The Challenge takes place over several months (see the Challenge timeline) and includes an initial application, scoring by a panel of experienced evaluators, capacity-building and support for a small group of finalists, and a final Pitch Event to select the winning team.

Submissions will be assessed by the evaluators based on the scoring rubric below. An initial group of finalists will be selected following the evaluation. Finalists will be invited to take advantage of support to further develop their ideas in preparation for participating in the finalist Pitch Event (in person in Denver, Colorado, or virtually, as appropriate given health and safety guidelines). One winning team will be selected at the Pitch Event and will receive the $50,000 award.

Challenge Rubric

Each team’s proposal will be reviewed and scored by Challenge evaluators using the following rubric criteria.

#1: Community-led, Place-based

To make a community more equitable and resilient, a team must understand their community. The Thriving Cities Challenge seeks projects that understand and are led by the communities they target and fit the unique aspects of the places they are implemented.

1: The project lacks support and leadership from the community in which it will be implemented.

The project team does not have a clear understanding of the unique aspects of the place and community it intends to support.

2: The project has some support and limited leadership from the community in which it will be implemented.

The project team has some understanding of the unique aspects of the place and community it intends to support.

3: The project has support and leadership from the community in which it will be implemented.

The project team has an understanding of the unique aspects of the place and community it intends to support.

4: The project has clear support and significant leadership from the community in which it will be implemented.

The project team has a demonstrable understanding of the unique aspects of the place and community it intends to support and has incorporated these unique aspects into their project plan.

5: The project has best-in-class support from, and is primarily led by the community in which it will be implemented.

The project team has a convincing understanding of the unique aspects of the place and community it intends to support, and the project has been tailored to take into account and respond to the setting.

#2: Equity- centered

The Thriving Cities Challenge looks for approaches that start with equity, weaving it throughout the who, the why, the what and the how of their projects.

1: The project does not aim to further racial equity in its community.

The project’s process, stakeholders, and leadership do not reflect that equity is a priority and key goal.

2: The project takes only minimal steps to further racial equity in its community.

The project’s process, stakeholders, and leadership only minimally reflect that equity is a priority and key goal.

3: The project aims to further racial equity in its community.

The project’s process, stakeholders, and leadership reflect that equity is a priority and key goal.

4: The project clearly aims to further racial equity in its community.

The project’s process, stakeholders, and leadership reflect that equity is a priority, a key goal, and at the center of the spirit of the undertaking.

5: The project clearly and compellingly aims to further racial equity in its community.

The project’s process, stakeholders, and leadership all reflect that equity is a priority and key goal, and that the project has been designed with equity in mind and has equity at the center of the spirit of the undertaking.

#3: Feasible

The Thriving Cities Challenge balances a desire for projects that will take new approaches and innovate, which means there are inherent risks, with the hope that they will be successful. This category seeks to reward teams that have some track record of project success, and that have shown they have taken steps to reduce risks in their planning and are aware of the support they need to complete their project.

1: Even allowing for the desire to support teams to take risks, the project plan does not provide evidence that the project can reasonably be completed as described.

The team does not have the necessary knowledge of the community, personal experience or partnerships to support the intended actions.

2: Even allowing for the desire to support teams to take risks, the project plan has only minimal evidence that the project can be completed as described.

The team may not have the necessary knowledge of the community, personal experience or partnerships to support the intended actions.

3: Allowing for the desire to support teams to take risks, the project plan provides evidence that the project can be completed as described.

The team has the necessary knowledge of the community, personal experience and partnerships to support the intended actions.

4: Allowing for the desire to support teams to take risks, the project plan provides extensive evidence that the project can be completed as described.

The team has extensive knowledge of the community, personal experience and the right partnerships in related or applicable project work and can support the intended actions.

5: Allowing for the desire to support teams to take risks, the project plan provides compelling evidence that the project is well thought-out and can be completed as described with a high chance of success.

The team has compelling and necessary knowledge of the community, personal experience and partnerships with related or applicable work and are well-suited to lead the proposed project.

#4: Innovative

The Thriving Cities Challenge rewards calculated risks. We are looking for out-of-the-box solutions, and creativity in how existing models can be applied in different contexts or by different people.

1: The project completely lacks compelling, innovative thinking or approaches, or new applications of existing approaches.

The project will not provide valuable lessons learned for others in the field or add knowledge to the community of interest.

2: The project does not showcase compelling, innovative thinking or approaches, or new applications of existing approaches.

The project will provide limited lessons learned for others in the field and add little knowledge to the community of interest.

3: The project provides some compelling, innovative thinking or approaches, or new applications of existing approaches.

The project will provide lessons learned for others in the field and add knowledge to the community of interest.

4: The project showcases compelling, innovative thinking or approaches, or new applications of existing approaches.

The project will provide valuable lessons learned for others in the field and add substantive knowledge to the community of interest.

5: The project uses exciting, innovative thinking or approaches, or interesting or new applications of existing approaches that will offer valuable opportunities for learning and impact.

The project will provide clear and valuable lessons learned for others in the field and add significant knowledge and rich resources to the community of interest.

#5: Impactful

The Thriving Cities Challenge rewards ideas with potential for measurable impact over time, related to the interconnected goals of climate resilience (and green space), racial equity and community leadership capacity.

1: The project proposal does not demonstrate an understanding of the links between, and local barriers to, climate resilience, green space, and racial equity.

The project proposal does not offer proposed nature-based solutions to increase equitable and just climate outcomes in the target community.

The project proposal does not offer a plan to measure specific outcomes.

2: The project proposal demonstrates only a limited understanding of the links between, and local barriers to, climate resilience, green space, and racial equity.

The project proposal may offer nature-based solutions but does not demonstrate how these solutions can increase equitable and just climate outcomes in the target community.

The project proposal offers a weak plan to measure specific outcomes.

3: The project proposal demonstrates some understanding of the links between, and local barriers to, climate resilience, green space, and racial equity.

The project proposal offers nature-based solutions that aim to address climate resilience and racial equity in the target community, with some links to existing challenges.

The project proposal offers a satisfactory plan to measure specific outcomes.

4: The project proposal demonstrates a strong understanding of the links between, and local barriers to, climate resilience, green space, and racial equity, and sets a clear path to reducing or eliminating those barriers.

The project proposal offers innovative nature-based solutions to address each barrier it has identified; these solutions are specific, measurable, and are focused both on short- and long-term benefits.

The project proposal offers a well-developed and thoughtful plan to measure specific outcomes and a transparent method of evaluation.

5: The project proposal demonstrates a thorough understanding of the links between, and local barriers to, climate resilience, green space, and racial equity, and the project team has worked with the target community to develop this understanding and their project approach to reducing or eliminating those barriers.

The project proposal offers game-changing nature-based solutions co-developed with community to address each barrier it has identified; these solutions are community-driven, specific, measurable, and are focused on both on short-term benefits and substantive long-term changes.

The project proposal offers a rigorous and verifiable plan to measure specific outcomes and identifies measurable benefits for the target community, including community-defined measures of success.