Community Foundation of Northern Colorado flood relief grants now available

The Community Foundation of Northern Colorado is releasing guidelines for grant requests to assist in flood relief and recovery efforts in Larimer County, and it is encouraging nonprofits and governmental entities to review the guidelines and apply if they qualify.

Community Foundation president Ray Caraway said the goal is to get these funds out into the affected communities, working as quickly and effectively as possible.

“Concerned and caring individuals have donated $318,000 dollars so far through three flood relief funds serving Larimer County, and Bohemian Foundation has matched that amount dollar-for-dollar,” he said. “That means $636,000 available for flood relief and it’s time to start getting some of these dollars out the door.”

The Community Foundation created three charitable funds to address intermediate and long-term flood relief and recovery needs within Larimer County in response to the devastating September floods. The funds cover the following areas:

• Estes Park and its canyon communities (Drake and above)
• Loveland and its canyon communities (below Drake), including Little Thompson River area
• Poudre River communities

As the Community Foundation prepares to accept its first grant applications, Caraway said it is important that the contributions keep coming in.

“We are still less than halfway to meeting our goal of $750,000 in gifts from individuals which will translate into $1.5 million for Larimer County with the addition of Bohemian Foundation’s matching challenge,” Caraway said.

“While there are many ways to donate to flood relief, there are few opportunities to receive a dollar-for-dollar match. We know there are extraordinary needs to be met, and we want to take full advantage of the generosity of Bohemian Foundation.”

Funding requests from nonprofit organizationsand governmental entities for projects related to the 2013 floods are now being accepted via an application form on the Community Foundation’s website at www.NoCoFoundation.org.

Applications will be reviewed and decisions will be made over the course of three funding cycles (additional funding cycles may be added based on availability of funds).

The application deadlines are:

• Tues., Oct. 22 at 5 p.m.
• Tues., Nov. 12 at 5 p.m.
• Tues., Dec. 17 at 5 p.m.

The Community Foundation staff will do an initial screening of applications.

“We will then look to our already existing Community Fund committees for each community impacted,” Caraway said. “These committee members live and work in the affected areas and will give recommendations based on their knowledge of their own community.”

The local committees will provide this input to a Regional Grantmaking Committee appointed by the Community Foundation and Bohemian Foundation. Applicants whose proposed programs or projects will serve more than one of the geographic areas described by the flood relief funds will be reviewed directly by the Regional Grantmaking Committee.

Applicants should visit the Community Foundation’s website at www.NoCoFoundation.org to review the grantmaking guidelines and submit an application.