Recreation Grants for Nonprofits

Join MONAT Gratitude’s effort to invest in important educational resources that support the arts, music, entrepreneurship, and athletics in our communities around the world. Together, we’re changing lives! We believe in strengthening and investing in the nonprofits that are already part of our Market Partners’ lives and communities.

Gratitude Grants Program

MONAT Gratitude is committed to ensuring children, families, and communities—regardless of race, nationality, or income—have the opportunity to thrive. Through MONAT Gratitude Grants, eligible registered nonprofit organizations working to enhance and enrich educational resources in the areas targeted by our pledge will have the opportunity to apply for grants to support their programs and services. Areas of interest are: arts and culture, youth sports and recreation, and youth entrepreneurship

• Arts And Culture
  • Support music and arts education programs for children in grades K–12.

• Youth Sports And Recreation
  • Support youth sports programs in grades K–12 that inspire engagement and positively impact children in underserved communities.

• Youth Entrepreneurship
  • Support programs focused on providing opportunities for youth to explore entrepreneurship opportunities in K–12 after-school program

MONAT Gratitude provides single-year financial support grants ranging from $5,000 USD up to 20,000 USD per grantee.

Grants are reviewed three times a year; dates are subject to change and will be announced via email, website updates, and social media.

• NOTE: Direct Effect Quality of Life grants are offered twice yearly, in the 1st and 2nd grant cycles.
• See separate grant page for High Impact Priority Quality of Life grants. High Impact Priority Quality of Life grants are offered once per year, in the 1st grant cycle. 
• See separate grant page for Expanded Effect Tier Quality of Life grants which are currently being offered once per year, in the 2nd grant cycle.

Program overview

As a pillar of the Paralysis Resource Center, the Quality of Life Grants Program, pioneered by the late Dana Reeve, impacts and empowers people living with paralysis, their families and caregivers by providing grants to nonprofit organizations whose projects and initiatives foster inclusion, involvement and community engagement, while promoting health and wellness for those affected by paralysis in all 50 states and U.S. territories.

Grants have been awarded in all fifty states, a number of U.S. territories and though we no longer fund projects outside of the United States of America, grants have previously been awarded in 33 countries outside the U.S.

Quality of Life Grant Details

Grants are awarded to organizations that address the needs of people living with paralysis caused by spinal cord and other injuries, diseases or birth conditions, including (but not limited to) stroke, spina bifida, multiple sclerosis, cerebral palsy and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

Direct Effect (Tier 1)

Direct Effect (Tier 1) is open-focused and awards grants of up to $25,000 to support a wide range of projects and activities. Grants fund programs and projects that will clearly impact individuals living with paralysis and their families.

Direct Effect Quality of Life grants fund specific budget items up to a total of $25,000 to support the wide range of projects and activities that will clearly impact individuals living with paralysis and their families. Funded projects must be completed within 12 months after the award is received.

Examples of funded projects may include (but are not limited to):

• sports wheelchairs for a wheelchair basketball team;
• adapted glider in a community playground;
• kayak for a rowing program;
• accessible gym equipment;
• hydraulic lift at a pool;
• electronic door openers at a community center;
• workshop education series on sex and sexuality with a spinal cord injury;
• wheelchair accessible picnic table at a county fairground;
• program for preventing abuse in adaptive sports;
• camp programs;
• subsidized lessons for therapeutic riding;
• transportation costs for an inclusive afterschool program; and
• support groups.

See Types of Direct Effect (Tier 1) Projects Funded

Direct Effect grants will have short- to mid-range impact. Long-range impact and sustainability are not expected for projects at this level. Grantees will be required to submit a 6-month interim report and a final report and evaluation survey at the end of the project.

Singing for Change Grant Program

Singing for Change empowers people to become more self-sufficient.

Singing for Change supports nonprofit organizations that inspire, empower, and equip people to become more self-sufficient.

Our grantees encourage personal growth among people who are marginalized. They care about the community as a whole, as well as promote the belief that collectively, people can bring about positive change and sustainable self-sufficiency through connected, diverse communities.

Most likely to be considered are organizations that keep their overhead low and collaborate with other groups in their community to find innovative ways of solving a common problem.

Singing for Change (aka SFC Charitable Foundation, Inc.) was created by Jimmy Buffett in 1995, and receives one dollar from each ticket Jimmy sells at his shows. We envision a world where nonprofit organizations, large and small, provide compelling opportunities for individuals to discover their power to make a difference. The foundation promotes work on the forefront of social change - helping people and communities become smarter, safer, stronger, healthier, and whole. 

