August 17, 2025
Each year on August 17, National Nonprofit Day shines a spotlight on the essential role nonprofit organizations play in strengthening communities across the country. It’s a chance to recognize the tireless work of leaders, staff, and volunteers who step up every day to meet urgent needs, expand opportunities, and create more just and thriving communities.
In Colorado, this day holds special significance. Our state’s nonprofits don’t just provide services, they are community builders, cultural connectors, and engines of economic growth. They embody resilience and innovation, often doing more with less while facing complex challenges.
From Montbello to the San Luis Valley, from Pueblo to the Western Slope, small nonprofits are providing critical services, building local leadership, and creating the conditions for families and neighborhoods to thrive across Colorado. These organizations don’t just fill gaps; they are community anchors and economic engines. According to a 2024 analysis by the Leeds School of Business at the University of Colorado, Colorado’s nonprofit sector supports over 260,000 jobs and contributes more than $62 billion to the state’s economy each year.
Yet, despite that impact, too many of these nonprofits are locked out of the state funding systems they need to keep going.
That’s why the Communities Lead Communities Thrive (CLCT) Coalition came together. In 2022, CLCT successfully advocated for House Bill 22-1356, which created the Nonprofit Infrastructure (NPI) Grant Program and directed $35 million to help small nonprofits build capacity and recover from the pandemic. With support from Regional Access Partners, nearly 500 nonprofits across Colorado received grants of up to $100,000 – supporting everything from staff salaries and data systems to new technology and safer facilities.
For some organizations, NPI was the difference between closing their doors and continuing to serve.
Because of this lifeline, organizations like Centro de la Familia fully rebuilt its programs and has since experienced significant growth, serving El Paso County’s monolingual Spanish-speaking immigrant community with expanded access to advocacy, mental health, and resource navigation.
“Centro de la Familia used the NPI grant as a critical lifeline to rebound from the devastating effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. At the time, the organization was on the brink of closing its doors. The NPI funding allowed us to stabilize operations, retain essential staff, and restore our core program model.”
Jackie Jaramillo, Executive Director, Centro de la Familia (Colorado Springs)“We serve one of the most underserved, underrepresented, and vulnerable populations in El Paso County. With the NPI grant’s support, we expanded access to advocacy, mental health, and resource navigation, ensuring these residents have a trusted, culturally competent place to turn for help.”
Jackie Jaramillo, Executive Director, Centro de la Familia (Colorado Springs)For other organizations like Adelante Community Development, NPI funding provided the foundation to strengthen teams and expand leadership capacity.
“Adelante utilized the NPI grant funding to strengthen our internal capacity through targeted professional development and training for staff. We grew from a two-person operation to a team of ten, and the grant allowed us to empower our staff to meet the increased demands of our work and serve our community more effectively.”
Maria Gonzalez, Founder & CEO, Adelante Community Development (Commerce City)“The funding allowed Adelante to strengthen our internal operations, establish more effective protocols, and reduce inefficiencies. This translated directly into better service for the families and entrepreneurs we work with.”
Maria Gonzalez, Founder & CEO, Adelante Community Development (Commerce City)With a stronger infrastructure, Adelante was able to increase its service capacity, streamline systems, and provide higher-quality, culturally responsive support for entrepreneurs and families across Colorado.
And for many small, grassroots organizations, the NPI grant represented something even more profound: the chance to move beyond survival mode.
“The funding enabled organizations to recover from the strain of COVID-19, retain staff, and expand services to address community needs. Instead of operating in a constant state of scarcity, they could focus on delivering impact. It moved them from short-term survival to the path of long-term service.”
LaDawn Sullivan, Executive Director, Black Resilience in Colorado (BRIC) Fund, CLCT Steering Committee MemberDespite their vital role in Colorado’s communities and economy, many small nonprofits continue to face steep challenges. Accessing public funding remains one of the biggest barriers – especially for organizations led by and serving historically marginalized communities.
Complex application processes, reimbursement-based grants, and limited transparency across state agencies make it difficult for nonprofits without full-time development staff to compete for resources. At the same time, rising demand for services, staffing shortages, and increasing administrative burdens are stretching organizations thin.
But the work isn’t done. Even with these successes, small nonprofits – particularly those led by and serving historically marginalized communities – continue to face steep barriers in accessing public dollars.
“Accessing public dollars, particularly state grant funds, remains a significant challenge. The current political climate and freezes on funding have widened the gap for nonprofits like ours. Meanwhile, the communities we serve are subject to heightened political targeting, creating fear and distrust that further limits access to resources.”
Maria Gonzalez, Founder & CEO, Adelante Community Development (Commerce City)“For small nonprofits like ours, accessing public dollars often means navigating highly competitive processes that can unintentionally favor larger, well-resourced organizations.”
Jackie Jaramillo, Executive Director, Centro de la Familia (Colorado Springs)These challenges aren’t new, but in the face of growing need and political uncertainty, they’re becoming more urgent to address.
Now, CLCT is taking that work even further. Earlier this year, we led the charge to advocate for the state to reform it’s current reimbursement-based grant-making system.
In June 2025, we launched a first-of-its-kind Colorado State Grant Database for Nonprofits, a free, easy-to-use tool designed to help nonprofits find and apply for state grants across all agencies. The tool responds directly to what our coalition members told us they needed: fewer barriers, more transparency, and better access to public dollars.
This is what systemic change looks like and it’s being led by the very organizations that have historically been excluded from decision-making and funding.
“This work is not about charity—it’s about equity, justice, and sustainability. When you invest in the infrastructure and leadership of nonprofits led by and serving historically marginalized communities, you are investing in solutions that are built from within, owned by the community, and designed to endure.”
LaDawn Sullivan, Executive Director, Black Resilience in Colorado (BRIC) Fund, CLCT Steering Committee MemberAt CLCT, we believe that when small nonprofits have what they need, entire communities flourish. Thank you to all of our coalition partners who are leading that vision forward – today and every day.
If you or an organization you know would like to join our effort to break down barriers to equitable access to state grant funding in Colorado, fill out our Inquiry Form here.