Resilience Fund: Collaboration Grants
Supports Boulder County nonprofit collaborations that strengthen capacity and make better use of resources to serve community needs.
Resilience Fund: Collaboration Grants
Overview and award details
The Community Foundation Boulder County’s Resilience Fund: Collaboration Grants supports nonprofit collaborations serving Boulder County. It funds groups exploring whether a shared approach is feasible or establishing shared work to strengthen capacity and make better use of resources. A proposal focused on one organization’s internal needs without a shared effort does not match the published purpose. Read the program page.
The foundation plans seven awards of $5,000 each, for $35,000 total. The grant period is 12 months. These are fixed awards; consult the official request for proposals (RFP) for controlling terms. The RFP says a final report is due 30 days after the grant period ends. Official RFP (PDF).
| At a glance | Published details |
|---|---|
| Funder | Community Foundation Boulder County |
| Award | $5,000 per grant; seven grants, $35,000 total |
| Grant period | 12 months |
| Geography | Boulder County; one award is reserved for arts and culture activity within Boulder city limits |
| Eligible applicants | IRS 501(c)(3) public charities; groups without that status may apply with a fiscal sponsor |
| Deadline | December 31, 2026, at 5:00 p.m. |
| Review | Ongoing; decisions are communicated about six to eight weeks after submission |
| Program status | Open, according to the official program page |
What kinds of collaboration can the grant support?
The RFP describes funding for collaborative work that either assesses feasibility or establishes shared work. The emphasis is on strengthening nonprofit capacity and responding to community needs. Examples named in the RFP include shared finance, payroll, human resources, information technology, or grant administration; co-located space; joint management roles; formal partnerships; and mergers. These examples range from sharing a service to considering a deeper organizational combination; they are not a ranking of preferred models. RFP.
Eligible costs may include consultant fees, legal assistance, planning, and implementation. Connect requested expenses to the shared work. Explain how a cost supports assessing or establishing the collaboration. The brief does not specify category caps or cost sharing; check the RFP and portal for details.
The RFP excludes single-organization capacity work, starting an organization or service, direct program delivery, and general operating expenses. A project can have community benefit and still fall outside this program if the grant request pays for ordinary operations or delivers a service directly rather than supporting collaboration. Applicants should describe the joint work itself and make clear how it differs from each partner’s regular operations. RFP.
Who should apply and eligibility
This opportunity is a fit for eligible Boulder County public charities that have identified a specific capacity or resource challenge they can address together. Potential applicants may be at an early stage, assessing whether collaboration is workable, or may already be ready to plan or implement a shared arrangement. The brief does not say that partners must have a particular legal structure or that a collaboration must already be formalized. Confirm any partner or governance requirements in the RFP or grant portal rather than assuming that an informal conversation is enough.
Eligible applicants are IRS 501(c)(3) public charities. A group that does not hold 501(c)(3) status may apply with a fiscal sponsor. Private non-operating foundations are ineligible. If the applicant is using a sponsor, clarify which organization will submit and how the sponsor arrangement should be represented in the application; the supplied brief confirms sponsorship as an eligibility route but does not state the portal’s procedure or required sponsor paperwork. RFP.
Activities must take place in Boulder County. One of the seven grants is specifically for arts and culture activities within Boulder city limits. The other five non-arts-restricted grants may support any focus area in the county. The supplied facts account for one arts-restricted and five non-arts-restricted grants, while also stating seven awards overall; they do not explain the restriction on the remaining award. Applicants should consult the RFP for the complete award allocation rather than infer an additional category. Arts and culture applicants should verify that the proposed activity is within Boulder city limits to fit the designated award. RFP.
There is an application limit: an applicant may submit or be included in only one application. Collaborating organizations should coordinate before filing. A group appearing as a partner in one submission should not assume it can submit a separate application for a different project. Resolve participation across potential proposals with the other organizations and review the RFP if there is any uncertainty about what counts as being included.
How to Apply
The foundation directs applicants to review the RFP and then apply through the grant portal linked from the official program page. Start with the full RFP so the group can confirm the purpose, exclusions, eligibility, and any instructions beyond the facts summarized here. Access the portal from the program page. After submission, applicants receive a confirmation email according to the RFP; keep that message as evidence that the application went through. Program page and portal link.
