PECO Green Region Open Space Grant Program

The PECO Green Region Open Space Program is a grant initiative designed to support municipalities and nonprofit organizations in southeastern Pennsylvania in their efforts to preserve, protect, and improve open spaces. The program is administered by Natural Lands, a nonprofit land conservancy, and is funded by PECO. Since its inception in 2004, the program has awarded over $3.15 million for nearly 400 projects, including the planting of thousands of trees, acquisition and conservation of open spaces, improvements to trails and parks, and increased public access to nature. The 2025 Regular Round of the program offers grants of up to $10,000 per project. These funds can be used to cover up to 50% of total project costs, with the remaining amount covered by cash matching funds. Projects must be located in Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, or York Counties within PECO’s service territory and must serve the public by improving access to passive recreational spaces and enhancing environmental quality. Eligible applicants include townships, boroughs, cities, regional recreational authorities, and incorporated nonprofits located in the City of Philadelphia. Eligible projects include habitat improvements (such as meadows and riparian buffers), ADA accessibility upgrades, trail and boardwalk construction, LED lighting installation, open space and feasibility planning, land acquisition, and conservation easements. Consultant fees related to planning and design are allowable. Applicants are strongly encouraged to include tree planting in their proposals. Ineligible expenses include staff time, grant preparation costs, facility construction, parking lots (except ADA or lighting improvements), and unrelated capital projects. Applications must be submitted online via the Natural Lands portal by 5:00 p.m. on Friday, October 31, 2025. All documentation must be submitted in PDF or JPEG format. Grant recipients are expected to expend all funds within 18 months of disbursement and submit a final report with documentation no later than two months after project completion. Retroactive reimbursement may be considered on a case-by-case basis for eligible expenses incurred after the application deadline but before disbursement. Grant recipients must agree to publicly acknowledge PECO’s support, including participation in events and the display of PECO signage. Awardees from the 2024 round are ineligible to apply in 2025, while 2023 and earlier awardees may apply again once their previous grant is closed out. Applications are reviewed by a committee of county officials, nonprofit leaders, and PECO representatives. Final award decisions are made at PECO’s discretion. For assistance, applicants should contact Kyle Rose, Program Administrator, at greenregion@natlands.org or 610-353-5587 ext 211.

Include tree planting to enhance competitiveness. Retroactive reimbursement for post-deadline expenses may be considered.