CHFA is proud to announce its Round One 2023 Direct Effect Award recipients.
CHFA’s Direct Effect Awards recognize Colorado nonprofit organizations whose missions align with CHFA’s work to strengthen Colorado by investing in affordable housing and community development.
CHFA is donating $942,060 to 85 nonprofits through its Direct Effect program in round one, which received 160 applications seeking more than $3.5 million in combined funding.
CHFA is not a state agency and does not receive any direct state or federal appropriations. CHFA is a self-sufficient, quasi-governmental organization serving Colorado. The Direct Effect Awards are funded by directing a portion of CHFA’s program investments and earnings to provide philanthropic support and strengthen the capacity of mission-aligned nonprofits.
The 2023 Direct Effect Award Round One recipients are listed below.
A Little Help - $10,000
A Little Help’s (ALH) mission is to connect neighbors to help older adults thrive. ALH connects neighbors and equips community volunteers to build relationships and provide non-medical services, addressing vast service provision gaps and empowering older adults to age in their homes. CHFA’s Direct Effect Award will support ALH’s programs to mobilize community volunteers to provide services to help older adults aged 55 and older in Metro Denver, Northern Colorado, and the Western Slope age well in their homes. To learn more about A Little Help, please visit alittlehelp.org.
Achieve, Inc. - $15,000
Achieve’s mission is to provide a sustainable lifetime community of excellence for teens and young adults with learning disabilities by providing social and cognitive skills training, job training, and employment. CHFA’s Direct Effect Award will support Achieve’s food trailer program, which is a social enterprise model providing paid work experience and job training to an average of 17 neurodivergent participants each summer. To learn more about Achieve, please visit achievelifeskills.org.
All Points Transit - $15,000
All Points Transit’s mission is to promote independence and accessibility for seniors, persons with disabilities, and the public by providing safe and reliable transportation in Montrose County. CHFA’s Direct Effect Award will help All Points Transit expand their service area into Delta County. Funding will be used to pay drivers, market to, and educate riders, businesses, the public, and publish schedules to develop and grow the route over the next five years. To learn more about All Points Transit, please visit allpointstransit.org.
Animas View Mobile Home Park Cooperative - $10,000
Animas View Mobile Home Park Cooperative is a resident-owned manufactured home community in Durango with a mission of ensuring long-term access to affordable housing. By preventing displacement, they provide stability and security to vulnerable individuals, and contribute to local workforce housing. CHFA’s Direct Effect Award will assist in the renovation of a duplex unit within the community. The duplex will provide safe and comfortable housing for two families and will generate revenue to maintain affordability for all residents. To learn more about Animas View Mobile Home Park Cooperative, please visit animasviewmhp.coop.
Aurora Housing Authority - $5,000
Aurora Housing Authority (AHA) works diligently to create and promote safe, affordable housing for the City of Aurora. AHA has a robust family services team that directly works with voucher holders and residents of AHA properties to meet their case management, financial, and personal needs to achieve more self-sufficiency and economic empowerment. CHFA’s Direct Effect Award will support the “Time to S.H.I.N.E.” program, which aims to provide young women with social emotional learning opportunities, human trafficking and safety awareness, training on healthy relationships, substance use/abuse education, character and leadership development, and career exploration. To learn more about Aurora Housing Authority, please visit aurorahousing.org.
AYA Foundation - $15,000
AYA Foundation supports Black entrepreneurs in Colorado who are in the startup phase of their entrepreneurial journey. They provide business education through a boot camp workshop, one-on-one coaching, offer grants for startup costs, and facilitate referrals to technical assistance and professional services. CHFA’s Direct Effect Award will be used to support staffing and their grantmaking and capacity building programs, which were created to advance economic equity for the Black community. To learn more about AYA Foundation, please visit ayafoundation.org.
Baby Bear Hugs - $5,000
Baby Bear Hugs provides tools to help families meet their parenting, educational, and economic goals. Baby Bear Hugs focuses on early childhood and the overall health and wellbeing of each family they serve. CHFA’s Direct Effect Award will be used to augment their current programming with intentional education around housing stability and economic prosperity. To learn more about Baby Bear Hugs, please visit babybearhugs.org.
BeyondHome - $7,500
BeyondHome assists working families who are experiencing homelessness or who are on the verge of becoming homeless by helping them achieve self-sufficiency for life. The families work hard to achieve personal goals for their education, housing, finances, and family while receiving the support they need in a safe home surrounded by a community. CHFA’s Direct Effect Award will provide direct support to families in BeyondHome’s Self-Sufficiency Program and ensure that program participants have the resources they need on their journey to self-sufficiency. To learn more about BeyondHome, please visit beyondhomeonline.org.
Boys and Girls Clubs of Chaffee County - $10,000
Boys & Girls Clubs of Chaffee County is the largest, most vital, youth development organization in Chaffee County. It focuses on changing the trajectory of young people’s lives by providing youth development programs year-round via free or low-cost after-school and summer programming. CHFA’s Direct Effect Award will support their Building Great Futures Capital Campaign to build a facility in Buena Vista. To learn more about Boys and Girls Clubs of Chaffee County, please visit bgcchaffee.org.
CAFE Food Rescue - $10,000
CAFE Food Rescue (CFR) works with the Summit County community to reallocate surplus food, thereby increasing healthy and fresh food access points and times for those in need, preventing unnecessary waste and carbon emissions, and saving costs for food donors and food distributors. CAFE Food Rescue collects surplus food from licensed food service providers including events facilities, caterers, restaurants, coffee shops, and grocery stores. CHFA’s Direct Effect Award will support the general operations to support their greatest needs in reallocating surplus food to those who need it most. To learn more about CAFÉ Food Rescue, please visit cafefoodrescue.org.
