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What is GrantCorps?

GrantCorps is Dedicated to Building Grant Access Equity Across Colorado.

GrantCorps provides information, training, and technical support to nonprofits across Colorado in grant development and management so that funding gets to the organizations that need it most. All GrantCorps services are provided at no cost to eligible organizations. We support small, rural, and systemically marginalized communities, as well as Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) led organizations so they can more equitably access private and government grant funding.

Our goals are to:

  • Increase the amount of grant funds awarded to small, rural, and systemically marginalized communities.
  • Enable more equitable sharing of grant information and resources provided to organizations that face barriers to grant access.
  • Help small, rural nonprofits working with historically under-resourced and systemically marginalized communities to improve their fund-development capacity and systems.
  • Improve grant making practices across Colorado to be more equitable.

What we do…

Our programming includes the following activities:

This includes directing partners to tools on grant development such as the Colorado Common Grant application, grant research resources and other grant-related databases available in their own communities, such as in public libraries, and to CRC’s grant resources, mainly the Colorado Grants Guide (CGG) and CRC’s educational offerings and other programs, including GrantCorps.

GrantCorps offers training workshops, which cover a wide range of topics including grant narrative development, grants research, and grants management. Workshops are offered both virtually and in-person. GrantCorps offers simultaneous Spanish language interpretation for virtual training events.

GrantCorps offers 3-15 hours of short-term coaching. Coaching activities vary, and may include:

  • Completing state, federal, and private grant research.
  • Providing a funder-research coaching session and a customized report on prospective funders with whom they are a match.
  • Assessing government grant readiness and recommendations for areas to build organizational capacity.
  • Assessing systems for tracking, evaluating, and reporting outcomes, financial reporting, and general grant management.
  • Reviewing, editing, and providing feedback on an already-written grant application.

GrantCorps offers 15-50 hours of longer-term consulting support. Consulting activities vary, and may include:

  • Working collaboratively with organization contacts to write private and public grant applications, attachments, program and financial grant reports.
  • Providing tools and coaching to organizations to develop achievable grant development and management systems.
  • Developing partner Memorandum of Understanding documents (MOUs) and other efforts to document grant partnerships and collaboration, including opportunities for match funding.
  • Other organizational supports as needed, drawing our expertise in nonprofit grant management.

GrantCorps is dedicated to collecting information from small, rural, and BIPOC-led nonprofits about the barriers they experience accessing public and private grant funding and to sharing this information with grant makers in an effort to build greater grant access equity. Activities include:

  • Publishing a whitepaper on recommendations to address barriers in partnership with the Colorado Workforce Development Council and the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment.
  • Partnering with Philanthropy Colorado to gather information from nonprofits and private grant-makers about the Colorado Common Grant, the barriers organizations experience accessing grant funds, and the recommendations these communities have to build more equity and access in the process.

Training and Information Sessions

Government Grant Contracting

April 11| 9:00AM-12:00PM | Zoom 

Get Grants

July 9 & 11| 9:00AM-12:00PM | Zoom

Government Grant Reporting

August 8| 9:00AM-12:00PM | Zoom

Additional 2024 Trainings

For the remainder of the calendar year, including any remaining trainings in 2024, only organizations selected in our most recent application process will receive free services. Anyone is welcome to attend CRC’s fall training sessions for a fee, but only organizations selected in our July 31 application period will receive complimentary access.

CRC is providing additional grant training sessions in the Fall 2024. View more details

Application Information

Applications for 2023-2024 Short-Term Coaching & Deep Consultation services closed on July 31, 2024. Applications received by this date were prioritized to participate in training, coaching, & consultation services from September 1 through December 31, 2024.

For the remainder of the calendar year, including any remaining trainings in 2024, only organizations selected in our most recent application period will receive free services. Anyone is welcome to attend CRC’s fall training sessions for a fee, but only organizations selected in our July 31 application period will receive complimentary access.

Based on information learned, and a high-level of interest in the program, we are making modifications to program enrollment and will be launching 2025 application materials, qualifications, and program information on the GrantCorps webpage later this fall.

