Certifiably Green Denver Mini Grants

Denver Cat Company is one of the nation’s oldest cat cafés and has become an iconic Denver institution over the last decade. The facility features adoptable cats sourced from their non-profit arm, Denver Cat Rescue. By saving cats from high kill shelters in underfunded states, Denver Cat Company has given over 3,000 cats a forever home in animal-loving Denver. You can visit the facility to meet and interact with the rescue cats, all which are available for adoption.

Denver Cat Company used the funding to purchase an ENERGY STAR commercial refrigerator to replace their old, malfunctioning cooler.

"My friend owns [another local building] and they got an upgrade for their appliances and she told me about the program. I looked it up, and we've had this old cooler for 6-7 years and it started making a funny noise, but it wasn't broken yet so it didn't feel right to just trash it. But then I heard about this program and I was able to apply and get an upgraded cooler for energy efficiency plus just a general upgrade for our business. And I was able to donate the old cooler to another local business." - Leila Qari, Owner

Blue Sparrow Coffee has fully turned its attention to sustainability over the past two years. In fact, sustainability is quickly becoming their number one priority as they continue to grow. For example, they:

• Compost 100% of their coffee grounds
• Completed their second year of quarterly sustainability trainings with baristas
• Published their second Sustainability Report
• Partnered with a local designer to create couture out of our trash

Their equity funding project worked to reduce their use of single-use disposable coffee cups, increase waste diversion and implement behavior change in their customers. Blue Sparrow will distribute reusable coffee mugs to their customers that include the City and County of Denver logo. Customers will then be able to bring back their reusable mugs for a handful of free coffees.

"With $10,000 worth of funding from the Office of Climate Action Sustainability and Resiliency’s Certifiably Green Denver program, 480 locally designed reusable coffee mugs will go out our doors into Denver neighborhoods...[This project] has benefited our overall sustainability story, adding to our portfolio of projects aimed at reducing negative impacts to our environment while supporting our community.” – Sara Van Hatten

The Organic Salon only offers professional salon services using products that are committed to reducing the negative health and environmental impacts associated with traditional salon products. They choose products that integrate as many natural and organic ingredients as possible. They also seek partnerships with companies that are committed to environmental sustainability.

The Organic Salon purchased an ENERGY STAR washer and ENERGY STAR heat pump dryer to improve energy and water efficiency, while reducing associated utility costs.

ENERGY STAR certified clothes washers use about 20% less energy and about 30% less water than regular washers. Over the lifetime of the product, clothes washer models that have earned the ENERGY STAR can save about $550 in energy costs. ENERGY STAR heat pump dryers use almost 30% less energy than a conventional clothes dryers. A full-size electric certified dryer saves approximately $210 in energy bills over the life of the product.

“Our new washer and dryer decreases our energy ad water consumption while saving our staff time and headaches on our never ending laundry duties! I felt like the application was easy to understand and navigate. The information requested was not overwhelming and the administrators were super helpful along the way!” – Alyssa Housh, owner 

EarthLinks is a social-enterprise nonprofit located in the Sun Valley neighborhood of Denver. For the last 25 years, they have worked to create Earth-centered programming for people experiencing homelessness and economic poverty. EarthLinks program participants are given a safe, peaceful space to foster empowerment, resilience, and collectivity while also sustaining the planet. By creating opportunities through Earth-centered programs, individuals step out of isolation and into community – restoring each other and the planet.

CGD Equity Funding allowed EarthLinks to:

• Install an ENERGY STAR ice machine
• Install WaterSense sink faucets
• Purchase RTD passes for their participants.

“As a nonprofit working with individuals experiencing homelessness and housing insecurity, transportation is a critical resource for Participants in our programs. Access to bus and rail services provide a life-line for Participants who need to access services, health care, purchase food, and get to shelter. – Kathleen Cronan

The Denver Tool Library provides affordable access to tools, skills, and work space for home improvement, artistic expression, and community building projects. Join us to save money, reduce waste, and build community. It provides the Denver metro area with low-cost access to tools and the know-how to use them, all in a safe and supportive environment. They remove barriers to tool access, including high cost, space, knowledge, inhibition, and discrimination, so that everyone can have the resources they need to make and maintain the lives they imagine.

Their equity funding project was to upgrade shelving and storage solutions for the Denver Tool Library’s inventory of tools. Currently the shop is home to over 5,000 power and hand tools that they lend out to the community. Their member base and the demand for tools is rapidly growing, but with our current shelving situation, they are not able to fit any more tools in the space. A system of well-planned and efficient shelving with different sized tool storage bins allows them to almost double the current inventory of tools for community use.

