Cool Homes Mini-Grants

Overview

Climate change is making our summers hotter, which means living without cooling is more dangerous. Extreme heat threatens human health and well-being.

Denver’s Office of Climate Action, Sustainability and Resiliency is providing up to $50,000 to organizations to purchase, distribute and install eligible cooling equipment in Denver’s heat vulnerable neighborhoods. Equipment can include, but is not limited to, air conditioning units and cold climate heat pumps.

This program will prioritize outreach and distribution to seniors (aged 65 or older) and people with pre-existing health conditions. Other targeted outreach communities include:

We are looking for organizations with strong community ties to one or more of the targeted outreach communities, the infrastructure to purchase, distribute, and install the cooling equipment within the community.

Applications for funding are now open and will close on April 3, 2026. We expect to announce the awardees in April.

Start Your Application

Eligibility

Organizations applying for this funding must:

Have demonstrable ties within their communities, especially within the senior community or one or more of the targeted outreach communities.
Have the organizational infrastructure to:
- Identify community members to receive cooling equipment
- Purchase, distribute and install the cooling equipment in recipients’ homes
- Track and report community impacts and outcomes.
Have the ability to focus efforts in one or more of Denver’s NEST neighborhoods and verify participant eligibility.
Provide a Certificate of Good Standing from the Colorado Secretary of State.
For nonprofits: Provide proof of tax-exempt status or copy of the fiscal sponsor’s tax-exempt status (see the Additional Information section for more details on this requirement).

See the Scope of Work (SoW) section, next, for a full list of tasks we expect awardees to complete.

Scope of Work

Selected organizations will be expected to complete each of the following items:

Community Outreach, Eligibility, and Intake

Conduct outreach through locations such as senior centers, food pantries, and in-person presentations at community meetings.
Utilize community navigators or similar mechanisms to conduct door-to-door visits, if needed, and provide information in the residents' preferred languages.
Facilitate landlord permission letter, when applicable.
Bi-lingual intake must occur before equipment purchase. Intake form will be created by the city and will assess:
- Individual address within city and county of Denver
- Attestation of self-reported need for home cooling support
- Window type and dimensions
- Ability to accommodate cooling equipment
Maintain a waitlist for households that cannot be immediately served.

Equipment Procurement

Purchase eligible cooling equipment, such as ENERGY STAR-rated AC units or cold climate heat pumps
Equipment selection must prioritize:
- Ease of operation
- Low noise
- Appropriate room coverage.

Equipment Installation

Provide delivery and installation by trained staff
Include all required supplemental materials (e.g., window kits, drip trays, extension cords, sealing materials)
Installation must comply with safety standards and manufacturer guidance.

Education and Support

Provide simple, accessible instructions on safe use and basic maintenance
Answer participant questions at the time of installation.

Reporting

Awardees must collect:
- Pre-installation socio-demographic survey (target ≥80% response). A downloadable template is provided by the city.
- Post-installation satisfaction survey administered at least one month after installation. A downloadable template is provided by the city.
Final report documenting:
- Number of individuals served and demographics of populations served
- Units installed
- Challenges and lessons learned

Timeline Requirements

All households must be identified early in the contract period
Installation must be completed no later than 1–2 months before contract end
Cooling installations must align with peak heat season and to be complete by October 30, 2026.

Additional Information

Fiscal Sponsorship

Where the applicant program is not separately incorporated as a nonprofit, the fiscal sponsor must serve as the legal grantee and execute the grant agreement on behalf of the program.
Applicants working with a fiscal sponsor must clearly identify the sponsor in the application and provide all required documentation (including certificate of good standing and 501(c)(3) determination letter).
Any fiscal sponsorship or administrative fees charged to the grant must be:
- Clearly justified and directly attributable to grant-related work;
- Reasonable and proportional to the scope of services provided; and
- Generally capped at 10% of the total grant amount, consistent with federal indirect cost limitations and City practice. Fees exceeding this threshold will be subject to additional review and may require justification or adjustment prior to award.

Insurance

Organization shall maintain Commercial General Liability coverage with limits of $1,000,000 for each occurrence, and property damage occurrence, $2,000,000 products and completed operations aggregate (if applicable), and $2,000,000 policy aggregate. For Worker's Compensation Insurance, Organizations shall maintain the coverage as required by statute and shall maintain Employer's Liability insurance with limits of $100,000 for each bodily injury occurrence claim, $100,000 for each bodily injury caused by disease claim, and $500,000 aggregate for all bodily injuries caused by disease claims. If the entity is a non-profit and are covered under a third party for their WC, provide a document showing the coverage. For automobile insurance, if the Organization is a business that owns vehicles, then Organization shall maintain the Business Automobile coverage with minimum limits of $1,000,000 combined single limit applicable to all owned, hired and non-owned vehicles used in performing services under the Agreement. If the Organization is not a business or is a business that does not own any vehicles, then Participant shall ensure that personal automobile insurance is in force with current state minimum limits for all vehicles used in performing services under the Agreement.