Recreation Grants

The Washington State Recreation and Conservation Office manages the Land and Water Conservation Fund in Washington to preserve and develop public outdoor recreation resources. The federal program, created by Congress in 1965, provides financial assistance for acquisition and development of parks, trails, and wildlife lands. Typical projects renovate community parks and build facilities such as skate parks, tennis courts, swimming pools, trails, and athletic fields, while protecting habitat where appropriate. Eligible activities include land acquisition and development or renovation of outdoor recreation areas. Grant limits range from 200,000 to 2,000,000 dollars. Eligible applicants include local agencies, special purpose districts such as park and recreation districts, Native American tribes, and state agencies. All communities may compete for funding. Applications are due May 1, 2024 through the state’s process. Grant duration is not stated. Official program details are available from the Washington State Recreation and Conservation Office.

The Transportation Alternative and Recreational Use FY25 Grant, administered by the Maryland State Highway Administration, aims to fund transportation alternative and recreational use projects within the state. This federal grant offers 80% reimbursable funds, requiring a 20% match from project sponsors. Projects should enhance the intermodal transportation system or support recreational trails and amenities. Approximately 60% of the funds are allocated to projects within the jurisdictions of three Maryland Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs): The Baltimore Regional Transportation Board, National Capitol Region Transportation Planning Board, and Wilmington Area Planning Council. Eligible sponsors include local governments, regional transportation authorities, transit agencies, natural resource and public land agencies, school districts, tribal governments, and 501c(3) non-profit agencies. Project sponsors are responsible for all aspects of their project, including design, management, construction, and maintenance.

Aimed at supporting the acquisition, development, and maintenance of carry-in boat launches, this grant opportunity is offered by the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry, Bureau of Parks and Lands. It seeks to enhance public access to Maine's waterways for carry-in recreational boating. A key requirement for project eligibility is a pre-approval site inspection by state staff. The funding cap for eligible carry-in project costs is $25,000.

The Sensata Foundation, established in 2017 as the philanthropic arm of Sensata Technologies, is a 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to strengthening local communities. Its mission aligns with Sensata's sustainability priorities, focusing on community development and STEM education. The Foundation provides grants for specific programs and projects rather than general operating support, prioritizing agencies that serve communities where Sensata employees live and work in the U.S. The Foundation's strategic priorities are centered around two key focus areas: STEM Education and Community Support. In STEM Education, the Foundation aims to ensure equitable access to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics for all youth in grades K-12, particularly those from underserved communities, including racial and ethnic minority groups, students with disabilities, and girls. The goal is to empower critical thinking and problem-solving skills, and to inspire future leaders by providing additional learning avenues like mentorships to further educational growth in STEM. Under Community Support, the Foundation addresses prevailing needs within local communities. Key focus areas include combating food insecurity through support for food banks and distribution centers, assisting individuals experiencing homelessness with shelter and transition services, promoting social and economic mobility to enhance personal stability and quality of life, and supporting environmental programs that create clean and green outdoor spaces for community enjoyment. The expected outcomes and measurable results from these grants involve direct support for qualifying charitable entities, leading to strengthened local communities and advancements in the Foundation's sustainability priorities. While specific metrics are not detailed, the focus on specific programs/projects suggests that the impact will be seen in the successful implementation and outcomes within the two focus areas. The grants typically range from $5,000 to $25,000, are usually one-year awards, and are given to active 501(c)(3) non-profit organizations that have a presence or service area where Sensata Technologies has facilities or employees, and adhere to a non-discrimination policy.

This grant focuses on renovating existing trailered boat launches to improve public recreational boating access. Administered by the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry, Bureau of Parks and Lands, the grant aims to support the development and maintenance of facilities that provide primary recreational boating access to the general public. Projects must undergo a pre-approval site inspection to confirm eligibility. Available funding for trailered launch renovation projects is up to $75,000.

The Seward Community Foundation (SCF), an Affiliate of The Alaska Community Foundation (ACF), offers mini-grants up to $1,000 to support a wide array of community needs in Seward and/or Moose Pass. This flexible funding opportunity aims to support projects related to health and wellness, education, the great outdoors, arts and culture, and community development. Applications are reviewed monthly by the SCF Advisory Board, with a submission deadline on the 5th of each month.

