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Outdoor Equity Grant Program
Outdoor Equity Grant Program
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Upcoming Board Meetings

  • Thursday & Friday, May 30 - 31, 2024
  • Monday, June 24, 2024
  • Monday, July 22, 2024
Apply for an Outdoor Equity Grant

The Outdoor Equity Grant Program (OEGP) invests in organizations that are working to increase access to the outdoors for youth and families from communities that are traditionally underrepresented in outdoor recreation and conservation. The application for Outdoor Equity Grants ​will open Thursday, April 25 - Tuesday June 4, 2024​. Read our gra​nt guidelines​ for more information about how to apply.

​NEW! This year, the Outdoor Equity Grant Board will follow a two-phase process for accepting applications. This new process is intended to minimize the investment of applicant time and resources on proposals deemed less competitive or that aren’t a good fit for Outdoor Equity Grant Program funds. The first phase of the application will require a preliminary letter of interest from applicants, then applicants who advance to the second phase of the application process will complete a full application. Letters of Interest will be accepted from April 25 - June 4, 2024. Applicants who advance to the second stage will be notified in August, and full applications will be accepted from August 14 - September 25, 2024

The Outdoor Equity Grant Board welcomes applications from eligible organizations (non-profits, for-profits, school districts, local governments or federally-recognized tribes). Applicants may make requests up to $100,000.

In July of 2023, the OEGP Board adopted the following values:
  • We value opportunities that respect the community’s ability to define their own priorities so they can obtain the resources to achieve their goals.
  • We value opportunities that instill a sense of wonder, excitement, and responsibility for the environment in Colorado youth and families. 
Proposals that bring to life these values will be prioritized for Outdoor Equity Grant investments.

Successful applicants propose projects that break down barriers to the outdoors and increase access to outdoor recreation, environmental and conservation-based education, and outdoor-related career development for youth and families who: face racial and environmental inequities, are low-income, are from the LGBTQ+ community, are disabled, and/or are members of a Federally-recognized Tribe. 

Questions and Answers

Consult our grant guidelines​ and Frequently Asked Questions​ document​ before applying. The Board will also host a Q&A session for applicants on May 14, 2024 from 3:00 - 4:30 pm MST. Register for the Q&A here; the session will be recorded and the recording will be posted on this webpage after the webinar.

​NEW! ​Key Dates 2024

  • Letter of Interest Phase
    • April 25, 2024 - June 4, 2024 at 5:00 pm MST
    • All applicants must submit a letter of interest during this phase
    • Read our grant guidelines for more information about the application process.
  • ​Q&A Session
  • Full Application Phase
    • August 14, 2024 - September 25, 2024 at 5 pm
    • This phase is only for applicants who have been selected to move forward based on their letters of interest
  • Q&A Session for Full Application
    • August 27, 2024 from 3:00 - 4:30 pm MST
  • Applicants Notified of Grant Decision 
    • December 16, 2024
  • Grants Disbursed 
    • ​March 31​​, 2025

Contact Us

If you have any questions about the Outdoor Equity Grant, consult our Frequently Asked Questions​. Contact Outdoor Equity Grant Program Manager, Andrea Kurth, with additional questions: andrea.kurth@state.co.us​.​

About the Outdoor Equity Grant Program 

House Bill 21-1318 is the product of an incredible community effort to create a grant program for outdoor organizations focused on creating opportunities for youth and their families from communities who have been historically excluded, so that they have equitable opportunities to get involved in recreational activities and experiencing Colorado’s open spaces, state parks, public lands and other outdoor areas. ​​The bill funds the grant program through a redistribution of lottery money that is earmarked for the general fund. Find funding details in the text of HB21-1318.​ ​​

Program focus should aim to address one or more of the following issues: the racial inequities young Coloradans face in accessing the outdoors, improving environmental justice, accessibility to the outdoors for Colorado youth from historically excluded communities including black, Indigenous, and youth of color, LGBTQIA2S+ youth, youth with disabilities, immigrant and refugee youth, and low-income youth; providing environmental, experiential, outdoor, or stewardship and conservation education.

