Opportunity Overview
Rocky Mountain Health Foundation’s 2026-28 Healthcare Fund is open for approved applicants serving Colorado’s Western Slope. The fund provides multi-year General Operating support to organizations delivering direct physical healthcare, behavioral healthcare, or specialized disability services. Recent Healthcare Fund grants have ranged from $15,000 to $40,000.
Funding and Deadline
The 2026-28 Healthcare Fund application window runs from September 1 through September 18, 2026. The Foundation states that all applications must be submitted online no later than September 18, 2026 at 12:00 noon MST. Its 2026 grant calendar schedules award notification and payout beginning December 7, 2026.
The Foundation describes this as a multi-year General Operating grant cycle. Its public page states that recent grants ranged from $15,000 to $40,000 but does not publish a universal applicant cap or clarify whether that historical range represents an annual amount or the full multi-year cycle.
Eligibility and Geography
Eligible applicants may be a 501(c)(3), 509(a), governmental, tribal, school, or other public entity, or an organization operating with an eligible fiscal sponsor. Applicants must primarily serve Western Slope residents and have staff residing within the Foundation’s 22-county Western Slope service area. They also need a system for collecting and reporting demographic information and should serve people whose characteristics reflect the communities in their geographic area.
The Healthcare Fund supports organizations whose work increases access and affordability of physical or behavioral healthcare or provides specialized disability services. Examples identified by the Foundation include medical, dental, vision and hearing screening and direct services; physical or occupational therapy; health navigation and promotoras; hospice, palliative and home health care; mental health counseling and therapy; substance-use intervention and recovery; suicide prevention; crisis response; early intervention; vocational supports; residential or supported living; and day programs.
Important Pre-Application Gate
New or previously declined organizations are subject to a required pre-application process. The Foundation’s 2026 calendar scheduled Healthcare Fund pre-application calls for new applications on August 24 through August 27, 2026. During the call, Foundation staff confirms eligibility, discusses the proposed request and financial health, verifies organization information, and determines whether the organization should proceed. Applicants recommended to apply receive access to the online portal.
Because that required call window has passed, a new or previously declined organization should not assume that it may enter the current cycle without Foundation confirmation. Prospective applicants may contact info@rmhealth.org and should identify the organization, location, and a short description of its programs.
General Operating Support and Restrictions
The Foundation defines General Operating support as unrestricted support for an organization’s mission rather than a specific project. An organization may receive one general operating grant per year, either through the annual Simple Gifts Fund or the multi-year Basic Needs or Healthcare Fund, depending on fit.
The Foundation’s general eligibility rules exclude individuals, for-profit organizations, capital construction and endowment campaigns, debt reduction or loans, policy, advocacy or research, political activity, religious purposes, special events, sponsorships, travel and conferences, and other listed categories. Educational institutions are generally excluded unless the proposed work aligns with the Foundation’s mission.
No mandatory applicant match or cost-share requirement was identified in the official Healthcare Fund page, eligibility materials, 2026 calendar, or sample grant reviewed by Atlas. Applicants should rely on their portal invitation and current Foundation instructions if additional conditions are presented.
Required Application Materials
The Foundation’s official 2026-28 sample application requires organization information, narrative responses about community need and impact, outcomes and indicators, demographic data, service geography, financial information, and a digital signature. Four financial attachments must be uploaded:
- Current fiscal year’s Board-approved operating budget, including revenue and expenses.
- Most recent budget-to-actuals, including revenue and expenses.
- Most recent balance sheet.
- Most recent IRS Form 990, or an explanation if the organization is exempt from filing.
For government, school, tribal, and public entities, the sample application allows certain financial documents to be limited to the department submitting the request rather than the entire organization. Password-protected documents cannot be uploaded.
Submission Method and Review
Applications are submitted through Rocky Mountain Health Foundation’s online grant portal. The portal link is supplied only after the Foundation approves an organization to apply. Review includes Foundation vetting for alignment, completeness and clarity, evaluation against published Healthcare Fund criteria, and Board approval. Current criteria emphasize Western Slope service, strong alignment with healthcare or disability services, demographic tracking, service to underserved or vulnerable populations, measurable outcomes, participant input, collaboration with other services, and fiscal stability.
Atlas Analysis
Atlas Opportunity Score: 94/100. This is a highly relevant Western Slope healthcare funding vehicle because it supports direct physical healthcare, behavioral healthcare, home health, hospice, crisis response, and disability services through flexible multi-year General Operating support.
N9+ Fit Score: 58/100, conditional. The fund is unrestricted General Operating support rather than an equipment or technology solicitation. A legitimate Nonagon N9+ device and platform role could exist only where an eligible healthcare organization independently has a verified operational need for remote physical examination or telehealth-supported care and chooses to use unrestricted resources consistent with its own policies. Atlas should not characterize the Foundation as specifically funding the device, create a technology project on the applicant’s behalf, or infer procurement allowability from the general operating structure. QC Healthcare/direct-vendor fit is low and no direct-vendor pathway is established by the current fund materials.
Next Action
Organizations already approved for the current Healthcare Fund cycle should complete the Foundation’s portal application and required financial uploads before September 18, 2026 at 12:00 noon MST. New or previously declined organizations that did not complete the required August pre-application process should contact the Foundation before assuming they can enter the current cycle.
Official sources: Rocky Mountain Health Foundation Healthcare Fund; Eligibility Quiz; 2026 Grant Calendar; 2026-28 Healthcare Sample Grant; Healthcare Fund Evaluation Criteria.