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We have listened deeply and you have shared openly. We designed Our COVID Recovery Funding Toolkit around what we heard and hope it helps jumpstart recovery and gives you space to think about how your business model needs to evolve.

This toolkit is designed to support the nonprofit sector, as well as local businesses. We want these dollars to boost our local economy and support the people who live, work and play in SW Colorado.

We are planning a 5-county tour to kick-off our COVID Recovery Funding Toolkit. Please join us so that you can ask questions, get clarification, and hear what your peers are planning.

  • Cortez | July 14 @ 12:30-1:45pm | First National Bank | Treats provided
  • Durango | July 13 @ 3:30-4:45 | La Plata Fairgrounds, upstairs Lightner meeting room | Treats provided
  • Mancos | July 14 @ 4:15-5:30 | Fenceline Cidery | 1st drink is on us
  • Pagosa Springs | July 8 @ 3-4:15 pm | Tennyson Events Center | Treats provided
  • Silverton | July 13 @ 10:30-11:45 | Wyman Hotel |Treats provided

 

Unveiling our COVID Recovery Toolkit:

Nonprofits can only apply for one of the three opportunities.

 

Pivot to Pirouette Grant

This would be an unrestricted grant for an innovative, creative, or out-of-the-box solution your nonprofit implemented during COVID that enabled you to continue to serve your community – albeit in a new way. The application is simple, a two-page letter about your entrepreneurial approach and a few short questions. We have allocated at least $100,000 from CERF funds to this initiative. Grants will up to $5,000.

As we have talked to nonprofits, examples of projects that would be good candidates are:  new software that enabled you to still serve your community remotely, new delivery method for services, virtual events, door-to-door delivery or adding a new/enhanced service. This list is not all inclusive, just a way to get your ideas percolating.

 

COVID Consequence Grant

Didn’t pivot? No worries. This grant is focused on Capacity Building. With the workplace changing and the pandemic highlighting new priorities, this grant is designed to help you make those changes, improvements or stabilize infrastructure. We have allocated at least $40,000 from CERF funds to this initiative. Grants will be up to $5,000.

Examples of potential projects are:  refreshing your website, boosting your social media profile, instituting a better commerce platform, enhancing virtual event capabilities, creating a new app, making accommodations for an at-home workforce, revamping your annual report design, or engaging in professional coaching. Again, this is not an all-inclusive list.

 

Program Boost aka Program Related Investment

Need to launch a new program, enhance an existing program, or grow an existing program to serve a new population? Consider a Program Related Investment Loan. This opportunity is for nonprofits that need an upfront cash infusion and know they could pay back the loan over time. This opportunity is for a loan up to $10,000 at a low interest rate of 2.5%, and we will sweeten the deal with a $2,500 grant on top. The funding comes from our LAUNCH Fund and CERF Funds.

 

We will award these grants on a rolling basis, which means our Board of Directors will review applications monthly.

1st Round | Applications received by August 11 | Grant review August 26

2nd Round | Applications received by September 8 | Grant review on September 23

3rd Round | Applications received by October 13 | Grant review on October 28

4th Round | Applications received November 10 | Grant review on December 2

Grant rounds will continue only as long as there are available CERF funds. Granting is on a first come, first served basis, until funds are depleted. No applications will be considered after November 10, 2021. 

Apply here beginning July 15.

Thank you for all you do to make our community stronger.

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