Denver Food Security Grant

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Impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic have led to widespread impacts on Denver’s food security. Emergency food providers and pantries have seen a dramatic increase in the demand for their services. Food insecurity has surged above the pre-crisis rate of 11% to an estimated 33% of Denver's population since the beginning of the pandemic. Communities of color have been some of the hardest hit as a result of COVID-19. These communities suffer greater health impacts from both the virus and inadequate access to healthy foods. To help address these needs, Denver granted out funding through the Denver Emergency Food Relief Fund program through the Federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act in 2020 and 2021. These grants expanded critical emergency food, grocery, and meal programs for residents affected by COVID-19.

Denver is opening up a fourth round of funding in August 2022 with funds from the federal Center for Disease Control’s (CDC) Health Disparities Grant through the Denver Department of Public Health and Environment. The goal of this new grant opportunity is to address capacity building needs of food pantries and emergency food providers to be better prepared to respond to future crises. The Denver Food Security Grant supports the coordination of access to food resources and other more resilient food support services for food insecure individuals and families. Specifically, this includes increased client enrollment in SNAP, and other federal nutrition programs, operational improvements, and leadership development. The grants are intended to expand critical infrastructure needs for emergency food providers while also building capacity to respond to future emergency situations.  

Applications will be open beginning on August 26th and will close on September 12, 2022 at 5 p.m. MT.

Application and Related Materials

Apply Now!

How much funding is available?

There is approximately $175,000 to be awarded to Denver-based nonprofits, food pantries, and emergency food providers. The grant awards will be between $5,000-$10,000 for individual organizations and $10,000-$30,000 for two or more organizations in collaboration. 

Application dates:

  • Application will be released on Aug. 26, 2022
  • Applications will be accepted through 5 p.m. (MT) on Sept. 12, 2022
  • Grantees will be notified on Sept. 29, 2022
  • A non-profit assistance provider will provide funds directly to awarded grantees
  • All funds must be fully expended and spent by Jan. 31, 2023
  • Grantees must provide required documentation (receipts, final budget, and required reporting form) by Feb. 28, 2023

Additional Information

Learn more about the funding, program requirements and priorities, and eligibility.

Program Requirements

The Denver Food Security Grant will provide grant assistance to eligible Denver nonprofits. The Denver Food Security Grants must be spent on building the capacity of emergency food providers and food pantries to better respond to future crises such as COVID-19. Nonprofit agencies that are incorporated as a 501(c)3 and registered with the State of Colorado are eligible to apply. This includes those agencies with a fiscal sponsor incorporated as a 501(c)3 and registered in the State of Colorado. Nonprofits must be located within the City and County of Denver, or within 1 mile of its border, and serve Denver residents.

Program Priorities

First priority neighborhoods are determined by having high COVID-19 hospitalization rates, high death rates, high COVID-19 test positivity rates, and low vaccination rates.

  • Barnum West
  • Chaffee Park
  • College View
  • Elyria Swansea
  • Fort Logan
  • Harvey Park
  • Harvey Park South
  • Lincoln Park
  • Mar Lee
  • Montbello
  • NE Park Hill
  • South Platte
  • Sun Valley
  • Villa Park
  • Virginia Vale
  • Washington
  • Westwood

Second priority neighborhoods include those with high hospitalization rates, high death rates, high positivity rates, and intermediate vaccination rates (based on analysis by Public Health Institute at Denver Health).

  • Athmar Park
  • Barnum
  • Five Points
  • Gateway/Green Valley Ranch
  • Globeville
  • Ruby Hill
  • Sunnyside
  • Val Verde

Eligibility

Nonprofit agencies that are incorporated as a 501(c)3 and registered with the State of Colorado are eligible to apply. This includes those agencies with a fiscal sponsor incorporated as a 501(c)3 and registered in the State of Colorado. Nonprofits must be located in the City and County of Denver or within 1 mile of the city/county border and serve Denver residents with awarded funds.

How can the Denver Food Security Grant funds be used?

NOTE: Funds cannot be used for food. They can be used for the following:

  • Services to sign up clients for SNAP or other federal nutrition programs, including equipment such as iPads or phones
  • Food pantry infrastructure improvements – refrigerators, freezers, shelving, hand carts, outdoor heaters, tables, retrofitting due to changes in sanitary standards as a result of COVID-19, electrical and plumbing upgrades, distribution and transportation
  • Staff capacity – building capacity and leadership skills of organization’s staff and volunteers, including technical assistance
  • Language interpretation and translation of materials
  • Communications and educational materials or content

For equipment, supplies or infrastructure costing greater than $5,000, organizations receiving funds will need to submit additional paperwork and obtain additional approvals.

