Early Childhood Program

The Aspen Community Foundation (ACF) is offering its 2025 Early Childhood Grants program to support nonprofit organizations working in early care and education for children from birth to five years old in the Aspen to Parachute, Colorado region. This competitive program is one of two offered in 2025, the other being Youth Empowerment, and applicants may only apply to one. The funding pool for Early Childhood Grants totals $250,000, made possible by contributions from donors supporting ACF’s pooled grantmaking funds. Typical award amounts range from $10,000 to $35,000. ACF prioritizes two main areas for this grant cycle: strengthening the skills of caregivers (including parents, childcare staff, and Family, Friend and Neighbor (FFN) providers), and providing tuition assistance to enhance access to quality childcare for low-income families. Qualifying proposals must fall under one of these two focus areas. For tuition assistance requests, the applicant must demonstrate that at least 20% of enrolled children come from economically disadvantaged backgrounds and that at least 20% of families receive tuition aid. ACF uses 300% of the Federal Poverty Level, adjusted for county self-sufficiency standards, to define economic disadvantage. Eligibility is restricted to nonprofit organizations that are tax-exempt under Section 501(c)(3), use a fiscal sponsor that is, or are government entities such as school districts. Applicants must serve young children and families within the geographic boundaries of Pitkin and Garfield counties and the Roaring Fork Valley portion of Eagle County. Projects must have been operational for at least one year, and funds may not be used for endowments, political or religious activities, medical research, or already completed projects. Organizations funded primarily by tax-derived dollars must propose new programs outside of their regular operating budgets. Applications must be submitted through ACF’s online grant portal, where new users must register their organization. Required application components include eligibility affirmations, a funding request description, organizational financials, governance details, staffing and demographic data, cultural responsiveness, impact metrics, and specific questions based on the chosen funding priority. Required uploads include IRS determination letters, board member lists, financial statements, and budget comparisons. The review process includes an eligibility quiz, rubric-based scoring across six criteria including alignment, geographic reach, depth of service, and cultural responsiveness, with possible follow-up meetings with ACF staff. Applications scoring above 75 are more likely to receive funding, though award amounts may be reduced depending on available funds. All decisions are finalized by ACF’s Board of Directors. Award notifications will be issued in September and October 2025, with funds distributed in October. Office hours are available via Zoom for applicant support on April 30 and May 6, 2025.