2026 Food Access Grants

Grant Overview

Purpose:

The Phase 2 Food Access Grant aims to support community-driven solutions that strengthen food access infrastructure and systems in Chaffee County over the next 12 months. Funding will prioritize projects that demonstrate alignment with the Food Action Roadmap.

Examples of projects that will be considered for funding:

  • Expand sustainable cold storage nodes and aggregation facilities that reduce waste and enhance distribution capacity of locally produced food;

  • Enable network-level food access improvements (i.e., not one-time emergency bumps but lasting infrastructure, partnerships, organizational capacity or coordinated services); and

  • Build local leadership and coordination capacity for food system planning and/or immediate need services coordination.

Examples of projects that are not eligible for funding: 

  • Operating funds to maintain existing immediate needs services

  • Long-term projects that will take more than 18 months to realize deliverables

  • Funding for a single food provider/producer

This process builds on the Food Action Roadmap and emergent needs identified by the local Safety Net Leaders Group and the Food Access Strategic Planning Session held in fall 2025. If you have questions about if your project is a good fit for the eligibility criteria, please reach out to staff to discuss prior to submitting an application at grants@chaffeecommunity.org

Funding Source: Chaffee County Community Foundation, City of Salida, Chaffee County, Colorado Trust, El Pomar Foundation, CHFA and individual donors to the Emergency Response Fund.

Grant Range: $5,000–$100,000 per award (depending on project scope).

Funding Available: $200,000

Grant Process

Please review all information carefully before applying.

Timeline

  • Thursday, March 12th 10 am - 11 am Grant Orientation - Recording will be posted

  • April 1 – April 30: Applications open (deadline: Friday, February 27 at 11:59 p.m.)

  • April 30 - May 29: Application reviews and decisions

  • Early April: Grant award notifications issued

  • Funding Disbursement: Approved grants will be paid within 10 business days of a completed grant agreement.

review Process

CCCF convenes a Grant Review Committee to evaluate all applications. The process includes:

  1. Initial Staff Screening – Ensures completeness, eligibility verification, Colorado Secretary of State Good Standing, nondiscrimination statement, and financial review.

  2. Committee Review – Individual committee members review and rank applications. Note: No site visits will be conducted, so thorough responses are essential.

  3. Final Recommendations – The committee meets in three work sessions to aggregate rankings, consider program budgets, and finalize funding recommendations.

  4. Funding Disbursement – Approved grants are paid via direct deposit unless a check is requested (check disbursement may take up to four weeks).

Eligibility

Applicants must:

  • Be a registered nonprofit (501c3, 501c4 or 501C6), government agency, faith-based organizations, tribal entity, or fiscally sponsored project serving Chaffee County residents.

  • Demonstrate capacity to implement project outcomes within 12 months

  • Propose activities that align with the Food Action Roadmap Phase 2 & 3 and support community-driven solutions that strengthen food access infrastructure and systems in Chaffee County.

  • Provide evidence of community need, community engagement and capacity to sustain the project beyond the grant period.

Applicants are encouraged to review the grant questions (PDF or Word) and rubric to ensure a strong application.

Grant Reporting Requirements:

  • Funds must be expended and final reports submitted by February 26, 2027.

  • Organizations with outstanding grant reports will not be considered for new funding until past due reports are received.

Contact

For questions, email grants@chaffeecommunity.org. Please allow two business days for a response.