Grant Guidelines

South Park National Heritage Area accepts grant applications for projects, programs, and events that further the SPNHA Management Plan. We have developed a list of questions to ask yourself when preparing your grant application:

• Does my project, program, or event further the goals of the Heritage Area? You can review the Management Plan or the Goals Matrix to quickly match up your project to the relevant goals and objectives.
• Will the grant funds be used for allowable costs? Since SPNHA funding comes from the Federal Government, we must follow the Federal Office of Management and Budget Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards (2 CFR Part 200). We are happy to answer questions for you about this, but generally we cannot pay for the following: advertising, audits, debts, construction, contingencies, legal costs, entertainment, food/beverages, fines and penalties, fundraising costs, interest, promotional items, and lobbying. Please contact us before submitting your application if you are including any of these types of expenses in your budget.
• How much funding do I need? Feel free to request as much funding as you need for your specific project or program, keeping in mind that our grants generally range from $1,000 to $30,000. Please do not ask for more funding than you can spend within the grant period (January 1, 2023 to December 31, 2023) as this takes away funding from other projects and programs.
• Can my organization manage the grant? SPNHA requires that all grant recipients adhere to our grant conditions (see below) in order to be considered for funding in the future. Please make sure you fully understand the responsibilities of being a grant recipient before applying for funding.

Grant Conditions

SPNHA requires certain conditions be met to receive funding. This list outlines the responsibilities of the recipient organization, including documentation requirements. Failure to comply with these conditions will result in disqualification of the recipient organization from receiving future SPNHA funding.

• The recipient organization will send at least one staff person to a SPNHA grant training session to learn about documentation requirements. Training will take place in May 2023.
• The recipient organization is willing to sign a grant agreement with Park County upon award.
• The recipient organization will provide SPNHA with copies of all invoices, payments, and receipts relevant to the project.
• The recipient organization will track and provide a record of all in-kind volunteer hours and contributions in a manner that meets SPNHA standards.
• The recipient organization will list SPNHA as a partner on all publications and advertisements (if applicable).
• The recipient organization will notify SPNHA staff about any changes to the project scope and/or budget.
• The recipient organization will submit interim and final reports to SPNHA on dates specified in their grant agreement to include photographs (if applicable), documentation, project summary, and copies of any promotional materials or reports created.
• Match money is allowable from all sources except federal
• Volunteer hours count as in-kind match. Generally, we use the Colorado volunteer value, which is currently $31.51
• Match must be completed within the grant period (January 1^st 2024 to December 31^st 2024).
  • Money and volunteer hours for the same project, but completed in a different year, cannot be counted

Start the Grant Application