Programs or projects should strive to be culturally responsive. They should raise awareness of and or seek to address the root cause of the disparities Colorado youth experience while trying to access the outdoors, whether youth are from an urban, inner-city environment or a rural community. Our goal is to build the Colorado of our future through strategic investments that improve the lives and well-being of youth and their families.

​2023 Grants Have Been Awarded

Congratulations to the 2023 Outdoor Equity Grant Recipients​!  ​   
​                                                                                                         
​Grant recipients must have programs or project focuses that address one or more of the following issues faced by Colorado youth (0-25) and their families: racial inequities in accessing the outdoors, improving environmental justice, accessibility to the outdoors for black, Indigenous, and youth of color, LGBTQIA2S+ youth, youth with disabilities, immigrant and refugee youth, and low-income youth​; providing environmental, experiential, outdoor, and or stewardship and conservation education for future career development.


​Outdoor Equity Board Vision and Values

​The Colorado Outdoor Equity Grant Board share a vision to change the system that has excluded black, Indigenous, and youth of color, LGBTQIA2S+ youth, youth with disabilities, immigrant and refugee youth, and low-income youth from equitable access to outdoor recreation, nature-based education, and career development​.

In July of 2023, the OEGP Board adopted the following values:
  • We value opportunities that respect the community’s ability to define their own priorities so they can obtain the resources to achieve their goals.
  • We value opportunities that instill a sense of wonder, excitement, and responsibility for the environment in Colorado youth and families. ​
Nature access is a fundamental human right, but it is denied to far too many young people. Our hope is to fund and support diverse organizations that provide outdoor education and recreation experiences to underserved youth and families. We are committed to providing funding to organizations that have been unable to apply for this type of assistance due to organizational barriers. The funding opportunities are intended to assist organizations in developing, continuing or accelerating their work. 

The Outdoor Equity Grant is a first step toward working collaboratively to improve access, representation, meaningful participation, and quality experiences for Colorado’s youth and families in the outdoors. This step is just the beginning, and we will live up to our values showing up authentically for our communities now and in the future.​​

​About the Board 

The council is responsible for the governance of the grant program and may award grants to applicants that will directly utilize the grant to engage eligible youth and their families by reducing barriers to the Colorado outdoors. Board members will serve for 4 years. Board members may not serve more than 2 terms.

One-year term for:

  • ​​One youth member with experience in any of the identified communities for service by the grant

Two-year term for:

As we work to establish the Board, the term limits for the racial justice, environmental justice and conservation will be limited to two years initially. 

  • One member who is personally impacted by and has experience in racial justice issues 
  • One member who is personally impacted by and has experience in environmental justice issues 
  • One member with experience working on conservation issues
  • Two youth members with experience in any of the identified communities for service by the grant
Four-year term for: 
  • One member with experience in providing outdoor education programs
  • One member personally impacted by and with experience in disability-accessible outdoor programming
  • One member personally impacted by and has experience working in equity for individuals who identify as LGBTQ+

Board Members

Conor Hall

Conor Hall

Conor, who hails from the mountains of Southwest Colorado, graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Earlham College with a degree in Politics. From 2015-2019, he served in the administration of Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper, holding a number of roles including Manager of Special Initiatives, Director of External Affairs, and Senior Advisor to the Governor. He served as a Senior Advisor on Climate and Conservation on Michael Bloomberg’s 2020 presidential campaign. Until recently, he worked for The Trust for Public Land as the Director of Conservation Strategies & Policy Advocacy for the West, working to create tens of billions of dollars in funding for conservation. In early 2022, he was appointed by Governor Polis to lead the Colorado Office of Outdoor Recreation Industry. He is an avid outdoorsman and proudly serves on the nonprofit boards of First Descents and Stand for Courage.

