Inclusive Communities
$5,000 in unrestricted funding to small-budget, arts & culture organizations that are majority led by and serve BIPOC, LGBTQ+, and disability communities.
Local, community-oriented organizations offering programs that integrate arts and culture play a critical role in the Denver area’s cultural ecosystem. In recognition of their important contributions, Bonfils-Stanton Foundation’s Inclusive Communities grant program provides $5,000 in unrestricted funding to Denver-area arts and culture organizations that are informed by, majority led by and serve BIPOC, LGBTQ+, and disability communities. Annual Inclusive Communities grants are awarded to small-budget nonprofits or fiscally-sponsored organizations for fostering deeper engagement with art and culture across our community through public programming.
- 501(c)(3) nonprofit or fiscally sponsored organization with an operating budget of under $200,000
- Operates with all-volunteer staff or no more than three (3) full- or part-time paid staff (not including paid contractors/artists hired on a project-basis)
- Majority of organization’s senior leaders (staff and/or board) identify as Black, Indigenous, people of color (BIPOC), LGBTQ+, and/or people with disabilities
- Organization’s public programming incorporates the perspectives of BIPOC, LGBTQ+, and/or disability communities
- Organization is based and majority of programs occur in Denver, Adams, Arapahoe, or Jefferson counties
- Celebration of arts and culture is central to the organization’s mission
- At least 3 years of consistent arts and culture programming
- Organization does NOT currently receive support through Bonfils-Stanton Foundation’s Quarterly Community Grants program
To better help guide you in selecting the most appropriate grant program, please complete the Grant Eligibility Questionnaire and a team member will respond with next steps. If you feel you are well aligned with the eligibility criteria, you may also proceed with an application.
Applications are open to any organization that meets the eligibility criteria (view a PDF of application here). There is no formal report requirement but we will schedule an optional virtual check-in over the coming year. Eligible applicants may receive one unrestricted operating or project grant in a 12-month period.
The following are generally not eligible for funding:
- Loans, grants or scholarships to individuals
- Events and media/film productions
- Activities or initiatives that have a religious purpose
- Endowment funding
- Funding to retire operating debt
- Requests from organizations outside of Colorado or that are not for the benefit of Colorado citizens
With our funding we seek to
We work in partnership with grantees, other funders, community leaders and others engaged in the creative economy.
Make your Application online using the link to our portal below.
Applications close.
A panel will review your application and a decision will be made.
Program director, Chrissy Deal, welcomes your questions at chrissy@bonfils-stanton.org or 303.825.3774.
Individuals can nominate up to three candidates.
At the close of the nomination period, the Foundation will notify eligible candidates of their nomination and share a copy of each nomination and endorsement received on their behalf. Nominees, outside of self-nominations, will be able to provide additional information they feel may be relevant to their candidacy. Responses will be entirely optional and not required in order to advance in the selection process. For this reason, nominators may wish to notify the candidate in advance of recommending them for the fellowship.
The fellowship is quite competitive, so it is not unusual for individuals to be nominated several times over the years.
Yes
Eligible candidates must be leading a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization based in Adams, Arapahoe, Boulder, Broomfield, Denver, Douglas, or Jefferson county. Bonfils-Stanton Foundation’s leadership decided to focus solely on arts and culture and leadership for deeper impact in 2012. In recent years, the Foundation has taken steps to gradually align the Livingston Fellowship Program’s geographic area more closely with that of our grantmaking portfolio which focuses on the city of Denver.
Nominees will be updated of their status in the selection process via email by early November 2022. The Board of Trustees of the Bonfils-Stanton Foundation will approve the 2023 class of Livingston Fellows in early 2023.
Visit our website for additional information about the history of the Livingston Fellowship program, stories from fellows and their fellowship activities.
Absolutely! If you can’t find what you’re looking for on our website, please reach out to Chrissy for more information.
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