Recreation Grants

The City of Marion has established a Hotel/Motel Grant Program funded by a seven percent room tax on overnight stays. This program redistributes these funds through the annual budget process and grants to organizations that aim to boost tourism in Marion. Eligible entities are those working towards increasing local tourism, including City of Marion events, commissions, and partners, which receive allocations during the annual budget process and do not require separate grant applications. A committee assesses applications to recommend funding allocations to the council. Funds are granted for the fiscal year only, with unclaimed funds reverting to the Hotel/Motel Fund. Marion City Council has budgeted $50,000 for the Hotel/Motel Grant Program for FY24-25. The grant application process will open on Tuesday, April 2, 2024. Grant renewed every year. Grant Annual opening: April

This funding opportunity supports innovative, free community arts events in Greater Louisville that engage diverse neighborhoods and promote collaboration among local organizations and artists.

This grant provides financial support and resources to nonprofit organizations in Del Mar for projects that enhance community pride, preserve open spaces, and improve local cultural programs and events.

The Maine Tourism Development & Management Grant is designed to foster tourism development, education, and management projects in Maine that aim to enhance collaboration among key destination organizations, create sustainable growth within the tourism sector, and provide qualified technical and consulting assistance. The grant supports projects that align with the Maine Office of Tourism's Destination Management Plan and prioritize sustainable and inclusive tourism. Applications are accepted annually, with grants ranging from $15,000 to $40,000. Eligible projects include tourism product development, stewardship planning, visitor education programs, strategic planning related to tourism, and the creation of educational or interpretive signage to improve the visitor experience. A 25% cash match is required to ensure regional and community support for the projects. Ineligible uses of funding include marketing campaigns, special events, for-profit organizations, administrative costs, and construction projects. The grant emphasizes the importance of advancing off-season tourism, promoting the value of tourism, and developing inclusive travel opportunities. Deadline – Letter of Intent – 2pm, April 19, 2024 Application Deadline: 2pm, May 24th, 2024

This grant provides funding for community-driven projects to design and create outdoor spaces like parks and playgrounds in Colorado, focusing on promoting health equity for low-income families, communities of color, and rural areas.

This program provides funding to public entities and nonprofit organizations in Pennsylvania for the design, construction, or improvement of public access facilities for non-motorized waterway recreation.

The Community Foundation of South Alabama (CFSA) offers competitive program grants to local nonprofits in Mobile, Baldwin, Escambia, Monroe, Conecuh, Choctaw, Clarke, and Washington Counties, Alabama. These grants are funded through the Foundation’s unrestricted and field of interest funds, established by donors to address critical community needs. The program aligns with CFSA's mission to support sustainable initiatives that produce meaningful results on community priorities. For 2024, the Foundation is exclusively awarding one-year program grants, focusing on specific projects that benefit the community and demonstrate potential for efficacy and sustainability. CFSA's grant-making is strategically guided by six key focus areas: Family, Education, Work, Racial Equity, Arts and Culture, and Mental and Behavioral Health, all within its eight-county footprint. For 2024, the Foundation has defined six specific priorities for grant applications. These include promoting parenting education; expanding opportunities for young people to secure well-paying jobs through workforce training; increasing access to preschool education and youth extracurricular activities; advancing racial equity with a focus on underprivileged youth; increasing youth access to equitable, high-quality arts and culture; and providing mental and behavioral supports for individuals and families. The target beneficiaries are individuals and families within the eight-county region, particularly underprivileged youth, who will directly benefit from these programs. The expected outcomes and measurable results revolve around the successful implementation of projects that address the stated priorities. CFSA seeks to support programs that can demonstrate a positive impact on community priorities and needs. While specific measurable results are not explicitly detailed for each priority, the emphasis on "meaningful results" and "efficacy and sustainability" suggests that applicants will need to articulate their intended outcomes and how they will measure success. For instance, programs focusing on workforce training would aim for increased job placement rates, while those on preschool education would look at improved school readiness. The Foundation's theory of change is implicitly rooted in the belief that by funding targeted programs within its six focus areas, it can create a ripple effect of positive change across the eight-county region. By supporting initiatives that promote parenting education, workforce development, early childhood education, youth engagement in arts and culture, racial equity, and mental health, CFSA aims to foster a more resilient, equitable, and thriving community. The preference for programs not exceeding 50% of their total budget also indicates a strategic priority for diversified funding and community buy-in, ensuring broader impact and sustainability beyond CFSA's initial investment. Grant amounts range from $5,000 to $15,000, with requests not to exceed $15,000.

