Special Funding Opportunity: Food Insecurity
Colorado Springs Health Foundation recognizes that food insecurity continues to increase in El Paso and Teller Counties. This special, one-time funding opportunity is designed to help address this challenge.
Your organization may be eligible to submit an application for this special opportunity if your organization operates an existing food program addressing food insecurity in El Paso and/or Teller Counties. An “existing food program” is defined as one that involves dedicated staff and/or volunteers responsible for program operations.
To learn about eligibility guidelines or access the application, go to CSHF’s website. The deadline for applying is Tuesday, Oct. 20 at noon MT.
Questions? Please contact CSHF staff by emailing [email protected].
Upcoming Winter/Spring 2027 Funding Opportunity
CSHF’s Winter/Spring 2027 Funding Opportunity will open on November 2, 2026 (tentative). It is available to Pikes Peak region tax-exempt and tax-supported organizations doing work in three of our six funding focus areas: (1) Healthcare access; (2) Suicide prevention; and (3) Trauma prevention or healing.
Here is the funding cycle timeline:
- Nov. 2, 2026 (tentative): Opportunity released and application available.
- Nov. 2, 2026 – Jan. 14, 2027 (tentative): Pre-application phone calls open. This is a required step in our process for any interested organization.
- Jan. 14, 2027 (tentative): Pre-application phone calls deadline.
- Jan. 26, 2027, noon MT (tentative): Application deadline. No exceptions.
- Late March 2027 (tentative): Grant decisions communicated to applicants.
CSHF will email its distribution list when the opportunity is open. If you’re not signed up for our distribution list, go to our website homepage and scroll to the bottom right corner to input your email address.
Summer/Fall 2026 Funding Cycle: A Summary
In mid-September, Colorado Springs Health Foundation’s Board of Trustees awarded 37 grants totaling $3.3M. These grants relate to three of our six focus areas: food, physical activity and transitional or affordable housing. Here are some data on the applications and grant awards:
- Total applications: 45
- Total grant awards: 37 (82% award rate)
- Grant awards ranged from $12,000 to $525,000
- % of grants awarded by funding focus area:
- 36% Transitional or affordable housing;
- 33% Food;
- 31% Physical activity
- % of grants awarded by grant type:
- 67% Program;
- 31% General operating;
- 2% Capital
Community Reviewer Program
CSHF’s Community Reviewer model is now in its seventh cycle. Community Reviewers enhance the grantmaking process by incorporating diverse perspectives and insights that reflect the true needs and priorities of the community we serve. This Community Review process, adapted from a similar approach at Caring for Denver Foundation, asks local experts to review a subset of grant applications and provide staff and board with thoughts about application strengths, challenges, and key questions. Big gratitude goes to our five reviewers for the Summer/Fall 2026 Funding Cycle: Chris Aaby, Stacey Burns, Sam Clark, Susan Edmondson and Kevin Farley. We will engage a new group of Community Reviewers for the Winter/Spring 2027 Funding Cycle.
If you would like to participate as a community reviewer, recommend someone for the role, or learn more about the process, please reach out to Jamie Brown by emailing [email protected].
CSHF’s Second Impact Assessment
CSHF recently completed a second impact assessment to better understand the influence of its grantmaking and how funded partners are advancing health and well-being across the Pikes Peak region. The 2026 assessment examined CSHF’s partnerships with six longstanding funded organizations and explored their growth, community impact, and lessons learned.
Across the assessment, a clear theme emerged: Health challenges are interconnected, and lasting progress requires coordinated services, strong community partnerships, and investment in organizational capacity—not only individual programs. These findings offer valuable guidance as CSHF continues working with partners to strengthen health, stability, and opportunity throughout our region.
To learn more, you can find the 2026 impact assessment here.
Upcoming Learning Session
Join us for an upcoming Learning Session featuring findings from the 2025 Coroner’s Report. This session will provide an opportunity to better understand trends affecting our community and explore what the data may tell us about emerging needs and opportunities for prevention, intervention, and support.
Participants will hear directly from Dr. Emily Russell-Kinsley, El Paso County Coroner, learn about notable findings from the report, and engage in discussion about implications for our region. You can find the report here.
Click here to register for the in-person session: 2025 Coroner’s Report: Wednesday, October 28, 2026, 8:30 – 10:00 a.m., NAMI Colorado Springs