Grant Opportunities
Funding Priorities for Maximum Impact
The Foundation's Board of Trustees directs its resources toward projects that can achieve the most impact among several funding priorities. Project proposals are evaluated according to how well they address various criteria of goals and objectives, workplan and budget, public engagement, maintenance and sustainability, partnerships, and assessment.
Grant applicants whose projects benefit under-resourced communities and/or people groups receive a scoring bonus. As defined for this purpose by the Foundation, an under-resourced community is one that lacks access to specialized professional, financial or institutional expertise and communal knowledge; or is functioning with neglected or outdated infrastructures and absent or limited assets and resources, which in turn diminishes its cyclical capacity, competitiveness, funding and livability.
Capacity and Community Development
PURPOSE:
To help develop communities’ abilities to better steward their use of existing resources, and to elevate their level of operational, programmatic, and financial sustainability, the Foundation seeks to empower organizations with skills and resources to effect positive change within their communities via recreational and educational opportunities.
Such projects facilitate collective action to generate solutions to common problems, involve civic leaders, activists, engaged citizens, and professionals to improve and build a more resilient neighborhood or local community. They may take the form of facility upgrades, program expansions, technical assistance, people development, or comprehensive planning for a more sustainable future.
Recreational and Educational Development
PURPOSE:
Much of what constitutes the appeal and livability of our communities is our direct connection to our public spaces and our natural and cultural assets. Their facilities and features build a strong and resilient infrastructure. Their recreational opportunities bolster our wellness and life satisfaction. Together, our park and recreation systems contribute expansively to a healthy economy, environment, and society in dozens of documented, tangible ways.
The Foundation invests in such resources, facilities and programs that promote our personal and community wellbeing, and advance collaborative solutions to our most pressing societal issues.
Funding Amount: Up to $30,000 Match: Match not requiredApply Spring 2026
PRPS Organizational Development
PURPOSE:
As a subsidiary of the Pennsylvania Recreation and Park Society, the Foundation supports initiatives that develop the relevance, capacity, and influence of the professional membership association. Such projects must be based on a documented need that cannot be met within the PRPS annual budget, and may include such projects as research, partnership development, or other statewide ventures to benefit the Society’s members, partners, and stakeholders. This opportunity is open only to the Pennsylvania Recreation and Park Society.
Funding Amount: Up to $30,000 Match: Match not requiredApply Spring 2026