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Grants
Investing in outstanding nonprofit organizations in Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming
Frequently Asked Questions
Click on the questions below for answers to frequently asked questions about the Daniels Fund Grants Program.
General Questions and Eligibility
1. What do you fund?
In the Colorado Front Range, we provide grants in all eight funding areas without region-specific refinement:
Colorado Outstate, Utah, and Wyoming
Click for more information on Utah and Wyoming grants
New Mexico
In New Mexico, our grantmaking strategy focuses primarily on increasing the number of quality choice K-12 seats available to students. Due to our focused strategy in New Mexico, we do not accept unsolicited grant applications.
Click for more information on New Mexico grants
These funding areas were personally defined by our founder, Bill Daniels, and they do not change.
- The Daniels Fund focuses on supporting highly effective nonprofit organizations with a demonstrated ability to achieve significant results in their communities.
- We provide grants for specific programs or projects, general operating support, or capital campaigns.
In the Colorado Front Range, we provide grants in all eight funding areas without region-specific refinement:
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Aging Amateur Sports Disabilities Drug & Alcohol Addiction |
Early Childhood Education Homeless & Disadvantaged K-12 Education Reform Youth Development |
Colorado Outstate, Utah, and Wyoming
While we are open to considering requests in all eight funding areas for Colorado Outstate and Wyoming, our grantmaking approach emphasizes the following priorities:
- Youth programs, especially those that focus on career and technical education, and entrepreneurship
- Facilities that accommodate and encourage community gatherings (such as senior centers, youth centers, and community sports complexes)
- Proven programs that deliver prevention education and/or treatment for drug and alcohol addiction
- Collaborative initiatives/partnerships working to achieve community-wide results
- Programs that have regional impact, address community challenges at the systemic level, and/or generate strong local support from the community
Click for more information on Utah and Wyoming grants
New Mexico
In New Mexico, our grantmaking strategy focuses primarily on increasing the number of quality choice K-12 seats available to students. Due to our focused strategy in New Mexico, we do not accept unsolicited grant applications.
Click for more information on New Mexico grants
These funding areas were personally defined by our founder, Bill Daniels, and they do not change.
2. What areas don't you fund?
We do not fund programs that aren't aligned with our eight designated funding areas, or regional, local, or community-based programs outside of Colorado, Wyoming, New Mexico, or Utah. Please note that grants for New Mexico, Utah, or national impact are by invitation only.
In addition, we typically do not fund:
In addition, we typically do not fund:
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3. What do you look for in a grant request?
Our team spends time visiting the communities we serve to get to know area nonprofits, learn about effective programs and projects, and understand the unique needs of each community. Nonprofit organizations need to have a 501(c)(3) status or government equivalent and provide programs or services in Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, or Wyoming. We also look for:
- Alignment — The proposed project or program is strongly aligned with our funding areas and priorities.
- Viability — Sufficient local and other financial support exists to ensure the project or program will be implemented and continue after the grant period. Our goal is to help excellent nonprofits achieve a high level of effectiveness and impact, not to sustain any individual nonprofit indefinitely. A grant award should not be perceived as an indication of future or recurring funding.
- Capacity — Effective leadership, strong financial health, and appropriate knowledge and resources exist to effectively implement programs and services.
- Impact — The program or project will have a significant impact in its community. Grant applications should demonstrate strategic high impact and show a clear evaluation plan with specific measurable results that will be reported at the end of the grant period.
- Performance — The program or project is evidence-based, studied, and/or has proven to be effective.
4. Do you have different funding strategies for each state?
Yes, the Daniels Fund has tailored grantmaking strategies and objectives for Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming to address each state's specific needs.
| Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming |
The Daniels Fund has specific objectives for each of our funding and geographic areas. To achieve our goals and maximize our impact, we work closely with a limited number of highly effective nonprofit organizations with a demonstrated ability to achieve measureable results. Click here for details about our Colorado strategy Click here for details about our Utah and Wyoming strategies |
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New Mexico |
Due to our focused strategy, we do not accept unsolicited grant applications for New Mexico. Click here for details about our New Mexico strategy |
5. Do you fund grants outside of your four-state region?
The Daniels Fund does not provide funding for regional, local, or community-based programs outside of our four-state region. We do provide limited support for select programs with a nationwide focus by invitation only.
6. Do you fund national grants? If so, what is the process?
The Daniels Fund provides limited support for select programs with a nationwide focus. These grants are very competitive and are by invitation only.
7. Do you provide grants to individuals?
No, we do not provide grants to individuals. Grantees need to be a nonprofit organization with a 501(c)(3) status or government equivalent.
8. What is your average grant size?
Grant amounts vary and depend on many factors. However, in recent years, the median grant award for Colorado and Wyoming (where we accept unsolicited applications) was approximately $75,000.
9. How long are your grant terms?
Grants are generally awarded for 12-month terms.
10. Can a grantee have more than one active grant at a time?
No, organizations may only have one active grant at any given time.
