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Funding & Technical Assistance
Community Resource Center Funder Connections Webinar:
Colorado Housing and Finance Authority (CHFA)
March 19 | 10:30 am | Register here. CHFA funding opportunities will be highlighted in this webinar. Participants will gain insight and information on funding Initiatives and grant opportunities, grant application submission and review process, tips for success from the foundation officer. CHFA supports nonprofits and community led initiatives that advance housing stability and economic prosperity in Colorado.
Colorado Local Legal Support Program
Details here. The Governor’s Office of Federal Funds and Strategic Initiatives (OFFSI), in partnership with the Colorado Department of Local Affairs (DOLA), recently launched the Colorado Local Legal Support Program. This new public-private initiative is the first of its kind to provide broad-spectrum legal support to local governments and non-profit organizations as they navigate federal funding challenges in Colorado.
DOLA Housing Planning Grant Program
Funding cycle open March 2- 30 | Details here. Colorado Department of Local Affairs' HPLN Grant Program offers funding to support Housing Needs Assessments, Housing Action Plans, and Comprehensive Plan Elements (strategic growth and water supply).
Colorado Forest Legacy Program
Deadline: May 1 | Details here. The Colorado State Forest Service (CSFS) established the Forest Legacy Program (FLP) in collaboration with the U.S. Forest Service to conserve environmentally, economically, and culturally important forests in Colorado. Through the FLP, the CSFS conserves forests through the establishment of conservation easements on private land or by purchasing private land for public use. Private landowners, land trust, and municipalities are eligible participants and are encouraged to learn more and apply.
Apprenticeship Colorado Youth Engagement Grants
Deadline: April 3 | Details here. These are competitive awards to support organizations that will pilot strategies that increase awareness of, access to, and participation in Registered Apprenticeship Programs for youth ages 16-24 in Colorado. Entities that are eligible to apply for the Youth Engagement Grants include single organizations or groups of organizations that are positioned to increase access to Registered Apprenticeship Programs for youth.
YouthBuild Grant Program
Deadline: March 2 | Details here. The U.S. Department of Labor has announced YouthBuild Program funding to develop pre-apprenticeships and career pathways for young people. These grants are designed to provide education, occupational skills training, and job services for individuals ages 16-24 in communities with low labor force participation. The funding will support programs in high-demand fields like construction, IT, and healthcare, with a new focus on incorporating AI literacy skills.
Community Schoolyards Grant Program
Applications open March 2 thru April 1 | Details here. The new Community Schoolyards Grant Program, an initiative created under HB25-1061 designed to fund the planning, design, and capital construction of innovative community schoolyards across Colorado,
offers a single grant opportunity that encompasses both the planning and design, and capital construction phases for innovative community schoolyards. This unified approach aims to streamline the funding process, supporting projects from formal design to completion.
Scholarship applications now open for CML 2026 Annual Conference
Details here. Get ready for CML’s can’t-miss event of the year! The 104th CML Annual Conference returns June 22-25, 2026, in beautiful Westminster, Colorado, and scholarship applications are now open.
Colorado CHIPS Community Support Program
Deadline: May 31 | Details here. Cycle 5 of the Colorado CHIPS Community Support Program is officially open. This program is a suite of three reimbursement grants that are available to local, county, and tribal governments; regional economic development organizations; and consortia led by those governments and organizations to identify, develop, and market local assets that are relevant to the semiconductor and advanced industries ecosystems. If your community is interested in developing these industries, please follow this link to apply.
Climate Smart Communities Initiative Grants
Deadline: March 12, 2026. | Details here. The Climate Smart Communities Initiative (CSCI) is now accepting applications from communities looking to accelerate their climate resiliency plans and projects. Awards range from $75,000-$115,000. The funds can be used over a twelve-month period to advance a range of activities including risk assessments, community engagement, and implementation.
Resources & News
Colorado Population Summary Released
View report here | On Feb. 19, the Colorado State Demography Office (SDO) published the Colorado Population Summary, an interactive report including charts and maps summarizing vintage 2024 data, including population estimates up to 2024 and projections from 2025 to 2060.
Tariff Refund Act of 2026 Introduced by Sen. Hickenlooper
U.S. Senator John Hickenlooper and 21 of his Senate colleagues introduced the Tariff Refund Act of 2026 to aimed to refund businesses who paid tariffs. The legislation comes after the U.S. Supreme Court voted to abolish the tariffs last Friday. This bill would require small businesses to be paid back first and builds on Hickenlooper’s Small Business RELIEF Act.
Colorado's Population Exceeds Six Million
Details here. On Jan. 27, the U.S. Census Bureau published its vintage 2025 estimates for state populations as of July 1, 2025. These estimates are considered the “official” Census Bureau population estimates for years between the decennial census counts. Vintage 2025 county population estimates will be published in March, and municipal estimates in May 2026. The State Demography Office incorporates information from these estimates into their annual population estimates, which will be published in late October 2026. Learn more in the Census Bureau press release and vintage 2025 tables.
Resilience Hubs
Learn more here. On February 11, the Colorado Resiliency Office staff presented on the “Physical Infrastructure and Social Capacity” panel at the Colorado Emergency Management Conference. The CRO Team presented on a multi-pronged approach to resilience hubs in the face of disaster and recovery. The panel highlighted how resilience hubs serve as flexible spaces for communities, supporting resilience before, during, and after emergencies, and the role resilience hubs can play in strengthening the connection between community engagement and traditional emergency management.
Colorado Department of Local Affairs Local Community Funding Guide
The Division of Local Government (DLG) created this comprehensive resource to help local governments and nonprofit community organizations navigate the funding sources available through a variety of Federal and State programs. While not an exhaustive list, this guide is updated frequently as new information is available.
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