Resilient Park Access Grant and Coaching
Frequently Asked Questions

Updated March 2021

Applicant Eligibility

We are a non-profit organization that partners with our local government. Can we apply?

Yes. You must include a letter from the agency head of your local municipal park and recreation department, tribal recreation department, or park district demonstrating their support for the proposal and how they will be involved.

If a local government agency applies, can the project lead be a non-profit partner?

Yes, a non-profit partner may lead the work in close consultation with the local government agency.

Can our parks foundation serve as the fiscal agent?

Yes, the funds can be issued to a non-profit local park foundation, but the grant applicant must be a government agency.

Do we have to be a current member of NRPA or another organization in order 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 or any other organization to be eligible to apply.

Are municipalities/organizations outside of the U.S. eligible to receive grants?

Grants will only be awarded to projects located within the 50 U.S. states, the District of Columbia and U.S. territories.

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.

If we received NRPA 10 Minute Walk or Great Urban Parks Funding, are we eligible for this funding?

Yes, previously funded communities are eligible for this funding. We encourage you to consider how you can build on your previous grant work and how this funding will allow your agency to take a systems approach. 

What type of community are you looking for and who is most likely to receive funding?

Successful agencies will demonstrate a clear commitment to addressing systemic racism in park planning and capital improvements. Top candidates will have significant community involvement integrated into the planning, implementation and stewardship of the project. Projects must address park access and environmental resilience strategies.

We will be looking for a diverse set of communities and park and recreation agencies that will include a mix of:

• Population size and demographics
• Geographic region
• Elected officials with differing party affiliations
• Percent of people within a half-mile of a park
• Climate impacts and environmental resilience strategies
• Park operating budgets

Grant Requirements

What are the requirements for this grant?

Through this grant and coaching opportunity, agencies will be responsible for several deliverables that help them take concrete steps to address systemic racism in park access and environmental resilience. To accomplish this, we expect that cities will:

• Join and participate in ongoing coaching calls (combination of individual, small group, and large group).
• Create an individual coaching plan with NRPA’s Park Access team.
• Attend a yearly virtual or in-person workshop.
  •  Grantees will use grant funds for travel expenses.
• Develop a specific SMART goal, an action plan and begin implementation of research, planning, programming, and a capital improvement project. See appendix for SMART goal definition.
• Participate in evaluation efforts that will include submitting planning documents, completing pre-and post-surveys and participating in interviews and/or focus groups.

Is a grant match required?

No, a match is not required and there are no local requirements for funding.

Who should the statements of support be addressed to?

The letters must be provided electronically (email, a scan, PDF, etc.) and uploaded with your online application. It should be addressed to Program Manager, Park Access and can but does not need to include NRPA’s Headquarters address:

National Recreation and Park Association

22377 Belmont Ridge Road

Ashburn, VA 20148

For statements of support, who qualifies as the highest elected officials?

For cities and towns, this could be your mayor. For counties and park districts, this could be your county executive or equivalent. For tribes, this could be your tribal executive, such as you governor, president or chief. This does not ask for statements from federally elected officials or state elected officials.

Who can I contact with additional questions about this grant opportunity?

If you have questions regarding this grant opportunity, please email parkaccess@nrpa.org

Use of Funds

What are eligible expenses for these grant funds?

Grant funds may be used to cover items such as staffing, data analysis, consulting, community engagement, staff professional development and capital improvements. NRPA will require members of your team to attend a virtual grantee training in Fall 2021 and in-person trainings in 2022 and 2023. Each agency will be allowed to utilize up grant funds to cover costs associated with attending the training (travel, lodging, food, ground transportation). Please budget accordingly and list this expense as a line item on your proposed budget.

May funds be used for stipends to community members?

Absolutely. Stipends may be used to cover compensate for community members' time spent in community engagement or those who may serve in advisory roles for the project.

What are eligible capital expenses?

Capital expenses must be focused around the grant's core goals: park access, environmental resilience and community health. Capital expenses could include things like green infrastructure, park or trail improvements, CPTED or safety improvements, project equipment, buildings, etc., as well as land acquisition.

Will NRPA coaching need to be budgeted for?

No, all technical assistance and coaching provided through NRPA will be provided free of charge for grantees.

Is it possible to have a portion of the budget be for a construction element that the community process will identify, or does the grant need to specify what construction would be? 

Yes, capital expenses may be set aside in the budget for specific capital improvements to be decided through the community engagement process. 

General Questions

How much involvement is expected with community-based organizations?

The community should play an extensive leadership role in the planning, implementation and stewardship of the project. To do this, we highly recommend engaging community-based organizations in this proposal and partnering with them throughout and beyond this project. Specifically, organizations representing local communities, as well as specific demographics such as Black, Indigenous, Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, LGBTQ+, New Americans (immigrants and refugees), and individuals with physical/cognitive disabilities.

Types of partners may include but are not limited to, other government departments such as transportation, planning, water, public works, schools, social service organizations, affordable housing developments, churches, and advocacy or environmental/health justice organizations.

Applicants are strongly discouraged from reaching out to a community-based organization for the sole purpose of meeting these specific grant requirements. While this grant can be a launching point for partnership, inauthentically partnering solely for this project will result in animosity and distrust. Go into this intending to build on partnerships for the long-term.

