RESTORE Colorado Program 2026

The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) is soliciting proposals for the Restoration and Stewardship of Outdoor Resources and Environment (RESTORE) Colorado Program for 2026. NFWF, established by Congress in 1984, is a nonprofit dedicated to sustaining, restoring, and enhancing the nation’s fish, wildlife, plants, and habitats. The RESTORE Colorado Program is supported through a coalition of funders including Great Outdoors Colorado, Chevron, Colorado Department of Natural Resources, Colorado Water Conservation Board, Gates Family Foundation, OXY, Walton Family Foundation, the U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service, and NFWF itself. This diverse partnership reflects the blending of federal, state, private, and philanthropic resources to achieve landscape-level conservation goals in Colorado. The purpose of the RESTORE Colorado Program is to accelerate voluntary restoration and enhancement of high-priority wildlife habitats statewide. Its focus extends to watershed resilience in riparian, wetland, and forest habitats; eastern Colorado grasslands; sagebrush rangelands; big game winter range and migration corridors; capacity building for conservation planning and delivery; and limited work in urban areas. Projects must demonstrate measurable contributions to habitat quality, species protection, climate resilience, and ecological connectivity. NFWF emphasizes projects that are cross-jurisdictional and deliver large-scale benefits, though smaller projects with meaningful wildlife outcomes remain eligible. Grant awards under this program begin at $100,000, with approximately 10 projects expected to be funded in 2026. Projects must start within six months of award notification and be completed within three years. While leverage and match are encouraged to demonstrate community support and partnerships, matching contributions are not required. Where matching is proposed, contributions must be verifiable, committed directly to the project, and allowable under applicable cost principles. Awards are contingent upon available funding from the program’s partners, and funding may vary depending on contributions and timing. Eligible applicants include nonprofit 501(c)(3) organizations, political subdivisions of the state, municipal and local governments, Native Nations and Indigenous-led organizations, and educational institutions. Ineligible applicants include businesses and individuals. All projects must take place entirely within Colorado and align with program priorities and relevant state and federal wildlife and habitat management strategies. Proposals that incorporate community engagement, collaborative design, and alignment with Colorado’s Outdoors Strategy are encouraged. Applications must be submitted through NFWF’s Easygrants system. The proposal submission deadline is November 10, 2025, at 9:59 pm MDT (11:59 pm EDT). The review process will take place between November 2025 and March 2026, with awards announced in March 2026. A pre-application webinar will be held on August 28, 2025, to provide guidance to potential applicants. The program is offered on an annual cycle, with future rounds expected. All proposals must include quantifiable performance metrics using the program’s standardized list. Applications will be evaluated on alignment with program goals, conservation outcomes, community impact, technical soundness, budget reasonableness, and project sustainability. Special emphasis is placed on cost-effectiveness, partnerships, and community engagement. Award funds are reimbursable, though advances may be considered in limited cases. Certain restrictions apply: funds may not be used for political advocacy, fundraising, or equipment purchases unless essential. Compliance with federal and state environmental and permitting regulations is required. Applicants should allow sufficient time to secure permits. For inquiries, applicants may contact Emma Wigger, Coordinator for Rocky Mountain Regional Programs (Emma.Wigger@nfwf.org), for general questions. For watershed resilience projects, contact Kirstin Neff, Program Director, Southwest Rivers (Kirstin.Neff@nfwf.org). For sagebrush, grassland, and migration corridor projects, contact Chris West, Director, Rocky Mountain Regional Office (Chris.West@nfwf.org). Technical assistance for application submission is available through the Easygrants Helpdesk (Easygrants@nfwf.org, 202-595-2497).

Review Tip Sheet, join August webinar, use Outdoors Strategy Resource Hub