Singing for Change (SFC) partners with progressive, community-based organizations addressing the root causes of social or environmental problems. We recently narrowed our focus to projects designed to promote self-sufficiency. 

Specifically, we look for groups that are: 

• Working to engage individuals in their communities 
• Helping people realize their full potential
• Creating lasting change in the communities they serve

We will fund operating expenses for those organizations that we feel are accomplishing these goals.

Areas Of Interest:

Children and families: Grants are awarded to programs fostering self-sufficiency and stability. Individual therapy is not funded, nor are therapeutic or recreational camps or wish-fulfillment programs.

Disenfranchised groups: SFC defines these groups as people who have been marginalized in society because of their low levels of skill, education or income, people with disabilities, and people who are homeless. 

Grants range in size from $1,000.00 to $10,000.00.

African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund Grants

Grants from the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund advance ongoing preservation activities for historic sites, museums, and landscape projects representing African American cultural heritage. The fund supports work in four primary areas: Capital Projects, Organizational Capacity Building, Project Planning, and Programming and Interpretation. 

Grants made from the African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund will range from $50,000 to $150,000. In 2022, the National Trust awarded $3 million to 33 projects. Since establishing the African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund’s National Grant Program in 2017, the National Trust has supported more than 200 preservation projects nationally.

Grant Conditions

Grants from the African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund may be used to fund up to 100% of the proposed project. While matching funds are not required for this program, projects that are leveraging additional investments are strongly preferred.

The following grant conditions apply:

• If the project involves a property, the grant recipient must either own the property or have a written agreement with the property owner stating that the grantee has permission to undertake the grant-funded project.
• Grants or any matching funds cannot be used directly or indirectly to influence a member of Congress to favor or oppose any legislation or appropriation.
• Any documents or plans for preservation work that result from the project must conform to the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties.
• Any construction projects must conform to the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties.
• At least three (3) competitive bids/quotes must be obtained for any procurement of services that exceed $50,000. This provision applies only to portions of the project supported by National Trust grant funds.
• Grant recipients must include appropriate acknowledgement of the National Trust and its philanthropic partners’ financial support in all printed materials generated for the project.
• Consultants must be approved by the National Trust before grant funds are disbursed. Board members of the application organization cannot serve as consultants unless appropriate conflict of interest procedures are followed and documented.
• Grant recipients are required to sign a contract agreeing to the conditions of the program.
• Project Planning and Programming-related grants must be completed within one year of the initial grant disbursement date. Capital Project-related grants must be completed within 18 months of the initial grant disbursement.
• Recipients of Organizational Capacity grants to hire new staff, or to increase staff from part-time to full time, will have two years to complete their project. All other Organizational Capacity grant-funded projects will follow a one-year completion timeline.
• Upon the project’s completion, a final narrative report and financial accounting of the expenditure of the grants must be submitted. If the project is not completed in accordance with the contract, the grant funds must be returned.
• Applicants must agree not to discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin or sexual orientation. This obligation also extends to disabled veterans, Vietnam-era veterans, and handicapped persons.
• The National Trust's philanthropic partners may require additional grant conditions. They will be outlined in the grant contract.

Eligible Activities and Expenses

Grants from the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund are designed to advance ongoing preservation activities for historic places representing African American cultural heritage, such as sites, museums, theaters, sports venues, churches, schools, universities, and landscapes. Grants awards may be made for activities and projects in the following categories:

Capital Projects

• Restoration, rehabilitation, stabilization, and preservation of historic places and structures, including bricks-and-mortar construction and planning costs
• In the case of Capital Projects, up to 15% of awarded grant funds may be used for construction planning such as architectural and engineering services, code review, drawings, specifications, and geotechnical services.
• Applicants can request up to $150,000 and can direct up to 15% of awarded grant funds for construction planning and documents

Organizational Capacity Building

• Hiring new senior/director-level or leadership staff to increase the organization’s preservation stewardship and management capacity (funds can be used to support salaries and benefits for grant supported staff.) Applicants can request up to $150,000 for a two-year period
• Increasing current part-time staff to full-time in order to advance preservation priorities. Applicants can request up to $100,000 for a two-year period
• Convening board, governance and nonprofit management training and organizational development activities such as strategic planning for the organization. Applicants can request $50,000 and can direct up to 10% for indirect support/overhead costs.

