Small Grants for Community Partnering

Rocky Mountain Flycasters/Trout Unlimited
North Fork Poudre Restoration

Applications for 2013 Grant Cycle
Small Grants for Community Partnering
due by 3:00 p.m., Friday, September 7, 2012

• Up to $2,000 per year per project
• Proposals must meet each of the selection criteria

The Larimer County Open Lands' Small Grants for Community Partnering program provides funds to individuals, neighborhood groups, homeowner associations, school groups, non-profits, and other appropriate local organizations for projects on public and private lands that:

• enhance natural areas, improve open spaces, and provide opportunities for environmental and outdoor education, or
• provide opportunities for people to connect to the land through agriculture, increased access to open lands, or research on open spaces.

These grants are funded by the Help Preserve Open Spaces 1/4-cent sales tax initially approved by Larimer County citizens in 1995 and extended by the citizens in 1999. Funds are earmarked to "preserve and provide significant open space, natural areas, wildlife habitat, parks and trails." Connecting people to the land is an integral part. Since 1998, approximately $133,000 has been awarded to 101 community and neighborhood projects.

How to Apply | Mission and Intent | Selection Criteria | Award Selection Process | Last Year's Awards

How to Apply

Requirements:

• Read the "Mission & Intent" and "Selection Criteria" below to be sure this funding is right for your project. Contact Sue Burke at burkets@co.larimer.co.us or (970) 679-4566 with questions.
• Mail or hand-deliver an original application and 4 copies by 3:00 p.m., Friday, September 7, 2012.
  Sue Burke, Coordinator
  Small Grants for Community Partnering
  Larimer County Department of Natural Resources
  1800 S. County Road 31
  Loveland, CO 80537

Ways to get an application:

1. Download the application AND the supporting documents:
   • Application Information
   • Budget Worksheet: PDF version or Excel version
   • Budget Worksheet Example: PDF version or Excel version
   • Financial Terms Disclaimer (IMPORTANT! This details tax ramifications for applicants who apply as individuals rather than as an entity.)
2. Contact Sue Burke at burkets@co.larimer.co.us or (970) 679-4566, or
3. Pick up an application packet at Larimer County Department of Natural Resources' Administrative Offices at the Bison Visitor Center, 1800 S. County Road 31, Loveland, Colorado.

Poudre Wilderness Volunteers - Trail Crew

Mission & Intent

The Larimer County Small Grants Program was an initiative of the Larimer County Open Lands Program to disburse Help Preserve Open Spaces Sales Tax dollars throughout the County for projects related to the protection and enhancement of open space on public and private lands. It is in accordance with the mission and intent of the Open Lands Program as outlined in the1995 Help Preserve Open Spaces quarter-cent sales tax initiative, and the 1999 extension of the same.

The Small Grants Program was formalized in the 2001 Open Lands Master Plan, adopted by the Larimer County Planning Commission and the Board of County Commissioners and subsequently incorporated into the Larimer County Land Use Code. The following section from the 2001 Master Plan describes the Small Grants Program:

The Small Grants Program will continue to provide financing to projects nominated by individuals, nonprofit organizations and others for the protection or enhancement of open space, trails, natural areas, wildlife habitat, river areas and wetlands on private or public land. Currently, $10,000 annually has been awarded for grants up to $2,000 each for these projects. Selection of a project is made if it meets one or more of the following criteria:

• Consistent with the Open Lands Master Plan
• Provides or enhances natural areas, including wildlife habitat, river areas and wetlands
• Provides linkages with existing open lands
• Provides opportunities for environmental education, outdoor recreation or nature interpretation

In 2009, the Open Lands Advisory Board renamed the program to Small Grants for Community Partnering, and increased funding to $20,000 to be awarded for grants up to $2,000 each. The program was expanded to include projects which connect people to the land in agriculture, increased access to open lands, and research on open spaces.

