The Colorado Housing Finance Agency opened the application for the second round of 2026 Direct Effect Awards. Round Two is open to nonprofit organizations applying for funds to advance economic development, food access, and education. Visit this link to apply and learn more.
Direct Effect Awards are an opportunity for CHFA to recognize and support Colorado nonprofits whose missions strengthen Colorado by investing in affordable housing and community development. To review applications more holistically and respond to an increased volume of requests, CHFA has refined its Direct Effect funding guidelines to be more responsive to organizations working to directly advance affordable housing and economic development. Read more about the updated Direct Effect funding criteria.
For organizations applying for funding to support economic development, awards will typically range from $5,000 to $50,000. In the food access and education spaces, awards will typically range from $5,000 to $20,000. In 2025, the average donation amount was $8,902. All applications must be received by 11:59pm MT on July 17, 2026.
