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Tony Grampsas Youth Services Program
About the Tony Grampsas Youth Services Program
The Tony Grampsas Youth Services (TGYS) Program is a statutory program providing funding to Colorado organizations for prevention and intervention programs for children, youth, and their families. TGYS funds direct service programs working in the following prevention areas: youth alcohol, tobacco, and other drug use (ATODP), child abuse and neglect prevention (CANP),school dropout prevention (SDOP), and youth crime and violence prevention (YCVP). Funds are allocated to TGYS from the Tobacco Master Settlement Agreement, the State of Colorado General Fund and the Marijuana Tax Cash Fund. TGYS is defined and guided by Colorado Revised Statutes (C.R.S.) 26-6.8-101 through 104.
In accordance with C.R.S. 26-6.8-103, the 13-member Tony Grampsas Youth Services Board oversees and provides leadership for the TGYS Program. The TGYS Board is authorized to establish program guidelines, grant application timelines, match requirements, criteria for awarding grants, and result-oriented criteria for measuring the effectiveness of programs that receive any type of TGYS funds. Visit the TGYS Board page or contact us at cdhs_tgysprogram@state.co.us for more information.
TGYS operates on a three-year grant cycle. The current grant cycle runs July 1, 2023 through June 30, 2026. Click here (PDF) to see a list of currently funded TGYS programs.
What does TGYS fund?
Per statute, any local government; Colorado public or not-for-profit school, including charter schools, group of public or not-for-profit schools, school districts or groups of school districts, boards of cooperative services, and institutions of higher education; the Colorado National Guard; or any private nonprofit or not-for-profit community-based organization are eligible to apply for a TGYS grant. Single agencies, multi agencies, and intermediary agencies are eligible to apply for TGYS funding. TGYS provides funding for a three-year grant cycle to support organizations providing direct services to children (0-8), youth (9-18), young adults (19-25), and/or their parents, caregivers, or guardians across Colorado. TGYS funded programs must serve participants in at least one of the four TGYS prevention areas (ATODP, CANP, SDOP, and YCVP).
TGYS does not fund treatment programs, childcare slots or student scholarships; programs that engage in inherently religious activities, including but not limited to worship, religious instruction, or proselytization as a part of the programs or services provided pursuant to this application, even if these components are opt in/ opt out; programs or strategies thorough research that is proven to be ineffective or harmful; Train the trainer model programs; or one-time events and activities that are not in conjunction with ongoing programs, such as assemblies or one-time assessments.
TGYS Funding Process
The TGYS grant is an open and competitive grant application process. Applications are scored by third-party evaluators according to the scoring criteria. Applications are not scored compared to other applications and are compared solely to the scoring criteria. Evaluators individually score applicants, then meet as a review committee to discuss scores and determine a final application score. Any materials submitted outside of the application criteria by an applicant, such as Letters of Support, are not considered in scoring to maintain equity.
The TGYS board makes determinations on how to distribute funding prior to the start of the new grant cycle. Additionally, the TGYS board is responsible for approving the list of TGYS grantees.
TGYS fund allocations are set annually through the Long Bill and may change from year to year. Awarded grantees must meet contractual obligations in order to receive funding in years two and three of the grant. Funding in years two and three is also dependent on the Long Bill allocations. If additional funding becomes available in years 2 or 3 of the grant, TGYS may be able to fund additional grantees.
The solicitation for SFY27-29 TGYS grant is closed, but TGYS will post information when the solicitation for the next grant cycle is open.
Additional Programming and Services Under TGYS
In addition to providing three year funding to organizations, the following also fall under the purview of TGYS:
| Statewide Youth Development Plan | Positive Youth Development Training System | Youth and Community Partnership Grant |
|---|---|---|
| The Colorado Statewide Youth Development (SYDP) Plan presents a vision for a strong youth development network and strategies for improving an array of youth-focused policies, practices and programs. At the core of the vision and strategies is the incorporation of positive youth development principles into the services and programs for youth ages 9 to 25 in Colorado. The SYDP is updated every two years, updating progress on the current plan and goals for future youth engagement efforts across state agencies. For more information, please visit the SYDP Website. | In 2025, the Positive Youth Development (PYD) Training system officially moved from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment to the Colorado Department of Human Service under the TGYS program. Positive Youth Development (PYD) is an approach that helps young people grow into confident, capable and successful adults. PYD builds on youth strengths, providing the skills to live healthy, happy and meaningful lives. For more information about PYD, the training system, and PYD resources, please visit the PYD Website. | The TGYS annual Youth and Community Partnership (YCP) Grant promotes and deepens youth and community influence in the policies and decisions that affect Colorado’s marginalized populations. TGYS envisions an increase in collaboration and inclusion of youth and community members' voices to prevent youth crime and violence; youth alcohol, tobacco and other drug use; student dropout; and child abuse and neglect. The grant will be on pause for SFY27, but please be sure to check the YCP Website for updates and information about future funding opportunities. |
Documents and Resources
- TGYS Program and Grantee Information
- Evaluation Documents from Butler for Current Grantees
- Resources for Community Members
- Colorado Vendor Self Service (VSS) - Solicitations
- Rocky Mountain Public Health Training Center
- Colorado Nonprofit Association
- Mentor Colorado
- Colorado Department of Public Safety, Office of School Safety - Upcoming Trainings
- Colorado Department of Early Childhood
- IMatterColorado - Youth Mental Health Services
- Colorado Department of Public Health and the Environment - Youth and young adult suicide prevention
- 988 Colorado - Confidential mental health support
- Colorado Department of Early Childhood - Nurturing Connections Colorado, Early Childhood Mental Health Support Line
Contact Us
cdhs_tgysprogram@state.co.us
If you'd like to receive information and updates from the Tony Grampsas Youth Services Program, please fill out the TGYS Email and Update Request Form.