CASA of Pueblo - $5,000
CASA of Pueblo’s mission is to advocate for abused and neglected children by providing a voice in the courts and in the community through trained volunteer advocates. Their program recruits, trains, and coordinates volunteers to serve as advocates for youth who have been removed from the home due to abuse and neglect and serves as their voice in the community and in the courts as a permanent home is quickly determined. CHFA’s Direct Effect Award will support three programs: CASA of Pueblo, Heart of Colorado CASA, and Arkansas Valley CASA and will help coordinate 150 volunteers to advocate for a minimum of 300 abused and neglected youth in their 8-county service area. To learn more about CASA of Pueblo, please visit casaofpueblo.org.
CASA of the Seventh Judicial District - $5,000
CASA of the Seventh Judicial District’s (CASA7JD) mission is to help break the cycle of abuse and neglect through prevention, advocacy, and intervention. CASA7JD has affordable supportive housing in Montrose and Delta for young adults between the ages of 18-24 who were former foster youth or at high risk of homelessness. CHFA’s Direct Effect Award will be used for CASA7JD’s constructing of walking trails, picnic benches, and recreation equipment for their latest supportive housing project, The Village on San Juan. To learn more about CASA of the Seventh Judicial District, please visit casa7jd.org.
Centennial Area Health Education Center - $10,000
Centennial Area Health Education Center (CAHEC) has spent nearly 50 years connecting existing and future health professionals with resources and education, while also delivering health-related information and programming to people living in their 12-county service area, which includes mostly rural and frontier communities in Northeast Colorado. CHFA’s Direct Effect Award will support the general operations of CAHEC, which includes providing housing, education, support, and guidance to medical professionals and students to develop skills and general vocational support. To learn more about Centennial Area Health Education Center, please visit cahec.org.
Center for Work Education and Employment - $7,500
The Center for Work Education and Employment (CWEE) supports vulnerable workers, mostly single moms, to train for and launch careers. CWEE has served more than 16,000 families since its inception and continues to demonstrate success in guiding families out of poverty. CHFA's Direct Effect Award will support CWEE's Career Readiness program, which will serve 800 low-income participants in Metro Denver in the upcoming year. The Career Readiness program guides low-income, high-needs individuals and their families towards self-sufficiency by readying them for long-term, career-focused employment. To learn more about CWEE, please visit cwee.org.
Centro Humanitario - $10,000
Centro Humanitarian’s mission is to promote the rights and well-being of day laborers and domestic workers in Colorado through education, job skills, leadership development, united action, and advocacy. It has been the only worker center in Colorado to provide employment and economic development opportunities to immigrant workers of all ages and status for the last 20 years. CHFA’s Direct Effect Award will help to hire more coordinators and social workers to provide mentoring, education opportunities, mental health resources, preparation, and connection to employment opportunities. To learn more about Centro Humanitario, please visit centrohumanitario.org.
ChildSafe Colorado - $5,000
ChildSafe Colorado’s mission is to break the cycle and heal the trauma resulting from childhood abuse and neglect with specialized treatment, education, and community outreach. CHFA’s Direct Effect Award will support ChildSafe’s comprehensive Child Abuse Treatment Program that has served northern Colorado for nearly 37 years. The funds will be used to make therapy and support accessible to more underserved members of their community. To learn more about ChildSafe Colorado, please visit childsafecolorado.org.
Conejos County Housing Authority - $20,000
The Conejos County Housing Authority operates 44 public housing units located in three different municipalities and is in the process of building more affordable housing in Conejos County. Recently, they received a USDA Housing Preservation Grant which will provide funds for families with low-income in Conejos County who cannot afford to make any type of improvements to their homes. CHFA’s Direct Effect Award will be used to help the homeowners with a cash match to contribute to health and safety issue repairs. To learn more about Conejos County Housing Authority, please visit conejoshousing.org.
Crossroads Safehouse - $5,000
Crossroads Safehouse provides consistent and trauma-informed support for victims of domestic violence and their families. CHFA’s Direct Effect Award will support Road to Home, a rapid rehousing program. Lack of safe, stable, and affordable housing is often the key barrier most victims face on their path to leaving an abusive situation. Road to Home seeks to remove the barriers to gaining permanent housing and offer the support and tools needed for survivors to live free from the cycle of abuse. To learn more about Crossroads Safehouse, please visit crossroadssafehouse.org.
The Delores Project - $15,000
The Delores Project provides safe, inclusive 24-7 shelter and rehousing services for unaccompanied women and transgender individuals experiencing homelessness as well as supportive housing for formerly chronically homeless individuals living with a disability at up to 30 percent of area median income. CHFA’s Direct Effect Award will support expanded emergency rental assistance for those ready to leave shelter and ongoing continued care to ensure their successful retention in permanent housing. To learn more about The Delores Project, please visit thedeloresproject.org.
Dream Centers of Colorado Springs - $15,000
Dream Centers of Colorado Springs provides affordable housing for mothers and children experiencing homelessness, helping them become stable, independent, and thriving. Dream Centers provides up to five years of supportive wrap-around services combined with housing through Mary’s Home. CHFA’s Direct Effect Award will help provide program materials, supplies, apartment renovations, and staffing necessary to give Mary's Home residents the resources and support they need as they work toward long-term independence. To learn more about Dream Centers of Colorado Springs, please visit dreamcenters.com.