Before entering the portal, agree on who will act as applicant, which organizations are partners, and what shared work the request will support. The published brief confirms that collaboration may involve feasibility assessment or establishing shared work, but it does not publish application questions, required attachments, budget forms, letters, or a specific narrative format. Do not treat common grant materials as required unless the portal or RFP asks for them. Check the live portal for its actual fields and upload instructions, and contact the foundation through the channels listed on its official site if an instruction is unclear.
Applications are reviewed on an ongoing basis by foundation staff and community representatives. The brief does not describe scoring criteria or promise an award decision on a particular date. The foundation communicates decisions about six to eight weeks after submission, so an applicant should allow for that review window when planning. Because review is ongoing, the published deadline should not be interpreted as the only point when applications are considered. RFP.
Timeline and deadlines
The official program page lists the opportunity as open and says applications are accepted through December 31, 2026, at 5:00 p.m. It also says grantees are announced on an ongoing basis. Submit through the linked portal before the deadline and confirm submission. The source does not specify a time zone for the 5:00 p.m. cutoff; check the portal or foundation’s current instructions if the time zone affects your submission planning. Program page.
Review occurs as applications arrive, and decisions are communicated about six to eight weeks after submission. That estimate is a communication window, not a guaranteed decision date. The grant period lasts 12 months, and the final report is due 30 days after the period ends. The supplied information does not identify when a particular award’s 12-month period begins, so applicants should confirm the start date and reporting calendar if selected. RFP.
Preparation and common mistakes
The following are preparation suggestions, not published application requirements. First, write a concise description of the shared challenge: what resource or capacity issue affects the participating organizations, why addressing it together makes sense, and what the grant-funded work will accomplish during the 12-month period. This helps distinguish a collaboration project from a request for one organization’s ordinary operating or program costs.
Second, clarify the proposed arrangement with each partner. Identify which organizations are involved, what each expects to contribute, what decisions remain open, and whether the work is a feasibility study or a move toward implementing shared work. These points may help explain the project, but are not confirmed required fields or attachments. Check the portal’s questions before preparing supporting material.
Third, map proposed expenses to the allowed purpose. Consultant fees, legal assistance, planning, and implementation are among the eligible cost examples. Keep the request focused on those collaboration activities, and screen out costs that would amount to single-organization capacity work, launching an organization or service, direct program delivery, or general operating support. The brief does not provide detailed budget rules, so check the RFP and portal for any restrictions or format requirements.
Common avoidable mismatches include applying as an ineligible entity without an eligible fiscal sponsor; proposing activities outside Boulder County; submitting or joining more than one application; treating direct service delivery as collaboration planning; or relying on assumptions about attachments. Arts and culture applicants should pay special attention to the Boulder city limits restriction for the designated award. Verify location and the one-application limit with partners, and use the portal to resolve open questions.
Frequently asked questions
Can a group without 501(c)(3) status apply?
Yes, the published eligibility information says a group without 501(c)(3) status may apply with a fiscal sponsor. It does not explain the sponsor’s required documentation or the portal’s process, so confirm those details in the RFP or portal. Private non-operating foundations are ineligible. RFP.
Does a collaboration have to be a merger?
No such requirement appears in the supplied brief. A merger is one example among several, including shared back-office functions, co-location, joint management roles, and formal partnerships. The program supports work to assess feasibility as well as work to establish shared activity. Applicants should describe the arrangement they are actually considering rather than imply a more advanced commitment than exists.
Can grant funds pay for regular services or general expenses?
The RFP says direct program delivery and general operating expenses are excluded. It also excludes single-organization capacity work and starting an organization or service. Eligible cost examples include consultant fees, legal assistance, planning, and implementation when they support the collaboration purpose. Check the official materials for budget details not included in the brief.
What documents and application questions are required?
The brief does not list portal questions or required attachments. The foundation instructs applicants to review the RFP and apply through the linked portal. Check the live portal for the current fields, upload requirements, and submission steps; do not infer requirements from another grant application.
When will applicants hear back?
Applications are reviewed on an ongoing basis, and the foundation communicates decisions about six to eight weeks after submission. Grantees are announced on an ongoing basis. Treat the stated review period as an estimate and use the foundation’s official channels for questions about a submitted application.