The National Recreation and Park Association has just opened the call for applications for our Great Urban Parks Campaign model project grants for Underserved Communities
We seek to fund replicable green stormwater infrastructure projects in parks located in underserved communities. The overall goal is to demonstrate the social and environmental impacts of green infrastructure approaches to stormwater management, such as access to recreation and opportunities to connect with nature. Grants will be awarded up to $575,000 and projects must be completed by fall 2017.
The purpose of this grant opportunity is to demonstrate the effectiveness of green infrastructure to positively affect environmental change in underserved low‐income communities and communities of color, and thereby increase community engagement, connection to nature, and physical activity by community residents. The intention is to create replicable model projects that provide strategies and lessons learned for application by a wide range of communities.
This RFA will fund green infrastructure projects in parks that achieve each of the following key objectives:
- Increased public access to recreational opportunities and access to nature via parks in underserved low‐income communities and communities of color;
- Improved environmental quality and increased hazard mitigation by reducing flooding, improving the site’s ability to hold and retain stormwater, improving water quality, improving wildlife habitat, and increasing biodiversity; and
- A community engaged in improving environmental quality through green infrastructure solutions to stormwater management.
It is anticipated that this RFA will fund grants between $350,000 and $575,000. The maximum grant amount that will be awarded to a single applicant is $575,000.
Applications are due by midnight (EDT) Friday, April 29, 2016. Applicants will be notified whether or not they were selected for a grant by June 30, 2016.
For additional information: contact Jimmy O’Connor at joconnor@nrpa.org.