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Find recreation grants for nonprofits supporting youth sports, community activities, parks, and inclusive play
1,000+
Available grants
$120.5M
Total funding
$6.5K
Median grant
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Washington State Recreation and Conservation Office
The Recreation and Conservation Office (RCO) is a small state agency that manages grant programs to create outdoor recreation opportunities, protect the best of the state’s wildlife habitat and working farms and forests, and help return salmon and orcas from near extinction.
Land and Water Conservation Fund
The Land and Water Conservation Fund provides funding to preserve and develop outdoor recreation resources, including parks, trails, and wildlife lands.
Congress created the fund in 1965 with the passage of the Land and Water Conservation Fund Act, which authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to provide financial assistance to states for the acquisition and development of public outdoor recreation areas. All communities may compete for funding in this program.
All property acquired or developed with these grants must be kept forever exclusively for public outdoor recreation use.
Typical Projects
Planning Requirement
To apply for this funding, grant applicants must have completed a comprehensive recreation or conservation plan. See details on the planning page and in Manual 2: Planning Guidelines.
Washington State Recreation and Conservation Office
The Recreation and Conservation Office (RCO) is a small state agency that manages grant programs to create outdoor recreation opportunities, protect the best of the state’s wildlife habitat and working farms and forests, and help return salmon and orcas from near extinction.
Planning for Recreation Access
The Washington State Legislature created the Planning for Recreation Access program to fund planning projects in communities that lack adequate access to outdoor recreation opportunities. This program specifically focuses on diverse urban neighborhoods, small rural communities, and those that are less experienced with RCO's grant process.
Grants are used to support planning, community engagement, and collaboration between local governments, community-based organizations, and residents to define outdoor recreation needs, prioritize investments to address those needs, and prepare on-the-ground projects for RCO and other funding opportunities.
Typical Projects
All phases of planning, pre-design, and technical assistance for public outdoor recreation facilities including comprehensive plans, construction drawings, environmental assessments, feasibility and preconstruction studies, cultural resources surveys, and comprehensive site plans are eligible.
Recreational Trails Program
The Recreational Trails Program provides federal funds to rehabilitate and maintain trails that provide a backcountry experience.
A backcountry experience means that the user will experience nature instead of seeing or hearing human development and activity. While backcountry trails may be near cities or roads, or even offer views of cities and towns, the trail’s physical setting should be predominately natural.
This grant program invests in all types of trails, including those for riding off-road vehicles, bicycling, cross-country skiing and snowshoeing, hiking, horseback riding, motorcycling, water trails, and more.
Typical Projects
Long-term Commitment
Trails and facilities developed with these grants must be open and available for twenty-five years.
Projects that maintain trails must be open and available during the active period of the project agreement; however, those that entail capital work to build new trails or facilities or make significant, long-term renewal improvements to existing facilities must be open and available for twenty-five years.
American Camp Association
The American Camp Association is a community of camp professionals who, for over 100 years, have joined together to share our knowledge and experience and to ensure the quality of camp programs. Because of our diverse 10,000 plus membership and our exceptional programs, we’re uniquely able to unleash the life-changing power of camp. Our work gives more children and adults the opportunity to learn powerful lessons in community, character-building, skill development, and healthy living — lessons that can be learned nowhere else.
Character at Camp Grant Program
The purpose of this program is to provide financial support, training, and technical assistance for selected day and overnight camps in the U.S. who are interested in starting, enhancing, expanding, or celebrating character development programs or projects. By the end of the Character at Camp initiative, we anticipate camps in the US will represent one of the largest and most potent contexts for character development in the learning and development ecosystem.
Eligible organizations can apply for a Planning Grant, an Implementation Grant, or a Network Implementation Grant.
Planning Grants
Planning Grants are designed for organizations that need a year of planning, training, and capacity building before they can develop and implement a full character program or project.
American Camp Association
The American Camp Association is a community of camp professionals who, for over 100 years, have joined together to share our knowledge and experience and to ensure the quality of camp programs. Because of our diverse 10,000 plus membership and our exceptional programs, we’re uniquely able to unleash the life-changing power of camp. Our work gives more children and adults the opportunity to learn powerful lessons in community, character-building, skill development, and healthy living — lessons that can be learned nowhere else.
