Grants

Capital

This grant supports capital improvements to an organization’s space, typically as part of a larger capital campaign. This does not support operations, capacity building or endowments. Priority is given to organizations with budgets under $5 Million. Grant award level varies.

Opens:

Next quarterly application opens January 9

Closes:

Next quarterly application closes February 10

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Description

Grants for capital projects are generally considered for organizations with which the Foundation has an established relationship. Given the potential significant investment of a capital award, the foundation requests advance planning conversations with demonstration of feasibility of the capital campaign and project. To allow for more community-focused and opportunistic grantmaking capacity the Foundation is unlikely to fund significant capital gifts for the largest cultural organizations with operating budgets typically over $5 million. Priority consideration will be given to those projects that are intentional about serving multiple organizations, that serve diverse communities, allow for more equitable access, support live/work spaces for artists, and help fill a critical gap in the arts & culture ecosystem.

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Applications are accepted quarterly. See below for details of the 2025-2026 deadlines:

‍Opens: July 10, 2025

Deadline: August 11 , 2025

Award Decision: October 2025

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Opens: October 10, 2025

Deadline: November 10, 2025

Award Decision: January 2026

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Opens: January 9, 2026

Deadline: February 10, 2026

Award Decision: April 2026

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Opens: April 10, 2026

Deadline: May 11, 2026

Award Decision: July 2026

Eligibility Requirements

501 (c) 3 nonprofit arts & culture organization
Owns space, seeking to purchase space or demonstrates long-term lease (5+ years)
Mission is focused on producing and presenting in-person arts experiences for the public
Based in the city of Denver and deliver the majority of your programs in Denver*
Demonstration of consistent in-person public arts & culture programming
Strong commitment to and clear incorporation of DEI values and practices
For detailed review criteria aligned with our values, please see here: (could we link to our review criteria document?)

*Bonfils-Stanton Foundation’s geographic focus is Denver. We welcome inquiries about possible exceptions from small-budget, community-driven and centered arts & culture organizations based in adjacent Arapahoe, Adams and Jefferson counties. Please contact a grants team member to discuss.

Application Process

If you are a new applicant to the foundation, have been declined or it’s been several years since receiving funding, please complete our Grantee Interest Form. A foundation team member will be in touch with next steps. The interest form is NOT an application. Current grant partners are asked to schedule a time to discuss their capital request before submitting a an application.

Grant Interest Form

Organizations may apply for one grant in a 12-month period. A final grant report is required.

Fiscal Sponsor Guidelines

If you are planning to use a fiscal sponsor to receive grants, we encourage you to review these guidelines and template for a fiscal sponsor agreement.

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Email Us

Call Us

I have accessibility requests or questions – who do I contact?

Program director, Chrissy Deal, welcomes your questions at chrissy@bonfils-stanton.org or 303.825.3774.

How many nonprofit leaders can I nominate?

Individuals can nominate up to three candidates.

Should the candidate know I nominated them?

At the close of the nomination period, the Foundation will notify eligible candidates of their nomination and share a copy of each nomination and endorsement received on their behalf. Nominees, outside of self-nominations, will be able to provide additional information they feel may be relevant to their candidacy. Responses will be entirely optional and not required in order to advance in the selection process. For this reason, nominators may wish to notify the candidate in advance of recommending them for the fellowship.

Can I nominate someone I’ve nominated in the past?

The fellowship is quite competitive, so it is not unusual for individuals to be nominated several times over the years.

Can I nominate a leader of a nonprofit organization that operates with a fiscal sponsor?

Yes

The leader I have in mind lives outside of the Denver Metro area. Are they eligible for the fellowship?

Eligible candidates must be leading a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization based in Adams, Arapahoe, Boulder, Broomfield, Denver, Douglas, or Jefferson county. Bonfils-Stanton Foundation’s leadership decided to focus solely on arts and culture and leadership for deeper impact in 2012. In recent years, the Foundation has taken steps to gradually align the Livingston Fellowship Program’s geographic area more closely with that of our grantmaking portfolio which focuses on the city of Denver.

If I have been nominated, when can candidates expect to hear from Bonfils-Stanton about if they will be advancing in the process?

Nominees will be updated of their status in the selection process via email by early November 2022. The Board of Trustees of the Bonfils-Stanton Foundation will approve the 2023 class of Livingston Fellows in early 2023.

Where can I learn more about the program?

Visit our website for additional information about the history of the Livingston Fellowship program, stories from fellows and their fellowship activities.

I have more general questions – should I contact Chrissy?

Absolutely! If you can’t find what you’re looking for on our website, please reach out to Chrissy for more information.