Florida Recreation Grants

The City of Fort Myers recognizes the importance of Special Events and provides assistance to qualified 501C3 organizations for special events through the awarding of limited City-provided services. Donor Name: City of Fort Myers State: Florida City: Fort Myers Type of Grant: Grant Deadline:  05/31/2024 Size of the Grant: Not Available Grant Duration: 1 Year Details: Purpose To provide recreational, cultural and educational opportunities and foster a sense of belonging and collective identity among residents. To provide event-related economic support for 501(c)(3) designated organizations and provide opportunities for the development of tourism. To provide assistance to events through the awarding of City provided services. Such services include, but are not limited to, trash pickup, police services, permits, barricades, signage and facility rental. Type of Grant City of Fort Myers Special Event Grant provides limited funds for City services. This grant can only be used for events held on or in City owned and operated facilities, parks and streets. Any awarding of grant funds is non-transferrable. Funding Information Upon grant approval, requestor will be notified in writing by the City of Fort Myers. Approved funds will be transferred directly to the appropriate facility and/or park department. Requestor is responsible for all contractual and financial obligations stipulated in the facility/park rental contract including deposits and payment schedules. Approval of this grant request does not allow requestor any special privilege within the facility and/or park. All city department rules, regulations and ordinances will be enforced. Project Period All events must be held between October 1, 2024, and September 30, 2025. For more information, visit City of Fort Myers.

This funding opportunity provides financial support to small nonprofit organizations in Northeast Florida with limited budgets, helping them strengthen their operations or develop community-focused programs.

The Miami Lakes Town Foundation is accepting applications for its 2024 mini-grant awards, aimed at supporting community groups, school clubs, and organizations that foster literacy, continuing education, youth programs, beautification projects, and cultural events in the Miami Lakes community, with a preference for projects that include a kindness component.

The Well Together Grant Awards Challenge is an opportunity for the Winter Park Health Foundation to award $50,000 each, to five local non-profit organizations currently serving or poised to serve the communities of Eatonville, Maitland, and Winter Park. Donor Name: Winter Park Health Foundation State: Florida City: Selected Cities Type of Grant: Awards and Prizes Deadline: 05/15/2024 Size of the Grant: $10,000 to $100,000 Grant Duration: Grant Duration Not Mentioned Details: For all 30 of the years, the Winter Park Health Foundation has led with innovation, investing in the health and wellbeing of the communities of Eatonville, Maitland, and Winter Park through a creative mix of initiatives, facilities, programs, and grants. To date, WPHF has invested more than 131 million dollars in grant funding to projects and organizations that marry impact and innovation and that create solutions for the ever-changing community health needs. Sparked by the Victory Cup Initiative (VCI) and designed in collaboration with VCI’s leadership, through the Well Together Grant Awards Challenge, the Winter Park Health Foundation will award $300,000 in 2024 among five local non-profit organizations — $50,000 to five organizations that compete in October for their share of an additional $50,000. Who can apply? Eligibility requirements include: A 501c3 non-profit organization. Currently serving or poised to serve the communities of Eatonville, Maitland, and Winter Park. Provide creative, impactful, and innovative solutions focused on Youth Mental Health, Diabetes/Pre-Diabetes, and/or Heart Health. Have a REVIEWED nonprofit search profile on the Central Florida Foundation website. Mandatory attendance at Storytelling Training Sessions. For more information, visit WPHF.

This funding opportunity provides financial support to nonprofit arts and cultural organizations in Broward County to strengthen programs, launch innovative initiatives, and improve operational capabilities, particularly for projects that benefit underserved youth and foster collaboration.

The City of Orlando is offering a matching grant program, ranging from $1,000 to $10,000, for schools and non-profit organizations to fund youth programs that enhance academic achievement, reduce crime, and promote safe communities, with funds being used for educational, athletic, civic engagement, or mentoring opportunities, excluding certain expenses like computers, office equipment, and in-school programs.

This grant provides funding to organizations for innovative educational programs that support students in Title I schools in Polk County, Florida, particularly those in grades K-8, to improve academic outcomes and address challenges like absenteeism and behavioral issues.

