Some of the best cash assistance in the country isn’t run by the government or a big national nonprofit. It’s run by local community foundations built to catch their own neighbors when something goes wrong.
What Is the Good Neighbor Fund?
The Good Neighbor Fund, run through the Telluride Foundation in Colorado, exists to help individuals stay in their community and keep households intact during times of financial crisis.
This program provides up to $2,500 every 12 months to assist with emergent needs.
What Can the Money Be Used For?
The fund provides one-time hardship grants to assist with qualified needs, including like rent, mortgage, utilities, cars, medical bills and other financial assistance.
Who Qualifies?
The fund serves local families and individuals with limited resources who are experiencing financial hardship.
To be eligible you must:
- Have lived or worked for at least a year in their service area, which includes San Miguel, Ouray, Rico or the West End of Montrose County
- Be currently or recently employed
- Be experiencing an unexpected and non-recurring hardship
- Have tried all other available resources
- Have a plan for maintaining future stability
- Not have received a grant from GNF in the last 12 months
If you live in Ouray County specifically, there’s a related Ouray County Response Fund with its own qualification criteria, so it’s worth checking which set of rules applies to your situation.
How Do You Apply?
You can access the application directly through the Telluride Foundation’s TCH Network page.
Be prepared to provide information about your household, a description of why you need assistance, information about your budget and benefits. You will need to upload proof of employment, your shelter expenses, bank statements and more.
Relief Recap
Direct cash help exists in far more places than people realize, it’s just hiding at the local level instead of the national one. If you don’t live in this part of Colorado, similar small community funds exist in other towns too, so it’s worth checking our Find Help Near Me tool to see what’s available where you actually live.