Jon Kreamelmeyer

Jon Kreamelmeyer

Jon Kreamelmeyer spent three decades coaching, teaching and working with at-risk youths in Colorado’s Summit County High School; he retired after the 1999 school year ended. In 1999, Kreamelmeyer took the job as U.S. Ski Team’s disabled cross country head coach. He originally joined the U.S. Disabled Ski Team as a guide for Michele Drolet, the first American woman to earn a Paralympic cross country ski medal. During his time as head coach, U.S. skiers won two bronze medals, the first relay medal for U.S. athletes and three podiums in Torino in 2006. Kreamelmeyer retired from the U.S. Paralympic team in 2011, but he continues to serve as a technical classifier for the International Paralympic Committee. He was selected as Coach of the Year by U.S. Olympic Committee in 2000 and in 2014 was inducted into the Visa International Paralympic Hall of Fame during the Paralympics in Sochi, Russia.

Jackie Miller

Jackie Miller

As GOCO’s Executive Director, Jackie is a convener who is passionate about facilitating partnerships across organizations, developing strong and supportive teams, and connecting people with opportunities that will help them grow personally and professionally. Over the course of nearly two decades in the grant-making industry, including 15 years at Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO), Jackie has created, managed, and directed initiatives to impact others’ lives. In 2015 she spearheaded the launch of Generation Wild, an unprecedented movement in Colorado to connect youth and families with the outdoors. Collaborating with the GOCO Board, stakeholders, partners, and constituents across the state has provided Jackie with a ground-up perspective of program development and grant management as well as in-depth strategic planning and direction experience. Jackie received her bachelor’s from Saint Michael’s College in Vermont.

Omar Munoz

Omar Munoz

Omar Munoz is pursuing a pre-med biology degree at the University of Colorado, with plans to advance to medical school, and works as a medical assistant and EMT with a profound commitment to supporting underrepresented populations through healthcare. Beyond these roles, Omar is also a CPR instructor, teaching life-saving skills at the clinic where he works and for his community. Omar is deeply involved in volunteer work, assisting in teaching English and citizenship classes, and an avid outdoors enthusiast, embracing all that Colorado has to offer. From hiking and skiing to exploring the state's diverse geography, his interests in the natural world extend to its rocks, minerals, plants, and wildlife. He is driven by his passion for healthcare, education, community service, and a profound appreciation for nature.

Hilda Nucete

Hilda Nucete

Hilda Nucete's journey is a tapestry woven with threads of advocacy, leadership, and a profound love for the outdoors. Born in a Venezuelan oil camp and raised amidst the bustling streets of Caracas, Venezuela, Hilda's path was shaped by the complexities of her homeland's political landscape. In 2007, she embarked on a life-changing move to Colorado with her family, where her awareness expanded to encompass social, racial, and environmental justice. Professionally, Hilda's passion for positive change led her to roles such as the Protégete Program Director at Conservation Colorado, where she orchestrated impactful environmental initiatives. Currently, as the Senior Director of Civic Engagement at League of Conservation Voters, she leads voter registration programs in marginalized communities, registering over 1.5 million voters. Hilda's commitment extends beyond her professional endeavors. She served as the Co-Chair for the Health Equity Commission and chaired the Best Practices for Community Engagement Subcommittee of the Colorado Environmental Justice Action Task Force, driving transformative recommendations. Outside of her advocacy work, Hilda finds solace and joy in Colorado's breathtaking landscapes. Her love for the outdoors not only rejuvenates her spirit, it fuels her commitment to environmental conservation and justice.

Brayhan Fernando Reveles Olivas

Brayhan Fernando Reveles Olivas

Since his early youth, Brayhan has been supporting and working toward building a better community, advocating for language justice, toppling barriers to the outdoors, and improving equity for youth and Latinas in Colorado. Brayhan grew up in Leadville at the heart of the Colorado Rockies. While the region is considered an outdoor and recreational Mecca by Coloradans and international tourists, it contains socioeconomic barriers for immigrant, low-income, and nonwhite communities. Brayhan has been working to dismantle persisting outdoor industry barriers so that recreational participation and career pathways are accessible to all. Through participation on this board, he hopes to continue to help the Colorado community with a “nothing for us, without us” mindset because bringing diverse voices to the table strengthens a group’s progress toward equity, inclusivity, and achieving a shared goal. He is currently working towards a B.S. in Business Administration after completing an A.A. in Outdoor Education at Colorado Mountain College.