Results

To see the results of these and other federal CARES Act funds received by Denver and provided for community supports, see this interactive dashboard.

 

Denver Emergency Food Relief Fund (DEFRF) Funded Organizations

Round 1

Round 2

Round 3

A Little Help

Atlantis Community, Inc.

Barton Institute for Community Action

Bienvenidos Food Bank

Birdseed Collective/Globeville Center

Brother Jeffs Cultural Center

Casa de Paz

Church in the city-BA

Colorado Changemakers Collective

Commún

Community Care Collective

Community Ministry of SW Denver

Denver Dream Center

Denver Inner City Parish

Denver Rescue Mission

Ekar Farm

Family Star

Feeding Denvers Hungry Inc

Fighting to Farm

Fill the Void

Focus Points Family Resource Center

Front Line Farming

GES Coalition

Heart & Hand Center

HSA-UWC

Jewish Family Services

Jovial Concepts

Kaizen Food Rescue

Kavod Senior Life

Lord’s Daily Bread

Mental Health Center of Denver

Metro Caring

Metro Ministries

Montbello Organizing Committee

New Beginnings Ministry Denver

Project VOYCE

Redeeming Love

Rocky Mountain Prep

Shorter Community AME Church

Southwest Improvement Council

Sprout City Farms

Stone Soup Inc.

Struggle of Love Foundation

The Gathering Place

The GrowHaus

The Salvation Army

The Table Urban Farm

The Urban Farm

There With Care

Vivent Health

Volunteers of America Colorado

We Don't Waste

West Campus Food Bank

YMCA of Metropolitan Denver

Capitol Hill Community Services

Center for African American Hlth

Centro Christiano Amistad

Denver Community Kollel

Denver Dream Center

Denver Indian Center

Denver Rescue Mission

Denver Sister's Circle

Feeding Denver's Hungry

Fighting to Farm

Food for Thought

Fresh Food Connect

God's Will Fellowship

Grace Center Church

GrowHaus

Heart and Hand Center

HSA UWC

Jewish Family Services

Jovial Concepts

Kavod Senior Center

Mental Health Center of Denver

Metro Caring

Metro Ministries

Montbello Organizing Committee

New Beginnings

Open Door Ministries

Praise Center Church

Regis

Revision

Sewall Child Dev. Center

Stone Soup

Struggle of Love

Sun Valley Kitchen

SW Improvement Council

Tom Chei Shabbat

Urban Farm

Urban Peak

YMCA of Denver

A Little Help

All Can Eat

Barton Institute for Community Action - Lifespan Local

Barton Institute- Lifespan Local

Bayaud Enterprises, Inc.

Benefits in Action

Bienvenidos Food Bank (Northwest Family Assistance Center)

Center for African American Health

Centro Cristiano Amistad de Denver

Cherishing Life Youth Transformation Services

Christ Executive Officer Inc.

Clayton Early Learning

Colorado Food Cluster

Commún

Denver Dream Center

Denver Food Rescue

Denver Indian Center Inc.

Denver Community Kollel

Denver School of Science and Technology (DSST)

Denver Sisters Circle

Elyria Globeville Swansea and Partners

Ekar Farm

Feeding Denver's Hungry Incorporated

The Fax Partnership

Fighting to Farm

Fresh Food Connect

Frontline Farming

The Gathering Place

God's Will Christian Fellowship

Grace Temple Church of God in Christ

The GrowHaus

Haven of Hope

Integrated Family Community Services

Jewish Family Service of Colorado, Inc

Kaizen Food Rescue

La Raza Services, Inc. dba Servicios de La Raza

LaVerne Gillespie Ministries

Lincoln Hills Cares/Mo Betta Green Marketplace

LittleJohn Produce Box Project

Lord’s Daily Bread

The LoVVe Project

Mental Health Center of Denver

Metro Caring

Metropolitan State University of Denver Foundation, Inc

Montbello Organizing Committee

New Beginnings Ministry Denver

Open Door Ministries

Park Hill Food Pantry

Project VOYCE

Project Worthmore

Redeeming Love Food Pantry

Re:Vision

The Road Called STRATE

Seniors’ Resource Center, Inc

Sharing Our Blessings

Sprout City Farms

Sun Valley Community Center

SouthWest Improvement Council

The Table Urban Farm

Twin Parishes Food Bank

VIVE Wellness

We Don't Waste

WeeCycle

Work Options for Women dba Work Options

YMCA of Metro Denver

Youth Empowerment Agency

Zion Senior Center

 

Have questions?
We're here to help!

Contact us at: 
Marion.Kalb@denvergov.org, or 720-865-5511 with questions about the application and funds. 

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