Rapid Response Grants
Rapid Response grants are an exception to CPF’s regular grantmaking process. They are reserved for unforeseen, time-sensitive circumstances that require action within days or a few weeks. They are not for activities that can reasonably wait for a regular grant cycle. The grants provide up to $10,000, can be applied for at any time, and are separate from CPF’s annual grant cycle.
Applicants for Rapid Response Grants must meet the following criteria:
- Native-led organizations in service to tribal nations on the Colorado Plateau working in any of the four priority areas: protection of water, protection of sacred places and threatened landscapes, preservation of Native languages, and food security through sustainable community-based agriculture
- Native-controlled organizations (the majority of the governing board and staff are Native)
- Non-profit 501(c)(3) organizations, Tribal governments with IRS 7871 status, and organizations with a 501(c)(3) fiscal sponsor.
- Be in good standing with required grant reports if they are a past CPF grant recipient.
- The organization faces an unforeseen circumstance that is an urgent need.
Past Rapid Response Grants that addressed an unforeseen circumstance that is an urgent need, include:
- An unexpected legal or administrative deadline arises that, if unmet within a few days or weeks, would jeopardize an organization’s tax-exempt status, government authorization, or ability to continue serving its community.
- An unforeseen environmental emergency, such as contamination of a community water source or a hazardous spill, requires immediate community response or emergency technical assistance.
- A sudden threat to a culturally significant place requires immediate community action, such as emergency documentation, monitoring, temporary protection measures, or rapid mobilization before irreversible damage occurs.
How to Apply
Eligible applicants must apply through the CPF Foundant portal. You will provide the amount of funds requested and the intended use. The CPF Program Officer will email the decision to the applicant’s primary contact within 10-12 business days of submission. All grant recipients must share grant outcomes with the CPF Program Officer within six months after receipt of funds.
For questions regarding Rapid Response grants, please email mnuvayestewa@coloradoplateaufoundation.org
The following activities and costs are not eligible for Rapid Response grants:
- Fundraising events
- Individuals (we support organizations only)
- Non-Native majority-led organizations
- Businesses
- Existing staff salaries
- Expenses or activities that have already occurred
- Land acquisition, or research
- Education programs or scholarships
- Capital campaigns
- Literary or film projects
- Fees to attend conferences.