Cortez opened its 2027 Community Support Grants to local nonprofits seeking to address a unique need in the area.
“Most years, the Cortez City Council budgets money from the general fund to support non-profit community organizations that preserve or enrich the health, education, and welfare of the community,” city officials said in a news release.
The city will consider awarding organizations up to $5,000 each for the funding period starting in January 2027 and ending in December 2027. The city limits applications to one per organization.
Nonprofits that apply must be verified by the state of Colorado and have a current 990 form. Their proposals need to serve a wide swath of the Cortez community and cannot overlap with other services already offered.
The city will evaluate applications on the basis of their completeness, merits and strengths. Decisions will be mailed to organizations in January 2027, detailing any amount awarded, any agreement applicable to the funding and any other comments.
While the 2027 budget has yet to be determined, $32,000 was budgeted for the community grants for the 2026 awards. Generally between 12 and 15 organizations are selected, according to Debbie Speer, the city’s human resources assistant. She estimated several hundred organizations have participated in the program since 2004 when the city began tracking awards in their database.
“The generosity of the awards has been able to help organizations help the residents of Cortez and our surrounding communities by being able to financially assist their programs,” Speer said in a statement to The Journal.
Applications are due by 5 p.m. on Oct. 16. Nonprofit representatives can download the PDF application available at cortezco.gov/455/Community-Support-Grant-Program and submit it via email to dspeer@cortezco.gov. Organizations can also submit the form in person or by mail to Speer at City Hall at 123 Roger Smith Ave.
Applicants will receive an email confirmation of their submission. Questions can be directed to Speer at 970-564-4019.
avanderveen@the-journal.com
