Deadlines: Dec. 1, Feb.1, April 1, June 1. The Restoration and Resilience COVID Recovery Fund, an initiative of the National Environmental Education Foundation, is providing grants to support public lands, including parks, nature areas, and other green spaces, that have been impacted by increased use during the COVID-19 pandemic. The focus is on supporting agencies and organizations responsible for maintaining public lands by distributing resources and mobilizing volunteers to help keep up with increased human presence in these delicate ecosystems. Nonprofit organizations and local governments, and educational institutions are eligible to apply.

Deadline: Jan. 15, 2021. The COPIC Medical Foundation supports nonprofit organizations that address healthcare issues in the United States. The goal of the Foundation is to be a catalyst in improving the quality of healthcare delivery by reducing adverse outcomes and supporting innovation. The Foundation provides grants for initiatives that improve patient safety and quality of care through education and training of healthcare professionals.

Deadline: Jan. 15, 2021. The Academy Grants Program is currently accepting grant applications from nonprofit organizations in two areas: FilmWatch grants support curated screening programs at North America-based film festivals, film societies, and other film-related organizations. Targeted programs include those that create culturally diverse viewing experiences, promote motion pictures as an art form, provide a platform for underrepresented artists, and cultivate new and dedicated audiences for theatrical film. 

Letters of Interest accepted now through Dec. 1. The State of Colorado is offering an opportunity for rural Colorado communities to form regional teams and receive technical assistance for accelerated recovery from COVID-19. The "Resiliency and Recovery Roadmaps" will enable communities to take a long-term view of recovery, reimagine their economies, and take advantage of emerging trends and opportunities. This opportunity is a collaboration of the Department of Local Affairs (DOLA), the Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT), and the Colorado Rural Workforce Consortium, along with the Colorado-based non-profit Community Builders.

Deadline: Dec. 11. The Winter Outdoor Grant Program is a partnership between the Colorado Restaurant Association (CRA), the Colorado Restaurant Foundation, and Xcel Energy. Grants can be used for tents, heaters and/or heating equipment or expenses related to heating; furniture, lighting, snow removal, cold-weather gear for staff or patrons, 0ther expenses directly related to your outdoor dining program.

The Can Do Community Challenge, an extension of the Can Do Colorado campaign that is spotlighting innovative businesses finding ways to keep going through the COVID-19 response, is asking local communities and their resident businesses to find new opportunities to restart commerce in ways that are safe and sustainable. There are 2 grant programs being offered: Revitalizing Main Streets and CanDo Community Telework Program.

Deadline: Dec. 31, 2020. The FM Global Fire Prevention Grant Program supports a wide array of fire prevention, preparedness, and control efforts throughout the U.S. Funded projects include pre-incident planning, fire and arson prevention and investigation, and fire prevention education and training programs. Fire departments as well as regional, local, and community organizations are eligible to apply. 

Deadline: Dec. 15, 2020. Environmental Protection Agency. The Interventions and Communication Strategies to Reduce Health Risks of Wildland Fire Smoke Exposures program supports research that will address behavioral, technical, and practical aspects of interventions and communication strategies to reduce exposures or health risks of wildland fire smoke. 

Flood Mitigation Assistance Grant - These grants are used for projects that reduce or eliminate the risk of repetitive flood damage to buildings that are insured by the National Flood Insurance Program

Building Resilient Communities and Infrastructure Grant - BRIC will offer $500 million in grants to help support states, tribes, territories and communities throughout the nation as they design and begin new infrastructure projects – projects that will reduce future disaster recovery costs and help save lives. Both grant applications will be open from Sept. 30 - Jan. 21, 2021.

Monthly Call for Those Working in the Events Industry

Do you work in the events industry? How has Covid affected you and your business? Curious about the future of events? Join the Northwest SBDC for monthly calls where event professionals and businesses in Colorado can discuss their experiences and share tools, resources, and strategies. Upcoming calls: Dec. 10, Jan. 14. More information and sign up here. If you missed the first one, you can listen to it HERE.

Vail Valley Partnership has collaborated with Skill Builder Pro to bundle four “learning modules” for businesses and members of our community. Each module consists of 5 courses – approximately 15 – 20 hours of learning. Skill Builder Pro Learning Modules Include: (1) Intro to HR; (2) Skills for Supervisors (3) Intro to Digital Marketing; (4) Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion. Cost: $79/module (VVP Members) / $99 (Public Price). Modules are purchased on a per-person basis, with access to the content for six months. Click here for more info and to sign up.

The Northwest Colorado Small Business Development Center continues to update its COVID-19 resource list to provide relevant and informative tools to help your business continue to navigate through this pandemic. It is very comprehensive, check it out HERE.