Colorado organizations increasing equity and access in the outdoors can now apply for up to $100,000 in funding
The state is looking for ways to increase funding as demand for the grant program grows in its fourth year
The Cycle Effect/Courtesy Photo
In its fourth year, a Colorado Parks and Wildlife grant program is infusing funding into programs and organizations that are growing equity and accessibility in the outdoor industry.
Colorado’s Outdoor Equity Grant program was created by the legislature in 2021 as a way to open more doors for communities that have traditionally been excluded from conservation careers and the outdoors, reaching youth who are racially and ethnically diverse, low income, disabled, LGBTQ+ or American Indian.
The grant program will offer up to $100,000 per project to organizations that are meeting this goal. Interested organizations have until June 2 to submit a grant interest form. By Aug. 5, the state will select certain organizations to submit applications by Sept. 30. The awardees will be announced in mid-December.
Since the program’s inception, the state has invested over $8.5 million in 141 awards to 111 organizations, representing 51 Colorado counties. The funding has supported programming to support adaptive skiing opportunities, expand recreation to youth who are visually impaired, open up professional development opportunities for kids in the outdoors and conservation industries, and more.
Last year, Parks and Wildlife awarded over $3 million in outdoor equity grants to 36 organizations across the state. Around half of the recipients were based on the Western Slope.
This included a $65,000 grant to the Carbondale-based Cook Inclusive. The funding will help support the group’s work to introduce LGBTQIA+ youth and youth with disabilities to outdoor recreation as well as to careers in environmental stewardship.
Each year, interest in the program continues to rise. In 2024, the grant board received more than 260 requests totaling over $21 million, according to Parks and Wildlife. As such, the state has been looking for ways to meet this increase in demand.
This year, both the 2025 budget proposal and an introduced bill seek to bring in more dollars to the program. The draft budget proposes increasing funding for grant awards by $1 million. A bill proposal would also increase the proportion of funds from the Colorado Lottery that the program receives.
To learn more about the grant program and how to apply, visit the Colorado Outdoor Equity Grant Program page on Parks and Wildlife’s website.
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