Environment Program - Eliminating Barriers to Outdoor Access for Underserved Groups

The Onion Foundation is offering an Environment Program grant focused on eliminating barriers to outdoor access for underserved groups. The grant cycle runs from January 8, 2025, to February 12, 2025, with notifications expected in May. This initiative aims to ensure that all Maine residents feel comfortable in and connected to the natural world while fostering a strong ethic of care for nature. The grant is primarily targeted at organizations working to make outdoor spaces more accessible and inclusive, particularly for people of color and individuals living with disabilities. The grant program emphasizes three key priorities. First, it supports Maine land trusts and watershed organizations in developing equitable and inclusive programs that ensure easy access to outdoor spaces. This includes funding opportunities to assist land trusts in stewarding land and water resources with a focus on accessibility and inclusivity. The Onion Foundation has partnered with Momentum Conservation to support Maine land trusts in these efforts. Similarly, regional watershed organizations, which oversee many of Maine’s lakes and fresh water bodies, are encouraged to apply for funding to enhance their programming and outreach efforts. Second, the program aims to eliminate the barriers that underserved groups, particularly Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) and individuals with disabilities, face in accessing the outdoors. Grants will be awarded to organizations that provide immersive outdoor experiences designed to engage these populations in a safe and meaningful way. Successful programs will demonstrate leadership by individuals from the target communities, forge strong partnerships to support outdoor engagement, integrate with local community networks, and remove common barriers such as transportation and cost. Programs that focus on fostering a lasting connection with nature through repeated experiences are especially encouraged to apply. Third, the grant supports statewide and regional networks that strengthen outdoor access efforts across Maine. This includes funding for organizations that provide resources, infrastructure, and operational support to advance the equitable outdoor access movement. Recognizing the importance of coordination and sustainability, the grant prioritizes initiatives that enhance learning, knowledge sharing, and overall effectiveness within the outdoor sector. The grant does not typically fund capital projects, agricultural initiatives, food security programs, or community gardens. Instead, funding is focused on projects that build capacity, develop inclusive programming, and expand access to the outdoors. Organizations interested in applying should contact the Onion Foundation or the relevant program officers for guidance before submission. Prospective applicants should prepare proposals that clearly outline how their programs will reduce barriers for underserved populations, describe their program’s inclusivity and accessibility components, and detail how they will create meaningful and repeated outdoor experiences. First-time applicants are encouraged to review informational materials and participate in an info session before submitting their application.