Climate Equity Fund Eligibility and Application

This page provides details on Boulder County’s Climate Equity Fund. Visit the Climate Equity Fund overview page for general information.

Program Timeline

• May and June 2025: Climate Equity Fund Design
• June 8, 2025: Board of County Commissioners approves Climate Equity Fund Design
• Aug. 1, 2025: Application opens for Climate Equity Fund
• Fall 2025: Community Evaluation Committee reviews applications, recommends awards
• Fall 2025: Board of County Commissioners approves grant awards
• Fall 2025: Contracting with awardees
• Late 2025 and beyond: Projects begin
• 2026: Program evaluation

Eligibility Requirements and Project Criteria

Project Criteria

Projects funded by the Boulder Climate Equity Fund must:

• Be led by and primarily benefit frontline communities
  • Frontline communities are those that experience the most immediate and worst impacts of climate change and are most often communities of color, Indigenous, and low-income
• Center equity, justice, cultural or community strengths, and community support/partnerships
• Embody a commitment to climate action especially related to reducing greenhouse gas emissions that create climate change:
  • Reducing waste by composting, reusing materials, or avoiding single-use items
  • Sourcing locally, whether that’s using neighborhood vendors or community-grown food
  • Cutting down on fossil fuels in homes and travel
  • Encouraging small changes that add up—like saving energy or using less water
  • Uplifting cultural practices that honor sustainability, care for the land, and community well-being
• Ensure that the majority of the community benefit and impact is in Boulder County
• Ensure that the majority of the project impact is in frontline communities

Example Projects

The Climate Equity Fund will support many types of community-led climate action. Categories for possible projects include:

1. Healing and cultural connection
2. Arts, media and storytelling
3. Education and youth engagement
4. Mutual aid, basic needs and climate resilience
5. Land, air, water, and food systems
6. Mobility, infrastructure and built environment
7. Zero waste and low-carbon living
8. Workforce and economic justice

View the Grants Manual for complete project eligibility requirements and a list of example projects.

Who can apply?

Locally-based, frontline, community-led, and community-based organizations, including:

• Nonprofits 501(c)(3) or fiscally-sponsored organizations
• Tribes and Tribal entities
• Mutual aid networks
• Neighborhood associations such as: mobile home parks, low-income housing, Boulder housing partners
• Resident-led initiatives
• Informal groups or coalitions without official nonprofit status or fiscal sponsorship (eligible to apply to Tier 1 only)

Who cannot apply?

• Individuals applying as sole entities without collaborators

Other eligibility considerations

Applicants may partner with other groups such as:

• Universities
• Municipalities as well as county, state, and federal governments
• For-profit businesses

These entities are not eligible to lead an application without partnership with a local, frontline, community-based group.

Visit the Grants Manual for complete applicant eligibility requirements.

Funding Tiers

The Climate Equity Fund has two funding tiers.

Community Root Grants

Range: $5,000 to $50,000

Types of projects: Early-stage or smaller-scale projects that aim to test ideas, build community partnerships, or launch pilot programs

Community Reach Grants

Range: $55,000 to $1 million

Types of projects: More established projects or start up initiatives that have already been developed but need funds to execute or continue. These projects involve greater investment and can demonstrate readiness to manage and scale impact and partnership

Access the Grants Manual for more information on grant tiers.

Application Process

Starting on Aug. 1, 2025, interested groups can submit a grant application on an online portal. Through the online portal, applicants will fill out Eligibility Screening Questions and a Grants Application.

View the Eligibility Screening Questions.

View the Grants Application for Tier 1.

View the Grants Application for Tier 2.

Review and Evaluation Process

There are several steps to review applications to the Climate Equity Fund.

1. Boulder County’s partner, JSI, will conduct an initial eligibility and completeness screening of applications
2. The Community Evaluation Committee will review applications and make recommendations. View the evaluation criteria in the Grants Manual.
3. The Board of County Commissioners will review and approve the final grant awards

View the Grants Manual for complete evaluation details.

More Information

For more information on the Climate Equity Fund, please email climateequityfund@bouldercounty.gov.

Other Grant Opportunities

Boulder County offers a variety of grant programs. Visit the grants webpage to learn more.

More Information

For more information on the Climate Equity Fund, please email climateequityfund@bouldercounty.gov.

Location

Boulder County Courthouse
First Floor
1325 Pearl St.
Boulder, CO 80302
Map and Directions

Hours: 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Monday-Friday

Office of Sustainability, Climate Action and Resilience

OSCAR Webpage