Colorado Organizational Resiliency
The Colorado Organizational Resiliency (COR) funding opportunity supports Colorado organizations in improving economic opportunity and social inclusion for older adults.
Overview and eligibility
Through Colorado Organizational Resiliency (COR), Next50 invests in organizations closely connected to the communities they serve and working to address the challenges, opportunities, and priorities identified by older adults and their caregivers. COR reflects Next50’s commitment to responding to local needs by supporting community-driven solutions that improve older adults’ day-to-day quality of life and long-term well-being throughout Colorado.
COR combines the strengths of Next50’s previous Colorado Organizational Resiliency with general operating funding by providing flexible, multi-year support that allows organizations to invest in the people, programs, partnerships, and infrastructure needed to achieve meaningful impact.
Organizations may request up to two years of funding. Requests for multi-year funding must clearly explain how funding requested in the second year will build upon the initiatives of the first year. Limited funds are available for multi-year requests. The maximum request amount is $150,000, but organizations are required to speak with a Next50 staff member about the appropriate request amount before applying.
Funding decisions will consider both the strength of individual proposals and how investments contribute to Next50’s broader strategy for improving outcomes for older adults.
Types of Organizations That May Apply
Eligible applicants may include:
- Colorado-based entities organized under sections 501(c)(3), 501(c)(4), and 501(c)(6) of the IRS code that are in good standing and serving mission-aligned older adults.
Fiscal sponsorship is permitted. Please note: the fiscal sponsor must have a formal relationship with the entity carrying out grant activities and be able to exercise control over grant activities. Next50 requires the fiscal sponsor to have a contractual relationship with the grant project partner and must possess a mission that clearly aligns with the activities of the grant.
The following are ineligible to apply:
- Universities and academic institutions
- Government entities
- Organizations outside of Colorado
What cor Funds
COR supports work that contributes to one or both of Next50’s grantmaking investment goals.
Expanding economic opportunity
Older adults afford more, live securely, and remain financially stable over time.
Next50 supports the following drivers of economic opportunity:
Access to public benefits
Affordable housing
Home modifications + integrated in-home supports
Support for caregivers
Transportation
Workforce – skills or retraining, recruitment, hiring, and retention
Championing social inclusion
Older adults are seen and valued within, feel connected to, and remain active participants in their communities.
Next50 supports the following drivers of social inclusion:
Volunteerism
Civic engagement
Arts
Mitigating age bias
Digital access and participation
Organizations do not need to fit neatly into a single category. Many successful proposals may contribute to more than one category.
Note on other strategic goals: Shaping the Built Environment and Advancing Health remain important parts of Next50’s strategic plan, but Next50 does not fund them through grantmaking. Next50 will advance these goals primarily through impact investing, advocacy, and other tools.
Mission-Aligned Populations
Next50 prioritizes efforts that improve outcomes for older adults who experience persistent barriers to aging well. Applicants must demonstrate an understanding of the unique experiences and needs of the populations they seek to serve or influence.
Mission-aligned populations may include:
| Low-income | Rural and Frontier |
| People with disabilities | Black/African American |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | Asian |
| Hispanic Latino | Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander |
| LGBTQ+ | Middle Eastern or North African |
| Veterans | Caregivers |
| Unhoused | Justice-impacted |
| Nonprofits* | Immigrant and Refugee |
*Some organizations may serve nonprofits directly, e.g., membership associations
Flexible Funding for community impact
COR provides flexible support because organizations require different resources to create meaningful change.
Funding may support:
- Sustainable programs and services
- Staffing and personnel with a plan for sustainability after the funding period ends
- Organizational capacity building
- Strategic planning
- Technology improvements
- Evaluation and learning
- Communications and outreach
- Community engagement
- Organizational infrastructure
- Mergers, shared services, or organizational transitions
- Other activities that strengthen organizational effectiveness and improve outcomes for older adults
Funding is intended to provide flexibility while maintaining a strong focus on long-term impact; therefore, applicants are encouraged to request the resources necessary to achieve impact rather than fitting requests into predefined funding categories.
APPLICATION EVALUATION
Applications are evaluated in two parts.
- All applications are reviewed using the same core evaluation criteria listed below
- All applications are also evaluated using the criteria specific to the priority area(s) the proposed work addresses: Expanding Economic Opportunity, Championing Social Inclusion, or both.
Please note that Next50 seeks to build a diverse portfolio that balances innovation, learning, and measurable impact; therefore, additional factors – such as geographic diversity, potential for collaboration with other grantees, and other priorities – may be considered in funding decisions.
Part 1: Core Evaluation Criteria
Expanding Access
What is the anticipated reach of the work? How does it expand access to drivers of economic opportunity and/or social inclusion?
Strategic Alignment
How clearly does the proposed work contribute to one or more COR funding priorities and community need?
Service to Mission-Aligned Populations
How effectively does the project address the needs of older adults experiencing barriers to economic opportunity and social inclusion? The organization will need to explain its connection to the communities it intends to serve and how it incorporates feedback into ongoing improvement.
