Clean Air and Cool Home Funding

Overview

The application period for 2024 is now closed.

Denver’s Office of Climate Action, Sustainability and Resiliency is providing funding to nonprofits and community-based organizations. This funding will allow these entities to reduce the impacts of extreme heat and unhealthy indoor air quality. Up to $50,000 is available per organization. Funding will help organizations supply low-income households in prioritized Denver neighborhoods. The Climate Protection Fund pays for this program. Voters created this special revenue fund to cut carbon pollution and adapt to climate change. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling first-come-first-serve basis. Awards are expected to be announced by mid-July.

Entities can apply for funding for these interventions:

  • Cooling
    • Community outreach and engagement
    • Installation of portable ENERGY STAR-rated AC units
    • Utility bill assistance
  • Air Purifier
    • Community outreach and engagement
    • Distribution of HEPA-grade air purifier units
  • Other innovative approaches to support program’s goals. We will review applications for innovative approaches with the same criteria as all other applications.  

With summers getting hotter due to climate change, living without cooling is more dangerous. Extreme heat and wildfire smoke also worsen air quality. These hazards threaten human health and well-being. This funding will help improve the quality of life for Denver’s most vulnerable neighborhoods. This program will also help improve building efficiency and reduce carbon pollution.

Organizations can apply for funds to provide the following:

  • One type of intervention
  • Several types of intervention
  • All interventions

The city will focus on the following neighborhoods for funding:

Neighborhoods prioritized for pilot cooling interventions:

  • Globeville
  • Elyria-Swansea
  • Montbello
  • Valverde

Neighborhoods prioritized for indoor air quality interventions:

  • Globeville
  • Elyria-Swansea
  • Montbello
  • Clayton
  • East Colfax
  • Northeast Park Hill 

Application Information

Applicant Priority

The city will prioritize applications that:

  • Operate in the listed neighborhoods.
  • Incorporate principles of Human Centered Design.
  • Lead to long-term solutions to extreme heat and unhealthy air quality.
  • Emphasize feedback and collaboration with the community.
  • Reach the most vulnerable households to:
    • Provide cooling and air purification.
    • Offset or reduce energy bills from added cooling.
    • Improve building efficiency.
    • Reduce carbon pollution.

Budget

In your application, please provide an itemized breakdown of how the funding will be used. An example of a budget table is as follows:

Activity Title Costs 
 Task #1  
 Line Item 1 $10,000 
 Line Item 2 $10,000
 Total Costs for Task #1 $20,000 
 Task #2  
 Line Item 1 $10,000
 Line Item 2 $5,000 
Line Item 3 $3,000 
Total Costs for Task #2 $18,000 
 TOTAL $38,000 

Eligibility

Organizations applying for this funding must:

  • Be a a nonprofit or community-based organization.
  • Provide a Certificate of Good Standing from the Colorado Secretary of State.
  • Provide proof of tax-exempt status or copy of the fiscal sponsor’s tax-exempt status.

Applicants applying for Utility Bill Assistance must have experience administering utility affordability or similar bill credit programs.

Organizations planning to apply should be aware of typical insurance requirements for similar awards from the City and County of Denver. Typical requirements include Worker's Compensation Insurance ($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); Commercial General Liability ($1,000,000 for each occurrence); Business Automobile Coverage ($1,000,000 combined single limit applicable to all owned, hired and non-owned vehicles used in performing services). This information is provided for reference only, final requirements for insurance may change and will be determined after selections are made for each individual awardee.

Scope of Work Templates

Suggested Scope of Work for Community Outreach and Engagement

Task Deliverables
Lead Generation and Community Outreach and Engagement

Identify households with cooling needs and/or air purifier needs during summer heat waves.
  1.  A one-page narrative report on outreach strategy to identify climate vulnerable households, and an explanation of methodology for household identification. Please specify what neighborhoods you will be working in.
  2. Summary of prioritized households in spreadsheet format including address, names, demographic information, etc.

