Funding Opportunities
Obtaining funding for your Friends group can be challenging but PTNY has many resources available to help grow your membership and assist you with fundraising efforts. These resources can help you attain new members, engage and retain active members, set fundraising goals, understand legal requirements, thank donors, crowdfund, use donor management software, and find funding sources.
One of the main funding opportunities for Friends groups is the Park and Trail Partnership Grant (PTPG) Program. These grants are administered by Parks & Trails New York in partnership with the NYS Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation and provide up to $900,000 to Friends groups annually. The program is designed to enhance the work Friends groups do, increase funding that is needed to support New York’s parks, trails, state historic sites and public lands and promote the tourism and economic development benefits of outdoor recreation in the state. Grants can go toward a variety of projects, from professional development to assisting Friends groups with stewardship projects. An example of a previous grant awardee is Friends of Minna Anthony Common Nature Center, which used its grant to create exhibits that educate visitors on the history of the Nature Center and Wellesley Island. These education enhancements have attracted users and made the Nature Center a true destination to connect people with nature. PTPG awardees for this round will be announced in the spring, and a new round will open in the fall.
PTPG awards aren’t the only funding opportunities for Friends groups! The Friends Group Gateway includes many development and fundraising resources for members to use. Other funding opportunities come directly from the NYS Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, the NYS Canal Corporation Canalway Grant Program, other governmental grants, non-governmental grants and more. Gateway members have access to development and fundraising resources that go beyond just grants. On the Gateway you can also access guidance documents, templates for budgeting, past workshops on membership development and more!