The City of Boulder is now accepting applications for the Human Resource Fund, which provides funds for “community-initiated activities.” The city will consider applications from nonprofits and “individual organizers under the fiscal sponsorship of a nonprofit.” The city is accepting rolling applications for events occurring between June and December this year.
Boulder’s Community Funding Dashboard shows some of the recipients of the money from 2019 to 2022. The amount awarded to each organization ranged from $400 to $5,000, but the city hasn’t specified a specific range. The press release states that “the maximum amount that an organization can apply for varies by project.”
The largest recipient between 2019 and 2022 was the Executive Committee For African American Cultural Events (ECAACE), which received $5,000 in 2022 for its Juneteenth celebration. The smallest award was $400 to the Boulder School for German Language and Culture for May Fest in 2019.
The city originally stated that it expects to award $46,500 in 2025, but the latest press release has increased that figure to $60,500 for qualified organizations holding community-initiated events for residents of Boulder. The first deadline is September 29 at 4 p.m. for events occurring in June through the end of 2025. Applications for events from January through May 2026 will begin in October.
The city will not consider applications that aren’t from community organizations or events that charge a fee for participants. The city also requires funded events to have a “significant component of programming that impacts residents of Boulder.” The city also considers “projects that reinforce the goals of respect for diversity, inclusivity, and equity.”
Other past awardees of funding from the HRF include the Boulder Jewish Festival, Colorado Latina Festival, Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art, Bridge House, and Second Baptist Church.
The city will consider several other factors when making funding decisions including “collaboration with other organizations, diversity among planners and decision makers, inclusivity among participants, access to people with disabilities, projects or activities that provide opportunities for communities that experience marginalization, and activities that advance the ongoing and annual priorities of the HRF.”
Community organizations interested in applying for funds are directed to create an account and submit an application via the Regional Grant Management System.
