What the Park and Trail Partnership Grants Expansion Could Mean for Your Organization

The Park and Trail Partnership Grant program, administered jointly by Parks & Trails New York (PTNY) and the NYS Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (OPRHP), is a capacity-building matching grants program funded through the NYS Environmental Protection Fund. The program was designed to increase the sustainability, effectiveness, and productivity of non-profit organizations that support public lands affiliated with OPRHP or the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC).

In 2022, funding for the grant program has doubled to $2 million. This increase will help groups take on bigger projects, create opportunities that encourage new partnerships, provide resources to organizations to train, educate, and develop action plans to internally address diversity, equity, inclusion and justice, and expand access to more grassroots organizations that champion our public lands. To learn more about how the grants will be expanding, check out this document that PTNY created to highlight some of the main changes.

Recently, PTNY hosted two workshops to share more about the grant program and the upcoming expansion. Recordings of these workshops are available below:

1. Introduction to the Park and Trail Partnership Grants: This workshop explores the basics of the Park and Trail Partnership Grant Program including eligibility, goals, and where to get started. Access recording here.

2. What is our expanded Park and Trail Partnership Grant Program for 2022?: In 2022, our Park and Trail Partnership Grants have increased to $2 million from $1 million in available funding. During this workshop, we will explore what exactly this means for applicants and how this round will be different from previous rounds. Access recording here.

As part of the expansion, during the upcoming application round - which launches in September - our review team will be giving extra consideration to applications that can “move the needle forward” on the following 3 areas that are a priority for PTNY and our partners: accessibility; diversity, equity and inclusion; and partnerships. Ensuring that our parks and sites are welcoming and safe for all users is critical for the future of our parks, public lands, and for grassroots nonprofits in general. Addressing Diversity, Equity and Inclusion - or DEI - is an integral part of the future of both State Parks and DEC. It is also intrinsic to Friends groups achieving their mission statements and engaging new members, volunteers and leaders.

If you are considering projects that advance these goals or are interested in learning more, PTNY has created this document which highlights PTPG-funded projects from previous rounds that focus on accessibility. This document also provides examples of statewide and regional organizations whose missions focus on accessibility and diversity that you may reach out to, such as the Association for Aging, the Independent Living Association, Ladders to the Outdoors, DEC’s Office of Cultural and Native Affairs, amongst others.

In our conversations with organizations who have been able to successfully expand their reach to new audiences, we found that one of the most effective ways is through partnerships. There is a trove of organizations- big and small- throughout New York State who are hungry for opportunities yet simply do not have the resources to implement them. Park and Trail Partnership funds can be used to establish and nurture these relationships whether it be to work on a specific project or collaborating on an event or a series of programs that address accessibility at our state parks and public lands.

To learn more about the Park and Trail Partnership Grants or to find a wealth of resources for applicants, go to ptny.org/ptpg

Important Dates:

• September 15th -- Application process opens
• September 28th -- Webinar for Professional Development applicants
• October 12, 1pm and November 2, 11am – Webinar for prospective applicants. (The same webinar is being offered twice)
• December 9 -- Application Deadline

If you have any questions, don't hesitate to reach out to the Parks Team here at PTNY: friends@ptny.org