Park and Trail Partnership Grants Now Open

Does your Friends group need funding to help support and steward a state park, trail, historic site or public land?

Consider applying for a Park and Trail Partnership (PTPP) grant.

Through these grants, funded by the NYS Environmental Protection Fund, Friends groups have been able to accomplish a range of projects that elevated their groups to the next level and enabled them to better care for their park, trail, historic site of public land. From hiring staff and developing new membership programs, to building trails and creating educational exhibits, PTPP grants have enabled Friends groups to increase their effectiveness, promote outdoor recreation, and enhance the stewardship of their state park, historic site, or public land.

Grant applications for the Park and Trail Partnership Program are due November 30, 2018.

Looking for more information? Sign up for one our webinars for prospective applicants can learn more, check out the website or email grants@ptny.org.

Eligibility requirements include:

The NYS Park and Trail Partnership Program is open to organizations whose primary mission is the preservation, stewardship, interpretation, environmental education, maintenance, and/or promotion of a specific New York State park, trail, historic site or public land under the jurisdiction of OPRHP or Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC). In addition:

1. An applicant must be a corporation formed pursuant to or subject to the NYS Not-for-Profit Corporation Law.
2. An applicant must be classified by the IRS as a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization or have a Memorandum of Understanding with a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt fiscal agent.
3. An applicant must have a current formal Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with OPRHP or current formal Use and Occupancy, Volunteer and Stewardship Agreement (VSA) or Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with DEC at the time the grant is issued.

There are four types of grants:

• Capacity and Organizational Effectiveness Grants: strengthen the capacity and expertise of individual organizations that support New York State parks, trails, historic sites and public lands, in order to aid them in fulfilling their mission and to improve their reach, effectiveness, and impact.
• Step-Up Grants: assist organizations with the administrative and legal fees needed to secure 501(c)(3) status, along with the costs associated with completing a consultant-facilitated organizational assessment and resulting plan(s).

• Professional Development Grants: support the hiring of staff in order to advance organizations to a higher and sustainable level of professionalism, fiscal and administrative stability, and community outreach that in the future they will be able to sustain on their own.
• Stewardship and Public Access Capacity Grants: may be used to assist organizations with the stewardship, interpretation, promotion, education, and public access of a New York state park, trail, historic site or public land, which significantly enhances the organization’s visibility and capacity.

To see past awardees click here.