The City of Marion is offering a grant program for non-profit organizations to increase tourism within Marion. The funding for these grants comes from the city's share of taxes collected on overnight stays at local hotels and motels. Approximately $50,000 is expected to be available for this competitive grant program in the 2024-2025 fiscal year. This initiative aligns with the city's broader mission to enhance local economic activity and community vibrancy through strategic tourism development. The primary beneficiaries of this grant program are non-profit organizations that can propose projects directly contributing to tourism growth in Marion. The impact goal is to significantly boost the number of visitors and tourism-related revenue within the city. This will be achieved by supporting projects that create new attractions, enhance existing ones, or promote Marion as a desirable travel destination. The program prioritizes projects that demonstrate a clear potential to attract tourists and generate economic benefits for the city. While the specific focuses are not explicitly detailed beyond increasing tourism, it implies an emphasis on innovative and engaging initiatives that highlight Marion's unique appeal. Eligibility is limited to non-profit organizations, ensuring that the funded projects serve a public benefit. Expected outcomes include an increase in tourist numbers, higher occupancy rates for hotels and motels, and an overall boost in local commerce. Measurable results will likely be assessed through metrics such as visitor statistics, tourism-related tax revenue increases, and the number of new or enhanced tourism offerings. The City of Marion's strategic priority is to leverage its tax revenues from overnight stays to reinvest in the local tourism infrastructure, operating under the theory of change that direct investment in tourism initiatives will lead to a proportional increase in economic benefits for the community.

The Native American Agriculture Fund invites applications to its 2024 grant program. The fund provides support consistent with its trust agreement to advance business assistance, agricultural education, technical support, and advocacy services for Native American producers and communities. Funding is offered across entity types with both general and special focus areas. Pools include support for nonprofit organizations, educational organizations, community development financial institutions, and tribal governments and instrumentalities. Special focus areas emphasize climate and regenerative agricultural practices and, for CDFIs, additional CDFI and Native CDFI support. Youth programming is available to all eligible entity types. Funds may support projects of 12 or 24 months and may be used for project support, general support, scholarships, re grants, lending programs, or capital expenditures. Stated pools and request ranges include, among others, 1,000,000 dollars for nonprofit general and special focus with requests between 100,000 and 200,000 dollars, 500,000 dollars for educational organizations with requests between 75,000 and 150,000 dollars, 4,500,000 dollars for CDFIs with no fixed request limits, and 1,000,000 dollars for youth programming with requests from 20,000 to 200,000 dollars. Eligible applicants include 501(c)(3) organizations, educational organizations described in Section 170(b)(1)(A)(ii), community development financial institutions including certified and emerging Native CDFIs that are 501(c)(3), and instrumentalities of federally recognized tribes meeting the fund’s charitable and reporting requirements including limited waivers as applicable. The program aligns with the trust agreement’s definitions and restrictions. Applications are due May 1, 2024. Typical award sizes for some pools range from 100,000 to 500,000 dollars depending on entity type and focus. Additional information and official details are provided by the Native American Agriculture Fund.

This grant opportunity, offered by the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry, Bureau of Parks and Lands, is aimed at the acquisition, development, and maintenance of new trailered boat launches. The program supports state and local governments, among other eligible entities, to enhance public access to waterways for recreational boating. Eligible projects must serve as the primary recreational boating access for the general public. A pre-approval site inspection is required for project eligibility. The funding cap for new trailered launch projects is $100,000.

This grant provides funding to local organizations and nontraditional partners to promote community-led development, enhance equity, and foster innovative solutions in conflict prevention and recovery efforts.

Ball Brothers Foundation offers General Grants to support organizations operating within Indiana, with a strong focus on East Central Indiana and the Muncie/Delaware County area. These grants, ranging from $5,000 to $100,000, aim to fund capacity-building initiatives, innovative approaches for community needs, specific program/project initiatives, general operating support, and seed money for new endeavors. Grant renewed every year. Grant Round 2 Annual deadlines: September 1st (preliminary application July 15th)

This program provides funding to local governments and community organizations in Montana to create and improve fishing ponds, promoting public access and recreational fishing, especially for families and youth.

The State of Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation & Forestry announces the 2024 ATV Trail Maintenance Grant Program, designed to support ATV clubs in maintaining and improving ATV trails across the state. The grant offers a tiered funding system based on trail mileage, ranging from $7,000 for trails up to 10 miles, to $12,000 for trails over 70 miles. Eligible expenses include construction, maintenance, labor (up to $15 an hour if paid), and landowner relations efforts, with an additional $500 available for qualified landowner relations expenses. Clubs must be registered non-profit corporations in good standing and meet several requirements, including obtaining necessary permits and providing proof of landowner permission. Applications must be submitted by July 1, 2024, with grants payable on a reimbursement basis. Grant renewed every year.

