Healthy Food for Denver's Kids Grant Opportunities

Grant Opportunity Open

Are you a nonprofit, public school, or city agency interested in serving Denver youth? The Denver Department of Public Health & Environment (DDPHE) is pleased to announce a micro-grant opportunity from the Healthy Food for Denver’s Kids (HFDK) program to support healthy food access for youth and families in Denver.

The Healthy Food for Denver’s Kids Commission, through Denver’s Department of Public Health & Environment, has released annual funding opportunities and several micro-grant opportunities to increase access to healthy food and food-based education for youth and their families in Denver since the establishment of the program in 2020. The City and County of Denver is investing in collaborative programs, projects and activities for non-profits, agencies of local government and Denver schools to improve child nutrition security and wellness through healthy food access, food education, and federal nutrition assistance programs.

Read through the Micro-Grant Request for Proposal materials to understand the program requirements, determine if your organization is eligible to apply, and learn more about the selection and application process.

After reviewing the RFP and determining your eligibility, please submit the application. Completed application materials must be submitted electronically by June 13, 2025, by 11:59 p.m. MT (we strongly suggest submitting your proposal before the deadline).

If you have questions, please reach out to Jessica Murison (HFDK Fiscal and Contract Administrator).

Micro-Grant Timeline Overview (Subject to Change at the city’s discretion):

• May 19 – Micro-grant RFP opens
• May 22 – Informational Q+A Session with DDPHE staff at 1:00 pm MT via Zoom (Register here (Translated and Recorded in Spanish and English)
• June 13 - Micro-grant RFP/grant application due by 11:59 pm MT
• June 2025 – Application review by committee
• July 18 – HFDK Commission votes to approve recommended funding and applicants are notified of funding
• January 1, 2026- Grant contracts start
• December 31, 2026- Grant contracts end
• February 1, 2027- Final grant evaluation reports due

A virtual information session will be held on May 22, 2025 at 1:00 p.m. MT via Zoom. Attendance is highly encouraged but not mandatory. The session will include live simultaneous Spanish language interpretation and be recorded and posted in both English and Spanish. To register in advance for the session, please click here.

Note that this funding round is part of a series of grants over the Healthy Food for Kids Initiative ten-year period (2019-2029). There will be future opportunities to apply for funds, and the focus of future grants may shift based on data gathered through evaluation, as well as Commission and community priorities.

We encourage you to sign up for Denver Food System Team’s email updates stay informed about future funding opportunities, open positions on the HFDK Commission, and to learn more about HFDK's work.

Additional Information

For reference, you may view previous Requests for Proposal (RFPs) that are now closed. 

HFDK Funding Values & Approach

• Center racial equity, diversity and inclusion in all Commission activities and outcomes.
• Gather information from grantees, community partners, kids and their families with lived experience of hunger. Use that information to make decisions.
• Share out and be clear on how we develop funding opportunities, distribute funds, estimate revenue and available funding amounts, and communicate evaluation results.
• Use an equity lens in our grantmaking, including making funds available to the most under-resourced communities in Denver and the organizations that serve them.
• Be flexible and allow for innovation in how grantees use funds to advance HFDK's Vision. This flexibility includes providing grants to both establish new programs and continue or expand existing programs.
• If funding decreases or the Commission’s funding priorities change, minimize negative effects for grantees and the low-income and underserved youth and their families we serve.
• Encourage grantees to have different revenue sources so they can continue their mission and work over time, after HFDK funding ends.
• Simplify and streamline funding-related processes to reduce administrative burden, making the work easier for grantees (including applications, reporting, invoicing, etc.) wherever possible. 
• Offer additional resources to grantees such as technical assistance, capacity building, and partnership support.

Note that the HFDK Commission and staff will do our best to uphold these values and approaches in how we do our work, while also complying with the requirements of the City and County of Denver and the Denver Revised Municipal Code.