2025 Closing Colorado Coverage Gaps Grant

The Colorado Media Project (CMP) has launched the 2025 Closing Colorado Coverage Gaps Grant, aimed at bolstering newsrooms that provide essential services to Colorado’s BIPOC, non-English speaking, and rural communities. This initiative reflects CMP’s broader mission of supporting local journalism that promotes equity and sustainability in underserved areas of the state. The grant program offers financial support to help eligible newsrooms overcome systemic barriers and build lasting organizational strength and community trust. The grant is part of CMP’s ongoing commitment to addressing disparities in local news access and reliability, especially where misinformation and disinformation can thrive due to news coverage gaps. The initiative is rooted in findings and practices developed during CMP’s earlier Advancing Equity in Local News grant program, which collaborated with diverse community groups and partners including Free Press and the Colorado News Collaborative. This new grant round expands on those foundations by offering larger, more flexible awards. Newsrooms that meet eligibility criteria—including having operated since January 1, 2023, maintaining a budget under $1,000,000, and demonstrating editorial independence—are invited to apply. Eligible applicants include nonprofit newsrooms, university or college student newsrooms, and for-profit organizations with a fiscal sponsor. Projects must be located in or serve communities within Colorado. CMP expects to prioritize newsrooms serving areas beyond the state’s urban Front Range corridor. Applications must be submitted through the Rose Community Foundation grants portal by 5pm Mountain Time on Monday, June 30, 2025. An information session will be held via Zoom on Friday, June 13, from 11:00 to 11:45 a.m., to help guide applicants through the process. Grant awards will be announced by August 6, 2025, with projects running from August 2025 through July 2026. Final financial reports are due by August 31, 2026. Grants will range from $10,000 to $30,000, with an average award of $20,000. CMP plans to fund at least 50% of grantees outside of urban regions. Grantees will also have opportunities for professional networking and learning through events like the Colorado Press Association Convention in mid-August 2025, with CMP offering travel support. Questions and requests for assistance or translated applications can be directed to Kimberly Spencer, CMP Director, at [email protected] or 970-213-0408.