Earthlinks, Inc. - $20,000
EarthLinks provides wrap-around services for individuals experiencing or at risk of homelessness and facilitates successful transitions from homelessness to housing. In Workshop, participants tend an urban garden and craft artisan products from sustainable materials that are sold to the public. Net sales proceeds are returned to participants as modest but meaningful stipends for their work. CHFA’s Direct Effect will support this program by providing bus passes for participants and staffing support. To learn more about Earthlinks, please visit earthlinks-colorado.org.
Ekar Farm - $10,000
Ekar Farm and Community Gardens is a communal urban, experiential, and hunger relief farm. They work to build community, provide experiential and environmental education, and grow sustainably produced fruits and vegetables, expanding access to those in need. CHFA’s Direct Effect Award will be used to assist with the general operating expenses to run the farm. To learn more about Ekar Farm, please visit ekarfarm.org.
The Empowerment Program - $15,000
The Empowerment Program (Empowerment) provides wraparound stabilization and support services to Metro Denver individuals facing multiple barriers to success, including physical and behavioral health challenges, homelessness, incarceration, and intimate partner violence. Integrated care services include addiction treatment, education, employment support, individual and group therapy, emergency and transitional housing, and assistance identifying and securing permanent housing. CHFA’s Direct Effect Award will provide rental assistance to Empowerment participants who have transitioned into independent housing. To learn more about The Empowerment Program, please visit empowermentprogram.org.
The Family Center/La Familia - $10,000
The Family Center/La Familia’s mission is to work alongside diverse families to provide high quality childcare and supportive services, with an emphasis on cultural attunement with the Latinx community. CHFA’s Direct Effect Award will support the Mi Voz program. Mi Voz is a leadership training program that enhances skills among Latinx/immigrant community members to change existing systems that perpetuate oppression. Mi Voz advocates for housing reform with six mobile home parks where many Latinx community members reside. To learn more about The Family Center/La Familia, please visit thefamilycenterfc.org.
Family Life Services - $5,000
Family Life Services supports single moms and their children leaving homelessness or domestic violence. The Family Life Campus houses moms who engage in a two-year, live-in transitional housing program where they participate in weekly coaching, significant financial training, and classes to increase family strength and resilience after trauma. CHFA’s Direct Effect Award will support the coaching work in their residential program. To learn more about Family Life Services, please visit flscs.org.
Family Promise of Colorado Springs - $7,500
Family Promise provides transitional shelter and comprehensive wrap-around services to families experiencing homelessness. Family Promise's primary goal is to empower families with children to permanently transition into independent affordable housing. CHFA’s Direct Effect Award will support Family Promise’s efforts to coordinate temporary housing for families and help them transition into stable housing. To learn more about Family Promise of Colorado Springs, please visit familypromisecos.org.
Groundwork Denver - $15,000
Groundwork Denver’s mission is to partner with youth and community to build a healthy, equitable, and sustainable environment. The organization combines workforce development and residential energy efficiency, renewable energy, air quality, and other environment- and climate-focused programming that improves home health and affordability, into one innovative model to address multiple, complex issues simultaneously. CHFA’s Direct Effect Award will support Groundwork Denver’s workforce development programming, which furthers economic opportunity for low-income youth and young adults of color via a green-jobs pathway that employs participants to complete neighborhood-based residential and community-based projects. To learn more about Groundwork Denver, please visit groundworkcolorado.org.
The GrowHaus - $15,000
The GrowHaus’ mission is to cultivate community-driven food justice through education and food access. The GrowHaus hires residents of Globeville and Elyria-Swansea, one of Denver’s oldest food deserts, and others who have experienced food insecurity to create and lead food access and education programming. CHFA’s Direct Effect Award will support the community-led food access program. Food access programs include the distribution of 1,000 no-cost food boxes weekly and the sale of low-cost food boxes to community members and partner organizations. To learn more about The GrowHaus, please visit thegrowhaus.org.
Habitat for Humanity of Archuleta County - $7,500
Habitat for Humanity brings people together to build homes, communities, and hope. Habitat for Humanity of Archuleta County’s goal is to build 15 homes in 5 years for workforce families who serve the community in a variety of essential businesses, including retail, leisure and hospitality, education, and health services. CHFA’s Direct Effect Award will support staffing and office equipment. To learn more about Habitat for Humanity of Archuleta County, please visit HabitatArchuleta.org.
Habitat for Humanity of Mesa County - $10,000
Habitat for Humanity of Mesa County (HFHMC) provides affordable homeownership and education opportunities to residents of Mesa County to help break the cycle of poverty through the intergenerational wealth building of owning a home. CHFA’s Direct Effect Award will be used to provide a stipend for HFHMC’s Apprentice Internship, which is a workforce development opportunity for hands-on experience. HFHMC is currently partnering with Colorado Mesa University to offer a paid apprentice internship for students completing education in a construction-based subject. To learn more about Habitat for Humanity of Mesa County, please visit habitatmesa.org.
Homeward Pikes Peak - $15,000
Homeward Pikes Peak (HPP) is the largest nonprofit housing provider to individuals exiting chronic homelessness in the Colorado Springs community, with a mission of empowering individuals and families to access stable housing, increase mental health, increase recovery, and attain economic stability. CHFA’s Direct Effect Award will support HPP’s Housing First program, which provides rental assistance, case-management, and access to behavioral health care for 105 individuals who have experienced chronic homelessness, veterans, and adults with a dual diagnosis of severe mental illness and addictions. To learn more about Homeward Pikes Peak, please visit homewardpp.org.