Character at Camp Grant Program
The purpose of this program is to provide financial support, training, and technical assistance for selected day and overnight camps in the U.S. who are interested in starting, enhancing, expanding, or celebrating character development programs or projects. By the end of the Character at Camp initiative, we anticipate camps in the US will represent one of the largest and most potent contexts for character development in the learning and development ecosystem.
Eligible organizations can apply for a Planning Grant, an Implementation Grant, or a Network Implementation Grant.
Implementation Grants
Implementation Grants are designed for organizations that have a specific character program or project in mind and sufficient capacity to successfully implement that program or project starting in 2027.
We welcome both individual and joint applications to the Implementation Grant Program.
Individual Applications
Individual applications are for programs and projects that will be implemented by and for a single organization. Single organizations can propose programs and projects to be implemented across multiple sites — this would be considered an individual application as there is a single coordinating entity, and the small number of sites (less than six) operate more or less the same within this organization.
Joint Applications
Joint applications are for programs and projects that will be implemented by up to five organizations that will receive one grant award to implement programs and projects across each of the organizations. In this case, the organizations are either distinct and functionally independent from each other or are sites that operate more or less independently or with different programmatic foci from one another. One organization will submit the application and serve as the primary point of contact. Applicants submitting a joint application will be asked to identify the additional organizations in the application and to reflect budgetary allocations to these organizations
American Camp Association
The American Camp Association is a community of camp professionals who, for over 100 years, have joined together to share our knowledge and experience and to ensure the quality of camp programs. Because of our diverse 10,000 plus membership and our exceptional programs, we’re uniquely able to unleash the life-changing power of camp. Our work gives more children and adults the opportunity to learn powerful lessons in community, character-building, skill development, and healthy living — lessons that can be learned nowhere else.
Character at Camp Grant Program
The purpose of this program is to provide financial support, training, and technical assistance for selected day and overnight camps in the U.S. who are interested in starting, enhancing, expanding, or celebrating character development programs or projects. By the end of the Character at Camp initiative, we anticipate camps in the US will represent one of the largest and most potent contexts for character development in the learning and development ecosystem.
Eligible organizations can apply for a Planning Grant, an Implementation Grant, or a Network Implementation Grant.
Network Implementation Grants
Network Implentation Grants are designed for organizations that serve as the coordinating entity for 6+ camps that are eager to implement a character program or project with their on-site program teams.
Maryland Department of Natural Resources
Mission Statement: The Maryland Department of Natural Resources leads the state toward a resilient future by using data, partnerships, and an innovative spirit to improve ecological, social, and economic outcomes for all communities.
Land and Water Conservation Fund Grants
The Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) supports projects to improve outdoor recreation through the acquisition of land and development or renovation of recreation amenities.
LWCF funding must be matched 1:1 with non-federal funds. Acceptable federal funding sources for matching:
Funding: Reimbursement-based. Funds will be issued after the project has been completed.
Recreation Use: The entire park must be permanently protected and dedicated exclusively to recreational use.
Project Completion Timeline: Projects must be completed within 3 years of award date (with possibility of 2-year extension)
Land and Water Conservation Fund Grant Program
The Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) Act was established in 1964 to provide recreational opportunities for America’s communities. The intent was to provide a consistent source of funding for the development of local parks, playgrounds, and other recreationalspaces. The fund does not use any taxpayer dollars; rather, it utilizes earnings from offshore oil and gas leases to fund local recreation projects.
Program Goals
LWCF assistance can be used to:
About VHCB
Our Mission: VHCB invests in the construction of affordable housing and conservation strategies that work together to ensure equity, resilience, and vitality for Vermont communities in perpetuity.
Project Feasibility Fund
The Board provides feasibility awards to assist with pre-development costs and feasibility analysis for individual projects. Feasibility funds typically cover the costs of appraisals, energy assessments, marketing studies, options, engineering and environmental studies, or other pre-development costs.
The purpose of this fund is to provide applicants with a source of funding to cover predevelopment project costs as described below in order to answer the question “is the project feasible?”. Evaluation of feasibility fund requests is done by VHCB staff.
Amount of Award
Conservation applicants may request up to $10,000 as a grant for a single project to cover feasibility related expenses. Housing applicants may request up to $20,000 as a grant for a single project to cover feasibility related expenses and up to $25,000 for scattered site projects containing more than two separate sites. Funds can only be used to compensate contracted services and shall not be used to compensate applicants for staff time.
Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation
The New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation oversees more than 250 parks, historic sites, trails, golf courses, boat launches, and campgrounds across more than 360,000 acres and welcomes more than 88 million people annually.
