Grant Applications

United Way of the Yampa Valley (UWYV) Grant Cycle 2025: January 20 – February 16

Grant Application Information

Please complete the application as outlined below:
1. Please read grant criteria below.
2. If you were awarded a grant that ends this year, please complete the grant report first. This may save you time when filling out the grant application.
3. Schedule a prequalification meeting with UWYV.
4. Review the UWYV Evaluation Rubric.
6. Fill out and submit your grant application by February 16.

Our Vision

We envision a county where all individuals and families achieve their human potential through access to education, opportunities to improve financial stability, and support to lead healthy lives.

Our Mission

Our mission is to unite people, ideas and resources to advance the common good in education, financial stability, and health.

The 2025 Grant Schedule

  • 1/6/25 – Pre-qualification meeting sign-up notices will be sent to likely grant applicants.
  • 1/15/25-1/17/25– Pre-qualification meetings with applicants will be conducted with
    15 minute time slots for most, and 30 min slots if new to the process. Application training sessions will be scheduled as needed.

  • 1/20/25– The grant application cycle for Community Program, 1-year, and 2-year applications will open.

  • 2/16/25– The 2024-2025 grant application period ends. Final applications must be complete and submitted by this date.

  • 2/16/25– Grant reports for last year’s 1 year grant recipients, and the previous year’s 2 year grant recipients are due. Letters informing us of how your program turned out are also due from last year’s Community Program grant recipients.

  • May & June 2025– Grant award letters will be sent to recipients and other feedback will be provided.

Grant Criteria:

Program Features

  • Fund a program aligned with your core organization goals.
  • Serve primarily lower-income, at-risk clients in Routt, Moffat, and/or Rio Blanco County.
    • We are proud to launch the inaugural ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) Report for Colorado. This report provides crucial data and is now required for UWYV grant funding.
    • The report highlights that 37% of Colorado households work but struggle to afford necessities. ALICE households—essential workers like cashiers, childcare providers, and janitors—often earn too much to qualify for aid but not enough to make ends meet, leaving them one emergency away from crisis.
    • Grant applicants are encouraged to review the ALICE Report and demonstrate how their programs will directly and positively impact ALICE households.
    • Addressing their needs is vital to building stronger, more resilient communities.
  • Address a UWYV community impact goal.
  • Show strong program management ability by delivering, critically evaluating, and continuously improving program results.

Organizational Features

  • Exhibit strong oversight by an engaged Board of Directors.
  • Present a financially healthy organization.
  • Be a tax-exempt organization eligible to accept charitable donations.
  • Pre-schools and childcare providers must have a Colorado Shines rating of 1 or higher.

UWYV only accepts requests for program funding; UWYV does not fund general operations or capital equipment at this time. UWYV also does not have the resources to fund sports or sports enhancement programs.

Grant requests for programs that align with UWYV Board priorities and meet or exceed UWYV expectations will receive priority funding. See our evaluation rubric.

2025-2026 UWYV Community Impact Goals:

Give children a strong start

(birth to 8 years of age)

We all benefit when every child has a strong developmental start from the earliest age. UWYV funds programs that improve developmental opportunities for lower-income, at-risk children. We seek to address the following challenges:

  • Access to affordable, quality preschool and childcare
  • Access to other early childhood development programs that promote literacy, kindergarten preparation, or parenting skills
  • Childhood food insecurity
  • Need for more and better qualified preschool teachers

Provide youth a safe, healthy, and nurturing environment

(9-17 years of age)

Transitions are sometimes challenging for young people, particularly at-risk youth. UWYV seeks to fund programs that support the successful transition of elementary school students into middle school, middle school students into high school, and high school students into adulthood. Challenges that we will look to address are:

  • Literacy at grade level
  • Financial literacy or work/life readiness
  • Food insecurity
  • Bullying prevention and support for diversity
  • Discouraging use of alcohol, tobacco, vaping and other drugs
  • Need for student engagement and/or parental support
  • Healthy behavioral boundaries
  • Appropriate use of technology

Improve the financial stability of Northwest Colorado residents in need

Many individuals and families struggle to make ends meet. Programs that seek to achieve the following will be considered:

  • Build financial skills or resiliency through adult education or counseling in household financial management or workplace readiness
  • Reduce food insecurity
  • Enable seniors to live in their homes longer if they wish
  • Improve household financial stability
  • Improve access to adult education or training that enhances job skills

Expand access to health & crisis services

People who experience mental health issues or physical or emotional abuse need support and access to resources to move towards a better quality of life. To promote the social/emotional wellbeing of community members, we seek to fund programs that:

  • Offer mental health education or counseling for adults or children
  • Prevent suicides through education or counseling
  • Address substance abuse
  • Prevent domestic violence or abuse
  • Respond to people in crisis
  • Provide dental and in-home health services in underserved rural areas
  • Provide general health services in underserved areas of Moffat and/or Rio Blanco County

How to Apply:

Schedule a pre-qualification meeting with United Way of the Yampa Valley by calling 970-879-5605

The UWYV grant cycle opens January 20, 2025.

All grant applications and supporting documents are due on February 16, 2025 by 5:00 pm MST.

We have 2 different grant applications. The criteria for each are shown below.

Community Program Application

Community Programs are limited to an annual funding request in an amount not exceeding $5,000. Community programs must provide services that help lower-income Routt, Moffat, and/or Rio Blanco County residents to develop their potential or to meet their basic needs, and that align with one of UWYV’s community impact goals.

Regular Application

Our regular application does not have a dollar limit on the amount that can be requested for program funding. Organizations must be tax-exempt, provide services to lower-income Routt, Moffat, and/or Rio Blanco County residents, address a UWYV community impact goal, and meet other key considerations (see Grant Criteria above).

All funded programs must review actual results with UWYV by completing a Grant Report. Questions should be directed to Jennifer Bruen:

director@unitedwayyv.org or 970.879.5605

The Community Investment Committee will review grants by impact area. Any questions for an agency will allow for about a week to respond.

TBA: Follow-up conversations with UWYV Community Investment Committee.