FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES

Since becoming an organization in 2019, the Colorado Blueprint to End Hunger has invested a total of ~$17.6 million in 1,580 grant awards to 554 different organizations through 2023.

As part of our commitment to equity, we create shared opportunities for community members to lead decision-making around grant program development and distribution of funds.

Find grant opportunities available for your organization through the Blueprint. We also share other funding options — ranging from local to international opportunities — in our bi-weekly newsletter.

Microgrants to Increase Healthy Food Access in Local Communities
Second round of funding — new microgrant partners announced in April 2024

The Blueprint’s Workgroup 2/3: Healthy Food Access in Communities launched a new microgrant initiative in 2023, awarding $30,000 to community members and grassroots organizations during its first round of funding.

With support from the Colorado Community Health Alliance, they recently pledged a total of $24,000 to support small projects that aim to increase the number of Coloradans who can access affordable, nutritious food in their communities. 

Colorado’s Food Pantry Assistance Grants
Annual program (last awarded in Summer 2023)

The grant distribution program exists to support organizations working directly in Colorado communities so everyone can access healthy food options near where they live. Food Pantry Assistance Grants (FPAG) are open to all food pantries in the state, with a focus on purchasing meat, dairy, and fresh produce from local farmers, ranchers, and producers.

Hunger Free Colorado led the establishment in 2018, with support from its Colorado Food Pantry Network, the state legislature, and then-Governor Hickenlooper. In 2020, enacted legislation made the Colorado Department of Human Services (CDHS) the grant administrator and expanded market opportunities for Colorado’s agricultural products. Since then, CDHS redirects state funding specifically for food pantries and food banks. The Blueprint distributes the funds dedicated to Colorado food pantries through its existing FPAG program.

For the 2023 grant cycle, $4.05 million in emergency funding from the State of Colorado was distributed to a total of 245 food pantries.

Colorado’s COVID-19 Emergency Hunger Relief Fund
Past opportunity — no longer active

In March 2020, the Blueprint was approached by a collaborative of Colorado funders to develop and administer the Colorado’s COVID-19 Emergency Hunger Relief Fund in response to acute hunger that emerged in our communities as a result of the pandemic. While not established to operate as a funder, the Blueprint saw this as an opportunity to ensure available funds were invested into communities hardest hit by COVID as well as bridge the gap and create connections between philanthropic and community organizations.

Through nine rounds of funding, the Blueprint distributed a total of $5.3 million to 536 organizations.