City of Margate Property Improvement Grant Program (Florida) provides a 50% reimbursement grant of up to $50,000 for commercial or multi-family properties and common areas, as well as building exteriors owned by condominium or homeowner associations. The program also offers 50% reimbursement up to $10,000 for improvements to single-family properties or multi-family homesteaded properties. Eligible improvements include exterior painting, landscaping, impact-resistant improvements, roofing, structural repair, and more. The goal is to encourage property and business owners to enhance their properties, thereby improving the area's visual quality and increasing property values in Margate. For more information, visit the Property Improvement Grant Program website.

Social service agencies that provide homeless services and/or homeless prevention services are invited to apply to take advantage of up to $100,000 in Social Action Funding grants from the City of St. Petersburg. Donor Name: City of St. Petersburg State: Florida City: St. Petersburg Type of Grant: Grant Deadline: 06/20/2024 Size of the Grant: $10,000 to $100,000 Grant Duration: 1 Year Details: The purpose of Social Action Funding is to provide financial support for social service programs that positively impact the lives of residents who are homeless and those at-risk of becoming homeless in the City of St. Petersburg. Priority is given to agencies that provide services for: Families with children (ages 0- 5 years) Elderly over 62 years Unaccompanied youth Youth aging out of foster care Chronically homeless living on the street as defined by HUD Families with children (ages 6 -17 years) Veterans Victims of domestic violence. Funding Information Applications up to $100,000 per agency are permitted for competitive funding, except that an agency may submit additional applications for programs that provide any of the following critical services: storage units for personal items belonging to homeless individuals; call centers to assist persons with the prevention of homelessness or to assist those who are already homeless, and discretionary funds for street outreach to homeless individuals and families. Grant Period Project funding cannot begin before October 1, 2024, nor extend beyond September 30, 2025. Eligibility Requirements All organizations applying to the City for funding shall comply with the following: Agencies that provide HOMELESS PREVENTION SERVICES and/or HOMELESS SERVICES. Programs must use a “housing first” and low barrier approach. Priority for funding will be given to programs which provide services to families with minor children; programs providing services to unaccompanied youth and/or youth aging out of foster care; programs which provide services to elderly over 62 years; programs providing services to chronically homeless living on the street as defined by HUD; programs providing services to veterans; programs which provide services to persons experiencing domestic violence; as well as homeless prevention/diversion services. There will be no bonus points for MATCH and SOLE SOURCE. All agencies must enter client data into the Pinellas Homeless Management Information System. (Notedomestic violence providers are the ONLY exceptions to this requirement). Services provided must be available to all residents in the City of St. Petersburg. The mission of organizations shall be to advance the health, economic, or social well-being of persons in need and who are homeless or are at-risk of becoming homeless. Agencies must make all program and financial information available and must permit on-site visits by staff and Committee members, if requested to do so. Agencies and their respective programs must be non-profit and incorporated under the State of Florida and have an IRS 501(c)(3) designation or be a governmental agency at time of submission of application. Agencies that engage in fundraising activities within the City of St. Petersburg must have a current State of Florida, Division of Consumer Services, State Solicitation of Contributions License. Agencies must be established for a minimum of one (1) year prior to date of application. For more information, visit City of St. Petersburg.

Topfer Family Foundation Grant Program focuses on supporting nonprofit organizations within the program areas of Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment, Youth Enrichment, Children’s Health, Aging In Place, and Job Training & Support. Eligible applicants must be exempt under Section 501(c)(3) of the IRS code. The foundation primarily invests in communities where the family resides, including the greater Austin, Texas and greater Chicago, Illinois metropolitan areas. Additionally, they have started providing grants to organizations in Denver, CO and Broward County, FL. For more information and to apply for a grant, visit Topfer Family Foundation's website.

This program provides funding to local governments and organizations in Florida for small-scale transportation projects that improve safety and accessibility for pedestrians and cyclists, while also preserving cultural and environmental resources.

