In partnership with the Colorado Youth Corps Association (CYCA), GOCO offers funding for our partners to hire conservation service corps for outdoor recreation and natural resource stewardship projects. 

CYCA is a statewide coalition of eight accredited conservation service corps. These organizations employ and train youth, young adults, and veterans (typically ages 14–25) to address important conservation and stewardship issues. Through this work, young people contribute to their communities while gaining valuable job skills and leadership experience, preparing them for future natural resource careers. Most corpsmembers receive a stipend and an AmeriCorps education award for college tuition or to reduce student loans. Together, CYCA-accredited corps serve more than 1,700 participants a year. 

Conservation service corps crews complete various projects, including:

  • Trail construction and maintenance
  • Tamarisk, Russian olive, and other invasive species mitigation (chainsaw crews and/or pesticide/herbicide application available)
  • Fence installation and deconstruction
  • Wildlife habitat improvement
  • Riparian restoration
  • Beetle kill hazard mitigation (chainsaw crews available)
  • Forest health activities (chainsaw crews available)

The GOCO board currently commits $1,200,000 per year to the program and another $500,000 through GOCO’s investment in Colorado Parks and Wildlife.

Eligibility

Youth corps crews work on a “per week” basis. One week includes 8–10 people who work at least 320 hours collectively. There is no maximum grant request, but applicants must request a crew for a minimum of two weeks’ worth of work.

Organizations eligible for GOCO funding include Colorado cities, towns, and counties; Title 32 special districts; land conservation organizations that advance the acquisition of open space; political subdivisions of the State of Colorado whose missions are to identify, manage, or acquire open space and natural areas; and Colorado Parks and Wildlife. 

We encourage collaboration. If your entity is not explicitly listed above, we can discuss partnership options to access GOCO funding for your project.

Deadlines 

  • RFP available: June 2025
  • Applications due to CYCA: TBD
  • Grants awarded: December 2025

Ready to get started?

CYCA administers the grant on behalf of GOCO and oversees all projects. All proposals must be submitted to CYCA according to instructions in the RFP, available below and at CYCA.org. 

Contact CYCA Associate Director Tom Dillow at tdillow@cyca.org with any questions. 

Download the 2025 CYCA RFP