Clean Air Mini-Grants

Denverites Posing With New Air Purifier

Overview

Program Overview 

Climate change is making summers hotter and drier, which means wildfires – and smoke – are more common. Indoor air pollution presents serious health risks, particularly for seniors and people with pre-existing health conditions. 

The Office of Climate Action, Sustainability and Resiliency is providing up to $50,000 to organizations to purchase and distribute portable HEPA-certified air purifiers to eligible households. 

Applications for funding are now open and will close on April 10, 2026.  We expect to announce the awardees by April 30, 2026. 

Start Your Application

To ensure equitable distribution, this program will prioritize organizations serving populations that meet the following criteria: 

  1. Age and Income: 
    • Seniors aged 65 or older
    • Income-qualified residents (such as households at or below 80% Area Median Income)
    • Residents of income-restricted or affordable housing.
  2. Health or Environmental Vulnerability
    • For purposes of this program, “vulnerable” populations include individuals with conditions or living environments known to increase risk from poor indoor air quality and wildfire smoke exposure, including:
      • Individuals with respiratory conditions (e.g., asthma, COPD)
      • Individuals with cardiovascular disease
      • Individuals who are immunocompromised
      • Youth under age 18
      • Individuals living in multifamily housing with limited ventilation
      • Residents of mobile home communities
    • Note: Medical documentation is not required; self-attestation is sufficient.
  3. Geographic Prioritization 

Eligibility

Organizations applying for this funding must: 

  • Have demonstrable, long-standing relationships with target communities. 
  • Have the organizational infrastructure to:
    • Identify and vet eligible community members to receive air purifier units
    • Purchase and distribute air purifiers in recipients’ homes
    • Track and report community impacts and outcomes.
  • Provide a Certificate of Good Standing from the Colorado Secretary of State.
  • For non-profits only: Provide proof of tax-exempt status or copy of the fiscal sponsor’s tax-exempt status. 

See the Scope of Work section, next, for a full list of tasks we expect awardees to complete. 

Scope of Work

Outreach and Intake Requirements  

  • Conduct culturally and linguistically appropriate outreach through trusted community channels such as senior centers, food pantries, affordable housing sites, mobile home communities, faith-based institutions, and in-person presentations at community meetings. 
  • Organizations may utilize community navigators or similar trusted messengers to conduct door-to-door outreach, if appropriate, and must provide program information in residents’ preferred languages.
  • Bi-lingual (or language-accessible) intake must occur prior to equipment purchase and distribution. Intake materials will be provided by CASR.  

Procurement & Distribution of Air Purifiers 

  • Purchase portable, HEPA-certified air purifiers meeting the following minimum criteria: 
    • True HEPA filter (H13 or equivalent preferred).
    • Appropriate Clean Air Delivery Rate (CADR) for room size.
    • Ozone-free.
    • Noise and safety compliant.
  • Ensure units are appropriately sized for living/sleeping spaces.
  • Provide delivery or coordinated pick-up options to reduce access barriers.
  • Prioritize safe installation and operational guidance at the time of distribution.
  • Ensure all purchases are in line with city purchasing requirements. 

Filter Replacement and Maintenance Plan 

To ensure sustained indoor air quality benefits, grantees must provide replacement filters sufficient to cover a minimum of two years of typical manufacturer-recommended use for each distributed unit. 

Because filter lifespan varies by model and usage conditions (generally 6–12 months), applicants must: 

  • Specify the manufacturer-recommended replacement frequency for the selected model. 
  • Provide replacement filters accordingly to cover at least two years of use; or
  • Clearly justify an alternative approach that ensures comparable durability of benefit.

Grantees must:

  • Educate participants on filter lifespan (typically 6–12 months).
  • Provide written and/or verbal instructions on maintenance.
  • Inform participants of expected annual filter replacement cost.
  • Ensure replacement filters are commercially available and reasonably priced. 

Participant Education 

Provide basic indoor air quality education, including: 

  • When to run the air purifier (e.g., high AQI days, wildfire smoke events, and periods of visible haze). 
  • Guidance on matching run time and fan settings to the size of the room and the unit’s Clean Air Delivery Rate to ensure effective filtration without unnecessary energy use.
  • Instructions on optimal placement within the room to maximize air circulation and filtration efficiency.
  • Explanation of how filter specifications and room size influence how long the unit should operate each day.
  • Strategies for balancing continuous operation during smoke events with energy cost awareness.
  • Where to check local air quality (e.g., AirNow or local alerts). 

Reporting 

Awardees must collect and report the following: 

  • Pre-distribution socio-demographic survey (target ≥80% response rate). A downloadable template will be provided by CASR. 
  • Post-distribution satisfaction survey administered at least one month after distribution to assess usability, perceived air quality improvement, and overall satisfaction. A downloadable template will be provided by CASR. 

Awardees must submit a final report documenting: 

  • Total number of households and individuals served, including demographic summary 
  • Number and type/model of air purifier units distributed
  • Geographic distribution (e.g., NEST neighborhoods or other prioritized areas)
  • Summary of participant education provided
  • Filter replacement strategy implemented
  • Challenges encountered and lessons learned. 

Medical documentation is not required, and no protected health information (PHI) should be collected. 

Timeline Requirements

  • All households must be identified early in the contract period. 
  • Because air purifiers are portable plug-in units and do not require structural installation, distribution and participant education must be completed no later than 1–2 months prior to the contract end date to allow sufficient time for follow-up surveys and reporting.
  • Awardees must demonstrate a realistic procurement and distribution schedule aligned with wildfire smoke season and peak indoor air quality needs. 

Additional Details 

Fiscal Sponsorship 

  • Where the applicant program is not separately incorporated as a nonprofit, the fiscal sponsor must serve as the legal grantee and execute the grant agreement on behalf of the program. 
  • Applicants working with a fiscal sponsor must clearly identify the sponsor in the application and provide all required documentation (including certificate of good standing and 501(c)(3) determination letter).
  • Any fiscal sponsorship or administrative fees charged to the grant must be:
  • Clearly justified and directly attributable to grant-related work;
  • Reasonable and proportional to the scope of services provided; and
  • Generally capped at 10% of the total grant amount, consistent with federal indirect cost limitations and City practice. Fees exceeding this threshold will be subject to additional review and may require justification or adjustment prior to award. 

Insurance 

Organization shall maintain Commercial General Liability coverage with limits of $1,000,000 for each occurrence, and property damage occurrence, $2,000,000 products and completed operations aggregate (if applicable), and $2,000,000 policy aggregate. For Worker's Compensation Insurance, Organizations shall maintain the coverage as required by statute and shall maintain Employer's Liability insurance with limits of $100,000 for each bodily injury occurrence claim, $100,000 for each bodily injury caused by disease claim, and $500,000 aggregate for all bodily injuries caused by disease claims.  If the entity is a non-profit and are covered under a third party for their WC, provide a document showing the coverage. For automobile insurance, if the Organization is a business that owns vehicles, then Organization shall maintain the Business Automobile coverage with minimum limits of $1,000,000 combined single limit applicable to all owned, hired and non-owned vehicles used in performing services under the Agreement. If the Organization is not a business or is a business that does not own any vehicles, then Participant shall ensure that personal automobile insurance is in force with current state minimum limits for all vehicles used in performing services under the Agreement. 

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