The intent of the Small Grants Program as established by the Open Lands Program and Open Lands Advisory Board is:

• To add to the protection and enhancement of public and private open spaces
• To connect people to the land
• To empower citizens by giving them the financial support necessary to implement projects that support the mission of the Open Lands Program and meet the criteria of Small Grants for Community Partnering
• To reach segments of our communities with which the Open Lands Program has not historically interacted
• To recognize efforts of Larimer County citizens who seek to enhance and protect public and private open spaces
• To make available funding for the protection and enhancement of small scale projects on public and private open spaces
• To provide citizens direct access to Open Lands sales tax dollars
• To allow citizens to leverage dollars by providing them with the seed money necessary to begin implementation of a project
• To encourage partnerships among citizens, the County, and other groups associated with the protection and enhancement of open spaces, agriculture, increased access to open lands, and research on open spaces
• To increase visibility, support, and appreciation for the Open Lands Program

Loveland Youth Gardeners
Photo by Ernst Strenge

Selection Criteria

The following selection criteria were developed by the Open Lands Program and the Open Lands Advisory Board. They are used by the Small Grants for Community Partnering subcommittee and Open Lands staff to assess the applications and projects. A proposed project must meet all of the criteria to be retained for consideration, and applicants should review them carefully. Contact Sue Burke, (970) 679-4566 or burkets@co.larimer.co.us, with questions.

1. Proposed projects must be in accordance with the mission of the Larimer County Open Lands Program:

   "The mission of the Larimer County Open Lands Program is to preserve and protect significant open space, natural areas, and wildlife habitat and develop parks and trails for present and future generations. These open lands provide opportunities for leisure, human renewal and protection of our natural and cultural resources."

2. Proposed projects must meet one or more of the Small Grants for Community Partnering criteria:
   1. Provides or enhances natural areas, including wildlife habitat, river areas, and wetlands
   2. Provides linkages with existing open lands (Linkages may be either trails or wildlife habitat.)
   3. Provides opportunities for environmental education, outdoor recreation, or nature interpretation
   4. Provides opportunities for people to connect with the land through agriculture, increased access to open lands, or research on open spaces
3. Proposed projects must be land or water-based. Preference is given to projects associated with protected land.
4. Proposed "Agriculture" projects must meet the following criteria:
   1. Provision of local food production, including community gardens, CSAs, etc., with a preference for projects which:
      • are community minded (connecting a community and its people to an area)
      • are conservation minded, and
      • have local distribution
5. Proposed "Increased Access to Open Lands" projects must meet the following criteria:
   1. Getting people out into designated open spaces or natural areas having a nexus with the open spaces sales tax dollars. Projects may include
      • nature-based education
      • nature-based health and wellness programs
      • nature-based recreation
      • transportation to open spaces and natural areas
   2. Project must be approved through the special event process.
6. Proposed "Research on Open Spaces" projects must meet the following criteria:
   1. Provision of new information about or a better understanding of Larimer County Department of Natural Resources' properties or the people who use those properties. Properties must have a nexus with the open spaces sales tax dollars. Projects should encourage intellectual curiosity about our natural world and/or how people connect to it. Research projects may be:
      • ecological (examples: species, plants, etc.);
      • behavioral (example: relationships of people to open spaces, etc.);
      • cultural (examples: barriers to use of open spaces, historical use of open spaces, etc.)
   2. Project must be approved through the special event process.