The United Black Fund of Greater Cleveland (UBFGC) has announced the "Community Thrive" grant, a special funding opportunity designed to combat mental health issues and gun violence in the community. This initiative aligns with UBFGC's mission to identify and partner with organizations that are making a positive impact on the devastating effects of these issues, demonstrating a commitment to community well-being and social justice. The grant supports programs, resources, and support services that aim to improve mental health and/or reduce the incidence of gun violence, reflecting a strategic priority to foster a healthier and safer Cuyahoga County. The grant targets organizations serving Cuyahoga County that provide programming to support mental health or gun violence prevention/intervention work. The beneficiaries include youth and adults affected by depression, those at risk of suicide, individuals struggling with school violence/absenteeism, anger management, and social media addiction. In terms of gun violence, the grant aims to support families affected by gun violence, promote gun safety, and address gun culture and laws. The expected impact is a reduction in mental health crises and gun violence incidents, leading to improved community well-being and safety. The "Community Thrive" grant prioritizes projects that impact mental health wellness, including addressing depression, suicide prevention, school violence, anger management, and social media addiction. For gun violence prevention, the grant seeks innovative approaches such as education and awareness campaigns, and community-based interventions that tackle root causes. Specific areas of interest include preventing shootings in schools, universities, religious institutions, and retail locations, as well as supporting affected families. The grant also considers proposals addressing gun culture, gun safety, and gun laws. Applicants must be established organizations with a proven track record of at least three years, demonstrating their impact through data. They must serve Cuyahoga County and provide a minimum of one letter of support. A key criterion is that funding must be utilized for 80% programming and 20% operations and/or marketing. The organization must be a 501(c)(3) or have a fiscal agent, and a one-page strategic plan summary outlining the use of funds is required. The grant does not support one-time events, sponsorships, or fundraising campaigns, emphasizing a focus on sustained programming with a minimum execution period of one year, commencing January 1, 2024. These criteria reflect UBFGC's theory of change, which emphasizes evidence-based, long-term, and community-focused interventions.

This program provides matching funds to state, tribal, and local governments in Montana for developing and improving outdoor recreation facilities like parks and sports fields.

This program provides financial assistance to shooting clubs, local governments, private organizations, and school districts in Montana to develop and improve shooting ranges, promoting recreational shooting sports across the state.

The Readiness and Environmental Protection Integration (REPI) Program, combined with funds from the National Park Service Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF), provides a total of $40 million in funding. This initiative aims to safeguard the nation's military readiness, bolster relationships with communities, preserve the environment, and enhance resilience to climate change impacts on military installations and surrounding communities. It focuses on the acquisition of land and/or development of new outdoor public recreation facilities near military installations or airspace, promoting compatible land uses and preventing incompatible development. The initiative underscores the importance of partnerships, particularly between the Department of Defense (DoD) military bases and local communities, to achieve its goals. Projects must be situated within a designated REPI Partnership Opportunity Area and should serve both the general public and military families, highlighting the program's dual focus on enhancing outdoor recreation and supporting military missions.

The Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) is accepting applications for the 2024 Recreational Trails Program (RTP) grant round from March 12 to May 7, 2024. Approximately $1.9 million in RTP funding is available. The RTP, funded by the Federal Highway Administration and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, is a federal 80-20 matching reimbursement program aimed at building and rehabilitating trails and trail-related facilities across non-motorized, diversified, and motorized trail categories. In 2024, the program is open for applications for both new trail construction and improvements to existing trails, following a competitive application process overseen by the RTP and the Virginia Recreational Trails Program Advisory Committee. Eligible applicants include city, county, town, tribal, or other government entities, as well as registered nonprofit groups partnered with a government body.

Drawing on the science of prebunking, the growing danger from synthetic media, and the popularity and penetration of online games and social media, the implementer will develop media literacy and digital safety curricula and organize three public service announcement (PSA) campaigns targeting students, parents, and educators in Ukraine. Afterwards, the implementer will organize a conference in Eastern Europe on synthetic media literacy.

Drawing on the science of prebunking and the popularity and penetration of video games, the implementer will develop an evergreen game in a sandbox platform, with an existing fan base, in which participants play a game that builds cognitive resilience to authoritarianism and promotes democratic norms and values. The game will increase player skepticism of foreign propaganda and disinformation by increasing player media literacy and digital safety.