Pennsylvania Recreation Grants

This grant provides funding to nonprofit organizations in Erie County to support projects that improve the lives of women and children by addressing critical issues such as transportation, healthcare, education, housing, childcare, and food insecurity.

This grant provides financial support to small businesses and non-profits in Lebanon County, Pennsylvania, to enhance their operations through professional development, paid internships, business improvements, and technology upgrades.

This grant provides funding to community groups and residents in Queen Village, Pennsylvania, for projects that enhance the neighborhood's quality of life, such as park improvements, beautification efforts, and educational programs.

This funding opportunity provides financial support to local workforce development boards and partner organizations in Pennsylvania to enhance collaboration among businesses and address workforce needs within priority industry sectors.

This funding opportunity supports community organizations in Philadelphia that provide re-entry and workforce development programs to help at-risk individuals secure employment and overcome barriers related to addiction and incarceration.

The Philadelphia City Fund is offering a one-year grant of $15,000 to Philadelphia-based organizations working towards long-term environmental justice and community resilience, with activities including community organizing, education, youth leadership, and project implementation, to be used within 12 months of being awarded.

The Susquehanna Greenway Mini-Grant program, funded by the Susquehanna Greenway Partnership, offers $1,000 to $10,000 grants to public entities and 501(c)(3) nonprofits in Pennsylvania for projects promoting education, outdoor engagement, wayfinding, trails, active transportation, and placemaking within the Susquehanna Greenway corridor.

The City of Philadelphia's Community Resilience and Environmental Justice (CREJ) Fund is offering $15,000 grants to 20 Philadelphia-based organizations working on long-term environmental justice projects, with the aim to support grassroots activism, community resilience, and the removal of environmental injustices.

The Somerset County Tourism Grant Program, funded by GO Laurel Highlands, offers grants ranging from $10,000 to $100,000 to nonprofit or for-profit businesses in the tourism and hospitality industry in Somerset County, Pennsylvania, for marketing initiatives and visitor center operations aimed at boosting tourism and overnight stays in the region.

The Fayette County Tourism Grant Program, administered by GO Laurel Highlands, offers grants ranging from $10,000 to $100,000 to nonprofit or for-profit businesses in the tourism and hospitality industry in Fayette County, Pennsylvania, for marketing, tourism enhancement, operational expenses, and visitor center operations, with the aim of boosting tourism and economic activity in the region.

The GO Laurel Highlands is offering a tourism grant ranging from $10,000 to $100,000 for marketing, enhancement of attractions, and special events aimed at increasing visitation and economic activity in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, with applications to be submitted by October 4, 2024.

The Seybert Foundation Innovation Grants Program offers grants ranging from $10,000 to $100,000 to Philadelphia-based nonprofits serving youth, to fund innovative projects in areas such as education reform, youth advocacy, and workforce development, with a focus on testing new approaches or pursuing opportunities for significant change.

