Caring for Denver Foundation (Denver, CO)
Youth are experiencing profound mental health challenges that put them at higher risk of mental health and substance misuse issues. Now, Caring for Denver Foundation has approved 47 grants totaling nearly $10 million to provide earlier and greater resources to reduce crisis and increase resilience for Denver, Colorado youth coping with life stressors.
When Caring for Denver, founded by a City of Denver ordinance, first launched, Denver residents identified funding for youth as a top priority. Even before the pandemic, the share of high school students experiencing symptoms of clinical depression was on an upward trajectory, increasing to nearly 35 percent of students in 2019 (2019 Healthy Kids Colorado Survey). Addressing mental health and substance misuse needs earlier in life leads to less crisis and less need for costly services later in life.
Fifty-two youth partners informed the call for proposals, emphasizing the importance of funding innovative approaches that are youth-informed or youth-led, focus on the strengths of youth, and value culture in healing and identity.
With this investment Caring for Denver aims to:
- Reduce youth harm to self and others through addressing trauma, mental health, and substance misuse.
- Increase youth ability to demonstrate healthy resilience for coping with challenges and stresses in life.
- Increase awareness and involvement by family and allies in ways that help youth address trauma, mental health, and substance misuse.
Grantees include:
- Adoption Options
- Apprentice of Peace Youth Organization
- Art from Ashes, Inc
- Boys & Girls Clubs Metro Denver
- Casa Milagro Youth Solutions
- Centus Counseling, Consulting & Education
- Children’s Hospital Colorado Foundation
- Clayton Early Learning
- Commún
- Creative Strategies for Change
- Denver Children’s Home
- Denver Health Foundation
- Denver Rescue Mission
- Denver’s Early Childhood Council
- Developmental FX
- Dream Center Denver
- From the Heart Enterprises
- Girls Inc. of Metro Denver
- Jewish Family Service of Colorado
- Judi’s House/JAG Institute
- Khesed
- Launch Network
- Lincoln Hills Cares
- Lutheran Family Services Rocky Mountains
- Make A Chess Move
- Mental Health Center of Denver
- Mile High 360
- Muslim Youth for Positive Impact
- Project PAVE Inc.
- Project VOYCE
- Queer Asterisk
- Rise Above Colorado
- The ROCK Center
- Rocky Mountain Immigrant Advocacy Network
- Saint Joseph Hospital Foundation
- Second Wind Fund, Inc.
- The Spring Institute
- Star Girlz Empowerment Inc
- Struggle of Love Foundation
- Sun Valley Youth Center
- Tennyson Center for Children
- Thriving Families
- Vuela for Health
- Warren Village
- Women’s Wilderness
- Words To Power
- Youth On Record