Suggested Scopes of Work for Provision of Portable Air Conditioning Units

Task Deliverables 
Install Portable Air Conditioning (AC) Units


Purchase and install portable air conditioning units in climate vulnerable neighborhoods based on community identified adaptation needs (technical specifications of cooling systems to be provided by the city). 
  1. Purchase, deliver and install portable AC units.
  2. Provide receipts and photos.
Reporting

Produce a spreadsheet report in (.xlsx) format for the City and County of Denver (CCD), adhering meticulously to the specifications outlined in the Deliverables column.
  1. Addresses of households requiring cooling.
  2. Home addresses of installed portable AC units.
  3. Demographic data of households AC units.
  4. Contact information for all households engaged.
  5. Details of equipment installed.
  6. Installation dates on a monthly basis.

Suggested Scopes of Work for Utility Bill Assistance

Eligibility Note: Applicants for this scope of work must have experience administering utility affordability or similar bill credit programs.

Task  Deliverables 
Administer limited energy bill credits

Utilize funding to administer limited utility bill credits covering costs of cooling for days with dangerous heat level, for participants on waitlists for community solar garden subscriptions or other energy assistance programs.
  1. Written methodology and summary of procedures related to bill credit program to be submitted to the city prior to implementation of credits.
  2. Utility bill credits dispersed
Reporting

Produce a spreadsheet report in (.xlsx) format for the City and County of Denver (CCD), adhering meticulously to the specifications outlined in the Deliverables column.
  1. Addresses of households receiving bill credits
  2. Demographic information of households receiving utility bill credits.

Suggested Scopes of Work for Portable Air Purification Units

Task  Deliverables 
Distribute Air Purifiers 

 Purchase and deliver air purifiers in climate vulnerable neighborhoods based on community identified adaptation needs.
  1. Purchase and deliver air purifiers to households.
  2. Provide receipts and photos.

Reporting

Produce a spreadsheet report in (.xlsx) format for the City and County of Denver (CCD), adhering meticulously to the specifications outlined in the deliverable column.
  1.  Addresses of households requiring air purification.
  2. Addresses of households supplied with air purifiers.
  3. Demographic data of households receiving air purifiers.
  4. Contact information for all households.
  5. Details of equipment (i.e., air purifier) provided to the households.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many grants are available?

There is up to $400,000 available for the 2024 funding year.  

Who should apply for funding?

Non-profits and community-based organizations working in the prioritized neighborhoods. 

What documents do I need to submit with my application?

A complete application should include:

  • Information about your organization
  • A Certificate of Good Standing from the Colorado Secretary of State
  • A proof of tax-exempt status
  • A detailed explanation of the intervention(s) you plan to use and the neighborhood(s) you plan to work in/with
  • A Statement of Interest
  • A Budget with itemized breakdown of how you will use the funding

We may request more documentation or ask clarifying questions after you submit your application. You are not required to submit insurance documentation with your application. We recommend that you double check your current insurance and get a Certificate of Insurance (COI) as soon as possible. This will help speed up the grantmaking process.  

What are the allowable uses for grant funding?

You can read a list of suggested Scopes of Work on the grant application webpage. Organizations may apply for funding for one or several of the suggested scopes of work. You may also pursue a combination of suggested ‘other innovative approaches’ that meet the goals of the program. You may include reasonable administrative expenses in your budget. You should explain them in detail in your Statement of Interest and Budget. 

What communities should we prioritize for cooling and clean air interventions?

Our goal is to reach the greatest number of households with members vulnerable to extreme heat and poor indoor air quality. We encourage your input about which households can benefit most. We also value ideas about how best to reach these communities.

How long is the grant term?

We expect at least a one-year grant funding term. We will work with grant awardees on the details of the term and reporting requirements. We will prioritize applications that reach the most vulnerable households quickly and efficiently.

Are there preferred vendors for buying air conditioning units and air purifiers in bulk?

Denver does not have preferred or recommended vendors for equipment for this award. You can find guidelines for selecting equipment on the grant application webpage. We encourage potential applicants to coordinate before submitting your application. We hope that planning ahead will help you maximize potential savings from bulk purchases. You must ensure that the equipment you buy meets the requirements listed on the grant webpage. We recommend you check out California Air Resources Board’s Certified Air Cleaning Device List. 

When will I hear back on my application?

You should expect to hear back about your application within two weeks. We will send any questions on the content of your application or requests for missing or incomplete documentation at that time.

Are there reimbursable expenses for the funding?

There are no allowable reimbursable expenses. You may not get reimbursed for activities or purchases completed before the award date. Organizations with a history or ongoing efforts related to the goals of the program should include relevant details in their Statement of Interest.

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