2023 Danaher Biodiversity Grant Program
Program Office Hours will be held on March 15th from 3:00 pm - 4:30 pm ET

Updated 03/04/23

Applicant Eligibility: 

We are a nonprofit organization that partners with our local government park and recreation department. Can we apply?
No, you must be a park and recreation agency in order to apply.  

What types of agencies are eligible to apply? 
All types of park and recreation agencies are welcome to apply, including municipal, county and park districts that are located within a 60-minute driving radius of the following cities: Boston, MA; Miami, FL; Chicago, IL; Minneapolis, MN; Loveland, CO; Indianapolis, IN; Fargo, ND; San Jose, CA; Baltimore, MD; Washington, DC

Do we have to be a current member of NRPA to apply?
NRPA encourages membership to ensure that your agency has access to the full suite of education and resources available; however, you do not have to be a current member of NRPA to apply.

Grant Requirements:

What is expected of our organization if we are awarded this grant?

Grant Deliverables

• Biodiversity Project: The grant funds must be used for a shovel ready project that helps further biodiversity. These projects can include:
  • Native habitat restoration or creation, including riparian buffering, wetland restoration, prairie restoration, and reforestation.
  •  Creation, restoration or expansion of pollinator habitats, including pollinator gardens, pollinator edge habitat, prairies, green stormwater infrastructure areas, utility right-of-way management, and other creative small and large-scale pollinator areas
  •  Developing and implementing habitat corridor plans
  • Conversion of passive spaces in parks to native habitat (golf courses, sports fields, parks, trails, etc.)
  •  Other unique and cost-effective/cost-saving projects 
• Community Engagement and Learning: Grantees will facilitate a community engagement activity that includes environmental education for Danaher employees, their families, and community members.
  • NRPA will work with grantees to determine the format and structure of both the engagement and educational components. Grantees are expected to participate in all engagements related to the community engagement and educational components to complete their grant fulfillment requirements.
• Evaluation: To evaluate the impact of local solutions and support biodiversity and equitable park access work, NRPA will partner with awarded agencies to evaluate the impact of the implemented strategies. NRPA will develop an evaluation plan that supports this objective. Methods of assessment may include quantitative and qualitative methodologies for data collection, local grantee reports, virtual key informant interviews, and feedback sessions from technical assistance and peer networking surveys, and reporting on program metrics.
  •  Agencies will conduct pre-and post-ecological surveys.
  • Agencies will participate in bimonthly reporting with NRPA and deliver a written final report.
    • Reports will outline outputs and activities (# of acres restored, # of invasive/woodies removed, # of new native species installed, and other key indicators.
  • Agencies will detail a sustainability plan that will ensure long-term maintenance of the project (e.g., development or updating of official maintenance plans, cross-sector relationship building, volunteer programming, etc.)

Grant Requirements

o Participate in community engagement and educational activities (format TBD).

o Participation in guided train on the application of NRPA’s Engaging Diverse Groups in Building Community Resilience Through Stewardship and Pollinator Friendly and Sustainable Parks resources.

o This includes the completion of the resource’s “Self-Assessment for Pollinator Friendly and Sustainable Parks” and completion of the “Identifying Collaborators and Projects/Programs Chart” that will be submitted with the final report.

• Participate in NRPAs Pollinator Week (June 19-25, 2023).
•  Participation in learning and networking peer cohort providing opportunities for agencies to engage in collective problem solving and shared solutions.
• Participation in the development of  NRPA’s Pollinator Friendly and Sustainable Parks: Case Study Supplement resource, that highlights the grantees’ lessons learned and replicable strategies.
•  Collaborate with NRPA to assess the impacts of the implement strategy (or strategies). Methods of assessment may include surveys and reporting on program metrics.

 Projects must be completed by December 31^st, 2023.

o   Final reports are due to NRPA on November 30^th, 2023.

Review Process:

How will the grants be awarded? 
N

NRPA staff will review full applications based off the final criteria:

o Proposals that advance biodiversity and native habitat restoration with a focus on historically disinvested park location.

o Proposals include a letter of support/letter of collaboration from a local community-based organization or other local partner to demonstrate their ability to reach historically disinvested neighborhoods and populations.

o Demonstrated staff and resource capacity to complete the project by the deadline.

o Demonstrated interest in identifying gaps and advancing local solutions that biodiversity and equitable access to parks.

Program Information:

NRPA staff will review full applications based off the final criteria:

o Proposals that advance biodiversity and native habitat restoration with a focus on historically disinvested park location.

o Proposals include a letter of support/letter of collaboration from a local community-based organization or other local partner to demonstrate their ability to reach historically disinvested neighborhoods and populations.

o Demonstrated staff and resource capacity to complete the project by the deadline.

o Demonstrated interest in identifying gaps and advancing local solutions that biodiversity and equitable access to parks.

Grant Timeline:
What is the timeline for this grant 
The grant period begins in March 2023 - December 2023. Here are other important dates for the grant:

Applications are due on April 6th, 2023 at 11:59 PM PST

Date		Project Component
March 6, 2023	RFP sent
March 15, 2023	Office Hour session
April 6, 2023	Proposals due to NRPA
April 21, 2023	NRPA to notify agencies of award status (NRPA will notify all agencies that apply)
Late April 2023	Awarded agencies to participate in orientation / project interviews
June 19 – 25, 2023	Agency participation in Pollinator Week
Ongoing	NRPA and awarded agencies to evaluate implemented strategies, Technical Assistance
October 15, 2023 – December 15, 2023	Resource – Case Study Development and Publishing
November 30, 2023	Final report due to NRPA
December 31, 2023	NRPA Grant Completion Deadline

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Other FAQs:

How much funding will my organization receive if awarded the SHAPR grant?
If awarded, applicants will receive a monetary valuation of around $50,000.00 per grantee. This program will have 4 grantees in today.

Can I apply for more than one than once through this grant?
No. An agency can only apply for once for this program.

Who is the primary audience for this program?
This program is focused on park and recreation agencies who have ongoing park management practices and efforts to advance native habitat and propose a detailed, sustainable strategy to advance biodiversity and ecological resilience in one or more parks/greenspaces, while also integrating an environmental education and community engagement component, with an emphasis on historically disinvested and diverse communities.

Have additional questions not addressed here, please log on for our Program Office Hour session on March 15^th, 2023 from 3:00 pm – 4:30 pm ET or email bkapustin@nrpa.org,