Michal Rosenoer

Michal Rosenoer

Michal Rosenoer is a political strategist and government affairs professional. She has over 12 years of experience in environmental policy, outdoor recreation management, rural affairs, and electoral strategy. Michal currently works as Hipcamp's Government Affairs Manager for the U.S. and Canada, and previously served as the Executive Director for Emerge Colorado. She is on the governance council for Together Outdoors, a national coalition of outdoor industry organizations working together to make the outdoors more accessible for all, and was appointed to the Chaffee County Housing Authority in 2021. She formerly served as an elected city councilor and the only out-LGBTQ member of the council for the City of Edgewater, CO. Michal is a graduate of the University of California, Berkeley.

Chris Rothenberger

Chris Rothenberger

Chris Rothenberger is an Agile Software Development Coach at CVS Health in Denver. Prior to coaching in software development, Chris was a classroom teacher and outdoor education program director in Albuquerque, NM. When not helping people frame and solve their practice and process problems, he and his fiancé Lonnell spend their free time camping, hiking, skiing, attending basketball games, and traveling. They live in West Colfax, Denver with their two dogs, Chuy and Paco.

Benny Samuels

Benny Samuels

Benny Samuels is a seasoned multicultural, multi-lingual leader in health, human service, and non-profit. In her 30-year career, she has led transformational programs that have increased access, equity, voice, and power (in the form of self-sufficiency) for children, families, and communities, with an intentional emphasis on supporting communities of color and those living in poverty and furthest from opportunity across Colorado and nationally. Her accomplishments include the Statewide Colorado Family Planning Project, which reduced unintended pregnancies in Colorado by 40% in 4 years. Benny also implemented the W.K. Kellogg Foundation multi-million-dollar grant investment and flagship national demonstration project, Community Voices, enrolling thousands of children in the Child Health Plan Plus and uninsured adults into Medicaid and the Colorado Indigent Care Program. Most recently Benny led the operations of a $56M investment for Nurse-Family Partnership to scale the model by making it accessible to thousands of first-time mothers living in poverty.

Krystal Tran

Krystal Tran

Born and raised in Denver, Krystal is passionate about sharing accessible green spaces in urban areas with her community members through environmental educational programs. In 2022, she graduated from Colorado State University in Environmental Science and Sustainability, Environmental Affairs. She hopes to continue addressing environmental disparities and recognize programs that have the same passion for environmental justice. In her free time, she loves to thrift, explore local businesses in the city, and take care of all her house plants.

Ida Williams

Ida Williams

Ida, born and raised in Colorado, is a member of the Santee Dakota, Oglala Lakota, Northern and Southern Cheyenne, and Ojibwe Tribes. Ida studied Accounting and Finance at University of Colorado, Denver, as an undergrad before getting her MBA at Gonzaga. She has worked across many industries throughout the state but now supports community-led philanthropic projects across Colorado through her work at Trailhead Institute. Before joining Trailhead, Ida worked with American Indian organizations and local entrepreneurs to build financial capacities and better boards of directors. Ida is deeply connected and invested in the nonprofit community, especially those serving urban American Indian Families and Youth. She also owns her own small business beautifying Coloradans. From hairbrushes to power tools, Ida loves learning and trying out new skills and crafts. When she’s not working on something, Ida can be found spending time with her big family or outdoors enjoying our own Colorful Colorado.


​Past Meetings

April 5, 2024
Board Meeting

March 18, 2024
Board Meeting

December 8, 2023
Board Meeting

December 7, 2023
Board Meeting

December 6, 2023
Board Meeting

November 3, 2023
Board Meeting