Colorado Outdoor Equity Grant Board accepting applications through April 8
Travis Duncan
DENVER - Beginning immediately, the Colorado Outdoor Equity Grant Board is accepting applications through April 8 to fund programs that bring about transformative change throughout communities. These grants are designed to widen accessibility to the outdoors for Coloradans from underserved communities and provide environmental, experiential, outdoor, stewardship and conservation education for Colorado youth or families, and that address inequities Coloradans face in accessing the outdoors.The board, created by the passage of House Bill 21-1318, is composed of members representing communities that have faced barriers to accessing Colorado’s outdoors.
“We are excited to break down barriers and help everyone in Colorado have the opportunity to enjoy our state’s amazing precious places and vast great outdoors,” said Governor Jared Polis. “These important grants will help a diverse generation of Coloradans build real and lasting connections to our beautiful state and I thank the bill sponsors for getting this law to my desk.”
The bill’s sponsor, Rep. Leslie Herod of Denver, is excited to see the start of the grant process.
"I am thrilled to see the Outdoor Equity Board come to life,” Herod said. “The members of this board will build the Colorado of our future through strategic investments that improve the lives and well-being of youth and their families.”
Colorado Parks and Wildlife is committed to investing in and expanding access to the outdoors for all Coloradans. Every child should have the opportunity to experience the natural resources of our state. This board and grant program are an important step in the right direction, said CPW Director Dan Prezlow.
“The Colorado Outdoor Equity Board wants to hear from the community about what their needs are,” Prenzlow said. “This first round of applications will inform the development of future grant processes and strategic investments in programs and projects that break down barriers and increase access to the outdoors.”
Programs or projects should strive to be culturally responsive and 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 or rural community.
CPW and the OEGB seek to increase access and opportunity for underserved youth and their families to experience Colorado’s open spaces, state parks, public lands and the many other outdoor areas for which the state is famous.
Grant application details:
Eligible applicants: non-profit organizations, Tribes, schools, governments and for-profit businesses.
The following criteria will be used in the review of grant proposals:
- Organizational commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion in outdoor recreation, conservation and environmental education
- Demonstrated need and commitment to diverse voices and perspectives
Opens: March 7
Informational/Q&A Session: March 17 from 2 - 4 p.m.
Applicants notified of grant decision: May 1
Award/contract process begins: May 6
Grants awarded: May 31
Application deadline: April 8 at 5 p.m.
Award total: $550,000 for this grant cycle (maximum grant request: $250,000)
Applicants can submit their Colorado Outdoor Equity Grant Application here.
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Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) is an enterprise agency, relying primarily on license sales, state parks fees and registration fees to support its operations, including: 43 state parks and more than 350 wildlife areas covering approximately 900,000 acres, management of fishing and hunting, wildlife watching, camping, motorized and non-motorized trails, boating and outdoor education. CPW's work contributes approximately $6 billion in total economic impact annually throughout Colorado.