The Florida Department of State is seeking applications for its Cultural Facilities Grant. Donor Name: Florida Department of State State: Florida County: All Counties Type of Grant: Grant Deadline: 06/03/2024 Size of the Grant: $100,000 to $500,000 Grant Duration: 2 Years Details: The Cultural Facilities Program coordinates and guides the State of Florida’s support and funding of renovation, new construction, or acquisition of cultural facilities. It is intended for organizations whose mission is arts and cultural programming in one of the disciplines. The Division offers two levels of funding within the Cultural Facilities Program. These levels are determined by the specific use of the facility: A purpose-built or single use facility that will solely be used for the programming, production, presentation, exhibition of any of the arts and cultural disciplines (Section 265.283(7), Florida Statutes) at least 85% of the time. This type of facility includes theatres, performance centers, museums (including, aquariums, botanical gardens, history centers, zoos, etc.) and art centers. The maximum request amount for this type of facility is $500,000. A multi-purpose facility that will be used for the programming, production, presentation, exhibition of any of the arts and cultural disciplines (Section 265.283(7), Florida Statutes) less than 85% of the time. This type of building includes community centers, recreation centers, civic centers and municipal buildings. The maximum request amount for this type of facility is $200,000. Project costs must be directly related to the arts and cultural portion of the facility. Project Period 23 months. Eligibility Criteria The following conditions are required for eligibility. All documentation must be provided by the application deadline. Must not have multiple active Cultural Facilities projects under contract at one time. Cultural Facilities projects have a grant period of 23 months. Unless a grantee has a smaller project that will be completed in a single year, grantees should submit new applications every other year. Cultural Facilities is subject to Legislative appropriation and recommendations approved by the Secretary of State will be funded top-down until the appropriation is depleted. . Must use the facility to directly conduct arts and cultural programming. Documentation must be provided to support the percentage of facility use is for arts and cultural purposes as it pertains to the organization’s mission per section 265.283(1), Florida Statutes. Must have the required legal status. Must have unrestricted use of the land and buildings associated with the project which means you must be able to record a Restrictive Covenant on the property with the Clerk of Court for ten (10) years or provide a 10-year surety bond. Must retain ownership of all improvements made under the grant (unless the land or buildings are owned by the State of Florida and leased to an eligible applicant). If the property is leased, only facilities with leases in which the lessor is a public entity governed by either a municipality or county, or a not-for-profit entity are eligible for a Cultural Facilities grant (facilities or property owned by an individual or for-profit entity are not eligible for a Cultural Facilities grant). 9. If the property is leased, the lease agreement must be dated, signed by all parties, and submitted at the time of the application submission. 10. Must provide documentation of Total Support and Revenue for the last completed fiscal year. Must have appropriate matching funds and documentation at time of application submission. Must provide current architectural plans signed by a licensed architect or engineer clearly indicating scope of work. If architectural plans are not required for the completion of the project, contractor project proposals or working drawings must be provided. Must include budget estimate provided by the architect, engineer, or contractor that the Proposal Expense Details are based on. 3. Must have current project support of local officials (city and county government), community groups, and community members —for this project— documented in writing at time of application. Applicants with structures 50 years or older must submit a determination letter (stating that the proposed project will have NO adverse effects to the building’s historical significance) from the Division of Historical Resources (DHR) at time of application. Application Restrictions Organizations may only submit one (1) Cultural Facilities application per application deadline. Cultural Facilities grants do not fund Historic Preservation projects. Organizations with projects funded by the Legislature outside of the review of the Florida Council on Arts and Culture or Secretary of State are not eligible to receive Cultural Facilities grant support for the same Scope of Work from the Division of Arts and Culture within the same fiscal year in which legislative funding is appropriated. No organization may receive more than $1.5 million during a consecutive previous five state fiscal year period (July 1 – June 30). Legal Status To meet the legal status requirement, an applicant organization must be either a public entity or a Florida nonprofit, tax-exempt corporation as of the application deadline in accordance with section 265.701(2), Florida Statutes. Public Entity A Florida local government, entity of state government, school district, community college, college, or university. Private schools, private community colleges, private colleges, and private universities are not public entities and must be nonprofit and tax-exempt to meet the legal status requirement. Nonprofit, Tax-Exempt To apply to the Cultural Facilities grant program, an applicant must be both: Nonprofit: incorporated as an active nonprofit Florida corporation, in accordance with Chapter 617, Florida Statutes; and Tax-exempt: designated as tax-exempt as defined in section 501(c)(3) or 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954, as amended. For more information, visit Florida Department of State.