The City of Germantown's Neighborhood Grants Program aims to empower neighborhood leaders by supporting projects that foster community engagement, beautify surroundings, improve resident communications, and enhance well-being. This program directly aligns with a broader mission to strengthen local communities by providing resources to homeowner and neighborhood associations. It serves as a strategic initiative to cultivate active, connected, and well-maintained neighborhoods, reflecting a theory of change where targeted financial support for community-led projects leads to tangible improvements in quality of life and a heightened sense of belonging among residents. The primary beneficiaries of this program are Germantown homeowner and neighborhood associations, along with their constituents. The impact goals are multi-faceted, focusing on increasing neighborly interaction, improving the aesthetics and functionality of public spaces, enhancing communication channels within neighborhoods, and promoting a greater sense of safety and collective well-being. The program's strategic priority is to empower these local organizations to take ownership of community development, leveraging their intimate understanding of neighborhood needs to drive meaningful change. The program prioritizes projects falling into four key categories: Engagement, Communications, Beautification, and Safety. Engagement projects aim to bring neighbors together for social and recreational activities, such as block parties and movie nights. Communications projects focus on strengthening neighborhood organizations through initiatives like website development and newsletters. Beautification projects seek to enhance public areas with holiday decorations, landscaping, and art. Safety projects are designed to increase well-being through events like Germantown Night Out, seminars, and safety awareness campaigns. Expected outcomes include a more vibrant and connected community life, more effective neighborhood organizations, visually appealing and well-maintained public spaces, and a measurable increase in residents' sense of safety and well-being. The program anticipates awarding two maximum grants of $5,000 each per period, with additional microgrants ranging from $500 to $1,000, totaling $25,000 per fiscal year. Measurable results will be gauged through the documentation of events with photos and sign-in sheets, the provision of receipts for all expenditures, and the overall completion of approved projects by the June 30, 2025, deadline.

The National Park Service (NPS), the Department of Defense, Defense Health Agency (DoD) have a partnership focused on promoting the health and wellness of active-duty military service members and their families through positive engagement experiences with national parks, public lands, and waterways. These experiences will promote healthy lifestyle habits and inspire families to become environmental stewards of national parks.

The Town of Avon offers the Support for Community Events Grant Program to provide financial aid to local festivals, special events, and community programs that deliver recreational or cultural opportunities and promote the town. The program gives special attention to events that enhance the attractiveness of Avon as a place to visit or live, celebrate local heritage, and enrich quality of life. Grant awards are capped at 25 percent of the event budget or 7,500 dollars, whichever is less. The funding window covers events occurring between July 1, 2024 and October 31, 2024. Preference is given to purchases or services that protect public health, safety, and welfare, such as emergency medical services, sanitation, lighting, security, and transportation. Eligible applicants must be tax exempt organizations under a 501(c) category and events must be held within town limits. Events must be free and open to the public, not financially dependent on town support, and not organized as for profit ventures. Funds may not support regular operating costs, and only one grant will be awarded per event. Applications are due May 3, 2024. Additional information is available from the Town of Avon.

The Federal Clean Vessel Act (CVA) Grant Program provides annual matching federal grants to support the purchase, installation, repair/upgrade, operation, and maintenance of recreational vessel marine sanitation facilities (pumpout facilities) and pumpout vessels in Connecticut. The program aims to improve water quality by increasing the availability of proper waste handling facilities for boaters, thereby reducing the discharge of poorly treated or untreated sanitary wastes into Long Island Sound and its harbors. Eligible applicants include public and private marinas, yacht clubs, boatyards, municipal and state-owned facilities, and pumpout vessel programs. Grants cover up to 75% of project costs, requiring a 25% match from grantees. Approximately $1 million is available annually. Grant renewed every year.

This funding opportunity assists communities in developing a portfolio of ready sites to attract and support growing businesses, with loans available specifically for private developers.

This funding opportunity provides financial support to non-profit organizations in the Great Lakes Energy service area for one-time charitable projects that benefit a large number of people and assist individuals or families in crisis.