Meet the GrantCorps Team!

Katy Pepinsky  (she, her, ella)

Director of Grant Services
email hidden; JavaScript is required

Katy Pepinsky (she/her/ella), Director of GrantCorps, works to build the capacity of Colorado nonprofits to access and manage public and private grant funds. Katy started with CRC in June 2022. Prior to her current position, Katy worked as the Executive Director of a youth services organization in La Plata County. For over twenty years, she has worked with a diverse array of non-profit and service organizations to help build more resilient communities including La Plata Youth Services, Cooking Matters Colorado, Growing Partners of SW Colorado, Mercy Hospital, Peace Corps, and Colorado State University Extension. A native of Bloomington, Indiana, Katy holds a master’s degree in Extension Education from Colorado State University and a Professional Non-Profit Management Certificate, from Fort Lewis College. Katy lives in Durango and enjoys reading, gardening, practicing yoga, and exploring the rural rivers and trails of the Southwest with her two kids, husband, and dog. Ella habla español.

Silas Babilonia (he, him, his)

GrantCorps VISTA Member – Grantwriting Specialist

Silas Babilonia (he/him/his), Grant Writing Specialist, works to help non-profits across the state of Colorado receive the funding and resources necessary to thrive through the function of grant-writing. Silas started with CRC in October 2022. Prior to his current position, Silas has worked in the non-profit realm in various capacities. He has served previously with AmeriCorps, working with CRC to combat the COVID pandemic as a Contact Tracer/Case Investigator. Before that, Silas also served as both a case manager and overnight assistant at several different facilities run by Colorado Coalition for the Homeless. Silas grew up in Aurora, Colorado, and considers the state his home. He is a lifelong traveler, having been across Europe and the United States; however, Colorado always had a special place for him. He is currently located in the Capitol Hill area of Denver and spends his time with family and friends, works on making and producing electronic music, and spends time with his Guinea pig named Jim.

Lori Sharp (she, her, hers)

Principal, ThinkSharp! Consulting
Grant Consultant, GrantCorps

Lori is the founder of ThinkSharp! Consulting. Lori has over 10 years of grant management and NPO consulting experience, and her work has led to increased and stable funding for each client she works with. She prides herself on her client and funder relationships, strategic thinking and planning, and ability to represent her clients with integrity and passion.

Sarah Shikes (she, her, hers)

Owner, Aspire Nonprofit Consulting, LLC
Grant Consultant, GrantCorps

Originally from Denver Colorado, Sarah Shikes (she/her/hers) has worked in the nonprofit sector for over 25 years. Through her experience she has developed a deep understanding for what it takes to run a successful nonprofit organization and what pitfalls to watch out for when considering sustainability and capacity. The majority of Sarah’s career has been spent in the roles of associate director, operating officer, and executive director at Denver based nonprofit organizations specializing in early childhood education and social justice. Most recently Sarah served as the executive director for Centro Humanitario Para Los Trabajadores providing leadership and strategic direction in alignment with the national movements advocating for the rights and wellbeing of immigrant workers.

In 2024, Sarah graduated with a Master of Public Administration (MPA) from the University of Colorado Denver, she earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Foreign Languages from Pitzer College, Claremont, CA in 1993. Following college Sarah spent three years living in San Jose, Costa Rica working for the Institute for Central American Development Studies, and sharpening her skills to become fluent in Spanish.

Sarah now works as a consultant supporting community efforts that promote belonging and equity for all residents. Outside of her consulting work Sarah spends time with family and friends, volunteering, traveling, taking “urban hikes” around the city and occasional get-a-ways to the Colorado mountains.

Amy Stahlin (she, her, hers)

Director, ThinkSharp! Consulting
Grant Consultant, GrantCorps

Amy Stahlin is a Director at ThinkSharp! Consulting who specializes in grant writing and event direction for rural nonprofits.  Following a lifetime of volunteer involvement in nonprofit organizations, she joined the ThinkSharp! team in 2020. She started her grants career in academia as the Director of Prestigious Grants and Scholarships at a private university in Washington, DC. She moved to Montrose in 2015 and quickly recognized the vital community work that was happening in local nonprofits. Her favorite part of her job is helping rural nonprofits bring in the kind of funding that elevates their mission and ensures that they will be able to help their community for years to come. 

