB22-196, is to facilitate the exchange of behavioral health, housing, and demographic information with CICJIS. This exchange will be accomplished by establishing an information exchange platform within CICJIS to improve criminal justice, health, and safety outcomes. Statutory Authority: 24-33.5-532. Behavioral health information and data-sharing in the criminal justice system. Eligibility: Every Colorado county is eligible for a grant. Counties lacking an existing electronic jail management system infrastructure may face challenges in completing required activities. Eligible Activities: Integrating county jail data systems with CICJIS. Standardizing client-specific information through common data fields. Automating data reporting required by state and federal law. Required Application Components: All grant applications must address the following: Justifiable project costs. Plans to use technology meeting state standards. Addition of all data exchange requirements to the applicant's jail management system. Acknowledgment of the conditional nature of funding based on acceptance of the CICJIS participation agreement. Technical Assistance and Resources: The Office of Research and Statistics (ORS) provides technical assistance for the program. General technical support for the grant application process is available through webinars, office hours, and other means on the ORS website. Additional resources include a project conceptual document, the CICJIS Participation Agreement, FAQs, and applicant resources. Evaluation: Funding decisions involve consultation with relevant stakeholders. Applications will be evaluated based on: Capacity to integrate with the interoperability platform. Explanation of proposed processes for meeting eligible activities. Demonstration of justifiable costs. Denied applications may submit appeals within three days, focusing on clarifying information specific to the denial reasons. How To Apply: Applications must be completed and submitted through Colorado’s online application system, ZoomGrants, by Thursday, May 16, 2024, 5:00 PM MST. Inquiries regarding ZoomGrants can be directed to [email protected].

This grant path focuses on the prevention of unintentional and intentional firearm-related harm through education and community outreach specifically around safe storage and Extreme Risk Protection Orders (ERPOs). The goal is to reduce unauthorized firearm access and educate at-risk individuals and their communities about temporary out-of-home gun storage options. Projects under this path should focus on promoting, educating, and providing access to firearm safe storage and/or lethal means counseling. Additionally, they should educate the public on ERPOs as a legal mechanism for temporarily reducing access to firearms for individuals deemed at risk of harming themselves or others. Grants are targeted towards organizations that can deliver these educational services effectively within Colorado communities. Applicants must attend a pre-application webinar