Competitive Process
Most of RCO’s grant programs are competitive. Staff and panels of experts review the grant proposals and rank them, creating prioritized lists submitted to state funding boards and agencies. Grant evaluations and most of the application materials are open to the public.
Recreation and Conservation Funding Board Grant Evaluations
Applicants submit their grant proposals online. Staff review the applications to ensure eligibility and then give them to advisory committees, which are made up of citizens with experience in the subject area, for evaluation and scoring.
In most cases, applicants are invited to make presentations to the the advisory committees about their projects. The committees weigh the merits of the proposed projects against criteria adopted by the Recreation and Conservation Funding Board. The committees then rank the projects and submit lists to the board for funding consideration.
Not all grant programs follow this procedure. Please review your grant manual for more information.
Salmon Recovery Funding Board Grant Evaluations
Applicants submit their proposals to watershed-based lead entities, which coordinate with regional organizations, to evaluate and rank proposals. Each lead entity and region prepares a prioritized list of projects to submit to the Salmon Recovery Funding Board for funding consideration.
Once project lists are submitted, the Salmon Recovery Funding Board Review Panel reviews the proposals. The panel will note for the board any projects it believes have low benefit to salmon, low likelihood of success, or costs that outweigh benefits. The board awards the grants,
Other RCO Grants
In some programs, the boards do not award grants. The grants might be jointly administered with other state agencies or awarded by the Legislature and administered by RCO. In these cases, different processes may apply. Below is a list of programs with differing evaluation processes. Please review the grant manuals or contact your outdoor grants manager for more information.