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 

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

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

Awarded grant funding will expire June 15, 2028

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.

Map of Ciudad SWCD Boundaries

3. Community Impact & Equity

Consistent with Ciudad SWCD’s commitment to frontline communities, please briefly address the following:

4. Preliminary Budget Estimate. Grant awards will