BSA Troop 188 - Cottonwood Glen Wetlands
7. To the extent possible, the Larimer County Open Lands Program will strive to distribute grant dollars throughout Larimer County.
8. Small grant monies are for project implementation only and may not be used for salaries and/or project planning expenses, except for projects categorized as "Research on Open Spaces."
9. Government agencies including local, state, and federal agencies may not receive small grant funding. However, an individual, private group, or non-profit organization may apply for a small grant as a contributing partner or lead organization with an agency.
10. Projects receiving small grant funding may be on publicly owned land, including lands owned and managed by Larimer County. The project applicant must be a private individual, group, or organization, or a non-profit organization, and may not be a government agency. In order to be considered, the applicant must include a letter of support from the managing agency in the application.
11. Projects located within city or town limits are permissible under the Small Grants for Community Partnering Program.
12. Small grant funds will not be given to institutions (e.g. a university) or for-profit businesses for projects that occur on property owned and managed by the institution or business, except for projects categorized as "Agriculture." A private group or organization may apply for a small grant on behalf of these establishments. In addition, funding may be granted if the proposed project is located on land not owned and managed by the institution or business.
13. School groups or other organizations that may have changes in personnel or policies that may affect the long-term care and maintenance of a proposed project (example: xeriscape plantings) will typically not be funded, except for projects categorized as "Agriculture," "Increased Access to Open Lands," or "Research on Open Spaces."
14. Tools and other equipment (e.g. GPS units, weed sprayers, etc.) may be funded with an acceptable justification of why these items are required for the project. A disposition plan for the tools and/or equipment following their use should be provided with the application. Requests for funds to purchase tools and/or equipment that will be donated to a public agency or organization after their intended use will be looked upon more favorably.
15. Transportation expenses will be funded only for projects categorized as "Increased Access to Open Lands" or "Research on Open Spaces."
16. All affected land owners must agree in writing with the project prior to the grant application.
17. Projects must have a minimum match of at least 50% of the requested small grant amount. The match may be from in-kind services, private dollars, and/or other funding sources (e.g. other grants). Volunteer hours are to be computed at $21.36/hour (as determined by the Independent Sector, www.independentsector.org/volunteer_time)
18. Regular, on-going maintenance efforts will not be funded by the Small Grants for Community Partnering.
19. A multi-phased project may be funded over multiple years. Requests for new funding will be partially dependent on past project accomplishments. If money received in previous funding years has not be spent at the time of the new request, new dollars will not be granted to the project until that money has been spent on its dedicated purpose. A project applicant must submit a complete application during each grant cycle that funds are being requested.
20. Projects that include planting and/or habitat improvement must use Colorado native plants that are appropriate and approved for the selected environment. See approved plant list at www.fcgov.com/naturalareas/pdf/nativepl.pdf. This does not apply to projects categorized as "Agriculture."
21. Providing public access and/or benefit are important features and are looked upon more highly by the subcommittee, but are not required to receive small grant funding.
22. A final report will be required for all projects. The project will be monitored up to one year following project initiation; and, some may be monitored again in years 2-5, dependent on the opinion of the Small Grants for Community Partnering subcommittee and coordinator. Multi-year projects will be monitored annually until the final year of funding at which time it will be determined by the subcommittee and coordinator whether additional monitoring is necessary. If a project is found to be in unsatisfactory condition, the grant applicant will not be eligible to receive future grant awards.
23. If applicable, a long-term maintenance plan may be required and should be included in the application.

Award Selection Process

Following the application deadline, the coordinator will review all applications to ensure they are complete and meet all of the selection criteria. Incomplete applications or those which do not meet all of the selection criteria will be eliminated from consideration.

After review, a mandatory pre-grant-selection site visit will be scheduled for the Open Lands Staff and the Open Lands Advisory Board subcommittee members. At the site visit, the applicant will show the location of the proposed project and discuss the details and benefits of the project and why it should be funded.

A "Small Grants for Community Partnering Project Score Card" will be used by each subcommittee and staff member. Scores will be combined to determine the top scoring applications.

The subcommittees final recommendations for funding will be presented to the Open Lands Advisory Board by the Small Grants for Community Partnering Coodinator. The Open Lands Advisory Board makes the final selection of grant awards.

Note: The grant selection process is highly competitive and not all grant proposals will be funded.

If Your Project Is Awarded a Small Grant for Community Partnering

Once a project is selected to receive a small grant, a Contract and a Declaration between Larimer County and the grant recipient will be prepared by the coordinator and sent to the recipient for review and signing. These documents detail the amount of the grant award, specific items funded, the timeline for project completion, monitoring and reporting requirements, and other conditions. The Contract and the Declaration must be signed by both parties before award.

Awards will be presented to the recipients at the Open Lands Advisory Board's April meeting, usually the last Thursday of the month. The Larimer County Board of County Commissioners will hand out the grant checks at the ceremony.

Award recipients must keep track of all project expenditures (including in-kind services and donations) and must save and submit all receipts for items purchased with small grant funds. A Final Report (which includes a summary of the project, before-during-after photos, and a financial summary with copies of all receipts) is due to the Small Grants for Community Partnering Coordinator upon project completion. Failure to submit the Final Report will result in automatic disqualification for future awards.

Following project completion, Larimer County staff and/or Open Lands Advisory Board members will conduct a site visit. Further monitoring visits may be necessary in subsequent years depending on the level of monitoring required for a particular project.

Last Year's Awards