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Making Sense of the Economic Recovery Act
for Nonprofits

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (the federal economic stimulus package) provides opportunities to nonprofits through government grants, contracts, support of public programs, and more. Information about these opportunities seems to be evolving almost daily.

We've broken resources down by subsector to put everything – which government agencies are funding programs like yours, policy updates, new opportunities and deadlines – right at your fingertips.

Recovery Act Opportunities for Nonprofits

The Association has been researching grant and partnership opportunities available to nonprofits under the Recovery Act. Grant information is compiled from Grants.gov and both state and federal department web sites. Save time by starting your grant search here!

Check back soon for detailed summaries of all updated grant and partnership opportunities.

If you have questions or are seeking further information about Recovery Act opportunities for nonprofits, email us at Recovery@ColoradoNonprofits.org or call Renny Fagan, president and CEO, Colorado Nonprofit Association at (303) 832-5710/(800) 333-6554 ext. 201.

Matching Funds through Foundations

In an effort to create opportunities for nonprofits across Colorado, many foundations are partnering with the Governor's office, state agencies, and Colorado Nonprofit Association to potentially provide the matching funds necessary for certain competitve Recovery Act grants.

If your organization intends to apply for a specific grant with matching requirements or you have a specific question about the foundation review process, contact Amy Humble, economic recovery and community outreach coordinator, Colorado Nonprofit Association, at ahumble@ColoradoNonprofits.org or (303) 832-5710. Direct questions about how the state is distibuting Recovery Act funds, contact Kyle Miller at the Governor's office at Kyle.Miller@state.co.us or (303) 764-7714.

 

Survey to Gather Information from Nonprofits Who:

  • Wish to apply for specific Recovery Act Grants, especially those grants requiring matching funds, and/or
  • May have an existing program or project ready for funding but are uncertain whether if would qualify for Recovery Act funds.

We invite you to complete the survey here.

If your organization is considering applying for a Recovery Act grant please complete this survey so that we are aware of your interest in applying and we can share your information with the Governor's Office and the participating foundations. If you have a project but are uncertain if Recovery Act funds may be available, we also invite you to complete the survey and we will try to put you in touch with a government agency who could best determine if your project would be eligible to seek funding from a Recovery Act source.

 

Practical Tips When Seeking Recovery Act Funding Opportunities

  1. Plan ahead when applying for a federal grant on www.grants.gov.
    • Your must first register and receive a DUNS number. It may take several days to receive this number.
    • Don't wait until the last minute to file your grant application. Due to processing backlogs, allow for 72 hours before the due date deadline.
    • Try to file your application during off-hours (night or early morning) when the site is not as busy.
  2. Find grant opportunities and updates from the State of Colorado's Recovery Act page.
  3. Many contracting opportunities may be available through county or municipal governments or school districts. Know and contact your local elected officials or local government departments. A directory of county governments may be found at www.ccionline.org. A directory of municipal governments may be found at www.cml.org. Links to many school district websites may be found at www.casb.org/AboutCASB/MemberSchoolDistricts.aspx.
  4. Contracting and some grant opportunities with the state government agencies are announced by the Division of Purchasing, Department of Personnel and Administration. To respond to a contract solicitation, you must be registered on BIDS. For information, go to https://www.gssa.state.co.us/VenSols.

Click here to view the opening session presentation.

Click here to access or subscribe to videos of the Association's Recovery Act Forum sessions.

 

Thank you to the Women's Foundation of Colorado for their generous support of our Recovery Act programs.