Project Planning

• Obtaining the services of consultants with expertise in the areas such as preservation architecture, business development, engineering and environmental studies, legal issues, fundraising and financial sustainability, organizational development, education, etc. to develop plans for implementation by organization
• Development of viable business plans for preservation organizations, pre-development planning activities, feasibility studies for market-driven revitalization projects, preservation plans, engineering and environmental studies, property condition assessment reports with cost analysis, historic structures reports, etc.
• Applicants can request up to $75,000 and can direct up to 10% for indirect support/overhead costs

Programming and Interpretation

• Sponsoring preservation conferences, trainings, and workshops
• Collaborating with artists, creatives, and scholars to re-imagine interpretation and programming, while advancing new approaches to storytelling and public education
• Designing and implementing innovative preservation education,  documentation, mapping, and interpretative programs
• Designing, producing, and marketing printed materials or other media communications
• Designating sites at the local and/or national levels
• Applicants can request $50,000 and can direct up to 10% for indirect support/overhead costs

Grants awarded for Capital Projects and Programming and Interpretation may include funding for both the planning and implementation of those projects.

Parks for All

Our Parks For All program supports nonprofit organizations focused on building, maintaining, restoring, and providing more equitable access to parks. 

From improving West Coast redwood forests to maintaining East Coast trails, connecting women and Indigenous youth in Canada and Alaska to the outdoors, beach and waterway cleanups in Germany and the United Kingdom, our Parks For All nonprofit grantees span the globe and make a tremendous difference.

For the Love of Parks

Parks represent a place we can all go to recreate, relax or be inspired. From urban park picnics with our family to national park adventures in the backcountry, parks of all sizes help make us healthier, happier and more fulfilled. We acknowledge the past and present exclusion from outdoor spaces faced by People of Color and other historically marginalized communities, including womxn, LGBTQIA2S+ and Disabled people. Parks for All is our way of sharing the love we have for green spaces, ensuring these special places get the attention and protection they deserve, and are accessible to all.

About Hydro Flask and Parks For All

Hydro Flask is the leader in high-performance insulated products that help people enjoy the things they love to do in the places they love to be. From the number-one-selling water bottle to soft good innovations like our Unbound Series™ Soft Coolers and Down Shift™ Hydration Packs, Hydro Flask’s delightfully simple designs and go-anywhere durability always deliver the perfect temperature when you need it.

Founded in 2009 in Bend, Oregon, Hydro Flask inspires active outdoor lives with two simple words: Let’s Go! Its giving platform Parks For All supports the development, maintenance, restoration, and accessibility of public green spaces so people everywhere can live healthier, happier, and more fulfilled lives.

Parks For All Product Donation Criteria

Before you begin your product donation request, make sure your request and organization meet the following criteria:

• Organizations seeking a Parks for All product donation must be dedicated to building, restoring, maintaining, or providing more equitable access to, or education around, parks and recreational public lands and/or beaches and coastal areas.
• Product donation requests are being accepted for the following uses:
  • Reward for participation
  • Stakeholder engagement (i.e. – galas, fundraising events, etc.)
• Applicants must demonstrate a history of efficient use of resources.
• Applicants’ missions should be aligned with Hydro Flask’s priorities of inclusivity, active lifestyles and enhanced health.

Notes and Definitions:

• Parks
  • Naturally beautiful or historically significant public land meant for public enjoyment and recreation. From urban parks to public beaches to iconic national parks, these are places that enable people to have happier, healthier and more fulfilled lives.
• Qualified Applicants:
  • U.S. Non-profit 501(c)(3) organizations that work to build, restore and maintain public lands, parks and recreational waterways.

About Us

A Community Thrives is a grantmaking and crowdfunding program from the USA TODAY NETWORK, which includes USA TODAY and Gannett’s hundreds of local media brands. The initiative is part of the Gannett Foundation and supports nonprofit organizations with projects focused on community building. Since 2017, the program has helped to distribute more than $6.5 million from donations and grants across the nation.

Let's build change, together!

We started A Community Thrives, a nationwide grantmaking and crowdfunding initiative, because your great ideas for how to improve your community need a great big network of people to bring them to life. A Community Thrives offers a way to get your neighbors, friends, family, and peers excited to support your community-building ideas, and most importantly, a chance at +$2,000,000 in grants to get them off the ground and running.

There are three types of grants in the A Community Thrives program. 

• National Project Grants can be awarded to any applicant accepted to the challenge after the organization meets the fundraising minimum. Grants will range from $25,000 to $100,000.
• Local Operating Grants can be awarded to any applicant that serves a local Gannett market, accepted to the challenge, after the organization meets the fundraising minimum. Minimum grants will be $2,500.
• Incentive Grants will be awarded based on fundraising success. A total of $200,000 will be awarded during the Fundraising phase of the Campaign to those qualifying organizations that raise the most funds or activate the most unique donors. See full description below. 

