Grants
How our grants work
Welcome to our new look! Please bookmark this website and the new grant portal for updates, announcements, and changes, and use our contact form to reach out with questions, comments, or concerns.
We have one cycle each year, starting with a Letter of Intent. Here is what we look for, how the process runs, and when everything happens.
Grant cycle
The 2026 Grant Cycle is Open!
Welcome to our new look! Please bookmark this website and the new grant portal for updates, announcements, and changes. Please use our contact form to reach out with questions, comments, or concerns.
9/18/2026 – Letter of Intent Window Opens
10/18/2026 – Letter of Intent Window Closes
11/2/2026 – Letter of Intent Decisions Communicated to Organizations
12/13/2026 – Grant Application Deadline
Eligibility
Is your organization a good fit?
We keep eligibility simple and firm — it’s how we make sure every award goes where it matters most. If you can check all six, we genuinely want to hear from you.
What stands out to us: accountability, passion for the work, outcomes that last, and a spirit of collaboration and community.
Your organization is located in and serves Colorado.
You’re a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organization.
Your annual revenue is under $2 million — smaller organizations are where our grants make the most impact.
Your organization has been providing programs and services for at least three years.
Your program focuses on early childhood education & development, or high school completion.
You can speak to clear outcomes and accountable stewardship of funds.
Typical awards run $10,000–$25,000. Ask for what your project actually needs — we’d rather fund fewer organizations fully than many partially.
The Foundation is unable to provide direct guidance on whether an applicant should submit a Letter of Intent, to avoid giving any unintentional determination on grant eligibility. If your program meets the criteria for either improving high school graduation rates or increasing access to early childhood education, and meets all the other requirements above, you are welcome to submit a Letter of Intent through the grant portal.
From first letter to final report
Every Letter of Intent and Full Application is reviewed by a minimum of two board members. Here’s exactly what happens, and when.
01
Letter of Intent
If your work fits our priorities, introduce your organization through a Letter of Intent. The window opens in early summer; letters are due September 15 annually.
02
Review & invitation
Our Grants Committee reads every letter in pairs. About three weeks after the deadline, you’ll hear from us either way — an invitation to apply, or a clear no.
03
Full application
Invited organizations complete the full grant application by the annual December 15 deadline.
04
Decision
Applications are again reviewed in pairs, then the full Grants Committee meets to confirm awards.
05
Award & onboarding
Awarded organizations receive their amount, grant agreement, and direct deposit and payment information form by March 1 — with about two weeks to return them.
06
Reporting
Grant report instructions arrive in June; reports are due August 31.
Timeline
The current grant year at a glance
Letters of Intent are due September 15 and full applications December 15 each year; the rest is the rhythm of a typical cycle.
September 18, 2026
LOI window opens
October 18, 2026
Letters of Intent due
November 2, 2026
Letter of Intent decisions communicated
December 13, 2026
Full applications due
TBD
Awards announced
TBD
Grant reports due
For current grantees
After you’re awarded
The paperwork
Your award email includes the grant agreement and direct deposit authorization. Return both within about two weeks and funds are on their way.
One report a year
Reporting instructions arrive each June. Your grant report is due August 31 — tell us plainly what the funding made possible.
If you get stuck
Ask a Question at any point — your message goes straight to our Executive Director.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
If your question isn’t here, write to us. These answers come from the questions applicants actually send.
How much should we ask for?
Most awards fall between $10,000 and $25,000. Ask for what your project actually needs — the board would rather fund fewer organizations fully than many partially, so a well-justified $25,000 request is stronger than a modest one without a plan.
When can we apply?
There’s one cycle a year. The Letter of Intent window opens in early summer and closes on September 15; invited organizations submit full applications by December 15, and awards are announced by March 1. The current grant cycle status is always posted at the top of this page.
We’ve received a Burt grant before. Can we apply again?
Yes. Every organization starts each cycle with a new Letter of Intent — a past award neither guarantees nor prevents a new one. What matters is the work you’re proposing now.
We don’t have a fiscal sponsor. Is that a problem?
Not at all. If your organization is itself a tax-exempt 501(c)(3), you don’t need one. If an application question about fiscal sponsorship doesn’t apply to you, simply say so.
What can General Operating Support cover?
The everyday costs of running your mission — staff, rent, program materials. We know reliable operating support is often the hardest funding to find.
What counts as Program or Project Support?
Funding tied to a specific program or initiative with its own budget and outcomes — a new classroom cohort, a tutoring program, a summer bridge project.
What do you mean by “high school completion” programs?
Programs that help Colorado students stay on track and graduate — mentoring, tutoring, credit recovery, attendance and family support, career readiness opportunities that support high school graduation, and everything in between.
What do you mean by “early childhood” programs?
Education and development programming for Colorado’s youngest learners, with a whole-child approach — early literacy, school readiness, and the social and emotional foundations that support them.
What reporting will we owe if we’re awarded?
One report a year. Instructions arrive each June and the report is due August 31 — a plain accounting of what the funding made possible.
Is an evaluation required?
Accountability is fundamental to good stewardship and evaluations such as surveys, feedback tools, and data tracking would be viewed favorably.
Can we get an extension on a deadline?
Deadlines are firm — it’s the only way to be fair to every applicant. We send a reminder before the Letter of Intent deadline so nothing sneaks up on you.
Get started
Ready to introduce your organization?
Every Burt grant begins with a two-page Letter of Intent. When the window opens, it all happens in our grant portal.