Grants

This sub-grant program funds planning, design, engineering, education, outreach, construction, acquisition, and research projects for coastal areas, wetlands, public access, intergovernmental organization, non-point source areas, and more. See criteria listed in the Grant Application Instruction Guide.

Urban parks and green spaces—playgrounds, pocket parks, outdoor recreation facilities, open spaces, trails, gardens, and green infrastructure—are crucial for community health and well-being, a fact made clear during the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite widespread appreciation for the health and environmental benefits of urban parks and green spaces, evidence shows persistent inequities in access, availability, quality of facilities, and programming, by race, place, and income. The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) is working to build a Culture of Health where everyone in America has a fair and just opportunity to live the healthiest life possible. Park equity is a key component of this vision.

Partners across Greater Philadelphia are working to build a region-wide network of multi-use trails that people can use to bike, walk, roll, commute, exercise, relax, and meet neighbors and friends.  This network, called the Circuit Trails, connects communities across the nine counties of Greater Philadelphia and is a hub for national trails like the East Coast Greenway and 9/11 National Memorial Trail. About 370 miles of this 800-plus-mile network are complete.

Continuing to build the Circuit Trails and creating safe, accessible, and welcoming community connections to the network are two important goals to ensure the continuing success of this initiative. These goals are envisioned in the region’s long-range transportation plan, Connections 2050: Plan for Greater Philadelphia, and in DVRPC’s Regional Trails Program.

Capitalized with funding from the William Penn Foundation, a total of $1 million is available through this funding opportunity for projects in the nine-county Greater Philadelphia region to fund right-of-way acquisition, planning, design, and/or construction of multi-use trails and/or safe, accessible, and welcoming trailheads, gateways, and neighborhood connections.

 A strong emphasis is placed on equity and community engagement as part of this funding opportunity.

A grant program that supports underserved and vulnerable communities, and Indigenous communities, in Canada, Mexico, and the United States to prepare for climate-related impacts.This program is targeted to underserved and vulnerable communities, including Indigenous communities, low-income communities, and communities with heightened risk and increased sensitivity to climate change and that have less capacity and fewer resources to cope with, adapt to, or recover from climate impacts. The degree of risk and sensitivity stems from physical (built and environmental), social, political, and/or economic factors, which interact with each other and are exacerbated by climate impacts. These factors include, but are not limited to, race, class, sexual orientation and identification, national origin, and income inequality.