Chaffee County Marijuana Excise Tax Advisory Board Announces 2022 Grant Cycle

Posted By: Dan R August 29, 2022

The Chaffee County Marijuana Excise Tax Advisory Board (METAB) is excited to announce its community grants funding cycle for 2022.

METAB is an advisory group to the Chaffee County Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) that recommends grant funding in support of local public benefit programs and initiatives.

METAB grants have invested more than $980,000 into the Chaffee County community since the program’s launch in 2017. The METAB grant program is funded through a local, voter-approved, 5% excise tax levied on the first sale or transfer of unprocessed retail (recreational) marijuana from retail cultivation facilities in Chaffee County.

Organizations eligible for METAB grants include programs under the supervision of Chaffee County Human Services or Public Health, nonprofits serving the youth of Chaffee County or providing services in one or more of the following areas: human services (including youth services); public health (including mental health); workforce and family housing; and government agencies for the regulation of marijuana and other drugs and enforcement of related laws.

New for 2022 is the METAB Mini-Grant program, which will offer a simplified grant application for requests of $5,000 or less. The regular grants application will still be available for requests of up to a maximum of $20,000. Applicants may apply for both grant options. Projections are that marijuana excise tax revenues to fund METAB grants will be an estimated 40% lower than last year, totaling approximately $200,000 available for grants in 2022. Given the lower total funding this year, prospective applicants are encouraged to consider collaborative opportunities that leverage partnerships and optimize efficiencies and impacts.

Applicants for the 2022 METAB cycle must submit a mandatory pre-application letter of interest no later than Sunday September 25th at 11:59pm. To register an organization and access the applications visit grantinterface.com/Home/Logon?urlkey=ccgrants. METAB will notify qualified applicants with an invitation to proceed with the full application on a rolling basis as pre-applications are submitted.

The full grant application will open October 3rd and submission deadline is October 24th, 2022 at 11:59 pm. Grant awards will be announced in early December 2022 following the BOCC’s approval.

Anyone interested in learning more about the grant program or application system is welcome to join an optional, informational meeting with the METAB board members on Monday, September 12th from noon-1:00 p.m via Zoom at zoom.us/j/4328290633, or in person at 104 Crestone, Salida, in the BOCC Chambers.

Please contact METAB administrator, Ben Doon, at metabgrants@gmail.com with any questions.

About The Marijuana Excise Tax Advisory Board (METAB)

The Marijuana Excise Tax Advisory Board (METAB) was established following Chaffee County voters’ approval of a marijuana excise tax in November 2016 and was then ratified in August 2017 by the County Commissioners via Resolution 2017-46. The County Commissioners appointed a seven-member board to guide the excise tax-funded grant program, supporting the Chaffee County community through initiatives focused on human services (including youth services); public health (including mental health); workforce and family housing; and the regulation of marijuana and other drugs. METAB has awarded almost $1 million dollars in grants to local nonprofits since 2017 through its annual community grants program. More information on METAB is available at chaffeecounty.org/Board—METAB.

Dan R
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