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Park and Trail Partnership Grants

☞ ACCESS THE GRANT PORTAL

 

★ ROUND 11 Application Process Opens ★
May 2025

Park and Trail Partnership Grants—administered by Parks & Trails New York in partnership with the NY Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (OPRHP) and funded through the Environmental Protection Fund—support a wide array of partner efforts, from raising private funds for capital projects and performing maintenance and beautification tasks, to providing innovative educational programming and hosting special events.

This funding is intended to:

  • Enhance the preservation, stewardship, interpretation, maintenance and promotion of New York State parks, trails, state historic sites and public lands.
  • Increase the sustainability, effectiveness, productivity, and volunteer and fundraising capabilities of not-for-profit organizations that promote, maintain, and support New York State parks, trails, state historic sites and public lands.
  • Promote the tourism and economic development benefits of outdoor recreation through the growth and expansion of a connected statewide network of parks, trails, greenways and public lands.
Applying for a Park and Trail Partnership Grant is designed to be an easy process, ensuring the funding opportunity is accessible to every type of Friends group- you do not need to be a fundraising professional! Our online grant portal is easy to navigate and we provide all applicants a wealth of resources to help you navigate the process, learn how applications will be evaluated, and most importantly- create dynamic proposals that will help your group champion your treasured park, site or public land. 

 

Round 11 Schedule & Webinars

 

Application Period Opens May 2025

WEBINAR: Professional Development Applicants

VIEW WEBINAR RECORDING

Late May

WEBINAR: General Info (offered twice)

VIEW WEBINAR RECORDING

 Early June
Professional Development Letters of Intent Due Late June 

WEBINAR: General Info (offered twice)

VIEW WEBINAR RECORDNING

 Early July
Invitations to apply for Professional Development Early July
Applications Due End of August
Awards announced / First payments disbursed January 2026

 

Apply

First time applying?

VISIT THE APPLY PAGE

 

Applied before?

GO DIRECTLY TO THE GRANT PORTAL

 

Grant Categories

There are four types of competitive grants available to eligible grassroots, non-profit organizations through the Park and Trail Partnership Grant Program.

VIEW GRANT CATEGORIES

During the review period, our review team gives extra consideration to applications that can “move the needle forward” on the following 3 areas that are a priority for PTNY, and our partners: accessibility; diversity, equity and inclusion; and partnerships.

Your group may still put forward an application that does not focus on these programmatic targets. It’s simply our way of leveraging the additional EPF funds for this program into areas we know need to be addressed in a meaningful way by grassroots groups affiliated with OPRHP and DEC.

 

Past Funded Projects


Building kayak racks at Moreau State Park

Since 2015, the Park and Trail Partnership Grants program has:

  • Funded 222 projects to over 90 non-profit organizations
  • Awarded over $8.1 million with organizations leveraging over $3 million of matching private funds

 

 

VIEW LIST OF PAST AWARDED PROJECTS

Questions?

Check out the Frequently Asked Question page:
FAQs

View the abundant resources available to applicants including templates, list of contractors, and more.

Crowdsource ideas from other applicants! Check out the Friends Discussion forums on the grants.

Friends Forums
 

MORE QUESTIONS?

Contact Jonathan Duda, Grants Manager at:
[email protected] or 518-434-1583 x3