July 27, 2026
When Communities Lead Communities Thrive (CLCT) launched our Funding the Frontlines Policy Agenda in 2025, the goal was clear: strengthen the partnership between the state and community-rooted nonprofits, specifically those serving historically excluded communities, by breaking down barriers to access the state grant funding they need to serve Colorado communities.
The agenda was shaped by our growing coalition of nonprofit leaders across Colorado through statewide listening sessions and one-on-one conversations. Together, they identified four key areas where state grantmaking systems create unnecessary barriers and developed community-driven solutions to improve them.
It’s been a while since the launch in October 2025, and we’ve made a lot of progress since then. As we look toward the next year, we wanted to revisit Funding the Frontlines to take a step back and reflect on our wins and the work ahead.
As a recap, the Funding the Frontlines Policy Agenda includes four main categories (click to expand):
Many nonprofits identified reimbursement-based funding as one of the greatest obstacles to accessing state grants. Small, community-rooted organizations often lack the cash reserves to front the cost of government-funded work while waiting months for reimbursement. Coalition members also highlighted siloed state agencies, limited collaboration across government, and a lack of multi-year funding opportunities that make long-term planning difficult.
Coalition members described grant applications as overly complex, inconsistent, and time-consuming. Requirements often vary dramatically between agencies, application criteria can be unclear, and organizations frequently receive little feedback after funding decisions are made. Rural nonprofits also shared that funding too often flows first to Front Range organizations instead of directly supporting trusted local organizations already serving their communities.
Navigating state grants shouldn’t require mastering a different system for every agency. Nonprofits reported fragmented grant portals, inconsistent communication, short application timelines, and limited technical assistance that make it harder for smaller organizations to successfully compete for funding.
While accountability is essential, coalition members said reporting requirements are often inconsistent, burdensome, and disconnected from the realities of smaller organizations. Different reporting systems, unclear expectations, and one-size-fits-all requirements take valuable time away from serving communities.
Turning Community Ideas into Action
Over the past year, we’ve made meaningful progress toward addressing these challenges. One of the coalition’s top priorities became law with the passage of House Bill 26-1274: State Agency Payments to Grant Recipients, expanding state agencies’ ability to provide advance payments to nonprofit grantees. The bill preserves the same application, eligibility, and review processes already in place and gives agencies another payment option after grants are awarded. By reducing reliance on reimbursement-based funding, it will help ensure nonprofits don’t have to take on unnecessary financial risk while delivering critical public services.
We’ve also continued growing the Colorado State Grant Database for Nonprofits, the first centralized resource that helps organizations find state grant opportunities in one place. What began as a response to coalition feedback has become a statewide tool that improves transparency, saves nonprofits time, and makes public funding easier to access. As of the end of June this year, the database featured 175 grant opportunities from 25 state agencies and departments. Nearly 1,300 unique users visited the database over 11,000 times, with representation from 51 counties across Colorado.
What’s Next
Our work is far from finished. In the coming months, CLCT will work with state agencies and nonprofit partners to support implementation of House Bill 26-1274, helping ensure advance payments expand access to state funding while maintaining existing application and review processes.
At the same time, coalition members are shaping the next chapter of the Funding the Frontlines Policy Agenda. Through statewide conversations and our 2026–2027 policy priorities survey, nonprofit leaders are identifying the reforms that will have the greatest impact, with a focus on efficiency, innovation, and transparency. Keep an eye out, as we’ll share our updated priorities in the coming weeks!
Funding the Frontlines has always been rooted in one belief: the people closest to these systems are best positioned to improve them. Thank you to every coalition member who has shared your experiences, ideas, and expertise. Together, we’re continuing to build a state grantmaking system that works better for nonprofits – and ultimately, for the communities they serve.
Please reach out if you would like to join our growing coalition or support our shared mission!