11. Are we eligible if we are using a fiscal sponsor?
In some cases. The sponsored organization and the sponsored project need to have missions that are similar. If you are invited to apply, the application will request specific documents for grantees with a fiscal sponsor.
Applying for a Grant
1. How do I apply?
Step 1:
Step 2:
Step 3:
Step 4:
In Colorado, Utah, or Wyoming:
Step 1:
If your organization has not previously received a Daniels Fund grant, please review our Eligibility & Guidelines information here.
Step 2:
If you believe your request is a solid fit with our eligibility criteria and guidelines, please proceed to the page for Colorado, Utah, or Wyoming and follow the instructions to submit an inquiry form on our Grants Portal.
Step 3:
After you submit your inquiry form, you will receive an email confirmation. Your inquiry will be reviewed by a member of our Grants Program staff, who may reach out for additional information.
Step 4:
Following our review of your inquiry, we will contact you to let you know whether or not you should proceed and submit a grant application.
If you have an active Daniels Fund grant, or have received a grant within the past two years, please contact your Grants Program Officer directly.
Due to our focused strategies for New Mexico and national grants, we do not accept unsolicited grant applications for these geographies.
2. How do I apply if I have received a grant from the Daniels Fund in the past?
If you have received a grant from us within the last two years, please reach out to your Grants Program Officer directly about your project. They would be happy to reconnect with you.
If it has been more than two years since your last Daniels Fund grant, please start with an inquiry call. Refer to question #1 ("How do I apply?") for details.
3. When are your application deadlines?
We do not have specific deadlines, so you may apply anytime. Please note that it takes approximately 120 days to review an application.
4. When will I be notified whether my application has been accepted or declined?
Every applicant will be notified within approximately 120 days whether their application has been approved or declined.
5. When can current grantees reapply?
Current grantees may reapply at the end of their grant term — after all reporting requirements have been fulfilled, and the organization has been notified that the grant is closed. Please note that there is no guarantee of future funding for current grantees.
6. If my grant request is declined, when can I reapply?
Applicants whose grant requests are declined must wait one year before reapplying.
Inquiry Calls
1. What is the criteria for who should schedule an inquiry call?
We continually look for opportunities to support excellent programs and organizations that align with our funding priorities. Therefore, inquiry calls should be scheduled for eligible programs in Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming. Due to our focused strategy, we do not accept unsolicited grant applications for New Mexico or national programs.
You should schedule an inquiry call if:
You should schedule an inquiry call if:
- You have reviewed our eligibility requirements and believe that your project fits with our requirements.
- This is a first time request and you have no previous grant history with the Daniels Fund.
- You haven't received a Daniels Fund grant within the last two years.
2. When is it appropriate to reach out to a Daniels Fund Grants Program Officer and bypass the inquiry call process?
If your organization has an active grant, or has received a Daniels Fund grant within the last two years, please contact your program officer directly. They would be happy to reconnect with you.
If it has been more than two years since your last Daniels Fund grant, please start with an inquiry call. Refer to question #1 ("How do I apply?") in the Applying for a Grant section for details.
If it has been more than two years since your last Daniels Fund grant, please start with an inquiry call. Refer to question #1 ("How do I apply?") in the Applying for a Grant section for details.
Application Technical Questions
1. What should I do if I am having technical difficulties with my online application?
If you have any technical difficulties accessing or using the online grant application, please contact our Grants Administration Officer at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Please note that using Google Chrome or Safari is recommended.
2. Can I copy and paste text from a Word document into the application form?
Yes. Please note the application questions have character limits. After pasting text from Word into the online grant application, be sure to check for any loss of formatting.
3. If I'm in the middle of my application, how do I save my progress and continue working later?
- Click the Save button at the bottom of the screen of your in-progress application. We recommend doing this often. Once saved, you will be redirected to the Grants Portal home page.
- To find your in-progress application later, log into https://danielsfund.fluxx.io using your username and password. Under the Requests menu on the left-hand side, click on Pending Requests.
4. How do I include and/or delete documents in my grant application?
Applicants should upload required and optional documents using the online application system. Follow the instructions in the Attachments section of the online application to upload the required attachments listed. If you need to delete a document and attach a new one, hover over the document title and click on the red icon to the right.
5. How do I submit my application once it is complete?
Once you are satisfied with the contents of your application, click the Submit button at the bottom of the application. The system will notify you if you have any incomplete required questions that must be answered, or required attachments that must be uploaded before your application can be submitted. Once all required questions are answered and attachments uploaded, click Submit to forward your application to the Daniels Fund for consideration.
6. How can I tell if my application has been submitted and received by the Daniels Fund?
When you click the Submit button, you will receive an email confirmation that we have received your application. If you do not receive an email confirmation, please contact our Grants Administration Officer at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
7. How can I share my application with other people?
If you would like to give another person permission to review your application, please contact our Grants Administration Officer at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Please specify that person's full name, job title, and email address. They will then receive instructions on how to access the application.
For all other questions, please contact us at: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.