The Vision Partnership Program (VPP) – Cash Grant is a grant available to Chester County municipalities and multi-municipal groups seeking to improve their planning programs while achieving consistency with and implementation of the goals, objectives, recommendations, and map of Landscapes3. Donor Name: Chester County State: Pennsylvania County: Chester County (PA) Type of Grant: Grant Deadline: 09/25/2024 Size of the Grant: $10,000 to $100,000 Grant Duration: Grant Duration Not Mentioned Details: Program Purpose Recognizing the benefits of grant awards to municipal planning projects, the Chester County Board of Commissioners established VPP in 1996 to promote cooperation between local governments and the County while implementing Landscapes, the County’s Comprehensive Plan.  The program was revised in 2010 to reflect Landscapes2 and revised again in 2019 to reflect Landscapes3. The purpose of VPP is to advance consistency with and implementation of the county comprehensive plan while accomplishing impactful, lasting, and positive benefits for municipalities through innovative municipal planning; multi-municipal planning; and new and revised municipal plans, ordinances, and planning studies that address opportunities and issues of community concern. Funding Information Plans or Ordinances Adopt $50,000 plus $10,000 for each additional municipality. Planning Studies Accept $30,000 plus $5,000 for each additional municipality. Eligible Costs The following costs are considered eligible for reimbursement if they are included in and directly related to the project scope of work attached to the executed grant contract: Professional planning consultant fees; Data collection and analysis; Mapping and graphics; Monthly duplicating costs of deliverables; Mailing costs, such as for mailings to municipal residents, not to exceed five (5) percent of the total eligible costs for the project; Review of draft materials by non-planning professionals, such as attorneys or engineers, not to exceed ten (10) percent of the total eligible costs for the project (note: this must be described specifically in the project scope of work); Travel costs, such as mileage for required meetings, not to exceed two (2) percent of the total eligible costs for the project; and Publication of the adopted document, up to thirty (30) copies. Eligible Projects  Comprehensive Plan Open Space, Park, and Recreation Plan (to include a greenway plan) Zoning Ordinance and Amendments (to include amendments specific to topic areas such as agriculture, historic resources, natural resources, housing, traditional neighborhood development, form based code, transfer of development rights, and establishing mixed-use, diverse, walkable communities) Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance and Amendments (to include amendments specific to topic areas such as bicyclist/pedestrian circulation, natural and cultural resource protection, woodland inventories, and forestation/woodland management plans) Official Map and Ordinance Urban Center Revitalization Plan Resource Protection/Stewardship Plan (addressing topics such as open space, natural resources, parks, scenic resources, historic and cultural resources) Environmental and Community Sustainability/Resilience Plan/Study (to include energy conservation, clean energy transition) Community Design Guide (addressing topics such as housing, historic resources, and villages) Village Master Plan Heritage Interpretation Plan (in accordance with Preserving Our Places, CCPC, 1998) Historic Resource Survey (in accordance with PHMC standards) Housing Plan/Study Economic Development Study Transportation Corridor Plan/Study Streetscape Master Plan Multimodal Plan/Study Trail Feasibility Study Plans/Ordinances that support transition to renewable or alternative energy Agricultural Economic Development Plan Eligibility Criteria  Meeting eligibility requirements is not a guarantee of grant funding under the Vision Partnership Program. Eligible Applicants  The VPP cash grant program is open to all Chester County municipalities which have endorsed or acknowledged Landscapes3. Eligible applicants include a single municipality or a multi-municipal group, which may consist of two (2) or more contiguous municipalities or two (2) or more municipalities when located in the same school district. The application shall identify and be submitted by a lead municipality in the case of a multimunicipal group application. To ensure proper grant administration and promote successful completion of projects, municipalities are encouraged to complete VPP projects funded under previous rounds before applying for additional VPP funding. However, the Chester County Planning Commission may consider approving municipalities to undertake more than one VPP funded project at a time on a case-by-case basis. Municipalities involved in a multi-municipal comprehensive plan shall not be eligible for VPP funding to undertake a full comprehensive plan update at the same time as the contract term of the multi-municipal plan. Partial updates to a specific comprehensive plan section, such as the historic resources plan, may be considered on a case-by-case basis. General Project Eligibility  The project shall advance one or more of the Landscapes3 goals and objectives, and implement one or more of the Landscapes3 recommendations at the municipal or multimunicipal level. Projects enabled by the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code (MPC), Act 247, as amended, such as comprehensive plans (or elements thereof) or ordinances, shall demonstrate compliance with the requirements of the MPC. Projects not adopted under the provisions of the MPC are defined as “Planning Studies” for the purposes of VPP. General project types that may be eligible include plans, ordinances, ordinance amendments, and planning studies. Projects shall be supported by a municipal or multi-municipal comprehensive plan that was adopted within the prior ten (10) years, unless the municipality has undergone the formal review process as outlined in Section 301(c) of the MPC or the applicant provides documentation identifying why the urgency of the proposed project supersedes the need for an update of their comprehensive plan. For more information, visit Chester County.

The 2024 Parks, Fields, Trails Grant, funded by the Erie County Gaming Revenue Authority, offers $10,000 to $100,000 for capital projects that improve public parks, athletic fields, and trails in Erie County, Pennsylvania, aiming to promote healthy lifestyles, enhance local tourism, and rejuvenate neighborhoods, with a focus on projects that provide social, educational, cultural, health, recreation, and/or economic benefits to residents.