The mission of the Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation is to provide safe and enjoyable recreational and interpretive opportunities for all New York State residents and visitors and to be responsible stewards of our valuable natural, historic and cultural resources.
Parks and Trails Partnership Program
Parks & Trails New York (PTNY), the New York State (NYS) Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (OPRHP), and the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) with support from Governor Hochul and the NYS Legislature, are pleased to announce the twelfth round of competitive grants through the Park and Trail Partnership Grant program. The program is administered by PTNY, in partnership with OPRHP and DEC.
The Park and Trail Partnership Grant program is a $2.65 million capacity-building matching grants program funded through the NYS Environmental Protection Fund. The program is designed to:
Eligible applicants must be registered nonprofits who have a formal memorandum or agreement with OPRHP or DEC.
Award Categories
There are four types of capacity-building grants available to eligible organizations through the Park and Trail Partnership Grant program: Stewardship and Public Access Capacity Grants; Capacity and Organizational Effectiveness Grants; Professional Development Grants; and Step-Up Grants.
Stewardship and Public Access Capacity Grants
Stewardship and Public Access Capacity Grants may be used to assist organizations with the stewardship, interpretation, promotion, education, and public access of a New York State park, trail, historic site or DEC public land, or a partnership involving more than one such organization, which significantly enhances the organization’s visibility and capacity.
A 10 percent match of the total project budget is required, up to 50 percent of which may be in-kind. Fifty percent of award is disbursed at contract signing; remainder disbursed after submission of satisfactory six-month progress report.
Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation
The New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation oversees more than 250 parks, historic sites, trails, golf courses, boat launches, and campgrounds across more than 360,000 acres and welcomes more than 88 million people annually.
The mission of the Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation is to provide safe and enjoyable recreational and interpretive opportunities for all New York State residents and visitors and to be responsible stewards of our valuable natural, historic and cultural resources.
Parks and Trails Partnership Program
Parks & Trails New York (PTNY), the New York State (NYS) Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (OPRHP), and the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) with support from Governor Hochul and the NYS Legislature, are pleased to announce the twelfth round of competitive grants through the Park and Trail Partnership Grant program. The program is administered by PTNY, in partnership with OPRHP and DEC.
The Park and Trail Partnership Grant program is a $2.65 million capacity-building matching grants program funded through the NYS Environmental Protection Fund. The program is designed to:
Eligible applicants must be registered nonprofits who have a formal memorandum or agreement with OPRHP or DEC.
Award Categories
There are four types of capacity-building grants available to eligible organizations through the Park and Trail Partnership Grant program: Stewardship and Public Access Capacity Grants; Capacity and Organizational Effectiveness Grants; Professional Development Grants; and Step-Up Grants.
Capacity and Organizational Effectiveness Grants
Capacity and Organizational Effectiveness Grants strengthen the capacity and expertise of individual organizations that support New York’s state parks, trails, historic sites and public lands, or a partnership involving more than one such organization, in order to aid them in fulfilling their mission and to improve their reach, effectiveness, and impact.
A 10 percent match of the total project budget is required, up to 50 percent of which may be in-kind. Fifty percent of award is disbursed at contract signing; remainder disbursed after submission of satisfactory six-month progress report.
The Lawson’s Finest Taproom was designed as a community gathering space to enjoy the best of local beer, food, people and music. In lieu of tips in our Taproom, we invite our guests to donate to the Sunshine Fund to benefit local nonprofits. Our staff receive generous wages and total compensation packages that don’t require tips to supplement their income, making hospitality included in your guest experience. The Sunshine Fund allows us to harness the generosity of guest donations with the goal of advancing thriving local communities.
The Sunshine Fund is the heart of the Lawson’s Finest Social Impact Program to assist local organizations that support the people and environment of the Mad River Valley, Washington County and the state of Vermont.
The Sunshine Awards prioritize funding for nonprofit organizations located in the Mad River Valley, Washington County, and across Vermont that focus on strengthening healthy communities, improving food and economic security, protecting natural resources, and promoting sustainable recreation.
The Grand Foundation
Our Mission
The Grand Foundation is a philanthropic organization serving all of Grand County, Colorado. The Foundation seeks to improve the quality of life in Grand County by proactively addressing current and future needs in the areas of Health & Human Services, Arts & Culture, Education, Sports & Recreation, and Environment.