"With new shelving and storage units we will be able to lend out twice the amount of tools, serve twice the amount of Denver residents, and thus double our sustainable impact in the near future!" - Denver Tool Library

CADREC works to serve and empower individuals and families through education and counseling to modify violent and addictive behavior. Nearly 40 years ago, Walter S. Jackson had a dream of a community-based program that would offer addiction treatment services for the Five Points community. More importantly, Walter Jackson didn’t just dream, he went to work. He organized the community. He gained support from a wide range of social investors to finance the services. He recruited a strong personnel staff that understood the challenges of addiction in a personal and professional way.

Their equity funding project worked to replace their old, inefficient windows with ENERGY STAR rated windows to reduce energy consumption. According to the US Department of Energy, “Energy efficient windows are an important consideration for both new and existing homes. Heat gain and heat loss through windows are responsible for 25%–30% of residential heating and cooling energy use.”

“The install of the windows was completed in November 2023. We are very excited...The windows have already had a huge impact on the internal environment in terms of air quality and even temperature. We aren't adjusting our thermostat as often! – Yvonne Martin

Backyard on Blake is a property that many local businesses occupy, including shops, art studios, and a co-working space. This program funded the installation costs of an electric vehicle charging station.

“This improvement will minimize the negative environmental impacts associated with driving fossil fuel-burning vehicles. More efficient, level II, chargers incentivize the purchase and use of electric vehicles at our workplace and thus reduce our carbon footprint in getting to and from work locations, as well as that of patrons who use our charging infrastructure.”

Green Spaces provides low-cost space for communities to collaborate. This program funded many projects, including:

• Heat pump, reducing emissions by up to 40%. 
• Smart thermostats to yield 8-10% more efficient energy schedules.
• Occupancy sensors to reduce the company’s energy demand.
• Touchless sink faucets to reduce energy and water usage.

“Our main goal for our project is to set a new standard for buildings in Denver. Sustainability goes far beyond maintaining Earth’s resources. Our mixed-use, collaborative workspace model, places the creation of community ecosystems and the retention of local talent at the forefront of our essence.”

Lucy’s Ethiopian Restaurant offers authentic Ethiopian food to our Denver community. The funding helped them buy an energy and water-efficient dishwasher. This helped the restaurant switch from disposables to reusables for on-site dining. 

“That will enable me to positively contribute towards minimizing trash and pollution to the environment.” 

MCA Denver is a museum showcasing the advancing contemporary art field. This program funded replacing fluorescent lamp systems with LED lighting on an entire facility floor.

“Upgrading the lighting system to LED will not only provide a better (and safer) experience for our visitors and light-sensitive artworks, but will also use considerably less energy.” 

Princess Gardens is a vermicomposting center that helps the community learn ways to divert waste through composting and education. This program funded an expansion of their setup and bought an energy-efficient freezer.

“Our unique method of composting gives us an opportunity to divert waste quickly but there are times when we get more kitchen scraps than our current setup can handle. This will keep hundreds, even thousands of organic material out of landfills each year.”

No, you do not need to be certified by the Certifiably Green Denver program to be eligible. However, businesses that are certified or actively pursuing a certification tend to receive higher scores during the evaluation process, as their sustainability commitment aligns with the program’s goals. 

If you need non-English language interpretation services, please get in touch with CertifiablyGreenDenver@denvergov.org for assistance. 

Yes, you can apply in 2026, even if you applied in previous years.

If you received a mini-grant in a previous year, you may apply for funding for a new project this year.

Please note we will prioritize first-time applicants.

Scoring criteria focuses on if the request:

• Is in pursuit of sustainability goals outlined in the Certifiably Green Denver certification criteria
• Demonstrates a reduction in environmental impacts
• Will have long-term benefits
• Is feasible
• Has a community impact
• Is a project based in a NEST neighborhood

For Worker's Compensation Insurance, Grantee 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. Grantee shall maintain Commercial General Liability coverage with limits of $1,000,000 for each occurrence.

Learn more about the insurance requirements(PDF, 76KB)

View sample of a Certificate of Insurance(PDF, 290KB)

View sample of a Worker's Comp Waiver(PDF, 117KB)

View Department of Labor's Worker's Comp Questions Pamphlet(PDF, 855KB)