2023 District Grant Program Update
The District is busy reviewing grant applications for its 2023 Grant Program and anticipates announcing the individuals and organizations who will receive grant funding after the March 27, 2023 UGRWCD Board of Directors meeting at 5:30 p.m.
This cycle, a total of 19 grant applications were submitted requesting $371,113 in funding. The UGRWCD 2023 budget includes a Grant Program funding line item of $300,000. The total project costs for the 19 applications received is $4,956,429 (including the matching funds required by the District Grant program.) If all applications were to be funded in full, this would leverage every UGRWCD Grant Program dollar with outside funding or in-kind services at a ratio of 1:12.
For the first time this year, the grant application process included the requirement that individuals and organizations considering a funding request, contact the District to visit with staff about their proposed projects including any requests for pre-feasibility engineering. This opportunity was important not only for staff but also for the applicant. The applicant is able to explain their project and ask questions and the District staff leave with a very clear understanding of the applicants water resource issues and project goals.
“We are very pleased to have received such a great number of applications for very worthy projects,” said Beverly Richards, water resource specialist for the District. “As this program continues to grow, we can’t emphasize enough how important it is for those considering submitting a grant application to contact the District to discuss their project and determine if pre-feasibility engineering might be of help. Even though we are still completing this year’s grant funding cycle, it’s never too early to start planning your project. The District has an engineer on call to help with pre-feasibility planning and cost estimation.”
For more information, contact the District at 970-641-6065 or visit the website link: https://ugrwcd.org/grant-funding/