Guidelines & Application

• IMPORTANT: Applications must be received no later than 5:00 p.m. on the deadline date.
• All applications for capital projects must be submitted for the September deadline.
• Applications for school-year-only programs will not be accepted for the May deadline. As part of our review process, we typically conduct site visits. We are unable to complete this important part of our process if your program is closed for the summer.
• Organizations are limited to one programmatic grant request in any 12-month period (e.g., if a proposal is submitted for the May deadline, an organization is first eligible to reapply the following May).
• Final grant decisions are made and grants are paid approximately four months after each deadline.  We are unable to respond to emergency funding needs.

Due to our small staff, it may not be feasible for us to meet personally with every grant seeker before an application is submitted. Grant seekers are encouraged to call our office with questions. Please contact your Program Officer or grants@buellfoundation.org if you are unable to submit your application online. 

We offer a variety of resources to help navigate the online application:

• Click here for the online application help guide.
• Click here to view a webinar for an overview of the online application.

All requests of the Buell Foundation must be consistent with our mission and guidelines. We anticipate the number of proposals received and dollars requested will exceed our available resources. We thank grant seekers in advance for the work put into the proposals. We learn from each one, regardless of our ability to fund.

The Buell grant application continues to be representative of the Colorado Common Grant Application, and also includes questions that have been asked through alternative methods in the past (e.g., the child care center worksheet or interim report). Please visit the links below to preview the application, including a complete list of information needed to complete your application.

• Licensed Child Care Center Application
• General Operating and Programs Application
• Required Application Attachments
• Early Childhood Council Application (May cycle only)
• Capital Funding Guidance  (September cycle only)
• Capital Funding Application (September cycle only)

Non-Discrimination Policy Criteria

The Buell Foundation’s funding application includes submission of the applicant’s non-discrimination policy. The Buell Foundation prioritizes partnerships with organizations and programs that are aligned with its values, including non-discrimination. If an organization’s non-discrimination policies and practices are not aligned with Colorado law and the Buell Foundation, it is likely a funding request will be declined. If a grantseeker has questions or concerns about their policies and practices related to non-discrimination, please contact one of our program officers at 303-744-1688.

In order to align with Colorado law and the Buell Foundation, non-discrimination policies should explicitly protect staff, vendors, beneficiaries, and clients from discrimination of the following protected classes: race, color, national and ethnic origin, religion, gender, gender expression, age, disability, marital status, and sexual orientation.

A sample non-discrimination policy that aligns with the Buell Foundation can be found below:

The organization does not and shall not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion (creed), gender, gender identity or expression, age, national or ethnic origin (ancestry), disability, marital status, or sexual orientation in any of its activities or operations. These activities include, but are not limited to, hiring and firing of staff, selection of volunteers and vendors, and provision of services to beneficiaries and clients. We are committed to providing an inclusive and welcoming environment for all members of our staff, volunteers, subcontractors, vendors, beneficiaries, and clients. The organization expects that all relationships among persons in the workplace will be professional and free of bias, prejudice, and harassment.