Community Grants

 

Hey, y'all!

In light of the sweeping changes brought on by COVID-19 in the Austin community and beyond, APF will postpone the April 30th Community Grant and Design Services application deadlines until further notice. As the situation continues to develop, we will keep all of our park stakeholders updated and hope to offer these resources for community-led projects as soon as possible. Our priority is the safety of people in our community, and the overall sustainability of the grants program long-term.

For those who have approved Community Activated Park Project (CAPP) forms on file with PARD, you will be ready to apply when the grant application opens back up. For those who don’t have an approved form, PARD is continuing to intake CAPP forms, however, due to COVID-19 and the City of Austin’s Stay Home-Work Safe Order, CAPP processing may take longer than usual.

APF will continue to offer Neighborhood Grants, but for a limited number and type of projects. These projects must have an approved CAPP form (if on PARD land), and the work proposed must not violate the city’s Stay Home-Work Safe Order. These will be reviewed very carefully and we cannot guarantee Neighborhood Grants will be approved. If you’d like to discuss your Neighborhood Grant proposal first, we encourage you to contact kathleen@austinparks.org. Thank you for your time!

As the anchor of our ACL Music Festival Grants Program, Community Grants are intended for large, community-initiated park improvement projects that fall between $5,000 to $50,000. Check out our Impact Grant for larger projects, or our Neighborhood Grants for smaller projects. These grants are offered twice a year with a grant period of 12 months, and are awarded through a competitive process.

Potential applicants should attend a grants info session before applying. When you are ready to apply, please click the button below to access the application.

Apply

To download a paper template of the application, click here. Use the template for planning purposes only and submit answers to the form above when ready.

FAQs

Q: What types of projects are funded?
A: Community Grants fund projects on land owned and managed by the City of Austin Parks & Recreation Department, and support physical improvements to parks, such as playground equipment, shade structures, trails, habitat restoration, picnic tables, ADA-accessibility and more.
Q: What types of projects are preferable?

A: Preference will be given to projects that

  • Encourage community participation at the park
  • Give the community a sense of ownership of & commitment to the park
  • Fill a need not otherwise being met in the neighborhood
  • Reach a diverse user group and encourage positive use of the park
  • Have broad community support
  • Help improve parks that haven't recently received funding from APF, especially in historically underserved areas of town
  • Include a strong matching component, including volunteer labor, in-kind contributions, and a substantial cash match from new/recent fundraising
Q: Who should apply?
A: Adopt-A-Park groups, neighborhood associations and other park stakeholder groups are welcome to apply.
Q: When should we apply?

A: All potential applicants are strongly encouraged to attend a grants information class prior to applying (check our calendar page for upcoming sessions), or schedule a time to discuss your proposed project and the APF grants program with APF staff by writing to grants@austinparks.org.

Applications are accepted April 30 and September 30 each year. APF staff is available to pre-screen applications one month in advance of the deadlines. All proposed projects on city-owned parkland must have an approved Community-Activated Park Project form on file with the City of Austin Parks and Recreation Department. 

Upcoming ACL Music Festival Grants Classes

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