The Centre Foundation's Field-of-Interest grant program, open to qualified 501(c)(3) nonprofits and governmental units in Centre County, Pennsylvania, offers $162,914 in funding for projects focusing on education, health, social services, arts, and youth development, to be used within a year starting from December 2024.

The Community Fund is an annual grant opportunity hosted by the Philadelphia City Fund in which community organizations are invited to submit proposals for charitable projects that address Philadelphia’s greatest areas of need and align with the City of Philadelphia’s goals to improve the quality of life for all residents. Donor Name: The Philadelphia City Fund State: Pennsylvania City: Philadelphia Type of Grant: Grant Deadline: 08/26/2024 Size of the Grant: $10,000 to $100,000 Grant Duration: Grant Duration Not Mentioned Details: This grant opportunity is made possible through the Philadelphia City Fund’s partnership with the Philadelphia Marathon Weekend, which allocates a portion of its annual revenues to the Community Fund. For the 2024 Community Fund grant cycle, the Fund and its partners at the Philadelphia Marathon Weekend seek to support programming that takes a holistic approach to youth wellness and inspires lifelong healthy activity. This year’s theme will focus on “Nurturing healthy minds, bodies, and spirits through out of school time programming.” The Fund will accept proposals from charitable nonprofit organizations that provide out of school time (“OST”) programming that promotes the healthy physical, social, educational, and emotional development of youth, ages pre-K thru 12th grade, in Philadelphia. Funding Information The total funding allocated for the 2024 cycle is $250,000. Grantees will receive awards of $25,000 in unrestricted funds to be used however they see fit, which can include general operations, programmatic activities, or other costs that support the organization’s mission. Eligibility Criteria In order to be considered for funding, applications must be submitted according to the deadlines, eligibility, and format as set forth in these guidelines and on the online submission form. Applicants must demonstrate their charitable organization’s 501(c)(3) status. If the applicant organization will be sponsored by a charitable fiscal sponsor, the applicant must demonstrate its sponsor’s charitable 501(c)(3) status. The Fund seeks to support small nonprofit organizations. Only organizations with annual operating budgets which do not exceed $5 million are eligible. Only organizations that provide out-of-school time (“OST”) programming to youth in Philadelphia will be considered eligible. OST programming is defined as programs and activities designed for youth enrolled in pre-K through 12th grade to contribute to the overall well-being and safety of youth through access to services that promote their healthy, physical, social, educational, and emotional development. In order to increase equitable access to OST programming across the city, preference will be given to requests from organizations that provide programming in the following Priority ZIP Codes: 19120, 19124, 19132, 19134, 19138, 19139, 19141, and 19144. Priority ZIP Codes were identified through an analysis conducted by the City of Philadelphia’s Office of Children and Families, Performance Management and Technology Team. This analysis used metrics related to quality of life (i.e. poverty rates, number of shootings, and percentage of youth involved with the City’s Department of Human Services (DHS)), the distribution of OST slots across the city, and the utilization of slots funded by DHS. Grant awards will be unrestricted, with a one-year grant term expected to begin in February 2025. Funding may be used as the grantee sees fit, which can include general operating support, programmatic activities, or other expenses that support the organization’s mission. Applicants will be expected to address the grant cycle theme “Nurturing healthy minds, bodies, and spirits through out-of-school time programming” in their application, either by connecting the theme with their organization’s mission and/or programming, or, if you intend to use this funding to support specific programming, by explaining how the proposed activities meet the theme. Grant funds may be used to supplement (but not replace or redirect) any federal, state, and/or local funding currently provided. Grant funds will be awarded on a one-time basis, with no obligation for future funding from the Philadelphia City Fund. If awarded funding through this opportunity, grantees will be expected to meet the requirements of the Pennsylvania childcare regulations throughout the grant term. In accordance with the Child Protective Services Laws, 24 P.S. § 1-111, as amended, and 23 Pa. C.S.A. §§ 6354-6358, it is required that all employees, officers, agents, servants, volunteers, or subcontractors of the grantee who will have direct contact with children must have: Pennsylvania Child Abuse History Clearance (Act 33) Pennsylvania State Police Criminal History Clearance (Act 34) Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) Criminal History Clearance Mandated reporter trainings For those sites operating in PA DHS Certified childcare sites, the National Sex Offender Registry verification is also required. If awarded funding through this opportunity, grantees will be expected to carry and maintain all insurance coverage reasonably necessary and appropriate under State and Federal laws during the grant term. Upon request, grantees must be able to provide the Philadelphia City Fund with a certificate of insurance evidencing its coverage. For more information, visit The Philadelphia City Fund.

