Four Things to Know About Colorado’s A.V. Hunter Trust
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The A.V. Hunter Trust has over 100 years of philanthropic involvement in Colorado, and is an excellent local funder for small, rural organizations in the area to know. This foundation is accessible and has awarded over $91 million since its inception.
Here are four essential things to know about the Glendale-based A.V. Hunter Trust to guide Colorado nonprofits — and individuals — toward available grant opportunities.
1. Grants go to both organizations and individuals
While many Colorado funders only award grants to nonprofit organizations, the Hunter Trust offers funding to individuals as well. It funds Colorado organizations that provide direct services to youth, people with disabilities, aging adults and anyone experiencing hardship or crisis. The foundation’s individual grants go to people who need to purchase durable medical equipment or pay for specific dental procedures.
The Hunter Trust currently focuses on small organizations with annual operating budgets of less than $1 million. It also aims to support rural and underserved communities in Colorado.
2. There are very specific funding priorities
The Hunter Trust’s four funding priorities are: people in financial hardship or crisis, youth, aging adults, and individuals with disabilities. Its default is general operating support grants. In fact, it does not even consider requests for program support, event sponsorships, publications, research projects, capital campaigns or endowments. The Hunter Trust does not award multi-year grants, and returning grantseekers must apply for new support each year.
For individual grants, the foundation includes the following items on its list of durable medical equipment that is eligible for funding: hearing aids, prostheses, walkers, standing frames, oxygen concentrators, and vehicle or home modifications. Dental grants for individuals are limited to fillings, partial dentures, full dentures and extractions.
3. Grants range from $10,000 to $20,000
In the first year an organization receives support from the Hunter Trust, the grant will typically be $10,000. In subsequent years, the amount may increase up to $20,000. The Hunter Trust occasionally awards larger grants, too, but this is the typical range to expect. Meanwhile, $1,800 is the average size of an individual grant.
Recent grantees include Kids Mobility Network, the Jackson Council on Aging, Integrated Family Community Services and Harmony Acres Equestrian Center.
4. Unsolicited inquiries welcome
The Hunter Trust invites some selected nonprofits to apply for grants, but also welcomes unsolicited contact from grantseekers. It is accessible to grantseekers by phone, email and mail. Nonprofits that have yet to receive an invitation should review the eligibility guidelines and contact the funder via email or phone to briefly describe their work and mission.
The trust encourages organizations throughout Colorado to request general operating funds if they are eligible and fit with its funding priorities. But for individual grants, applications must come from a referring professional on behalf of the person needing assistance. Referring professionals include social workers, clergy members, therapists, employers and patient advocates.
You can read more about this funder in IP’s profile of the A.V. Hunter Trust, which is included in our Colorado grantmaking guide.