Hope Communities - $10,000
Hope Communities’ mission is to strengthen communities and provides pathways to economic and personal opportunity through affordable housing, educational programs, and support services. CHFA’s Direct Effect Award will provide general operating support, with an emphasis on Hope’s work to secure safe housing for the unhoused, vulnerable clients, and support efforts to build individual capacity to advance economic mobility goals. To learn more about Hope Communities, please visit hopecommunities.org.
Housing Catalyst - $5,000
For more than fifty years, Housing Catalyst has been building community in Northern Colorado. They address the growing need for affordable homes through innovative, sustainable, community-focused solutions—developing and managing residential properties, administering housing assistance, and coordinating community programs and services. CHFA’s Direct Effect Award will support Camp Catalyst, a transformative summer camp aimed at providing essential social-emotional learning opportunities to children who reside in Housing Catalyst’s affordable housing communities. To learn more about Housing Catalyst, please visit housingcatalyst.com.
Housing Resources of Western Colorado - $7,500
Housing Resources of Western Colorado’s mission is to advance equitable housing and healthy communities through education, empowerment, development, and preservation. Housing Resources strives to improve the communities they serve by providing services to renters, homebuyers, and homeowners. CHFA’s Direct Effect Award will be used to support technological upgrades, including a new website, which will support service accessibility for clients, improve staff effectiveness, and strengthen their organizational financial capabilities. To learn more about Housing Resources of Western Colorado, please visit hrwco.org.
Ithaka Housing - $10,000
For over 40 years, Ithaka has been providing affordable housing to individuals and families living in poverty in Colorado Springs. Their work has evolved to a supportive, transitional approach, preparing people with the highest barriers to acquire and maintain stable, affordable housing. Because they serve those with the highest barriers, their transitional programs have longer, flexible time frames allowing for the growth and development of skills and supports needed for future success. CHFA’s Direct Effect Award will support Ithaka’s Senior Transition Program, which aims to serve homeless and at-risk senior citizens in a housing first model. To learn more about Ithaka, please visit ithakahousing.org.
Jackson County Council on Aging - $10,000
Jackson County Council on Aging seeks to be an extended family for the elderly population of Jackson County through caring, kindness, and concern. CHFA’s Direct Effect Award will go toward a van purchase for their transportation program, which helps older adults get to doctor appointments and grocery trips and helps operates their home food delivery program. To learn more about Jackson County Council on Aging, please visit jccoa.net.
JUST Living Recovery - $15,000
JUST Living Recovery (JLR) provides supportive housing for people in recovery from substance abuse, focusing on LGBTQIA+ and BIPOC communities. Securing safe and affordable housing is one of the biggest challenges for people in recovery, particularly those from marginalized communities. CHFA’s Direct Effect Award will be used to provide a safe home and programming that allows residents to stay clean and sober and find purpose and community in their recovery. To learn more about JUST Living Recovery, please visit justlivingrecovery.org.
Kids At Their Best, Inc. - $20,000
Kids At Their Best (KATB) youth leadership program opens a path out of poverty to college and career for kids from families with low-income in underserved communities. While some of their program graduates will leave home for college and find employment in other cities and states, KATB is also building rural leadership and workforce opportunities that will support and sustain their own community. CHFA’s Direct Effect Award will help place Americorps recruits in positions where they can make a significant difference toward economic development in Northeast Colorado rural communities. The Americorps recruits will assist with food distribution programs, youth leadership programs, and youth college prep, training, and employment. To learn more about Kids At Their Best, please visit kidsattheirbest.org.
Lift Up of Routt County - $10,000
Life Up of Routt County serves Routt County by providing resources and assistance to meet basic human needs and strengthen self-sufficiency. LiftUp has strengthened Colorado by providing emergency funding to keep neighbors in their homes during times of crisis. By offsetting the cost of a client's rent or mortgage for a month, LiftUp helps keep clients in their homes and keep their housing affordable. CHFA's Direct Effect Award will provide Lift Up's clients with emergency financial assistance for housing costs through the Housing Needs Fund. To learn more about Lift Up of Routt County, please visit liftuprc.org.
Loaves and Fishes Ministries of Fremont County - $15,000
Loaves and Fishes Ministries of Fremont County serves people who are experiencing homelessness and poverty by providing essential services and life-changing programs. One of their main focuses is to make is to make homelessness rare, brief, and one-time. CHFA's Direct Effect Award will be used to support their four housing programs and their emergency rental assistance program to families who are at risk of losing their home. To learn more about Loaves and Fishes Ministries of Fremont County, please visit lfministries.org.
Maiker Housing Partners - $10,000
Maiker Housing Partners (Maiker) is the Public Housing Authority of Adams County. Since its founding as the Adams County Housing Authority in 1974, Maiker has existed to serve Adams County residents for whom conventional housing is unaffordable. CHFA’s Direct Effect Award will support Maiker’s Housing Stability Task Force, which was created to continue eviction prevention and eviction diversion programs that were initiated internally during the pandemic. To learn more about Maiker Housing Partners, please visit maikerhp.org.
Mercy’s Gate - $10,000
Mercy’s Gate has been serving El Paso County for over 40 years by providing life-affirming direct services support, ongoing resources, education, and a growing network of community referrals and partnerships to individuals and families facing crisis. CHFA’s Direct Effect Award will support Mercy Gate’s rental and housing assistance program. Mercy’s Gate’s housing assistance program provides monetary relief for rent and mortgage payments to neighbors experiencing financial crisis. Assistance is provided once per calendar year per household. To learn more about Mercy’s Gate, please visit mercysgatecs.org.
