Community Funding Partnership General Grant

The Colorado River Water Conservation District's Community Funding Partnership General Grant supports multi-purpose water projects on Colorado's Western Slope that advance the District's mission to protect, conserve, use, and develop the water resources of the Colorado River basin for the welfare of the District and safeguard Colorado's entitlement to Colorado River water. Projects must be located within the Colorado River District's boundaries and should align with the District's mission, Strategic Plan, and Board of Directors policy statements. The flagship General Grant program emphasizes projects that provide public benefits, serve multiple beneficiaries, demonstrate local support, and help Western Slope water users prepare for a hotter and drier future. Community Funding Partnership funding focuses on five principal project areas: productive agriculture, infrastructure, healthy rivers, watershed health and water quality, and conservation and efficiency. Examples include agricultural water efficiency and conservation, technical assistance and technological innovation, aging water infrastructure upgrades, new storage and delivery projects, stream restoration, fish passage and habitat improvements, watershed resilience to fires and floods, drinking water quality improvements for under-resourced communities, mine remediation, municipal and industrial water conservation, green infrastructure, leak detection, infrastructure repair and replacement, and water-smart community development. Competitive applications are expected to identify benefits across multiple program categories, and the initial screening criteria specifically require a project to align with at least two Community Funding Partnership categories. The District will not use these funds to permanently or temporarily fallow irrigated agriculture. Community Funding Partnership assistance may take the form of a grant, loan, and/or investment in a project. District program funds cannot be the sole source of project funding. Applicants and project supporters are expected to contribute funding from other sources and use River District funding to leverage additional state, federal, or private funds. The initial screening criteria consequently require financial contributions from other sources. The supplied information does not establish a fixed minimum or maximum General Grant award or a specified percentage or dollar amount for the required outside contribution. Funding requests that require Board approval are typically applications over $50,000, but this threshold is an approval threshold rather than an award ceiling or floor. Eligible project proponents are located within the Colorado River District's 15-county boundaries. The program identifies eligible proponents broadly, including individuals, local governments, corporations, private entities such as mutual ditch companies, nonprofit corporations, and partnerships. Completed projects are not eligible. Before proceeding, projects must satisfy all initial screening criteria: location within District boundaries, preparation for a hotter and drier future, alignment with at least two program categories, financial contributions from other sources, local community support and partnerships, and public benefits and/or service to multiple beneficiaries. The Community Funding Partnership is a rolling program, so applications and requests for partnership funding may be submitted at any time. All applicants must first complete a 15-minute inquiry call with Community Funding Partnership staff prior to applying. Applicants can then use the River District's Fluxx grant portal to begin the application process and submit supporting documents. Applicants who prefer to submit a Word or PDF version of the application instead of the portal may contact Melissa Wills at mwills@crwcd.org. Applicants should anticipate approximately four to six weeks for internal application review, analysis, and development of a funding recommendation after the River District receives a complete application. Requests requiring Board approval, typically applications over $50,000, must include a completed application and all supporting materials no later than six weeks before the next regularly scheduled District Board meeting. Regular quarterly Board meetings occur on the third Tuesday of January, April, July, and October. To provide sufficient staff review and analysis time, the River District recommends November 15 for the January Board meeting, February 15 for the April Board meeting, May 15 for the July Board meeting, and August 15 for the October Board meeting. Applicants are encouraged to arrange an inquiry phone call to discuss timing. The supplied information does not state a fixed performance period, a single program-wide award notification date, or a fixed General Grant award ceiling or floor. General contact information for the Colorado River Water Conservation District is 970-945-8522 and edinfo@crwcd.org, while application questions and alternative Word or PDF submissions may be directed to Melissa Wills at mwills@crwcd.org.

Identify benefits across multiple CFP categories; demonstrate significant local support; ensure the project aligns with at least two CFP categories; document financial contributions from other sources; demonstrate community partnerships; show public benefits and/or benefits to multiple beneficiaries