Ski and Ride School Scholarship Fund
The Ski and Ride School Scholarship Fund, administered by the Grand Foundation, was established through a donation from Winter Park Resort to support Grand County youth participating in programs offered by the Winter Park Resort. The Fund provides need-based support to youth to develop lifelong enjoyment of mountain sports.
About Levitt
The Levitt Family Foundation exists to strengthen the social fabric of America. We partner with communities to activate underused outdoor spaces, creating welcoming, inclusive destinations where the power of free, live music brings people together and invigorates community life.
Festival Grants
The Levitt Foundation is offering grants of up to $5,000 to U.S.-based 501(c)(3) nonprofits presenting free outdoor music festivals in 2026.
FWP's Mission
Steward the fish, wildlife, parks, and recreational resources for the public, now and into the future.
FWP Original Off-Highway Vehicle Grant Program
Program Specifics
The Off-Highway Vehicle Grant Program provides project funding with the goal of enhancing and maintaining OHV recreational opportunities for the benefit of OHV enthusiasts in Montana. It provides grant funding for safety, ethics and education, resource maintenance, protection and improvement projects.
Montana State Parks administers the OHV grant program with funds appropriated by the State Legislature, and is assisted in grant allocation by the Off-Highway Vehicle Advisory Committee (OHVAC). The OHVAC is comprised of citizens throughout Montana who have a vested interest in managing OHV opportunities as a valuable resource.
The OHV Grant Program awards approximately $150,000 in grant funds annually. Applications for trail steward positions are limited to a $20,000 grant request. All other projects do not have a maximum award amount and will be subject to the review panel and OHVAC funding decisions.
California Humanities
Founded in 1975, California Humanities is a nonprofit partner of the National Endowment for the Humanities dedicated to strengthening communities through the humanities. The organization supports public humanities programs across California that promote civic engagement, cultural understanding, and inclusive storytelling. Through grants, partnerships, and statewide initiatives, California Humanities funds projects that elevate diverse voices, preserve local histories, and foster dialogue around social issues. Its mission centers on connecting Californians to ideas and one another to inspire greater understanding and participation in public life.
Connecting California - Quick Grants
Connecting California supports publicly accessible activities and events that strengthen social connection and cohesion across California’s diverse communities. Funded projects help foster understanding, empathy, and trust by creating opportunities for people to come together across difference and discover shared values, experiences, and aspirations.
Smith Atwell Girls Recreational Grant Program
The Smith Atwell Girls Recreational Grant Program seeks to provide funding for programs that empower and encourage girls and young women to be involved in athletic and outdoor recreational opportunities. This grant supports a nonprofit agency located in Greene County, Missouri which provides programming to support athletic and outdoor recreational opportunities for girls and young women. Equipment, programming, or training to assist in supporting athletic and recreational opportunities for girls and young women are eligible for application.
This grant will provide $500 to one agency in the summer of 2026.
In awarding grants, the CFO will not discriminate on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, national origin, age, ability, sexual orientation, gender identity or veteran status. Grantees must not, in the use of CFO grant funds, discriminate on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, national origin, age, ability, sexual orientation, gender identity or veteran status either in its employment practices or in its policies and procedures concerning access to services.
Parks & Trails New York
Founded in 1985 by a group of passionate park advocates who believed New York’s magnificent state park system merited its own advocacy group, PTNY’s purview quickly grew to include trails, outdoor recreation, active transportation, and bicycle and pedestrian issues.
Over its tenure, PTNY has successfully prevented the closure of over 100 sites during a critical budget crisis, championed the effort to close gaps in the Erie Canalway Trail, and developed the foundational concepts for the Empire State Trail (EST). Through grants and grassroots support, we’ve directed $10 million to community groups and engaged over one hundred thousand volunteers, ensuring cherished public spaces thrive. Today, these efforts contribute to the remarkable success of nearly 88 million park visits and nearly 10 million annual users on the nation-leading Empire State Trail.
Western New York Trail Town Grants
Background
Administered by Parks & Trails New York (PTNY), and with generous funding provided by the Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Foundation, PTNY will offer $60,000 in competitive grants to support a broader initiative aimed at boosting local economies by leveraging visitation to nearby public lands. The grants can be used to promote place-making efforts, improve safety for pedestrians and cyclists, and implement community-driven projects that prioritize active transportation alternatives for cyclists and pedestrians.
