Garfield County commissioners heard presentations from five local nonprofit organizations seeking discretionary grant funding in the county’s third cycle (third quarter) during the Aug. 4 meeting. The applicants asked for a total of $25,000; the county’s discretionary grant fund balance was reported at roughly $67,000.

Applicants and requests (presented in the meeting):
- Grand Valley Park Association requested $5,000 to continue capital improvements and extend nonpotable irrigation around Cottonwood Park arena; presenters described recent upgrades (LED lighting, arena footing, fence repainting) and a plan for phased irrigation to reduce truck watering costs.
- A youth‑media nonprofit (Andy Zanca Youth Empowerment / ASIP) requested $5,000 to support radio broadcasts, an internship program and classroom collaborations that serve students in Garfield County and the Roaring Fork Valley; presenters noted past reach and plans to expand westward toward Parachute and New Castle.
- Aspen Public Radio sought $5,000 to underwrite a nonprofit volunteer fair in Glenwood Springs on Aug. 27, including site use of library common area and Cooper Avenue and on-site volunteer recruiting opportunities for county partners.
- Youth Entity asked for $5,000 to support its career expo on Oct. 2 at the Garfield County Fairgrounds in Rifle; the expo expects more than 750 students and staffing and app support to connect students with employers and post‑secondary training options.
- Glenwood Springs Arts Council requested $5,000 to add to its scholarship program for youth arts classes and to support events and gallery programming; presenters said current scholarship demand exceeded available funds for this year.

Each presenter described programming outcomes and local participation. Presenters included nonprofit leaders and program staff; commissioners asked follow-up questions about outreach, partner contacts, program reach, and how funds would be used. For example, Andy Zanca staff discussed plans to reconnect with local school districts (RE‑2 and RE‑16), and Youth Entity described a new post-event follow-up worker to sustain student engagement after the career expo.

Why it matters: discretionary grants support place‑based cultural, educational and civic programs across Garfield County. Decisions on these requests were deferred and scheduled for the board’s discretionary-grant decision session next Monday (as presented by county grant staff).

Outcome and next steps: no grants were awarded during the Aug. 4 presentations; county grant staff will bring funding recommendations to the board for a formal decision at the next scheduled grant review meeting.