Impact Grant
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!
The Impact Grant is intended to support large, community-initiated, physical park improvement projects, as well as master plan implementations and place-making. One grant for $100,000 is awarded annually through a highly competitive process with a grant period of 24 months. Check out our Community and Neighborhood Grants for smaller projects. Below are the specific requirements and some helpful information for those interested in applying for the Impact Grant.
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.
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.
St. John Park - Our First-Ever Impact Grant Recipient
FAQs
The Impact Grant will support physical improvement projects on land owned and managed by the City of Austin Parks & Recreation Department, including master plan implementation and place-making projects.
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
A: Adopt-A-Park groups are welcome to apply, as well as neighborhood associations and other park stakeholder groups.
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 due October 30. 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.