Grant Resources on the Web
The following web pages provide many resources to assist you in your search for outside funding for parks and recreation. Some grant opportunities offer funds to assist with facility construction, while others offer assistance to purchase equipment or hire staff to implement programs. This information is not all-inclusive! Please let us know if you have a favorite funding link or resource to add to the list.
Funding Comparison Chart
Before selecting a source to apply for funding, review the chart below about the types of funding sources and how each typically operates: Funding Comparison Chart
Funding Resources
Parks, Open Space and Land Preservation
Afterschool Activities & Youth Focus Grants
Researching Additional Opportunities
Parks, Open Space, Land Preservation
NC Department of Environment and Natural Resources
Extensive list of funding and tax Credit resources
Invaluable economic statistics and funding opportunities in areas such as Heritage Tourism, Economic Impact / Tourism Research and Community Development
North Carolina Rural Economic Development Center, Inc. Dedicated to the development of innovative strategies to improve the lives of rural North Carolinians, with a special focus on economic opportunities for citizens with low to moderate incomes.
Parks and Recreation Trust Fund
Provides dollar-for-dollar matching grants to local governments for park and recreation purposes. Funding for acquisition, development or renovation. Visit the RRS grant pages for PARTF and LWCF for additional information on those two programs
Clean Water Management Trust Fund
CWMTF will fund projects that (1) enhance or restore degraded waters, (2) protect unpolluted waters, and/or (3) contribute toward a network of riparian buffers and greenways for environmental, educational, and recreational benefits.
NC Dept of Transportation Enhancements Fund (TEA21)
Twelve funding categories including acquisition, landscaping, bicycle and pedestrian facilities.
- Adopt-A-Trail Grant awards funds annually to government agencies, non-profit organizations, and private trail groups for such projects as trail building, trailsignage and facilities, trail maintenance, and trail information brochures and maps.
- Recreational Trails Program (RTP) trail grant program funded by Congress with money from the federal gas taxes paid on fuel used by off-highway vehicles. Its intent is to meet the trail and trail-related recreational needs identified by the Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan (SCORP). The grant applicants must be able contribute 20% of the project cost with cash or in-kind contributions.
Urban & Community Forestry Grant Program
This is a federally funded program, which awards matching funds to encourage citizen involvement in creating and sustaining urban and community forestry programs. Municipalities, counties, regional agencies, interest groups, educational facilities, and private organizations are eligible to apply for funding for projects that enhance and promote the urban forest.
Resource Conservation & Development
Provides leadership in a partnership effort to help people conserve, improve, and sustain our natural resources and environment. Nine regional offices serving North Carolina counties: click on Directory and then RC&D offices for a list of the regional affiliates.
Helping people understand, protect and restore rivers and their watersheds. This website provides links to funding opportunities for local river or watershed projects
TPL helps conserve land for recreation and spiritual nourishment and to improve the health and quality of life of American communities.
Afterschool Activities & Youth Focus Resources
Portal to federal resources that support children and youth during out-of-school hours
NC Department of Public Instruction 21st Century Community Learning Centers
Program grantees offer expanded learning opportunities for children as well as services for other community members.
Connect for Kids helps adults make their communities better places for families and children. Provides links to foundations offering funding assistance.
Project Financing (for programs during out of school time)
This site assists with understanding key financing issues, including the cost of programs and trends in available funding sources and provides tools designed to help you answer: How can our program or initiative access a specific funding source, or How can our program find support for a specific component, like facilities or transportation?
North Carolina Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention
Provides youth-related funding sources.
Ronald McDonald House Charities
Nonprofits: funding for programs or projects that are national or global in scope, and which directly improve the health and well-being of children
Southern Poverty Law Center: Teaching Tolerance Grants
Other Resources
Tobacco Settlement Group Gives Millions In Grants
Eat Smart, Move More NC Funding Opportunities
DIvision of Health and Human Services, Department of Public Health. Several funding sources listed on website.
US Department of Health and Human Services GrantsNet
Blue Cross Blue Shield Foundation of North Carolina
Supports programs that increase access to health services for the uninsured, provide health education, promote healthy lifestyles, and support health initiatives that target children, older adults, and minorities.
Largest general purpose foundation in the country with two trusts. ZSR has a legal mandate to make grants only within the geographic boundaries of NC for non-profit, tax-exempt charitable organizations and institutions.
Funds in program areas including health, youth & education.
Various grants for artistic fields
North Carolina Amateur Sports Endowment (NCAS)
Provides funds to 501(c)(3) tax exempt organizations that promote amateur athletics, individuals training for elite competitions, physical fitness programs and other programs pursuing the Olympic ideal.
Sisters of Mercy of North Carolina Foundation
The Foundation provides grants to tax-exempt health care, educational and social service organizations that meet its criteria and effectively assist women, children, those who are elderly and those who are poor to improve the quality of their lives. Primary focus is in the metrolina and western NC region.
Corporation for National and Community Service
Provides grants to national and local nonprofits, schools, government agencies, faith-based and other community organizations and other groups committed to strengthening their communities through volunteering.
Shade
Structure Grant program
Grant opporotunity for
common areas without shade trees.
Research Funding Opportunities
The following are links to sites where you can search for additional funding resources.
National Park and Recreation Association (NRPA)
Search under Programs and Partnerships section
Council on Foundations
The Foundation Center
Guide for Grantseekers
Grants and Funding
Grants.gov is the single access point for over 1,000 grant programs offered by all Federal grant making agencies.
Additional Federal Resources:
Center for Special Education Finance
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance
Government Printing Office/Nat'l Archives
Housing and Urban Development
National Endowment for the Arts
National Endowment for the Humanities
National Institute for Literacy
National Institutes for Health
National Science Foundation
National Telecommunications Information Agency
US Department of Health and Human Services
