At the Four Corners Rainbow Youth Center, our mission is to build a brave, anti-racist and nonjudgmental space for 2SLGBTQIA+ youth, families and allies in Southwest Colorado. Every day, we work to make sure young people in rural communities know they are seen, supported and safe. But for small nonprofits like ours, sustaining that work often depends on something far less inspiring: navigating the maze of Colorado’s state grant system.
We’ve been fortunate to receive a few state grants that were refreshingly clear and accessible. One had straightforward reporting requirements and an easy-to-use online portal – something that should be the norm, not the exception. When reporting is simple and transparent, nonprofits can focus on what really matters: delivering programs that make a difference.
Unfortunately, when dealing with state grants, that experience is rare. For most small, community-based organizations, applying for state funding means wrestling with complex systems that seem designed for large institutions with full-time grant teams. Each agency has its own portal, its own forms and its own rules. There’s no consistency across departments, and no standard application format. For nonprofits with limited staff and no dedicated grant writer, that means hours – sometimes days – spent relearning a process that should be uniform statewide.
Then there’s the reimbursement problem. Most state grants require organizations to spend the money first and then wait, sometimes months, to be reimbursed. That might sound like a minor administrative detail, but it’s a make-or-break issue for small nonprofits.
At our center, we operate on a modest budget and stretch every dollar to support youth programs, family counseling and community events. So when the state asks us to front the cost of programming – whether that’s staff time, supplies or events – we’re essentially being asked to take on financial risk to do the state’s work.
No for-profit contractor would be expected to operate under those conditions, and nonprofits shouldn’t be either. We are partners in public service, not just applicants chasing funding.
That’s why the Communities Lead Communities Thrive’s Funding the Frontlines policy initiative is so important. Through listening sessions held across Colorado, CLCT heard from dozens of nonprofits that echoed these same frustrations. The solutions are clear: simplify and standardize application processes, make reporting requirements proportional to the size and scope of the grant and reform the reimbursement model so that nonprofits receive funds upfront.
These changes aren’t about convenience, they’re about equity. When smaller, rural and community-rooted organizations can’t afford to front money or hire staff to manage complicated applications, the result is a state funding system that favors the already powerful. That’s not how we build strong, inclusive communities.
Colorado depends on nonprofits to deliver essential services – from youth support to public health to housing – yet the system still treats many of us like afterthoughts. If the state wants its dollars to reach the people who need them most, it must design a system that reflects the realities of the organizations doing that work.
We’ve seen glimpses of how it can work better. The few times we’ve encountered clear instructions, accessible portals and timely communication, it’s made an enormous difference. It built trust. It made us want to apply again. It reminded us that the state sees us as a partner, not a paperwork problem.
A fair grant system isn’t a lofty goal; it’s an achievable one. And if Colorado gets it right, the reward will be enormous: stronger nonprofits, stronger communities and a stronger future for the young people we all want to see thrive.
Xander Hughes is the executive director of Four Corners Rainbow Youth Center, an organization working to build a brave, anti-racist and nonjudgmental space for 2SLGBTQIA+ youth, families and allies in Southwest Colorado.
