Grant Evaluation

Areas We Fund
Eligibility Criteria
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Community-informed, and community-driven. 

Requests for grants have increased each year and annually exceed the funds available. We are proud of this fact, in that there are so many organizations wanting to help, but it also makes for a highly competitive process. A diverse grant-review panel ensures we are meeting needs by funding programs that align with our Targeted Areas of Focus.

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  • Alignment: Demonstrated alignment with our departmental funding priorities and grant program areas of focus through the Targeted Grants/Responsive Grants
  • Capacity: Evidence of financial and programmatic capacity that illustrates organizational stability, a strong financial position, and future vision for sustainability
  • Impact: Clearly articulated organizational goals, plan for achieving results, tracking outcomes, and impacting the community members served
  • Context: Relationship to specific behavioral health needs (unmet or emerging problems with an eye on collaboration and health equity)

Alignment with BHS’s funding priorities and targeted areas of focus

  • Clearly presented goals, objectives, and strategies
  • Provision of unduplicated, needed programs and services with specific outreach to underserved populations and geographic areas
  • Sustainable and diversified funding streams
  • Solid financial statements and cash reserves
  • Proven track record of success with positive outputs and outcomes
  • Effective and qualified leadership
  • Strong, effective, and ongoing organization and program evaluation
  • Community buy-in and support, as evidenced through donations, volunteer engagement, collaborations, and partnerships

The program project is not behavioral health-related.

  • There is considerable financial risk that cannot be mitigated
  • The request is for general operating expenses, or for funds to cover a loss of other funding, and is not program- or project-specific.
  • Similar programs or projects are being proposed and this one was not prioritized.
  • Receipt of funding in the past is not a guarantee of funding in the future. New community needs and projects arise and may be prioritized differently each year.
  • This funding is awarded on a one-year basis, and continued funding is never guaranteed, as priorities and available resources may shift from year to year.

We know AI tools can be a game-changer for streamlining paperwork, especially for smaller teams. We encourage you to use these tools to help you work smarter, but please keep these guidelines in mind:

  • Make it yours. Please don’t copy and paste directly from an AI. Our reviewers want to hear your unique voice and community expertise. If a response appears to be robotic or generic, it can make your application feel less authentic and less competitive.
  • Fact-check everything. AI tools can sometimes generate convincing but inaccurate statistics. You are 100% responsible for the accuracy of your data, so double-check every figure and source before hitting submit.
  • Protect your privacy. Never put confidential client info or sensitive internal data into an AI tool. Most AI platforms are not private environments.
  • Own the final product. Your organization is ultimately accountable for all content submitted. Any mistakes or misrepresentations generated by AI will be treated as the organization's responsibility.

The Bottom Line: Use AI as a drafting partner, but let your human staff be the final editor. We value the "behavioral health" side of your work, and that requires a human touch.

If It's Helpful: Here is Larimer County's policy for reference. This may serve as a starting framework for creating a unique policy for your organization.

Generative Artificial Intelligence Policy (39.61 KB)


Evaluation process

Graphic showing Impact Fund Grant Program totals, as of 2024, reading: In six years, $14.7 million has gone to 72 organizations in Larimer County.