Great Outdoors Colorado a Great Funding Opportunity for Local Communities

By Mike Yost

The Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO) Trust Fund was created through a constitutional vote by Coloradans in 1992. It is dedicated to preserving and protecting Colorado's parks, rivers, trails, open spaces, and wildlife. Fifty percent of the proceeds from the Colorado Lottery is the sole funding source for GOCO. GOCO awards grants of about $40 to $55 million each year to local governments, land trusts, Colorado State Parks, and the Colorado Division of Wildlife.

GOCO is an ideal funding source to consider if your community is hoping to build trails, athletic fields, parks, and/or other outdoor assets. Grants offered include planning grants, trail grants, and outdoor recreation grants. Awards typically run in a range from $15,000 up to $1 million, depending on the type of project and what grant programs are being offered by GOCO in any given year. Examples of community projects are ballparks, skate parks, outdoor swimming facilities, trails, and enhancements and expansions of existing parks.

For example, Olsson Associates provided grant application preparation services for a GOCO grant in Erie, Colorado. A $199,000 grant was awarded to the Town of Erie in December 2008 and was used to construct a fourth ball field, completing a four-field complex and making "The Ball Field at Erie Park" one of the premier baseball and softball complexes within the region. This new complex opened in April and not only provides a wonderful outdoor amenity to the people of Erie and their surrounding neighbors, but the complex also will be an economic generator for the town.

GOCO planning grants help communities produce plans to protect and enhance open space, parks, and trails -- features that give towns their identity. Planning grants lead to high quality projects with a greater chance of long-term success. Planning grants are offered twice annually with grants typically being awarded in June and December.

Local Government Parks and Outdoor Recreation (LPOR) grants are for cities, counties, and park and recreation districts to acquire, expand, and improve local parks, outdoor recreation facilities, and environmental education facilities. LPOR grants and mini-grants, which are for communities of 5,000 people or less, are also offered twice yearly.

GOCO provides a big funding boost to the State Trails grant program. This program provides funding for trail planning and design, construction, maintenance, and special projects. Trails grants are offered once a year.

Legacy grants are offered every two to four years when GOCO has the funding capacity, and they are for unique, large-scale projects of statewide or regional significance. Grants are typically multi-year and multi-million dollar awards.

If your local community is considering GOCO funds, learn more at www.goco.org. Application deadlines for fiscal year 2011, which begins in July, will be available soon. Olsson can help provide consultation and technical support in reaching your goals, so feel free to contact us at 720.962.6072.

You can contact Mike Yost at myost@oaconsulting.com.

 

• Back to Articles