Metropolitan Diversity and Economic Equity - $10,000
The mission of Metropolitan Diversity & Economic Equity Partners (Metro DEEP) is to build generational wealth and health within African-descended communities in Metro Denver. CHFA’s Direct Effect Award will support equitable access to economic development and housing support programs including the Becoming ONE program and Open Hand Initiative. Becoming ONE is a 30-hour curriculum that examines Perpetual Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and generational trauma and their impact on relationships and behaviors. Open Hand Initiative provides intake, lending system navigation, and small grants to help African-descendant families secure housing. To learn more about Metropolitan Diversity and Economic Equity, please visit metrodeep.com.
Mi Casa Resource Center - $20,000
Mi Casa Resource Center (MCRC) identifies and responds to the needs of individuals with low-income to advance economic prosperity. They educate, train, and support youth and adults on their path to economic success. CHFA’s Direct Effect Award will support their Business Pathways program, which combines trainings, consulting, and wraparound services to serve entrepreneurs. The funds will be used to fund Business Pathways Bilingual Consultants and Instructors to implement the program. To learn more about Mi Casa Resource Center, please visit micasaresourcecenter.org.
Mile High United Way - $10,000
Working side-by-side with the community, Mile High United Way takes on critical human services issues facing their seven-county footprint including the Metro Denver, Boulder, and Broomfield communities. They focus on three interconnected Community Priorities: giving all children a strong start, supporting education and academic success, and creating economic opportunity for all. CHFA’s Direct Effect Award will support their Bridging the Gap (BTG) program, which serves young adults who have been involved in the child welfare system and who lack safe and stable housing. BTG links housing with wraparound services in the areas of basic needs, education, financial health, workforce preparation, and mental health to support the individual and whole family in becoming self-sufficient. To learn more about Mile High United Way, please visit unitedwaydenver.org.
Minds Matter Colorado - $10,560
Minds Matter Colorado was founded with the sole purpose of ensuring that the systemic inequities in the college access system are overcome by the students who are willing to put in the hard work to overcome them. Their goal is to prove that it's ability, not access, that should determine college choice for qualified students. CHFA's Direct Effect Award will be used to pay direct program expenses to enroll students in their Program during the 2023-24 academic year, helping them to get into a college or university and pay almost nothing. To learn more about Minds Matter, please visit mindsmatterco.org.
Montbello Organizing Committee - $10,000
Montbello Organizing Committee (MOC) is a nonprofit Community Development Corporation that collaborates with many partner organizations and residents that work and live in the Greater Montbello Community. MOC's work spans housing, education, mental health services, food access and sovereignty, mobility, safety, and more. CHFA’s Direct Effect Award will support the Building Community Wealth Initiative to help implement the Entrepreneurial Training and Technical Assistance component of the initiative. To learn more about Montbello Organizing Committee, please visit montbelloorganizing.org.
My Father's House - $7,500
My Father's House is a nonprofit transitional housing community for men on parole; seeking to offer them safe, decent, affordable housing and a community of support. My Father’s House (MFH) has three transitional homes for men that are on parole, providing them with essentials such as affordable housing, food, transportation, clothing, case management, and workforce development supports. CHFA’s Direct Effect Award will support rent in the three homes. To learn more about My Father’s House, please visit myfathershousedenver.org.
Neighbor to Neighbor - $10,000
Neighbor to Neighbor provides sustainable housing, supportive services, and education to families and individuals primarily in Larimer County. CHFA’s Direct Effect Award will support their Housing Achievement Program. In this program, households are provided with housing search assistance, budget education, lease review, emergency rent assistance, and move-in assistance. Their housing coordinators work with clients every step of the way to ensure their immediate and long-term housing stability. To learn more about Neighbor to Neighbor, please visit n2n.org.
NorthWest Colorado Center for Independence - $20,000
NorthWest Colorado Center for Independence (NWCCI) supports people with disabilities and seniors by connecting them with providers of housing, transportation, employment, assistive technology, access to benefits and independent living services. NWCCI plays a fundamental role in creating more equitable and thriving communities in five rural counties: Routt, Moffat, Rio Blanco, Grand, and Summit. CHFA’s Direct Effect Award will support a home modification program which will help their clients achieve accessibility solutions and more independence. To learn more about NorthWest Colorado Center for Independence, please visit nwcci.org.
Ogallala Commons, Inc. - $15,000
Ogallala Commons (OC) provides education and leadership that builds vibrant communities in the Great Plains region. OC builds career pathways through youth engagement, entrepreneurship, and community-based internship opportunities. OC’s work is critical for empowering communities to engage and equip their youth to realize possibilities for entrepreneurship, innovation, career-building, and leadership at home. CHFA’s Direct Effect Award will support place-based education and work experience to expand the educational and career outlook for 16–24-year-old residents in rural Eastern Colorado. To learn more about Ogallala Commons, please visit ogallalacommons.org.
Outreach Fort Collins - $7,500
Outreach Fort Collins (OFC) is a street-based outreach organization providing situational response for issues of disruptive behavior, physical and mental health concerns, and general resource inquiry for individuals who are unhoused in Fort Collins. OFC responds, engages, and connects to maintain a safe and welcoming community while connecting those in need to services and supportive networks. CHFA’s Direct Effect Award will support their programs, including transportation, health care, and service coordination. To learn more about Outreach Fort Collins, please visit outreachfortcollins.org.
Peak Education - $10,000
Peak Education serves 400 students and their families from lower socioeconomic backgrounds in Colorado Springs from 7th grade through the completion of college. They offer a range of resources for students to obtain meaningful postsecondary and career pathways. Through their programming, they deliver a curriculum centered on ‘Four Peaks’ that lead to student growth and change including: Social Skills and Mental Health; Self-Advocacy and Life Skills; Postsecondary and Career Preparedness; Community Engagement. CHFA’s Direct Effect Award will support middle and high school programming, college counseling, mentoring, college success programming, service projects, and parent programming. To learn more about Peak Education, please visit peakedu.org.
