Financial Empowerment with Personal Access to Capital Grant

A COVID Relief Fund Program from Bank On Denver, in partnership with the City and County of Denver Office of Financial Empowerment and Protection 

Bank On Denver, in partnership with the City and County of Denver Office of Financial Empowerment and Protection (OFEP), intends to expand the availability of resources and improve outcomes for Denver residents that have suffered financial setbacks as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The goal is to provide personal grants to Denver residents, dependent on need of the client, for individuals that have experienced economic and/or health impacts from COVID-19 as an alternative to high interest, predatory lending and/or to assist with stable housing, transportation, childcare/education, health, and jobs/training/entrepreneurship, while building their credit and creating their own safety net by maximizing their savings with affordable mainline banking alternatives.  The program, “Financial Empowerment with Personal Access to Capital”, will require a minimum of three (3) one-on-one financial coaching sessions in order to assist awardees with proper application of the grant funds, increasing credit scores and savings, decreasing debt, and providing access to cost-effective financial products and loans. 

Program Details

Eligibility

Families of all sizes in the City and County of Denver are experiencing impacts from COVID-19, but given the limited funds, this grant program prioritizes the following family criteria:

• Single parent households with child(ren) under the age of 18; or
• Two (2) parent households with child(ren) under the age of 18; or
• Older adults (ages 65+). 

The following additional requirements must also be met in order to be considered for funding. 

Applicants must: 

• Demonstrate a loss of income or financial hardship as a result of COVID-19; and
• Earn less than $75,000 gross annual household income (total adult household income); and
• Be a United States Citizen; and
• Live within the City and County of Denver, Colorado; and
• Provide financial documentation to support your request including proof of U.S. citizenship, income documentation, documentation supporting financial need, and any other documentation to support your request (examples provided below); and
• Be willing to participate in a minimum of three (3) one-on-one financial coaching sessions through the Denver Office of Financial Empowerment and Protection over the next three (3) months; and 
• Have not previously received a personal grant through this program.

Other assistance and tools may be available for families that may not qualify under the Financial Empowerment with Personal Access to Capital grant program.  Contact us at 720-944-2498 or FEC@Denvergov.org if you have questions. 

Acceptable documentation to demonstrate a loss of income or financial hardship as a result of COVID-19 and the identified need as indicated on the application (high cost predatory loans, rental assistance, mortgage assistance, utility assistance, transportation assistance, child care, other) may include, but is not limited to:

• At least two (2) consecutive paystubs prior to reduction in hours and/or pay plus at least two (2) consecutive paystubs after reduction in hours and/or pay
• At least two (2) most recent consecutive paystubs prior to layoff plus evidence of layoff/termination/closure from employer (if available)
• Work logs
• High cost debt statements (credit cards, payday loans, etc.)
• Verification of rent, signed letter from the landlord, or rental statements
• Verification of mortgage or mortgage statements
• Utility statements
• Child care statements
• Medical bills resulting from COVID-19
• Unemployment claim information

Failure to provide the required financial documentation to support your request including proof of U.S. citizenship, income documentation, documentation supporting financial need, and any other documentation to support your request will result in delays processing your application.  Please be sure to upload the required documentation with your application in order to expedite your grant request.

Funding

As families experience economic impacts related to COVID-19, Bank On Denver, in partnership with the Office of Financial Empowerment and Protection (OFEP), is making available one-time family stabilization grants for eligible families most affected by COVID-19. Families can receive a grant in an amount not to exceed 100% of their COVID-19 related income loss or increase in costs. The awarded amount will be based upon availability of funds, individual need resulting from the documented impact of COVID-19, and program eligibility as outlined above.

Timeline

APPLICATIONS ARE DUE DECEMBER 15, 2021 at 5:00 p.m. MST (1700 hrs.) FOR THIS FUNDING ROUND. 

Once all of the applications for this funding round are reviewed, we will contact you with a decision on the grant award. We appreciate your patience as we process applications as quickly as possible.  Please click here to view the grant review process workflow.

The funding for this temporary relief grant program has been extended through 2021.  Any applications currently in the pipeline will continue to be reviewed, followed by new applications, in the order they were received.  Awards will be given on a first-come, first-serve basis for families meeting all qualification requirements.

Given the daily changes in how the virus is impacting communities, Bank On Denver’s response and eligibility criteria may evolve accordingly. Any changes will be communicated through the Bank On Denver website (www.bankondenver.com) and reflected on this application.

Application

If you are unable to complete this application and need assistance, please contact a navigator at 720-944-2498 or email at FEC@denvergov.org. 

Privacy Notice: Information provided in this form is considered a public record and may be subject to public disclosure. For more information, access the Colorado Public Records Act.

The information below will be used to prioritize applications based on the above criteria. All fields marked with an asterisk (*) are required to be completed. You will see that not all fields are marked as such but the more complete your application is, the better we can determine your personal financial situation and need.