2026 Colorado Springs Health Foundation Grants: A Complete Guide for Applicants

The Colorado Springs Health Foundation (CSHF) continues its mission to improve the health and well-being of people in El Paso and Teller Counties. With two structured grant cycles opening in 2026, nonprofits, public agencies, and fiscally sponsored initiatives can begin preparing early.

This guide provides a clear, accurate, and comprehensive overview of the Foundation's purpose, eligibility guidelines, funding focus areas, application timelines, and key considerations based directly on CSHF's official grantmaking framework.

Understanding the Purpose of the Colorado Springs Health Foundation

CSHF's primary goal is simple: to make grants that meaningfully improve community health. Their funding approach is grounded in a population health framework, recognizing that numerous factors, including clinical care, behavior, social conditions, environment, trauma, and access to community supports, shape wellness.

Every funding opportunity is designed to support high-need, under-resourced populations and strengthen long-term, community-wide health outcomes.

Grant Guidelines: Who Is Eligible to Apply?

To ensure responsible and equitable grantmaking, CSHF requires all applicants to meet specific criteria.

Eligible Applicants

An organization must be one of the following:

• A tax-exempt 501(c)(3) nonprofit
• Operating under a tax-exempt fiscal sponsor
• A tax-supported entity, such as a school or local/state government

Service Area Requirement

Applicants must serve El Paso County and/or Teller County, Colorado.

Programs outside these regions are not considered.

Funding Alignment

All requests must clearly align with:

• CSHF's mission
• At least one official funding focus area

Types of Requests Considered

CSHF will consider:

• General operating support
• Program or project funding
• Capital requests
• Capacity-building support

Grant amounts vary by need, and the Foundation prefers not to serve as the sole, majority, or continuous funder.

Funding Limitations

CSHF does not support:

• For-profit organizations
• Individuals
• Fundraising events, annual appeals, membership drives
• Political candidates or lobbying
• Re-granting for organizations' own grantmaking activities (collaborative funding is allowed)

Grant Frequency Rules

• Only one operating program/project, or capital grant, may be awarded per calendar year.
• A new application can be submitted only after the current grant is entirely spent, the final report is submitted, and CSHF approves it.

For complete details, Visit the Colorado Springs Health Foundation Grantmaking page

Funding Focus Areas for 2026

CSHF prioritizes six key areas identified by community needs, stakeholder input, and population health data. All areas emphasize serving high-need and under-resourced residents.

1. Healthcare Access

Supports initiatives improving access to:

• Physical health care (preventive care, chronic disease management, primary care)
• Mental health treatment and crisis intervention
• Oral health services
• Substance use disorder treatment and recovery
• Strategies to address healthcare workforce shortages

This remains one of the most competitive categories due to the broad community need.

2. Suicide Prevention

Funding supports:

• Crisis intervention programs
• Support services for high-risk groups (youth, veterans, etc.)
• Community or school-based prevention strategies
• Evidence-based models that identify and mitigate risk

3. Trauma Prevention or Healing

Supports efforts that reduce, address, or heal trauma, including:

• Violence prevention
• Services for survivors of abuse or disaster
• Community-based recovery programs
• Trauma-informed care training
• Long-term emotional healing supports

4. Food

CSHF invests in efforts that improve access to nutritious food, such as:

• Food distribution programs
• Community gardens and local food system initiatives
• Nutrition education for youth and families
• Services designed to reduce food insecurity

5. Physical Activity

Supports strategies that promote safe, consistent activity:

• Community fitness or recreation programs
• Safe walking/biking initiatives
• Inclusive activity programs for seniors or individuals with disabilities
• Accessible youth sports initiative

6. Transitional or Affordable Housing

Supports programs addressing housing stability through:

• Transitional housing programs
• Affordable housing accessibility efforts
• Supportive services for people transitioning from homelessness
• Housing assistance combined with wraparound supports

Grant Length and Multi-Year Considerations

Most grants fund one-year efforts.

Multi-year requests are considered only when:

• A new approach is being introduced to address a community need
• The request is not for general operating support.
• The request is not for ongoing programs.
• The request is not for a capital project.

Applicants must discuss multi-year eligibility during the required pre-application phone call.

2026 Grant Cycles & Deadlines

CSHF operates two primary annual funding cycles, each aligned with specific focus areas.

Winter/Spring 2026 Funding Opportunity

Focus Areas:

Healthcare Access

Suicide Prevention

Trauma Prevention or Healing

Key Dates:

• Opens : Monday, November 3, 2025
• Pre-Application Calls : Nov 3, 2025 – Jan 16, 2026
• Deadline : Tuesday, January 27, 2026 (Noon MT)
• Decisions : Late March 2026

Summer/Fall 2026 Funding Opportunity (Tentative)

Focus Areas:

Food

Physical Activity

Transitional or Affordable Housing

Key Dates :

• Opens : Monday, April 27, 2026
• Pre-Application Calls : Apr 27 – Jul 14, 2026
• Deadline : Tuesday, July 21, 2026 (Noon MT)
• Decisions : Late September 2026

Other Funding Opportunities

Available year-round:

• Collaboration grants
• Capacity-building grants

Emergency funding is rare and approved only in exceptional cases.

Note : All timelines, focus areas, and application details are based on the most recent publicly available information from the Colorado Springs Health Foundation. Dates may shift, and additional guidance may be released. Applicants should always verify the latest requirements, deadlines, and eligibility details directly on the CSHF official website before preparing or submitting a proposal.

Why These Grants Matter for Community Health

CSHF's funding acknowledges that health outcomes are shaped by more than clinical care. By investing in housing stability, food access, trauma recovery, physical activity, mental health, and care access, CSHF helps organizations create:

• Long-term improvements in quality of life
• Stronger support systems for vulnerable populations
• Community networks that can respond to evolving health needs
• Solutions targeting the root causes of poor health

Where GridSocial by SocialRoots.ai Supports This Mission

Organizations applying for CSHF grants often need to demonstrate measurable outcomes, strong collaboration, and clear program impact. GridSocial helps teams working in health, housing, food, and community programs to:

• Track Participation & Outcomes across partners, events, clinics, and community services
• Coordinate Referrals to ensure no client falls through the cracks.
• Automate Reporting for CSHF and other funders
• Demonstrate Impact with dashboards & data visualizations.
• Scale Programs across multiple sites or partners

GridSocial strengthens the infrastructure needed to deliver and document high-impact community health programs.

Final Thoughts

The Colorado Springs Health Foundation offers a vital funding pathway for organizations serving El Paso and Teller Counties. With structured cycles, clear guidelines, and well-defined focus areas, applicants can begin preparing strong, mission-aligned proposals for the 2026 opportunities.

Always refer to the official website for the most current requirements and updates: Colorado Springs Health Foundation (Grantmaking Section): www.cshf.net