GROW Community Grant Program

Growing Resilient Organizations for the Watershed (GROW) — Letter of Interest

The Ciudad Soil & Water Conservation District (Ciudad SWCD) is implementing a tiered application process for its pilot grant program, Growing Resilient Organizations for the Watershed (GROW). The GROW grant provides funding to help community-based organizations build the staffing, training, and operational capacity needed to sustain long-term soil and water stewardship within our watershed.

This Letter of Interest (LOI) is the first phase of the GROW application process and takes approximately 20–30 minutes to complete. Eligible LOIs will be reviewed by a committee, and finalists will be invited to submit a full Request for Applications (RFA). All applicants, regardless of selection, will receive feedback on their project concept.

The GROW grant will run annually.

GROW Grant 2026

Posted: September 9, 2026

Deadline to respond to LOI: Friday October 30, 2026 at Noon.

Request for Applications (RFA) sent to selected applicants: First week of December 2026.

Awarded grant funding will expire June 15, 2028

Name of Organization Submitting Request (required)

Provide the mission and vision of your organization (required)

Type of organization (required)

What is your organization's physical address? (required)

Name and job title of the primary contact for this application: All correspondence regarding this grant will be directed to the primary contact. (required)

Contact email address (required)

Contact phone number (required)

1. Alignment with District Categories: Your proposal should align with the Vision and Mission of Ciudad SWCD and should address a resource concern in one of the four (4) program areas that Ciudad SWCD works in: Agriculture, Forestry, Watershed, and Education. Vision Statement: Ciudad SWCD envisions thriving urban and rural landscapes where natural resources are conserved for future generations through a culture of collaborative stewardship. Mission Statement: Ciudad’s mission is to lead collaborative conservation to benefit people, communities, and natural resources within our District.

2. Organizational Alignment: As highlighted in our program goals, we prioritize projects that foster trust-building and identify emergent community needs.

Project Name (Working Title) (required)

Describe the core conservation issue or community need your organization addresses (100 words) (required)

How would this grant improve your ability to address community conservation needs. Describe the proposed activities and target audience. (400 words or less) (required)

How does this improve long-term stability and services? (Briefly describe the proposed activities and target audience) (100 words or less) (required)

Is the target beneficiary of this project within Ciudad SWCD's boundaries? (required)

3. Community Impact & Equity: Consistent with Ciudad SWCD’s commitment to frontline communities, please briefly address the following:

How does your organization specifically work with historically disadvantaged or underserved communities? (100 words or less) (required)

How does your organization move beyond a "transactional" relationship toward "trust-based" community engagement? (required)

4. Preliminary Budget Estimate. Grant awards will

Requested Amount: (Max $50,000 for full grant cycle) (required)

High-Level Usage: (e.g., Personnel, Supplies, Community Workshops) (required)

What is your plan to sustain your capacity when grant funds expire? (100 words) (required)

Would you be able to receive this grant on a reimbursement basis? (i.e., your organization pays costs upfront and is reimbursed by Ciudad afterward (required)

Does your organization have or need a fiscal sponsor to receive grant funds?

Is there anything else you would like us to know?

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Map of Ciudad SWCD Boundaries

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