Training Opportunities & Events

Webinar: Paid Leave in the Time of Covid and Beyond
January 18 | 9:30 a.m. - 11 a.m. | Register here. Offered by Colorado Workforce Centers. Join Employers Council attorney Tina Harkness and the Northwest Colorado Workforce Area for a free event where you'll learn about employer responsibilities regarding paid leave, quarantine and vaccinations.
Topics include the details on Public Health Emergency Leave; How to implement requirements of the Health Families and Workplaces Act; What federal regulations are still in effect.

Colorado Resiliency Virtual Summit
January 20 | 1 p.m. - 3 p.m. | Hosted by Colorado Dept. of Local Affairs' Resiliency Office | Register here
Theme: Transformational Recovery: address root causes; catapults communities towards the future they want, and become a catalyst for more action. Breakout sessions: housing attainability; community capacity; food and agriculture; future-ready economy and workforce; climate and natural hazards.

Summit Biz Bootcamp powered by CO.STARTERS Winter 2022 Cohort
9-week program starting February 2, 2022 | More info and apply here. The program meets weekly on Wednesday evenings starting on Feb. 2 (6-8 pm) and will be primarily virtual with some sessions in person in Summit County (depending on public health orders).  The Summit Biz Bootcamp is a 9-week business development program that is powered by CO.STARTERS and brought to you by the Summit Prosperity Initiative, the economic development arm of the Summit Chamber. This is a program developed to help and support new and existing business owners and entrepreneurs with workshops, guest speakers, mentoring, coaching and educational classes. It's an interactive program with hands-on learning and activities.

Saving Places 2022 Hybrid Conference: Perspectives in Preservation
February 7-8/9 | Register here. Offered by Colorado Preservation, Inc. CPI in 2022 embraces a new hybrid structure for the conference that combines in-person, online, and On-the-Road training presented in the proposed location of San Luis (details are unfolding!). At its core, the Saving Places conference provides critical training, networking, and educational opportunities to support the preservation community locally and nationwide.

Downtown Colorado Inc. Annual Conference
April 12-15, 2022 in Colorado Springs | More info and Register here.
Get ready because we have been holding back for two years and we are going to bring the fun. Join us for the valuable peer-to-peer exchange, innovative plenaries, and dynamic tours and lunches. And don't forget the Challenge Studios, BID/DDA + URA Networking, and pitch sessions!
Funding & Technical Assistance

The Rural Emergency Medical Services Training Grant Program
Deadline: Feb. 14 | More info here. Provides support to recruit and train EMS personnel in rural areas, with a particular focus on addressing mental and substance use disorders. Supported activities include courses for certifications, training to meet government requirements and to maintain licenses and certifications, acquisition of emergency medical services equipment, and purchase of the opioid overdose antidote Naloxone and training for EMS personnel on its use in emergency opioid overdose situations.

Kessler Foundation's Signature Employment Grants
Deadline: February 22 | More info here. provide support nationally for new pilot initiatives, demonstration projects, and social ventures that lead to a generation of new ideas to solve the high unemployment and underemployment of individuals with disabilities. For the 2022 grant request for proposals, the Foundation has a special interest in projects that address the intersection of race, class, gender, disability, and poverty within the framework of helping individuals with disabilities obtain employment or re-enter the job market.

The Clif Family Foundation - Operating Funds for Grassroots Groups
Deadlines: Feb. 1, June 1, Oct. 1 | More info here. Supports nonprofit grassroots organizations that have the ability to engage local groups, positively impact their communities, and focus most of their resources on useful and positive actions. Grants are provided to support innovative groups working to strengthen our food system, enhance equitable community health outcomes, and safeguard our environment and natural resources.

New Media Ventures: Investments Advance Startups Promoting Progressive Change
Deadline: Feb. 15 | Visit NMV website to submit an online intake form. New Media Ventures (NMV) invests in entrepreneurs and activists who are strengthening our democracy, building progressive political power, and/or empowering historically marginalized communities. NMV is mission-driven and aims to invest in startups that are working to advance progressive change in a variety of fields, including environmental protection, economic equality, racial justice, and a thriving democracy. The primary focus areas are media and narrative, organizing and advocacy, and elections and civic engagement. NMV typically gives unrestricted grants to nonprofits and makes investments in for-profits. (most often via convertible notes).

