Built to Play Skatepark Grants

The Built to Play Skatepark Grants, funded by the Tony Hawk Foundation, aim to support the creation of free, public skateparks in low-income communities across Southeast Michigan and Western New York. With grants up to $250,000, the program emphasizes community involvement, environmental sustainability, and accessibility. It prioritizes projects designed by experienced contractors that engage local skaters in leadership roles. This initiative reflects a commitment to fostering healthy lifestyles and combating childhood obesity through active play.

NOTE: Letter of Inquiry (LOI) submissions are accepted from January through March.
Kids need to play.
The Skatepark Project believes encouraging free play and providing youth with opportunities to develop active, healthy lifestyles are key to ensuring their well being.
Children in low-income families are particularly at risk, in part because they have fewer opportunities to participate in organized sports leagues and activities. Fighting obesity has become a critical national priority, with long-term health risks including—but not limited to—heart disease, high cholesterol, depression, and even cancer**. More importantly, healthier kids are happier.
Two of the nation’s most prominent advocates for youth have joined together to address this issue. The Skatepark Project has partnered with the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation to promote the creation of free, public skateparks in the 16 counties of Southeast Michigan and Western New York served by RCWJRF.
With grant funds of up to $250,000, the Built to Play Skatepark Program supports community groups and municipalities seeking to create free, public skateparks that serve low-income communities. Built to Play Skatepark Grants also include an additional $50,000 to fund processes and design features that lessen the environmental impact of the skatepark. The Built to Play Skatepark Program also provides advisory services and advocacy training to assist groups in organizing and managing their efforts.
The Built to Play Skatepark Program primarily considers skatepark projects that:
are designed and built from durable, low-maintenance materials by qualified and experienced skatepark contractors.include local skaters in leadership and volunteer roles throughout the planning, fundraising, and design process.will serve low- to middle-income areas and/or areas with a high population of “at-risk” youth.can demonstrate a strong grassroots commitment to the project, particularly in the form of fundraising by local skateboarders and other community groups.encourage skaters to look after their own safety and the safety of others without restricting their access to the park or over-regulating their use of it.are open during daylight hours, 365 days a year.don’t charge an entrance fee or require registration.are in areas that currently have no accessible skateboarding facilitiesare committed to a process that minimizes the environmental impact of the skatepark.
Supply Vs. Demand
As the benefits of skateparks are felt within a community, the demand for grants from the Built to Play Skatepark Program will become increasingly competitive across the region. If your proposed skatepark does not reflect the priorities outlined above, your project is unlikely to receive a grant through this program.
All Built to Play Skatepark Grant Applicants will receive a detailed review of their projects, whether a grant is awarded or not.
Focus of Built to Play Skatepark Grants
The principal focus of Built to Play Skatepark Grants is to encourage and facilitate the design, development, and construction of new quality skateboard parks and facilities, located in eligible communities in the 16 counties served by the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation. Skatepark projects in communities outside this service area or those seeking funds for anything other than the construction of a skateboard park may not apply for a Built to Play Skatepark Grant. Built to Play-funded skatepark projects must also incorporate processes and design features that minimize the environmental impact of the skatepark.
More information about The Skatepark Project’s Skatepark Grant program can be found here.

Eligibility

Applicant must be a public charity (ad hoc community groups may enlist a nonprofit fiscal sponsor to apply on their behalf), organized under IRC Sec. 501(C)(3), and qualified under IRC Sec. 170(B)(1)(A), or a state or local agency, including public school systems or public projects. For organizations that are not municipalities or state or local agencies, proof of federal tax-exempt status is required with the grant application. Only organizations seeking to build free, public skateparks in the 16 counties listed below are eligible to apply for the Built to Play Skatepark Grant:MichiganLivingston, Macomb, Monroe, Oakland, St. Clair, Washtenaw and Wayne counties.New YorkAllegany, Chautauqua, Cattaraugus, Erie, Genesee, Monroe, Niagara, Orleans and Wyoming counties.Communities outside of these counties may be eligible to apply for The Skatepark Project’s national Skatepark Grant program.

Ineligibility

If your project is not located in one of the 16 counties listed above, you are not eligible to apply for the Built to Play Skatepark Grant.If your organization is not a public charity (organized under IRC Sec. 501c3, and qualified under IRC Sec. 170b1A, or does not have an eligible fiscal sponsor, and does not have a Federal ID# number and an IRS Determination Letter to confirm your tax-exempt status) or your organization is not a state or local agency, including public school systems or public projects, you are not eligible to apply for the Built to Play Skatepark Grant.If your organization is not prepared to sign a Grant Agreement document absolving the Tony Hawk Foundation, the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation, the Community Foundation Of Greater Buffalo, and the Community Foundation Of Southeast Michigan from any and all liability claims resulting from use of your skatepark, you are not eligible to apply for the Built to Play Skatepark Grant.If your organization plans to build a skatepark from steel or wood ramps it is not eligible to apply for a Built to Play Skatepark Grant. Your project must be a permanent, concrete skatepark.If your organization has already received a grant from the Built to Play Skatepark Program for the same project, it is not eligible to apply for another Built to Play Skatepark Grant.If your organization seeks funds for anything other than the construction of a new skatepark, adding to an existing skatepark, or replacing temporary skate elements with concrete, it is not eligible for a Built to Play Skatepark Grant.If the Median Household Income in the city, town, or neighborhood where the skatepark will be located in is significantly higher than your State’s Median Household Income (using U.S. Census 2010 data from www.census.gov), your organization is not eligible to apply for a Built to Play Skatepark Grant.If you plan to charge a fee, or require waivers, registration, or a membership to use the skatepark, your organization is not eligible to apply for a Built to Play Skatepark Grant.Aside from daylight hours, city curfew, or city park hours, if you plan to limit the hours of access to the skatepark, your organization is not eligible to apply for a Built to Play Skatepark Grant.If your finished skatepark will not be located on public property, you are not eligible to apply for a Built to Play Skatepark Grant.If you are not prepared to work with the Tony Hawk Foundation’s designated environmental-impact specialist to develop a planning process and skatepark design that minimizes the environmental impact of your skatepark, you are not eligible to apply for a Built to Play Skatepark Grant.The Tony Hawk Foundation is legally prohibited from providing grants to private, for-profit entities.