To: Board of County Commissioners
Through: Michelle Halstead, Director, Commissioners’ Office
Prepared By:
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Sara Overby, Management Analyst, Commissioners’ Office
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presenter
Presenter: Sara Overby, Management Analyst, Commissioners’ Office
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Subject:
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12:00 PM *Aid to Agencies 2027 Grant Recommendations
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Purpose and Request:
recommended action
The purpose of this study session is to provide funding recommendations for the 2027 Aid to Agencies competitive grant program for approval by the Board of County Commissioners as part of the 2027 budget.
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Alignment with Strategic Plan: Good Governance - Understand and respond to community needs, interests, and values.
Background and Discussion: Established in 2008, the Aid to Agencies (A2A) program was created by the Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) to provide financial support to nonprofit organizations that address critical service gaps across Arapahoe County. The program is funded through the County’s General Fund.
Over time, A2A has evolved to reflect changing community needs and fiscal conditions. Following the passage of Ballot Measure 1A, the program is currently operating with a budget of $3,079,500, structured around two funding mechanisms:
• Safety Net Funding: Annual allocations to core service providers that deliver essential programs the County could not otherwise offer.
• Competitive Grants: Merit-based funding opportunities for eligible nonprofits through an open application and review process.
The 2026 A2A application cycle was open from June 1 to August 7, with applications submitted through an online platform. During this period, the A2A team (comprised of the community resources, human services, public health and commissioners’ office departments) hosted three applicant workshops to help nonprofits understand the program.
Eligibility and Funding Priorities
Organizations must:
A total of 100 applications were received, representing $8,467,000 in funding requests. The A2A Review Committee scored all applications and met in October to discuss award recommendations. Based on available funding and total requests, staff developed two funding options for BOCC consideration which will provide safety net support throughout the entire county.
A summary of recommended funding options is provided below, with a complete list of potential awardees in the attachments.
Option 1 (Recommended): Fund top-scoring organizations at 80% of the request within each category with a maximum award of $100,000. This would allow us to provide meaningful support to 43 organizations within the available funding allocations.
Option 2: Fund top-scoring proposals at 80% of the funding request with no maximum award. This would provide more funding for 32 organizations but support fewer organizations overall.
Alternatives: The Board could select an alternative funding option, choose not to fund either option as presented, or decline to award the grant program.
Fiscal Impact: The Aid to Agencies program budget (subject to Board approval in the 2027 budget) is $3,079,500, of which $580,000 is available for safety nets.
Alignment with Strategic Implementation Strategies: The attached framework helps Arapahoe County institutionalize values-based, transparent decision-making, documenting how we make decisions and carry out actions to achieve the county’s strategic plan.
Staff Recommendation: The review team recommends advancing option one, as it provides funding to the greatest number of top scoring organizations in each of the priority service areas.
Concurrence: The Aid to Agencies Review Team (Community Resources Department, Human Resources Department and Public Health Department).