Operation Turn-Key Grants
Deadline: the 15th of every month | More info here. The DOLA Division of Housing is requesting applications for funding for the acquisition of land and/or existing properties suitable for the purpose of providing or developing Non-Congregate Shelter, Supportive Housing, or Affordable Housing.

Tourism Management Grant
Deadline: March 3.  The Tourism Management Grant Program provides funding to support projects that develop, enhance or better manage visitor experiences. Projects will target the technical development of tourism in Colorado and projects that develop the statewide tourism industry. The grant prioritizes projects that are new efforts and initiatives and target the technical development of tourism in Colorado. Any request needs to have a minimum funding ratio of 1-to-4 non-grant funding to grant funding. For example, if you request a grant of $10,000, you need to have at least $2,500 in other funding.

Innovative Affordable Housing Grants
Due: January 31 | More info here. Next Round of funding for Planning Grants. DOLA can expedite the processing of applications from communities trying to adopt qualifying strategies in time for the main round of the Incentives Grant Program in the fall of 2022. Contact CDO staff with questions or to set up a time to talk about applying for funds, or you can listen to the recording (slides only) of the 1271 Planning Grant Tips and Tricks webinar given on Dec 8.

Employee Ownership Grants
Due: February 4 | More info here. This grant is available to Colorado-headquartered small businesses to pay for the reimbursement of professional technical services required to transition your business to become a Colorado Employee Owned Company.

Employee Ownership Tax Credit
The Employee Ownership Tax Credit is available to Colorado-headquartered businesses to cover up to 50% of a qualified business’ conversion costs for use on their state income taxes (up to $25,000 or up to $100,000). This program provides an incentive to establish employee stock ownership plans, worker-owned cooperatives, and employee ownership trusts.

EDA American Rescue Plan Programs: Investing in America’s Communities

Renewable and Clean Energy Initiative (HB21-1253) Grants
Deadline: Rolling | More info here. Support the development and construction of renewable and clean energy infrastructure in all areas of the state especially in communities in which renewable and clean energy infrastructure is sparse. 

Great Outdoors Colorado Planning & Capacity Grants
Deadline: February 21, 2021. The Great Outdoor Colorado (GOCO) Planning & Capacity grants help our partners with planning, capacity, research, education, as well as further exploring issues and examining trends in the outdoors. Funding can accommodate a wide range of projects, including strategic plans and master plans. GOCO also invests in capacity-building and education efforts that help our partners make better informed decisions and take the appropriate actions. Through this program, GOCO also invests in research projects to share and further knowledge and facilitate learning in conservation and recreation.

Revitalizing Main Streets: Additional Funding Available
Deadline: Feb. 4, 2022 | More info here. This program now has an additional $22,160,000 available to support transportation infrastructure projects across the State of Colorado. 

Community Access to Child Health Program
Deadline: January 24, 2022 | More info here. The Community Access to Child Health (CATCH) Program, a national initiative of the American Academy of Pediatrics, is designed to improve access to healthcare by supporting pediatricians who are involved in community-based efforts to enhance the health of children. CATCH Planning and Implementation Grants of up to $10,000 are awarded to pediatricians and fellowship trainees in the U.S. who plan to build broad-based community partnerships to address unmet child health needs. 

Colorado Health Foundation’s Supporting Coloradans in Recovery Grant
Deadline: February 15, 2021 | More info here. This funding opportunity will support individuals with mental health and/or substance use challenges in accessing non-clinical support services close to home that will make recovery possible.  Individuals who experience mental health and/or substance use challenges often also experience other hardships in their life like maintaining a job and finding affordable housing. These hardships can make it difficult for an individual to focus on their recovery. The Colorado Health Foundation is interested in strengthening non-clinical recovery support programs that focus on the community and purpose dimensions of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA’s) model of recovery.
Northwest Colorado Council of Governments
Economic Development District | www.nwccog.org/edd