• Tier 1 organizations will be those organizations that entered an Annual Operating Budget of less than $500,000 in their application, and must raise $3,000.

• Tier 2 organizations will be those organizations that entered an Annual Operating Budget of $500,000 or more in their application, and must raise $6,000 minimum.

About America Walks

America Walks, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit national organization is leading the way in making America a great place to walk. We provide a voice for walking and walkable communities with federal agencies, provide strategy support, training and technical assistance to statewide, regional, and local organizations, and serve as the convener of the national Every Body Walk! Collaborative. Together, America Walks and the Every Body Walk! Collaborative boast 700 allied organizations who across the nation are working to increase walking and make America a better place to walk.

Community Change Grants

The Community Change Grants program supports the growing network of advocates, organizations, and agencies working to advance walkability. Grants are awarded to innovative, engaging, and inclusive programs and projects that create change and opportunity for walking and movement at the community level.

America Walks and generous Active People, Health Nations partners are excited to announce another round of our popular Community Change Grant program. This program will award 15 grantees $1,500.00 in community grants for projects related to creating healthy, active, and engaged places to live, work and play.

America Walks has seen firsthand that the passion, innovation, and hard work of advocates and local organizations to advance safe, equitable, accessible, and enjoyable places to walk and move are what create the foundation for walkable communities across the US. This grant program will work to provide support to the growing network of advocates, organizations, and agencies using innovative, engaging, and inclusive programs and projects to create change at the community level.

Projects We Fund

We look forward to funding projects that demonstrate increased physical activity and active transportation in a specific community, work to engage people and organizations new to the efforts of walking and walkability, and demonstrate a culture of inclusive health and design. Projects will create healthy, active, and engaged communities that support walking as transportation, health, and recreation. Projects must show a strong and intentional foundation of equity and authentic engagement of the whole community.

Uplifting the community should always be the goal, so we are particularly interested in projects that center the concerns of BIPOC residents, reach across the demographics of communities to build coalitions, and/or create unique civic partnerships with new perspectives. Our desire is for proposed projects to have a particular focus on engaging in key issues of the day with new perspectives and diverse partners/ audiences while highlighting the vital role that walking and transportation partners can play in a new era.

For the second year, General Motors is funding 15 additional $1,500 Community Change Grant projects in designated towns and cities with GM facilities! 

We are one of the world’s premiere Waterlife Outfitters. Helping others recreate on and around the water is our passion, our joy and our mission. We are, therefore, committed to supporting and promoting healthy and vibrant marine habitats and sustainable fisheries, as well as to connecting future generations to the water through our youth recreation and education initiatives.

BlueFuture Grants

West Marine offers one BlueFuture grant cycle each year that benefits nonprofit organizations dedicated to youth waterlife recreation and education. Our grants provide much-needed funds so these valuable, community-based organizations may provide scholarships, purchase new equipment, maintain staff, add programs and do so much more.

Purpose and Scope

• The Conservation and Outdoor Recreation Challenge Cost Share program is intended to support specific National Park Service mission-related projects that align with the goals of project partners.
• Challenge Cost Share projects must support one or more of the following funding themes:
  • Addressing the Climate Crisis
    • Projects that address the climate crisis and build resiliency to a changing climate.
    • Projects could include developing green infrastructure, nature-based solutions, and/or creating sustainable energy sources.
  • Conservation Projects (Lands and Waters)
    • Projects that increase the acres of protected or restored lands and waters.
  • Advancing Equity for Youth from Underserved Communities
    • Projects that increase equitable access to parks for youth and young adults from underserved communities.
  • Outdoor Recreation
    • Projects that increase public access to new and restored outdoor recreation opportunities.
• Projects that benefit NPS administered National Parks, National Trails and Wild and Scenic Rivers.
• National Park Service staff will work with project partners to achieve these mutually beneficial outcomes.
• This partnership challenge seeks to reward proposals that have the best prospects to build enduring benefits and develop new partnerships.

Funding and Match

• If a project is selected, the partner organization will enter into agreement to receive and manage the project funds consistent with the project’s application, purpose and budget.
• The partner organization is required to match the amount of the Challenge Cost Share program funding received with an equal share from the partner(s); any combination of dollars and in-kind services can be counted toward the partner's cost share requirement, as long as their match comes from non-federal sources.
• The maximum Challenge Cost Share program support is $25,000 per project.
• The Challenge Cost Share program is ONPS funds and must be used for the purpose and benefit of the NPS administered unit.
• Challenge Cost Share program funding cannot be used to pay for NPS staff salaries or travel.