Nature in the City Implementation Grant

The Make it Happen: Implementation Grants are offered through Fort Collins’ Nature in the City program to support projects that bring natural spaces into neighborhoods and communities. This initiative is part of the voter-approved Community Capital Improvement Program and is administered by the City of Fort Collins. The grants help fund “shovel-ready” implementation projects designed to increase access to nature, improve habitat for wildlife, and engage community members in environmental stewardship. Applications for 2026 funding open on September 1, 2025, and must be submitted by October 20, 2025. Eligible applicants include nonprofits, schools, mobile-home communities, apartment complexes, Homeowners Associations, affordable housing communities, businesses, faith-based organizations, and committed individuals or groups with creative project ideas. Residential properties (e.g., individual yard conversions) are not eligible for this grant but may be eligible under the Xeriscape Incentive Program. Projects must be located within the Fort Collins City Limits or its Growth Management Area. The grant offers awards between $5,000 and $60,000 depending on the scale and scope of the proposed project. Funding is available for small-scale enhancements to existing naturalized spaces, medium-scale habitat creation or access projects, and large-scale efforts that advance all three of Nature in the City’s goals: habitat connectivity, access to nature, and stewardship. All Implementation Grant projects must already have completed plans and be ready for immediate installation. Project types eligible for funding include native habitat gardens, nature play areas, outdoor classrooms, pollinator restorations, turf conversions, and habitat enhancements using native plants. Applicants are encouraged to be innovative in addressing program goals. Projects will be evaluated based on how well they align with the Nature in the City vision of an inclusive, ecologically connected open space network throughout Fort Collins. Planning projects—such as early-phase community engagement, landscape design work, or regulatory approvals—are not eligible under this Implementation Grant but may be supported through a separate Planning Grant option under the same program. Final grant amounts will depend on total applications received and project merit. The program encourages early preparation and community collaboration to maximize impact.

Applicants must have finalized plans and are encouraged to align their proposals with Nature in the City goals. Examples of past projects include pollinator gardens, turf conversions, and nature play areas. Residential projects should apply to the Xeriscape Incentive Program instead.