Phillips County Family Education Services, Inc. - $5,000
The mission of Phillips County Family Education Services (PCFES) is to motivate and prepare individuals to achieve personal educational goals and become contributing members of a community. Support begins at birth and continues through adulthood into the workforce and beyond. CHFA’s Direct Effect Award will provide general operating funding for the Adult English Language Instruction (ESL) and the accompanying Family Literacy Program. To learn more about Phillips County Family Education Services, Inc., please visit pcfamilyed.com.
Pikes Peak Habitat for Humanity - $20,000
Pikes Peak Habitat for Humanity provides permanent, affordable housing solutions to workforce families in El Paso County with 35 to 80 percent area median income. CHFA’s Direct Effect Award will support the Home Repair program, which serves older adults, veterans, and cost-burdened families. Repairs to existing infill properties support healthy and economically integrated neighborhoods and can also lead to broader economic mobility and access to communities with opportunities. To learn more about Pikes Peak Habitat for Humanity, please visit pikespeakhabitat.org.
The PLACE - $15,000
The PLACE helps youth in homelessness or who are at high risk of becoming homeless. They offer shelter, outreach, housing, and the support youth need to get off the street and begin building their future. CHFA’s Direct Effect Award will provide general operations support to help ensure that The PLACE remains a safe haven for youth in crisis to seek the supportive services they need to get off the street and on a path to the future they desire. To learn more about The PLACE, please visit theplacecos.org.
Prairie Family Center - $5,000
Prairie Family Center provides their community with education and resources needed to build and support healthy and functional families. They are strengthening families by assisting them in goal achievement and life skills that they are able to use to have access to affordable housing through comprehensive case management. They provide programs and services that help individuals secure and retain employment, better quality jobs, food pantry, and apply for healthcare and other benefits. CHFA’s Direct Effect Award will provide case management to address food and housing insecurity. To learn more about Prairie Family Center, please visit prairiefamilycenter.com.
Project Angel Heart - $15,000
Project Angel Heart prepares and delivers meals for people living with severe illnesses. Each week, their professional chefs and registered dietitians prepare thousands of delicious meals, from scratch, and tailor them to meet the dietary needs of those who are ill. CHFA’s Direct Effect Award will help support Project Angel Heart’s plans to provide 713,000 medically tailored meals to over 5,100 people living with cancer, kidney/heart/lung disease, HIV/AIDS, and other life-threatening illnesses throughout Colorado in 2023. To learn more about Project Angel Heart, please visit projectangelheart.org.
Region 10 League for Economic Assistance and Planning - $20,000
As the collective voice of six west-central Colorado counties (Delta, Montrose, Gunnison, Ouray, San Miguel, and Ouray Counties), Region 10 has provided leadership and technical assistance in supporting communities, diversifying the regional economy, and working with governments to meet community needs for over 50 years. CHFA’s Direct Effect Award will support their new business incubator program. Region 10 recently opened "The Business Cultivator”, an entrepreneurship center supporting start-ups and expanding businesses. The program’s focus will be food and beverage start-ups and sole proprietors where there is potential for business growth and job hiring. To learn more about Region 10 League for Economic Assistance and Planning, please visit region10.net.
Restoration Outreach Programs - $10,000
Restoration Outreach Programs mission is to meet needs, build relationships, and restore lives through Christ in the East Colfax community. CHFA’s Direct Effect Award will support their Resource Ministries programs and the Hospitality Center. The Resource Ministries include a food bank, English classes, immigrant assimilation, and work readiness. The Hospitality Center will be a resource for individuals facing homelessness and will provide a place of warmth and welcome, where guests can experience a reprieve from the streets, basic needs fulfillment, and be connected to much needed resources. To learn more about Restoration Outreach Programs, please visit ropserves.org.
Re:Vision - $15,000
Re:Vision’s mission is to work with people in economically marginalized neighborhoods to develop resident leaders, cultivate community food systems, and create an economy owned by the community. Re:Vision hires local Westwood Latinx women as Promotoras who engage Westwood families in food security and food sovereignty programs. The Promotoras are also the focal-point of Re:Vision’s community wealth building efforts and are offered pathways to professional development from the Promotora role into leadership roles. CHFA’s Direct Effect Award will support their Community Health and Community Wealth programs run and led by the Promotora Team. To learn more about Re:Vision, please visit revision.coop.
Rural Communities Resource Center - $10,000
Rural Communities Resource Center’s mission is to provide advocacy, education, and support to create systems change and develop programs that promote the physical, emotional, and economic health of northeastern Colorado. CHFA’s Direct Effect Award will support the Emergency Services program, allowing for direct assistance to households in Yuma and Washington counties needing rental, mortgage, or utility assistance. These households will also receive support including budgeting, goal setting, cost saving measures, food assistance and more. To learn more about Rural Communities Resource Center, please visit rcrcenter.org.
San Souci Cooperative - $7,500
San Souci Cooperative was created in January of 2021 to purchase Sans Souci MHP as a resident owned community, with a goal of stabilizing rents for its residents, and keeping them affordable for the next 30 years. CHFA’s Direct Effect Award will support staffing and project management for several projects needed to ensure the long-term stability and resiliency of the community. To learn more about San Souci Cooperative, please visit sanssoucicoop.org.
