How the Colorado Trust Gives Locally for Health Equity

Grants include support for grassroots advocacy groups. Photo: KinoAlyse/shutterstock

Grants include support for grassroots advocacy groups. Photo: KinoAlyse/shutterstock

While many health legacy foundations across the country are relatively new, the Colorado Trust dates back more than three decades to 1985. This Denver-based grantmaker formed when the nonprofit PSL Healthcare Corporation was sold to a for-profit organization, and it makes grants in a few different ways.

Here’s a look at how the Colorado Trust has been giving locally and how health-focused nonprofits can secure its support in the future.

A health equity approach

Like many health conversion funders, the Colorado Trust has adopted a strategy that revolves around health equity. This approach encompasses a broad view of health and addresses local needs related to housing, transportation, employment, education, the natural environment and public safety. The trust periodically offers one-time limited grants as health equity investments. It also issues occasional requests for proposals for its Health Equity Learning Series and Health Equity Advocacy strategy.

Specific areas of focus

While health equity is the driving force behind most of what the Colorado Trust does, there are a few different areas of focus that potential grantees should be familiar with. For instance, the trust’s community partnerships strategy aims to develop local leaders, build infrastructure and take collective action. This grantmaker is also involved in health policy and advocacy efforts, as well as health and data information. In the past, the Colorado Trust has worked to further a bullying prevention initiative, supported convening efforts to bring leaders together and promoted rural philanthropy through a twice-yearly giving campaign.

Support for fundraising and events

Be it a health legacy funder or otherwise, it is often a challenge to find a foundation that will consider paying for fundraising efforts and special events. However, the Colorado Trust sets aside a limited amount of funds each year for those purposes. Organizations must share the trust’s health equity vision and can typically secure between $1,500 to $3,000 per sponsorship. There are three deadlines per year to secure a sponsorship, based on when an event is scheduled to occur.

Grant opportunities come and go

Rather than fund according to consistent grant cycles and deadlines, the Colorado Trust prefers to keep things more open-ended. When a new grant opportunity is available, it simply posts information about it on its website. The best way to keep up with new opportunities is to sign up for the funder’s news updates by email. There are opportunities here not only for nonprofit grants, but also for fiscal sponsorships and for government and public agencies that work on health issues.

You can learn more about the Colorado Trust and other funders that give to health nonprofits in Colorado by browsing IP’s Mountain States funding guide.