Amy has also been a professional dancer, a CrossFit coach, a natural parenting consultant, and a writer. She graduated from Emory University, then went to The Catholic University of America to pursue her graduate degree in Irish and Southern Literature. After a lifetime in big cities on the East Coast, she has happily settled into to her rural Colorado mountain life. She loves to explore the best places on the western slope with her husband and teenage kids—skiing, rafting, hiking, and going to amazing bluegrass festivals. 

Felicia Tapia (she, her, hers)

Grant Consultant, GrantCorps

Felicia joined Community Resource Center in December 2022 as a Consultant focused on supporting and expanding the capacity of the GrantCorps Program. She was born and raised in Pueblo, Colorado and holds a Bachelor of Arts in English and Psychology with a minor in Creative Writing from Colorado State University-Pueblo. Her background in nonprofit behavioral health and writing center work in higher education naturally led her to working with nonprofits and grant writing. Growing up on the eastside of Pueblo, a population experiencing low socioeconomic status and high health disparities, Felicia experienced the power and impact of nonprofit programs and grant-funded initiatives. She feels fortunate to be able to work alongside nonprofits, especially small nonprofits belonging to marginalized communities, and is excited about her partnership with CRC. Aside from working with nonprofits, Felicia enjoys dark skies and open spaces, reading anything from a good meme to a book from the stack, writing poetry, memoir, and fiction, and listening to eclectic music with her husband and their two cat friends.

Resources

State & Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (SLFRF) Colorado Nonprofit Subrecipient Toolkit

This Toolkit has been established to assist smaller nonprofits serving rural communities and organizations that focus efforts on underserved workforce populations, in navigating the State & Local Fiscal Recovery Fund grant application and reporting process. The guide was developed in partnership between Community Resource Center & the Colorado Workforce Development Council. 

Helpful Links

State & Local Fiscal Recovery Fund (SLFRF) Info Session Video: In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, national, state, and local governments are being charged with supporting communities in their response and recovery. The State & Local Fiscal Recovery Funds, or SLFRF, is one mechanism that is directing funds to state, local, and Tribal governments across the country to support their response to and recovery from COVID-19. In this session we cover the offerings, eligibility, and requirements of the State & Local Fiscal Recovery Fund (SLFRF) as well as resources to assist nonprofit organizations with limited fund development capacity to seek and apply for these government grants.

Colorado Grants Guide: developed by the Community Resource Center (CRC), is the state’s leading online resource for funding research. This database contains hundreds of profiles of local foundations and trusts, corporations, national funders, government agencies and religious organizations that support Colorado nonprofits. These profiles are updated regularly, so as to always provide the most relevant information available.

Have questions?

Contact Us!

Katy Pepinsky, Director of Grant Services: email hidden; JavaScript is required, tel: 720.885.9889. Ella habla español.

GrantCorps FAQ

Yes! Even if you do not meet ALL of our eligibility criteria you may still qualify for services.

Yes, GrantCorps services are available free of charge to eligible non-profit organizations. 

The GrantCorps program is able to do its work free of charge because it is funded by grants from the following organizations: AmeriCorps, Colorado Workforce Development Council, and the Colorado Housing and Finance Authority.

The GrantCorps team will process your Application and then reach out to you via your preferred method of communication, either to let you know that you are eligible and inform you of what the next steps are, or to let you know that you are not eligible and refer you to some helpful resources.

There are four tiers of GrantCorps services: Consultation, Coaching, Training, and Access to Information. For more information, please see the “Our Services” Section above.

In order to participate, partners will be asked to provide:

  • A completed GrantCorps Application,
  • A contact person within the organization who is ready and willing to participate in the program, and
  • A signed Services Agreement, sent to the contact person after their intake meeting, that outlines the terms and expectations of both participants and the GrantCorps team during service.

2024 Funders of GrantCorps