This commentary is by Jorge De Santiago, executive director of El Centro AMISTAD in Boulder County.
At El Centro AMISTAD, we work every day to create opportunities and programs that promote equity in health, education and quality of life for Boulder County’s Latinx community. We’re a small, community-rooted nonprofit, the kind that knows our neighbors by name and sees firsthand what it takes for families to thrive. But when it comes to accessing the state funding that’s supposed to support our work, the system is stacked against us.
In our experience, we’ve spent weeks pulling together budgets, financial reports and forms for a state grant that aligned with our mission. We poured time and energy we could barely spare into the application — only to never hear back. No feedback, no explanation, no idea what we could have done differently. The experience was discouraging and left our team wondering whether the process was even worth it again.
Unfortunately, we’re not alone. Through a series of listening sessions led by Communities Lead Communities Thrive (CLCT), dozens of nonprofits across the state — from Boulder to Grand Junction to Pueblo — shared similar stories. The findings were clear: Colorado’s state grant system too often shuts out the very organizations closest to the communities it aims to serve. These conversations led to the Funding the Frontlines Policy Agenda focused on breaking down barriers to state grant funding for small nonprofits.
For small nonprofits like ours, the application process itself is overwhelming. Each state agency has its own grant management platform, its own rules and its own long list of required documents. There’s no standard format, no common application, and no easy way to know whether we even qualify before spending hours applying. It’s a system that rewards those who can afford professional grant writers, not those who are on the frontlines of doing critical work.
Even when we do apply, a lack of transparency leaves us in the dark. We rarely learn why we weren’t selected or how we could improve next time. For a small organization, that means starting over again and again without learning anything new. Imagine if the state saw nonprofits not as applicants to screen out, but as partners to invest in and support.
Then there’s the issue of timing and cash flow. Many state grants are reimbursement-based, meaning nonprofits must spend the money first and get paid later. That model might work for large organizations with deep reserves, but for small groups like ours, it’s a deal-breaker. We can’t front tens of thousands of dollars while waiting months for reimbursement that can often be delayed for no reason. Some nonprofit leaders have even put their personal finances on the line to keep projects going, an unacceptable risk for anyone working to serve their community.
We want to collaborate with other nonprofits to strengthen our state grant applications, but even that comes with barriers. Coordinating across organizations takes time, trust and capacity — three things that small teams are constantly short on. Yet, collaboration is exactly what the state should be encouraging. When local organizations partner, we can reach more people, share resources and deliver stronger outcomes.
CLCT’s listening sessions made one thing clear: the solutions aren’t complicated, but they do require political will and accountability. Policymakers can start by standardizing and simplifying grant applications across state agencies. They can fund “grant navigators” — real people who can help small nonprofits understand opportunities and prepare competitive applications. They can commit to transparency, providing clear criteria and constructive feedback. And they can move away from reimbursement-only funding toward models that trust nonprofits by providing funding upfront.
Colorado prides itself on innovation and community. But when our funding systems exclude the very organizations driving equity at the local level, we hold ourselves back. The state depends on nonprofits to deliver essential services — from housing to food access to public health. It’s time for our systems to support nonprofits equitably, too.
If we truly believe that every community deserves a fair shot at state resources, we must fix the systems that make those resources inaccessible. Simplifying and standardizing state grants won’t just help small nonprofits like mine; it will strengthen the entire ecosystem of care that keeps Colorado thriving.
Because when community-rooted organizations have the tools and trust they need, all of Colorado wins.
Very thoughtful and articulate article. Congratulations.
Jorge, you nailed it!
Hats off to Jorge for his opinion piece here. He has led a very important and community-critical organization for decades and what he describes needs serious attention from State and I suggest could/should directly involve advocacy from our local community foundations. A non profit of the capacity of El Centro AMISTAD can’t do this alone. This calls for attention and Community Foundations can take a leadership role here to help in advocating for improving state processes that lead to more balance and fairness in state (publicly funded) granting programs. They could/should (my opinion) be engaged in this effort to advocate for needed changes in governance systems that help non profits thrive. Administrative funding that foundations receive with every donation can support this. I’ve served on foundation boards in my past and hope that st least one of our Boulder county community foundations might take a serious look at the issues described here by Mr De Santiago.
Well stated of obstacles to distribute funds earmarked for community services. Colorado community foundations are logical advocates to improve this situation.
Colorado has a common college application that may be a useful in crafting some standard information supplemented by specific grant requirements. Transparency and feedback are key for organizations to understand how to improve.