DENVER — Today, Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) announced its Outdoor Equity Grant funding opportunity, aimed at increasing access to outdoor recreation activities for underserved Colorado youth and families. From April 18-June 2, organizations helping instill a sense of wonder, excitement and responsibility for the environment in Colorado youth can apply for financial support from the Colorado Outdoor Equity Grant Program (OEGP), which will award funding through Outdoor Equity Grants this December.
The Colorado Outdoor Equity Grant Program (OEGP) will award up to $100,000 per project to community organizations across the state that connect youth to nature and remove barriers that prevent youth from experiencing the outdoors.
“In Colorado, we believe that everyone should have access to outdoor recreation and Colorado’s iconic open spaces, and these grants help us achieve that goal. This funding creates new and exciting opportunities for every Coloradan to enjoy all our state has to offer, supporting fun, healthy activities, and our strong outdoor recreation economy,” said Governor Jared Polis.
The OEGP was created through HB21-1318 to increase access to outdoor opportunities for all Coloradans. Through funding from the Colorado Lottery, the program has invested over $8.5 million, supporting environmental learning opportunities, outdoor education, exposure to career pathways, public health and outdoor fun for underserved youth and families. To date, the program has provided nearly 100,000 experiences in the outdoors for more than 63,000 Coloradans.
"The OEGP remains essential for connecting Colorado's underrepresented youth to the natural world, and we strongly encourage all eligible organizations who are meaningfully engaging communities to apply,” said Dan Gibbs, the Director for the Department of Natural Resources. “We’re excited to support your innovative approaches to cultivating youth-nature connections and to continue to ensure all Colorado youth can develop lifelong relationships with the outdoors."
Since 2022, the grant program has distributed 141 awards to 111 organizations, investing in 51 Colorado counties. From connecting youth with their ancestral sites to supporting high schoolers answering environmental questions through research, Outdoor Equity Grants have offered participants many diverse outdoor and environmental learning opportunities.
“The Outdoor Equity grant program is essential to sustain Colorado Parks and Wildlife as a nationally recognized leader in conservation. When we invest in introducing diverse youth to wild spaces and connecting them to our natural heritage, we're securing Colorado's position as the nation's premier outdoor destination while creating pathways for our people and our natural environment to thrive alongside one another," said CPW Director Jeff Davis. “The OEGP is vital to CPW as we reach our goals of perpetuating wildlife, strengthening ecosystems, and inspiring the next generation to connect with the outdoors.”
Eligible applicants, including nonprofits, for-profit entities, schools, Tribes and local governments, must submit the grant interest form through the link posted on the OEGP webpage by June 2 to be considered for funding. Grant interest submissions must describe how they will increase outdoor access for the Colorado youth and families furthest from outdoor access and opportunity, including youth from low-income and communities of color, LGBTQ+ youth, youth who are members of Tribal nations with historical ties to Colorado, and youth with disabilities. The applicants who best show they will cultivate connections between youth and nature will be selected to submit an application in September. Awards will be announced in December.
"In just three years, we've seen this grant program open doors to nature for countless young people who've often found those doors closed or hard to reach,” said Hilda Nucete, Vice-Chair of the Outdoor Equity Grant Board. “We particularly encourage applications from organizations working with youth on the margins of outdoor access—whether due to economic barriers, historical exclusion, or geographic isolation. Your creative approaches to bridging these gaps aren't just valuable; they're transformative for Colorado's next generation of environmental stewards."
To continue to support quality outdoor experiences for Colorado youth, the Board invites organizations that have previously received Outdoor Equity Grant funding to reapply if they have spent more than half of their previous grant award, or plan to do so by Sept. 30. Organizations that have received Outdoor Equity Grants for three years in a row are not eligible to apply.
The OEGP Board is committed to providing funding to organizations that have traditionally been unable to apply for grant programs due to organizational barriers. It encourages organizations of all sizes and with diverse missions to apply, particularly those with experience reaching the youth furthest from outdoor opportunity. The board will provide applicants guidance through a virtual Q&A session on Wednesday, April 30 at 10 a.m. The link to register for the Q&A session can be found on the OEGP website.
Groups must submit their letters of interest via the online form posted on the OEGP website by June 2. Find out more on the Outdoor Equity Grant Program website: https://cpw.state.co.us/outdoor-equity-grant-program.
Grant application schedule:
- April 18, 2025-June 2, 2025 at 5 p.m. MST: Submit a grant interest form
- April 30, 2025 from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. MST: Grant interest webinar and Q&A. Register in advance.
- Aug. 5, 2025-Sept. 30, 2025 at 5 p.m.: Selected applicants submit applications
- Aug. 26, 2025 from 10 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. MST: Application webinar and Q&A
- Dec. 15, 2025: Applicants Notified of Grant Decision
- March 31, 2026: Grants Disbursed
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