Sangre de Cristo Community Care - $5,000
Sangre de Cristo Community Care provides compassionate, end-of-life care across 9 counties in southern Colorado. Joni Fair Hospice House is the only nonprofit inpatient facility of its kind in their service area. CHFA’s Direct Effect Award will help upgrade the JFHH to improve quality of care and enhance the patient and family experience, making their stay more like home. To learn more about Sangre de Cristo Community Care, please visit sangre.org.
The Savings Collaborative - $14,000
The Savings Collaborative’s (SC) mission is to make it easy for people left outside mainstream banking to save money and develop the habit of savings for financial resilience and build wealth across generations. Ninety percent of SC members are immigrants and refugees, and all live on low incomes. This program provides a complete solution for saving money: easy-to-use savings tools, targeted incentives, micro-loans for emergencies, and professional financial coaching at no cost. CHFA’s Direct Effect Award will support SC’s work with the Yampa Valley Housing Authority in Steamboat Springs to support their affordable housing initiatives. To learn more about The Savings Collaborative, please visit savingscollaborative.org.
SECORCares - $10,000
SECOR's mission is to care for those faced by food insecurity through multiple outreach initiatives geared towards helping individuals back on the path of self- sufficiency. CHFA’s Direct Effect Award will support SECOR's Mobile Market. The mobile market addresses transportation gaps in food access, especially in Arapahoe County, Colorado where public transportation is almost nonexistent. With this funding, SECOR will be able to expand its food distribution through mobile markets in Arapahoe and Douglas County. To learn more about SECORCares, please visit SECORCares.com.
Silver Key Senior Services - $10,000
Silver Key Senior Services’ mission is to serve in partnership with their stakeholders to support a healthy quality of life for seniors, allowing them to age safely with dignity and independence. CHFA’s Direct Effect Award will support the Calls of Reassurance Program. This program makes calls to clients up to three times per week, which allows for friendly conversation and the ability to ascertain the needs of clients in an informal, on-going, organic manner. Volunteers are instructed to make sure they inquire about any house/yard needs and Silver Key coordinates volunteers to complete those projects. To learn more about Silver Key Senior Services, please visit silverkey.org.
Southwest Colorado Education Collaborative - $20,000
Southwest Colorado Education Collaborative’s (SWCEC) launched in 2021 to strengthen diverse communities by providing pathways in career readiness and higher education for students to build 21st-century skills and economically viable futures. They connect K-12, higher education, and industry together for students to learn skills needed in key job sectors, while earning industry credentials and high education certifications. CHFA’s Direct Effect Award will provide general operating support to SWCEC. To learn more about Southwest Colorado Education Collaborative, please visit swcoedcollaborative.org.
Southwest Improvement Council - $10,000
Southwest Improvement Council’s (SWIC) mission is to empower people, improve the quality of their lives, and advance human rights by tackling difficult community issues at little or no costs to clients. CHFA’s Direct Effect Award will provide general operating funds to support SWIC’s food pantry, programs for older adults, home buyer education, and housing counseling programs. To learn more about Southwest Improvement Council, please visit swic-denver.org.
St. George Episcopal Mission - $15,000
St. George Episcopal Mission provides free, fresh, nutritionally, and culturally appropriate food in equitable ways to the people of Lake County via their food pantries and community meals. Lake County is a rural community, only accessible via high mountain passes, and is considered a food desert by the United States Department of Agriculture. CHFA’s Direct Effect Award will be to buy food to support t programs and to pay their dedicated staff a living wage. To learn more about St. George Episcopal Mission, please visit saintgeorgeleadville.com.
Sun Valley Youth Center - $7,500
The Sun Valley Youth Center provides an Afterschool and Summer Program designed to provide holistic services that have been proven to decrease the school drop-out rate and increase the number of local youth that either pursue higher education and/or find and maintain well-paying jobs that support economic development. CHFA’s Direct Effect Award will support their mindfulness, academic support and enrichment, recreation, and overcoming obstacles programs. To learn more about Sun Valley Youth Center, please visit sunvalleyyouthcenter.org.
TGTHR - $15,000
TGTHR provides a continuum of care for youth aged 12-24 who are experiencing or at risk of homelessness across the seven-county Denver metro area. Services include street outreach, overnight shelter, drop-in support services, residential services for youth in foster care, and access to affordable housing. CHFA’s Direct Effect Award will go towards supportive housing, case management, and counseling services for young adults aged 18-24 and the expansion of these services to the City of Denver in 2024. To learn more about TGTHR, please visit tgthr.org.
Thistle Community Housing - $7,500
Thistle Community Housing’s mission is to produce, preserve, and protect quality, permanently affordable rental homes and homeownership opportunities for moderate and lower-income individuals and families, seniors, veterans, and people with disabilities. CHFA’s Direct Effect Award will help Thistle create a pathway to scaffold interested residents at their properties from renters to homeowners. The funding will support needs-assessments and program design, staff time, and financial literacy for residents. To learn more about Thistle Community Housing, please visit thistle.us.
The Thrive Network - $7,500
The Thrive Network’s mission is to revitalize southeast Colorado Springs through entrepreneurship. Thrive offers its programs for free and works with future entrepreneurs who are early as being only in their idea stage. CHFA’s Direct Effect Award will support entrepreneurs through an intensive program that provides them with hands-on education, mentorship, networking, and scholarship opportunities. Thrive enrolls those who want an opportunity to start or build a business in the southeast side of Colorado Springs or those impacted by the criminal justice system. To learn more about The Thrive Network, please visit thethrivenetworks.org.