This program provides financial assistance to private marinas, boatyards, and yacht clubs for the construction of sewage pumpout and dump stations to help reduce pollution from recreational boating.

The Robert & Patricia Endries Family Foundation seeks applications to benefit people in need in the Brillion area of Wisconsin. The foundation's mission aligns with supporting the vitality of the Brillion area and assisting disadvantaged individuals within the community. This grant program is designed to create a positive impact by addressing various critical needs, ensuring that residents have access to essential services and opportunities for well-being. The foundation prioritizes supporting the disadvantaged, specifically targeting the disabled, homeless, low-income individuals, single parents, troubled youth, and those suffering from chronic or mental illnesses. Additionally, it focuses on health and human services, including support for diabetes, cancer, cerebral palsy, Alzheimer’s disease, kidney disease, and mental health. Religious causes with a spiritual purpose and sports or arts programming and sponsorships are also key areas of focus. The foundation's strategic priorities include supporting capital campaigns, particularly for "bricks and mortar" projects, and encouraging matching or challenge gifts to motivate additional giving. While not explicitly stated as "theory of change," the foundation's preference to support national organizations through local chapters serving Brillion residents indicates a strategy to leverage broader resources for local impact. Gifts are directed to specific programs or opportunities, rather than general operations, ensuring targeted impact. Expected outcomes include improved health outcomes for those with specific illnesses, enhanced quality of life for disadvantaged groups, and strengthened community vitality in Brillion through various programs. While specific measurable results are not detailed, the focus on direct program support suggests that successful applications will demonstrate clear objectives and the potential for positive, tangible changes within the community. The foundation's emphasis on local impact and specific areas of need demonstrates a clear, albeit implicit, theory of change centered on direct community investment and collaboration.

This program provides competitive funding for community organizations and local governments to build or improve public facilities that support work, education, and health monitoring in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

This funding opportunity provides financial support to state and local governments in Arizona for projects that improve recreational facilities and safety on lakes where motorized boats are permitted.

The ARPA Aid to Nonprofits Grant (Round 5) is administered by the United Way of Walworth County (UWWC) as an ARPA Subrecipient through Walworth County. This program is designed to disburse $48,442.29 to local nonprofit (501c3 and 501c19) organizations. The core mission of this grant is to mitigate the negative economic impacts experienced by these organizations due to the COVID-19 pandemic, specifically for the period between March 3, 2021, and September 30, 2024. The UWWC's role as an administrator aligns with its broader mission of supporting the community and addressing critical needs, in this case, by strengthening the financial resilience of local nonprofits that serve Walworth County residents. The target beneficiaries for this grant are 501(c)3 or 501(c)19 non-profit organizations whose principal place of business, business operations, and service recipients are all located within Walworth County. The primary impact goal is to alleviate the financial strain caused by the pandemic on these essential community organizations, thereby enabling them to continue their vital services without interruption or reduction. This grant aims to ensure that local nonprofits remain robust and capable of supporting the community through various programs and services that may have been jeopardized by economic hardship. The grant prioritizes organizations that can demonstrate negative economic impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic within the specified timeframe. A key focus is also on ensuring accountability and proper fund distribution, as evidenced by the requirement for a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) number before any award checks are disbursed. This focus on verifiable impact and organizational capacity ensures that funds are directed to those most in need and capable of effective utilization. Expected outcomes include enhanced stability and operational capacity for local nonprofits. Measurable results would involve the number of organizations supported, the total amount of funding disbursed, and potentially, qualitative reports from grantees on how the funds helped them recover or sustain operations during the pandemic. By supporting these organizations, the UWWC contributes to the overall well-being and recovery of Walworth County, reflecting a strategic priority of community resilience. The theory of change behind this grant is that by providing direct financial aid to local nonprofits, the UWWC can effectively counter the economic fallout of the pandemic, thus indirectly supporting the many individuals and families served by these organizations and strengthening the social fabric of the county.

This funding program provides financial support to state and local governments, tribes, and urban communities to create and improve parks, protect natural resources, and enhance outdoor recreation opportunities, particularly in underserved areas.

This program provides funding for the development and maintenance of off-highway vehicle trails and related facilities, aimed at enhancing safe and sustainable OHV recreation in Arizona for governmental entities, non-profits, and clubs.