What are the details for the grantee workshops each year?

NRPA will require members of your team to attend a virtual training in Fall 2021 and in-person trainings in 2022 and 2023. Each agency will be allowed to utilize grant funds to cover costs associated with attending the training (travel, lodging, food, ground transportation).

Final dates and information will be released when it is planned.

I was unable to attend the webinar on March 11^th. How can I access it?

To access the “Resilient Park Access Grant and Coaching” webinar, you can view it here.

If my agency is not chosen this application cycle, will there be other opportunities to apply?

This is the only grant opportunity at this time. However, as NRPA looks to continue to grow and expand work addressing equitable park access and climate resilience when future opportunities become available, they will be added to NRPA’s Grant Opportunities page.

Will feedback be provided for applications that are not selected?

Unfortunately, given the high interest in this grant NRPA does not have the capacity to provide comments on all applications that are not selected.

Appendix A - Key Term Definitions

10-minute park access - 10-minute park access is equivalent to a half-mile distance. In the United States, 70 of the largest 100 cities set a walking standard by distance, and of those cities, 61 percent define “close” as within a half-mile. 10-minute park access is based on the ability to walk. Though walking speeds vary, the U.S. Department of Transportation agrees that most people can walk a half-mile in about 10 minutes. Park planners across the country rely on sophisticated technology and data to measure 10-minute park access—and we believe that everyone should live within a close proximity of a park, no matter what kind of neighborhood they live in.

Community-based Organizations (CBOs) – “a public or private nonprofit organization of demonstrated effectiveness that— (A) is representative of a community or significant segments of a community; and (B) provides educational or related services to individuals in the community.” – Cornell Law

Environmental Resilience - Climate change, primarily driven by emissions of greenhouse gases as the result of human activity, is impacting how communities live, work and play. Low-income communities and Black, Indigenous, Latino and people of color face the greatest impacts of climate change. To address the systemic inequities and injustices that exist nationwide and harness this desire to confront the realities of climate change, environmental resilience strategies help mitigate the impacts of and adapt to a changing environment.  - NRPA

Examples of environmental resilience strategies include:

• Implementing  nature-based solutions that improve water quality, reduce flood risk, lessen urban heat island effect and clean the air
• Creating habitats for pollinators and other wildlife
• Connecting children and adults with the life-enhancing benefits of the outdoors
• Expanding access to local and fresh produce through farmers markets and community gardens
• Preparing and responding to climate-related disasters with essential services, like emergency shelter
• Connecting community members to social resources and food distribution
• Assessing and closing gaps in high-quality park and recreation access
• Reducing the environmental footprint of their facilities and operations

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) –

• Diversity: Differences in racial and ethnic, socioeconomic, geographic, and academic/professional backgrounds; people with different opinions, backgrounds (degrees and social experience), religious beliefs, political beliefs, sexual orientations, heritage, and life experience (Definition adapted from Racial Equity Tools)
• Equity: The absence of avoidable, unfair, or remediable differences among groups of people, whether those groups are defined socially, economically, demographically or geographically or by other means of stratification. Equity = Fairness and Justice (Definition taken from The World Health Organization)
• Inclusion: Authentically bringing traditionally excluded individuals and/or groups into the processes, activities, and decisions/policymaking in a way that shares power, recognizes and celebrates differences, ensures that people feel welcome and everyone has equitable access to opportunities. (Definition adapted from Racial Equity Tools)

In the context of the outdoor recreation world, check out American Trails’ “What and Why of JEDI.”

Park Access - The just and fair quantity, proximity and connections to quality parks and green space, recreation facilities, as well as programs that are safe, inclusive, culturally relevant and welcoming to everyone. When people have just and fair access, our health and social wellbeing improve, and our communities can protect and better recover from environmental, social and economic challenges. - NRPA

Restorative Justice – “a theory of justice that emphasizes repairing the harm caused by criminal behavior. It is best accomplished through cooperative processes that allow all willing stakeholders to meet, although other approaches are available when that is impossible. This can lead to transformation of people, relationships and communities.” – Centre for Justice and Reconciliation

More information on restorative justice can be found here.

SMART Goal – 

Systems-change – Systems are the practices, policies and procedures of institutions, corporations, agencies and other organizations that influence the determinants of health, park access and environmental resilience. Improving systems—and the way they work together—is change approach to eliminating disparities in health, access and resilience. - Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

Systemic Racism – “policies and practices that exist throughout a whole society or organization, and that result in and support a continued unfair advantage to some people and unfair or harmful treatment of others based on race.  – Cambridge Dictionary

Resources on understanding systemic racism:

• RaceForward’s video series: What is Systemic Racism?
• An example of systemic and environmental racism: Flint Water Crisis

Appendix B - Sample Budget

This sample applicant has a total project budget of $1 million and is applying for $500,000 from NRPA’s Resilient Park Access Grant. The “NRPA Allocation” column details how the $500,000 will be spent with a 15% indirect. The “Total Project Costs” include both the $500,000 costs from the “NRPA Allocation” column and all additional funds going towards the project.