Organizing for Education in Colorado
Welcome to the Organization for Education in Colorado (OEC) Funder Collaborative
Organizing for Education in Colorado (OEC) Funder Collaborative is a collaborative effort between Rose Community Foundation, Gates Family Foundation, and RootED Denver. The collaborative is deeply honored to work with organizations in the community committed to the enhancement of Kindergarten through 12th-grade education— aiming to unlock the potential for every student to thrive and succeed.
OEC exists to support organizations actively engaging families and/or youth in advocating for education improvement through policy enhancements. Our focus is twofold: listening to the voices of families and youth through organizing efforts and catalyzing action that brings about tangible changes in educational practices and policies. View our impact report.
Application Process for Community Organizations
We invite organizations that are implementing community plans to advocate for policy or practice changes, as well as those moving from planning to action.
Examples of eligible activities include:
- Listening and awareness campaigns to identify areas for action in education policy
- Advocacy or research efforts targeting statewide or municipal/district policy initiatives addressing systemic educational gaps
- Advocacy and action on behalf of communities facing significant barriers to opportunity, advancing education-specific policy priorities
501(c)(3) organizations based in the state of Colorado are eligible to apply. Applications are accepted through an invitation-only process one-time a year – typically in the spring. If you would like to be considered for the opportunity, please contact us here.
Grant amounts typically range from $10,000 to $30,000, determined based on alignment with the opportunity and the organization’s clear perspective, approach, process and goals related to fostering systems change or influencing educational policy levers.
Process for Grantmakers
Values-aligned grantmakers are always welcome to explore the OEC Funder Collaborative. Join us in maximizing impact and driving positive change by contributing to our pooled funding opportunity. Contact Ana Soler (she/her/ella) for more information.
Contacts
For inquiries about OEC funding priorities or proposal requirements contact:
- Maria Torres (she/her/ella) at mtorres@rcfdenver.org
- Ana Soler (she/her/ella) at asoler@gatesfamilyfoundation.org
- Latia Henderson (she/her) at lhenderson@rootEDdenver.org