Grant Details

The Gates Family Foundation invests in programs that create opportunities for youth, and support stewardship and promote the quality of life in the State of Colorado. The foundations provides two types of support: Capital Grants and Strategic grants.

Through the Capital Grants program the foundation supports the following areas:

• Arts and Culture: Artistic expression arouses the imagination, stimulates creativity, and prompts self-discovery. Organizations dedicated to art and culture enrich the spirit and enhance economic vitality. They support capital projects that:
  • enhance the cultural quality of community life while also strengthening the economy
  • link a community with its heritage and contribute to usable community infrastructure
  • serve as an educational resource for children, youth, and adults
• Community Development: Colorado's economic health is dependent on the vitality of all of the state's communities — large and small, urban and rural. They support capital projects that:
  • create economic opportunity, add to the quality of life, and enhance stability for the residents of a community
  • have the potential to reinforce and enhance the economic vitality of a community
  • involve partnerships between public and private sector organizations that seek to improve the economic and cultural health of communities
• Education: Closing the achievement gap for children from low-income families and increasing access to experiential, life-long learning for all Coloradans enhances the economic, social and civic life of our communities. The Foundation supports capital projects that:
  • serve a majority (at least 50%) of students from low-income families (who qualify for free or reduced-price lunch)
  • build or improve education facilities that will be heavily used by a majority of the community
  • increase access to education in rural areas
  • provide life-long learning to a broad audience
• Parks and Recreation: Appreciation and conservation of Colorado's natural beauty, resources, and opportunities for outdoor recreation are fundamental to the quality of life and the economy of the state. They support capital projects that:
  • protect and steward land and water resources, habitat, and the health of natural systems
  • preserve the state's agricultural legacy
  • construct and improve parks, trail systems, and open space for public recreation and access
  • provide environmental education and leadership opportunities for young people
• Well-Being of Children, Youth and Families: Healthy individuals have greater opportunities to be productive members of society who contribute to the economic, social and cultural life of their communities. They support capital projects that:
  • develop greater self-sufficiency, including the well-being and independence of disadvantaged families and the elderly
  • increase leadership and life skills
  • maintain good health and well-being rather than cure disease

 When making funding decisions, the Foundation prioritizes:

• Projects that address root problems with substantive solutions
• Projects with strong evidence of support from the community and the organization's board
• Projects in rural communities that face greater challenges in accessing funds for capital projects
• Projects that reinforce the foundation's strategic priorities in K-12 public education, natural resources, and community development
• Projects that incorporate green building and sustainable development practices

Through the Strategic Grants program the foundation supports the following areas:

• Educational Equity: Increasing the quality and equity of Colorado's public K-12 education system is a guiding principle for all of the initiatives that the foundation supports. The foundation employs the following strategies: Autonomous Public Schools; Innovation & Incubation; Advocacy; Human Capital; Systems Reform; and Rural Programs.
• Natural Resources: The Gates Family Foundation plays an active role in conserving Colorado's unique landscapes, waterways, and agricultural heritage in ways that allow both natural and human systems to thrive. The foundation employs the following strategies: Landscape Conservation; Land Trust Capacity Building; Balanced Water Management; Stewardship at Scale; and Ecosystem Services.
• Vibrant Communities: The Gates Family Foundation is committed to helping urban and rural communities grow stronger and more resilient, so that all of Colorado's residents have vibrant environments in which to live, work, and play. The foundation employs the following strategies: Mobility; Food Systems; Informed Communities; Economic Opportunity; Placemaking; and Community Planning.