The City of Longmont is now accepting applications for its 2026 Human Service Agency Funding, offering crucial financial support to nonprofit and governmental organizations that serve low and moderate income Longmont residents. The application portal opened June 23 and will remain open through 4 p.m. on Monday, August 25.
The Human Services Fund supports Longmont residents’ basic needs, from food and housing to legal help and mental health care. “This program’s been around a long time, and it’s helped thousands of people,” said Eliberto Mendoza, Human Services Fund’s program manager. “Longmont has been committed for many years to supporting our most vulnerable residents.”
Agencies must be legally incorporated, in good standing, and show that their services directly benefit Longmont. Regional organizations must demonstrate how Longmont's voices are represented at the leadership level. “At the end of the day, these are taxpayer dollars,” Mendoza said. “We want to make sure the Longmont voice is heard… because these are Longmont dollars and you’re serving Longmont residents.”
Programs must align with one or more of the city’s six priority areas: housing stability, food and nutrition, health and well-being, self-sufficiency and resilience, education and skill building, and safety and justice. Mendoza said these categories were shaped by the city’s 2017 Human Services Needs Assessment and reflect key social determinants of health. “Having housing stability, access to health and well-being, all of those are key aspects to thrive,” he said.
One of the organizations planning to apply again this year is Community Food Share, which distributes millions of pounds of food to individuals and families across Boulder and Broomfield counties, with Longmont making up a substantial share. “We supported 2,209 households, representing 6,582 individuals in the City of Longmont in FY25,” said Terry Stutzman, Grants Administrator. “That’s more than 3 million pounds of food, the equivalent of 2.5 million meals, delivered through mobile pantries, senior food deliveries, and partner agency pantries.”
Stutzman noted that Longmont has the highest density of low-income residents within the organization’s service area. “Longmont residents represent 58 percent of the seniors in our Blue Spruce Neighbors program, 19 percent of the households that shop at our on-site pantry, and 42 percent of shoppers at our Mobile Pantry sites,” she said.
Amid soaring food prices and federal budget cuts, Stutzman said Community Food Share is shifting focus from growth to survival. “We are seeking to strengthen and maintain our current programs rather than expand,” she said. “The City of Longmont has steadily committed to our services to Longmont neighbors for at least the past 30 years, with a cumulative total of over $800,000. Each year’s gift adds up to significant support on behalf of neighbors living with food insecurity.”
Another longtime funding recipient, The OUR Center, serves residents facing compounded challenges, including rising rent, job loss, and medical costs. “Despite their hard work and best efforts, many clients are just not able to keep up with the cost of living here in Boulder County and Longmont,” said Executive Director Marc Cowell. “A lot of them are now facing the realities of housing and food insecurity, and then that’s when they turn to us.”
Cowell described a system under strain. “The level of community need remains extremely high,” he said. “Not only are the requests for rental assistance exceeding our resources, but most of the households that are coming to the OUR Center truly need more than just one-time assistance. Many of these individuals and families return three, five, or six months later because they simply can't keep up. And unfortunately, that's just not sustainable for the household, for the OUR Center, or the community.”
Funding from the city has been a critical support. “Over the years, we’ve been able to continue to support the community in large part with this funding support from the city,” Cowell said. “It’s a huge part of the equation for us. Not just for the OUR Center, but the entire safety net.”
But shrinking revenues have forced tough decisions. “In 2025, we’re navigating a 10 percent reduction in our revenue, over $400,000,” Cowell said. “We’re just trying to hold serve. We hope that we don’t lose any more ground on our ability to support the community.”
This year, the city is introducing a key change to its funding process: hard spending limits will be placed on each of the six impact areas. “We’ve always assigned a percentage of the funding to priority areas, but in the past it was more of a guideline,” Mendoza said. “This year, those will be hard limits.”
Applications must be submitted through Foundant, the online grant system shared with Boulder County, the City of Boulder, and Lafayette. Mendoza said the shared platform streamlines the process for agencies applying to multiple jurisdictions. “They only have to make one application,” he said.
Cowell hopes the OUR Center’s impact speaks for itself. “We provide critical support to the community,” Cowell said. “Our programming reaches nearly 20,000 individuals in the St. Vrain Valley. We hope the committee recognizes that impact.”
For more information or to apply, visit the City of Longmont’s Human Service Agency Funding Program webpage or contact Eliberto Mendoza at [email protected].
