We invest in the power of community

Founded and funded by and for Denver, we turn our community’s desire to help into action to address Denver’s mental health and substance misuse needs.

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News + Events

Justice that Heals: Caring for Denver Foundation Awards $14 Million in Grants to Promote Alternatives to Jail

Aug 5, 2025

News Release [August 5, 2025 – Denver, Colo.]: Caring for Denver Foundation awarded more than $14 million to support 25 community-based organizations and City and County of Denver agencies, dedicated to providing alternatives to jail solutions. These...

They survived homelessness and addiction. Now, they’re changing Denver’s courts

Jul 17, 2025

The Forensic Peer Navigator program is part of a national trend to provide additional support in the justice system. By: Kevin Beaty 9 min. read Denver County Court Forensic Peer Navigator Mark Donaldson stands in front of the Denver downtown jail. June 4, 2025....

What’s next for the police response alternative STAR as it turns 5

Jun 10, 2025

By Esteban L. Hernandez Illustration: Maura Losch/Axios Five years after launching, the Support Team Assisted Response Program — otherwise known as the STAR program — sits at a crossroads. The big picture: The program dispatches a paramedic with a...

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our work

We listen to Denver’s communities, those with lived experience, and those doing the work to understand how mental health and substance misuse show up in our lives. Your insight and experience helps reveal what data alone can’t. Take this short survey to help shape our funding priorities. We regularly review responses to ensure our decisions reflect community needs.

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What we accomplished in 2024

Without you there is no us. Since 2019, we’ve funded organizations that serve every City Council District and neighborhood in Denver to transform mental health and substance misuse care.