Organizational Readiness
Does the organization possess the leadership, expertise, partnerships, and operational capacity necessary to execute the proposed work? If you have low cash reserves or a budget deficit, please share how the requested funds will help improve financial sustainability and/or how you plan to improve your financial position.
capacity building and resilience
How will funding support the organization in building its own capacity to meet community need? How will funding support the organization’s long-term resilience?
operational sustainability
For requests for programmatic or staffing support, organizations must demonstrate how they will sustain the funded services or positions beyond the grant term, or how Next50 funding will strengthen their capacity to maintain them over time.
Need for Funds
Does the organization need Next50 funds to complete this work, and if so, why? If you have significant cash reserves or a budget surplus, explain why you need the requested funds.
Leveraging Next50 Funding (preferred)
How will Next50’s support unlock or leverage additional funding or resources for your organization?
Collaboration and Learning
How effectively has the applicant demonstrated a willingness to contribute to learning?
Feasibility
Can the organization implement the proposed response promptly and effectively within the proposed budget and timeline?
Thoroughness and Timeliness of Submission
Were all grant materials turned in on time and readable in the submitted format? Applicants must not submit password-protected documents, as reviewers cannot open or consider them.
Part 2: Priority-Specific Evaluation Criteria
Review the criteria below for the priority area(s) your proposed work addresses.
Expanding Economic Opportunity
Click each heading to expand the section
Accessibility of public benefits programs
How effectively will the proposed work help older adults enroll in, retain, or fully utilize public benefits by reducing barriers to access?
Access to affordable housing
How effectively will the proposed work help older adults obtain or maintain stable, affordable housing and live independently in the community of their choice?
Home modifications + integrated in-home supports
How effectively will the proposed work increase access to affordable home modifications or integrated in-home supports that enable older adults to live safely and independently in their homes?
Support for caregivers
How effectively will the proposed work make caregiving more sustainable, affordable, and effective for family, informal, or paid caregivers and the older adults they support?
Accessible transportation
How effectively will the proposed work expand older adults’ access to affordable, reliable, and accessible transportation that connects them to daily needs, services, and community life?
Workforce – skills or retraining, recruitment, hiring and retention
How effectively will the proposed work help older adults obtain, retain, or advance in meaningful employment, or increase the adoption of age-inclusive workforce practices?
Championing social inclusion
Volunteerism, civic engagement, and arts
How effectively will the proposed work increase older adults’ meaningful participation, leadership, connection, or contribution through volunteerism, civic engagement, arts, culture, or community life?
Digital access and participation
How effectively will the proposed work enable older adults to use digital tools, connectivity, and skills to participate more fully in civic, social, and economic life? Please note: Next50 will not purchase individual digital devices.
Mitigating Age Bias
How effectively will the proposed work challenge age bias and strengthen realistic, diverse, and strengths-based recognition of older adults as contributors, leaders, and community members?
In some priority areas, Next50 may convene funded organizations to participate in collaborative learning cohorts related to shared goals. These cohorts are intended to promote collaboration, shared learning, and greater collective impact.
Requirements of Grantees
Before applying for funding, all potential grantees are required to affirm that they reviewed Next50’s Grant Agreement, as it addresses Next50’s requirements with respect to reporting, publicity, intellectual property, and other performance-related obligations.
Additionally, all applicants must affirm that they have the authority to enter into a binding agreement with Next50 without any modifications.
If selected for funding, the grantee will be expected to agree to Next50’s grant agreement in its entirety. Modifications or adjustments to the grant agreement will not be accepted.
Cohorts and Collaboration
Next50 will pilot collaborative virtual learning cohorts to promote collaboration, shared learning, and greater collective impact. Grantees and Investees will be required to attend cohort meetings 1-2 times each year during the grant or investment period.
More details to come!
Learning and Reporting
Next50 views reporting as an opportunity to understand progress, learnings, and broader influence. There will be a check-in report every six months as well as a final report at the end of the grant term. Grantees will submit all reports through the Next50 Grantee Portal. Reports will include a small set of questions asked of all grantees, along with specific measures selected for the funded work. Reporting may address progress toward grant goals, challenges, systems-level change or progress, innovation and adaptation, outcomes achieved, and the potential to sustain, expand, or build on the work. Next50 will provide clear reporting guidance and any applicable focus-area instructions during the kick-off call.
2027 Grant Calendar
Applications are accepted by invitation only and are reviewed on a rolling basis.
| Application Due Date | January 15, 2026 | April 9, 2026 | July 9, 2026 |
| Funding Decision | Mid-March | Mid-June | Mid-September |
Request a meeting with Next50
If you’ve explored our approach and strategic priorities and see a strong connection to your organization’s work, we’d welcome the opportunity to hear from you. Request a conversation with our team to explore alignment and opportunities to work together.
Next50 prioritizes meeting requests that appear most closely aligned with our current priorities. Due to the volume of inquiries we receive, we may not be able to meet with every organization that submits a request, and submitting this form does not guarantee an invitation to apply for funding.
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