The Pennsylvania Environmental Council (PEC) is offering a grant of $2000 for projects that address urgent, unforeseen situations on designated water trails, with the aim of creating recreational opportunities, supporting sustainable use of natural resources, and improving access to Pennsylvania Water Trails.

This funding opportunity provides financial support to public entities and nonprofit organizations in Pennsylvania for projects that enhance public access to waterways, ensuring they remain open and free for community use for 25 years.

The Pennsylvania Shooting Range Improvement Grant Program is designed to provide financial support to Pennsylvania’s aging shooting range infrastructure. Donor Name: Pennsylvania Game Commission State: Pennsylvania County: All Counties Type of Grant: Grant Deadline: (mm/dd/yyyy) 09/01/2024 Size of the Grant: $100,000 to $500,000 Grant Duration: 5-10 Years Details: The purpose of the SRIP grant is to bring life into aging infrastructure while creating opportunities for more access for new members. The PGC is proud of state’s hunting and shooting heritage and is here to work together to ensure the future is bright for the next generation. Many states have been leaders in the development of ranges on state-owned properties for several years. According to those states, agency range development has been beneficial in many ways including: Increased use of state lands. Decreased firearms-related vandalism in those areas with developed and accessible ranges. Local citizen support and appreciation. Increased generated funds. Enhanced user support of the hunting and shooting sports. Program Goals Increase public access to private and club-type facilities. Enhance shooting range facility availability or quality to the public. Enhance public safety and environmental stewardship. Enhance facilities available for the Pennsylvania Hunter-Trapper Education Program. Provide funding to shooting facilities that have not received grants previously. Program Tiers The Shooting Range Improvement Program will have a tier structure within the application for funding of projects after completion of the one-year pilot program. It will include three separate tiers based on the grant amount and useful life of the project for providing deliverables. Tier One Projects (Pilot year 2024, Max $30,000) will be a grant amount up to $50,000 with a useful life of five years. Deliverables for tier one: PGC signage of program funding  One youth field day per year or two hunter/shooter education classes 10 public days per calendar year (matches, tournaments, sight in days, open house event) Tier Two Projects will be a grant amount between $50,000 to $250,000 with a useful life of 10 years. Deliverables for tier two: PGC signage of program funding. One youth field day per year or two hunter/shooter education classes. 20 public days per calendar year (matches, tournaments, sight in days, open house event). Tier Three Projects will be a grant amount of $250,000 and up with a useful life of 15 years. Deliverables for tier three: PGC signage of program funding. One youth field day. Minimum 3 hunter/shooter education. 25 public days per calendar year (matches, tournaments, sight in days, open house event). Eligible Projects Projects for rifle, handgun, shotgun, skeet, and trap ranges should be designed to standards found in National Rifle Association (NRA) Range Source Book, a Guide to Planning and Construction or the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) website. For archery ranges, design information is available on websites for the Archery Trade Association, the National Field Archery Association, and other organizations. Design may also mirror PGC state game land ranges. Eligibility Criteria  Applicants who are eligible to apply for SRIP grants are existing shooting ranges, shooting clubs, recreational shooting organizations, archery clubs, and education groups. Applicants must demonstrate public use of current facilities. Examples of public use of facilities include public range times, educational outreach/trainings, or organized shooting competitions. Retail ranges are not eligible to apply for this program. For more information, visit Pennsylvania Game Commission.

The York County Community Foundation is offering a three-year grant of $100,000 to $500,000 for municipalities, county agencies, school districts, and non-profit organizations in York County, Pennsylvania, to preserve and protect open spaces, natural habitats, and waterways through land acquisition, planning studies, and ordinance assistance, with a focus on public access, recreational opportunities, and natural resource protection.