Matching Funds
Trail Town Grants require a local match of at least 10% of the total project budget (not the ask). The entire match may be from in-kind sources (volunteer labor, donated materials, etc.) or may be supplemented by cash. The amount funded through this project must be no more than 90% of the total project budget.
AmeriCorps Nevada Formula Operational Grant
This is a funding opportunity for Institutions of higher education; local governments, school districts; nonprofit organizations; State Service Commissions; States and US Territories; Indian Tribes; and public health departments to apply for AmeriCorps members to strengthen communities through service.
AmeriCorps improves lives, strengthens communities, and fosters civic engagement through service and volunteering. AmeriCorps brings people together to tackle some of the country’s most pressing challenges through national service and volunteerism. AmeriCorps members serve with organizations dedicated to the improvement of communities and those serving.
AmeriCorps grants are awarded to eligible organizations that engage AmeriCorps members in evidence-based or evidence-informed interventions to strengthen communities. An AmeriCorps member is a person who does community service through AmeriCorps. Members may receive a living allowance and other benefits. After successful completion of their service, members earn a Segal AmeriCorps Education Award they can use to pay for higher education expenses or apply to qualified student loans.
NOFO Priorities
AmeriCorps Focus Areas
Disaster Services
Helping individuals and communities prepare for, respond to, recover from, and mitigate the effects of disasters and increase community resiliency.
Economic Opportunity
Improving the economic well-being and security of underserved individuals.
Education
Improving educational outcomes for underserved people, especially children. AmeriCorps is particularly interested in program designs that support youth engagement and service learning as strategies to achieve high educational outcomes.
Environmental Stewardship
Supporting communities to become more resilient through measures that reduce greenhouse gas emissions, conserve land and water, increase renewable energy use and improve at-risk ecosystems, especially in underserved households and communities.
Healthy Futures
Support for health needs within communities, including mitigating the impacts of public health crises, access to care, aging in place, public health, and addressing childhood obesity, especially in underserved communities.
Veterans and Military Families
Improving the quality of life of veterans, military families, caregivers, and survivors
Recreation grants for nonprofits provide funding to support parks, sports programs, and community activities. The following grants empower organizations to create inclusive spaces and programs that encourage physical activity, well-being, and community engagement.
Explore 200+ funding opportunities for recreation programs, with $24M in resources. Instrumentl connects nonprofits with funding sources, deadline tracking tools, and funder insights to foster healthy and active communities.
How common are grants in this category?
Common — grants in this category appear regularly across funding sources.
Over the past year, when are grant deadlines typically due for Recreation grants for Nonprofits?
Most grants are due in the fourth quarter.
Nonprofits offering community recreation programs, sports, outdoor activities, or inclusive play areas are eligible for recreation grants. Organizations promoting fitness, well-being, and youth involvement through recreational programs can also apply.
Grants in recreation typically have the highest concentration of deadlines in Q4, with 42.8% of grant deadlines falling in this period. If you're planning to apply, consider prioritizing your applications around this time to maximize opportunities. Conversely, the least active period for grants in this category is Q2.
The main goal of recreation grants is to increase access to recreational activities, boost community health, and encourage active lifestyles. Funders want to support programs that create safe, welcoming, and inclusive spaces for sports and outdoor fun. By providing funding for recreational facilities, programs, or events, these grants aim to enhance the overall well-being of communities and make certain that everyone, regardless of background or ability, has the opportunity to enjoy them.
On average, grants in recreation provide funding between $250 and $7,650,000, with typical awards falling around $9,000 (median) and $131,339 (average). These insights can help nonprofits align their funding requests with what grantmakers typically offer in this space.
Recreation grants are funded by government agencies, private foundations, and corporate sponsors committed to health and wellness. For example, the National Park Service may fund projects that develop or improve outdoor recreational areas. Private foundations focused on health and wellness and corporate sponsors in the outdoor gear industry or sports organizations may also offer grants.
To improve the chances of being awarded recreation grants, applicants should:
Want to improve your grant prospecting strategy? Master the process with our detailed guide to grant prospect research.
Instrumentl simplifies the process of applying for recreation grants by offering an intuitive platform that helps nonprofits discover relevant funding opportunities, track deadlines, and analyze funder-giving patterns. The platform's automated alerts ensure users never miss a deadline, while detailed funder insights help organizations tailor their applications to align with grantor priorities.
To learn more about how our platform is different, compare Instrumentl to other grant tools.