The Alachua County Visitors & Convention Bureau is accepting applications for its Nature and Culture Destination Enhancement Grants. Donor Name: Alachua County Visitors & Convention Bureau State: Florida County: Alachua County (FL) Type of Grant: Grant Deadline: 08/23/2024 Size of the Grant: $10,000 to $100,000 Grant Duration: 1 Year Details: The purpose of the grants to support and enhance Alachua County as a culturally interesting and vibrant destination, the Alachua County Board of County Commissioners has allocated a portion of the Tourist Development Tax revenue to aid in the operations and promotions of arts, cultural, and nature events that have, as one of their main purposes, the attraction of tourists as evidenced by the promotion of the event to tourists. An eligible event is one that its main purpose for the attraction of tourists as evidenced by the promotion of the activity or event to tourists. A tourist is a person who participates in trade or recreation activities outside of the county of his or her residence, or who rents transient accommodations as provided in the Act. Funding information Applicants are able to request funds based on operating revenues reported in the organization’s last filed 990. The funding levels are as follows, with two exceptions as noted below: Annual budget over $1,000,000 Maximum Request 10% of budget Annual budget up to $ 999,999 Maximum Request 15% of budget Annual budget up to $ 499,999 Maximum Request 20% of budget Annual budget up to $ 199,999 Maximum Request 25% of budget Annual budget up to $ 100,000 Maximum Request 30% of budget The maximum request amount for an Educational Agency is $75,000.00 regardless of the number of program applications submitted. Educational Agencies that submit multiple applications are subject to the total award amount of $75,000.00. For applicants whose primary organizational purpose or mission is not to attract audience members, a separate event statement with direct expenses and revenues for the program is required. Funding request amounts will be based on that figure rather than the organizational budget. Grant Period For programs and activities occurring between October 1, 2024 – September 30, 2025. Eligibility Criteria  Applicants must fulfill the following at the time of application. Be a legally established arts, nature or culture organization. The operations, events and activities must be within the boundaries of Alachua County. The proposed event has as one of its main purposes the attraction of tourists as evidenced by the promotion of the event to tourists. Have documented IRS non-profit, tax-exempt status. A copy of Active Status from Sunbiz.org must be attached to the application. Institutions of higher education are eligible to apply for arts, nature or culture programs and events, within the request limit. Applications will not be accepted from organizations who have applied for Tourist Development funding through the Gainesville Sports Commission, Sponsorships, Local Sports Destination Enhancement Grants and Conference Grants in the same year. Applications will not be accepted for organizations to re-grant or provide funding to individuals or other organizations. Government entities are not eligible to apply for Nature and Culture Destination Enhancement grants. For more information, visit Visit Gainesville Alachua County.

This funding opportunity is designed for nonprofit organizations in Broward County to implement programs that improve financial stability and support individuals and families facing economic challenges.

This program provides funding to neighborhood associations in Hillsborough County for community projects that promote health, safety, and engagement among residents.

This grant provides financial support to nonprofit organizations that develop innovative resources and services to help adults in the middle or late stages of their careers with reskilling, upskilling, and career navigation, particularly those who are unemployed or underemployed.

This funding initiative provides financial support to nonprofit organizations in Miami-Dade County that offer high-quality summer arts and science camps for underserved children and youth, including those with disabilities, at little or no cost.

This funding opportunity supports initiatives that address social issues and enhance inclusivity in Greater Miami, focusing on health, economic stability, arts, community safety, environmental sustainability, and youth and family development.

This funding opportunity provides financial support to nonprofit organizations that assist low-income working families in Florida with education and financial stability initiatives.

This grant provides financial support to nonprofit organizations in Northeast Florida that serve LGBTQ individuals, focusing on initiatives that promote inclusivity and address the needs of specific populations such as aging adults, Black/African Americans, gender minorities, and youth.