Urban Peak - $10,000
Urban Peak's vision is for all Colorado youth to overcome homelessness, have safe housing, supportive relationships, and the opportunity for economic development. Urban Peak makes case management, life skills groups, education and employment support, physical and mental health support, and transitional affordable housing a part of daily life in their programs. CHFA's Direct Effect Award will support their programs, including street outreach, drop-in center, shelter, support services, and supportive housing. To learn more about Urban Peak, please visit urbanpeak.org.
Valley Housing Fund - $10,000
Valley Housing Fund (VHF) supports affordable and workforce housing in Gunnison County by developing housing, advocating for low- and middle-income earners’ housing security and providing financial and advocacy support for housing and housing-related programs. CHFA’s Direct Effect Award will partially fund a staff position to build the communications and development capacity for the organization. These capacity-building efforts will increase their community’s understanding of the critical housing needs and assist in fundraising. To learn more about Valley Housing Fund, please visit vhfund.org.
Valley Settlement - $7,500
Valley Settlement works with thousands of under-resourced Latino/a individuals and families in the rural Aspen to Parachute region to address inequities in access to needed education, social, economic, and health services and support. For 12 years, this community and staff have worked together to strengthen family and individual protective factors and resilience, improve child development and education outcomes, build adult parenting, literacy, and leadership skills, support maternal mental health, and facilitate community connections so children and families can thrive. CHFA’s Direct Effect Award will support their programs to addressing systemic racial/ethnic, economic, and education disparities faced by Latina/o immigrant families. To learn more about Valley Settlement, please visit valleysettlement.org.
The Village Institute - $7,500
The Village Institute works to help refugee families build wealth, worth, and wellbeing across generations. They take a wraparound approach – starting from intensive case management to ensure access to stable housing, healthy food, healthcare and mental health services, education, jobs, and more. CHFA’s Direct Effect Award will support case management to include more job readiness and economic empowerment training, and to be able to reach more families in need of this intensive support. To learn more about The Village Institute, please visit villageinstitute.org.
Vindeket Foods - $15,000
Vindeket Foods ensuring Larimer County residents of all backgrounds have access to healthy food and food they desire in a format that removes stigma and preserves their privacy. They strive to connect residents to quality rescued food from grocers and farms in Larimer County. CHFA’s Direct Effect Award will support the operating costs of running their market, a distribution center available to the public three days a week, through which families and individuals pick up as many groceries as they need. To learn more about Vindeket Foods, please visit vindeketfoods.org.
Volunteers of America Colorado - $15,000
Volunteers of America Colorado (VOAC) seeks to identify and serve the basic needs of the most vulnerable individuals and families in the communities they serve. Shelter and housing are foundational in many VOAC services and programs including their 27 Affordable Housing Communities. Housing is paired with services that support the efforts of older adults, families, veterans, individuals living with a disability and those experiencing homelessness or abuse to live independently. CHFA’s Direct Effect Award will support their Youth Permanent Supportive Housing Program, which serves individuals 18-24 who have experienced chronic homelessness and are living with a disability. To learn more about Volunteers of America Colorado, please visit voacolorado.org.
Warren Village - $20,000
Warren Village exists so low-income, single-parent families can achieve sustainable personal and economic self-sufficiency. Their integrated approach has provided over 8,300 parents and children in Denver with the essential ingredients for life transformation for formerly homeless, low-income, single parents, including safe and affordable housing, quality early education and childcare services, and self-sufficiency programming. CHFA’s Direct Effect Award will support the Adult Self-Sufficiency program, which serves 450 adults and children each year and provides exponential impact for single-parent families using a targeted approach to meet individuals where they are on their path toward self-sufficiency. To learn more about Warren Village, please visit warrenvillage.org.
We Fortify - $10,000
We Fortify targets at-risk, low-income youth between the ages of 18-25 and addresses both housing and access to programming supports focusing on health, mental health, social connections, and career readiness–all of which are critical to maintaining stability and creating pathways to housing stability and living wage employment. CHFA’s Direct Effect Award will support general operating funding for its Working Fusion at Mill Street program. This housing initiative in Colorado Springs provides dignified housing within a supportive village of trauma-responsive services – improving access to medical and mental health services, social connections, life skills, education, career development and living wage employment for at-risk young adults ages 18 to 25. To learn more about We Fortify, please visit workingfusion.com.
Western Slope Veterans Coalition - $5,000
Western Slope Veterans Coalition provides outreach to all military service persons including veterans and their families by connecting veterans to local and national agencies, and VA resources. CHFA’s Direct Effect Award will support an emergency fund, which assists veterans with emergency needs, including temporary housing, food, mental health counseling, transportation, and employment support. To learn more about Western Slope Veterans Coalition, please visit westernslopeveterans.org.
Whiz Kids Tutoring - $7,500
Whiz Kids Tutoring offers one-to-one tutoring, positive mentoring relationships and spiritual nurture to students below the literacy and poverty lines. By reducing the academic achievement gap, particularly for children of color, they help to set children up for a strong economic foundation now and into their future. CHFA’s Direct Effect Award will support the tutoring, mentoring, academic support, and student enrichment programs. To learn more about Whiz Kids Tutoring , please visit whizkidstutoring.com.
Women2Women - $7,500
Women2Women’s mission is to provide immediate, one-time financial assistance up to $750 to Weld County women who have exhausted all other avenues for help. As economic recovery efforts roll out across the country and in community, there remains a very high demand for immediate crisis funding as families still live dangerously paycheck to paycheck and their housing security hangs in the balance. CHFA’s Direct Effect Award will be used to fund $750 one-time crisis “hand up” grants to qualifying women in Weld County who request “site of last resort” funding through a referring community partner. To learn more about Women2Women, please visit weldw2w.org.