Small Grants for Community Partnering Program Now Open for 2023

Celebrating 25 Years of Impact

With over 220 awarded community and neighborhood projects county-wide, the Larimer County Department of Natural Resources (LCDNR) is celebrating 25 years of community impact through its Small Grants for Community Partnering (Small Grants) Program. The Small Grants Program is kicking off its 25th year and 2023 grant cycle this month with the development of a commemorative website showcasing its impact and the announcement of additional award funds in 2023.

In partnership with the Geospatial Centroid at Colorado State University, LCDNR documented all of the exemplary projects awarded by the Small Grants program over the past 24 years through a Story Map web page. Since 1998, the program has supported community-led projects with a portion of the Help Preserve Open Spaces quarter-cent sales tax funds. To date, Larimer County has awarded $370,000 to over 220 community-led projects. To view the Small Grants Program grant disbursement and project location maps.

In its 25th granting cycle, the total available funds have increased by $5,000, totaling $25,000 for 25 years. Grant applications are now being accepted for the 2023 grant cycle. Individual grant awards have increased by $500, and now can be up to $3,500 per project. Applications are accepted through an online form and are due Thursday, September 15, 2022.  The 2023 awards will be announced in March.

Grants are offered to organizations, K-12 schools, and HOA’s in Larimer County for outdoor community, neighborhood, and group projects for:

• Protection or enhancement of natural resource areas, including wildlife habitats, river areas, and wetlands
• Public linkages with existing open lands and parks
• Opportunities for environmental education, nature-based outdoor recreation, or nature interpretation
• Opportunities for people to connect with the land via agriculture or increased access to open spaces and natural areas (i.e. transportation for youth to access public lands)
• Research on Larimer County managed open spaces

To learn more, visit the Small Grants Program webpage and watch the 2023 Small Grants Webinar. All supporting materials can be accessed at larimer.gov/small-grants. For more information and/or to discuss your project ideas, please contact Jennifer Almstead, the Small Grants Program Officer, at (970) 619-4569 or [email protected].

Natural Resources manages Larimer County’s great outdoor places, including magnificent open spaces and water-based recreation areas, and fosters responsible land stewardship through weed management and healthy forest practices. To learn more, visit larimer.org/naturalresources.