NYC Green Fund Grassroots Grant Program

NYC Green Fund Grassroots Grant Program

Status: ACTIVE
Funder: City Parks Foundation
Amount: US $1,000 - US $80,000
Last Updated: July 15, 2025

Summary

The NYC Green Fund Grassroots Grant Program supports grassroots initiatives in NYC's parks and open spaces, promoting community engagement and environmental stewardship. It offers funding for projects focused on youth development, health and wellness, arts, and organizational capacity-building. Eligible applicants include community organizations with annual budgets under $175,000 that demonstrate a connection to the communities they serve. Grants can range from $1,000 to $40,000 for one- or two-year commitments, fostering equitable public green spaces across all five boroughs.

Overview

Program Description The NYC Green Fund Grassroots grant program is intended to advance the viability of grassroots initiatives across parks and open spaces in all five boroughs and to foster a resilient network of equitable public green spaces. The NYC Green Fund Grassroots grant program provides support for a range of programming areas including stewardship, environmental action, organizational development, health and wellness, youth development, arts and culture, and Urban Forest Grants brought to you by Con Edison. With direct funding and technical assistance, diverse community groups will receive support in their work to activate and enrich parks and open spaces across NYC. Grants will be awarded for one- or two-year commitments, pending funding raised for the NYC Green Fund in the subsequent year. Types of Work Supported Stewardship Community-led care of open spaces such as volunteer service and beautification projects. Examples: planting a native flower garden, caring for a dog run, or beach clean-ups. Environmental Action Educational and awareness-building programs that provide people with the knowledge and skills to take responsible actions to protect the environment. Examples: a teach-in on the impacts of shore erosion, a petition in support of public composting, or a public awareness campaign against local sources of pollution. Organizational Development Resources that support your organization’s internal growth and capacity to activate public space. Grant recipients of this category may receive pro-bono design support from Partnerships for Parks’ art director for print and digital marketing materials. Examples: flyers for events supported by the NYC Green Fund, conflict resolution training, leadership development opportunities, or working with a consultant to develop a five-year plan. Youth Development Programs that inspire children under 18 and young adults (18-24) to pursue “green” jobs through hands-on service learning, paid work opportunities, and professional skills training. Examples: a career day for local elementary school students, paid internships at your organization, or a mentorship program with professionals in the environmental sector. Health and Wellness Activities that promote the physical, mental, and emotional health of people using NYC’s parks and open spaces. Examples: yoga in the park, a free neighborhood basketball league, or weekly nature walks. Arts and Culture Arts and community-oriented cultural programming in public open spaces. Examples: a celebration of traditional cultural dance, public theater performances, a movie night, arts and crafts making workshops, or a music festival. Urban Forest Grants brought to you by Con Edison Activities that promote the health and development of NYC’s urban canopy through stewardship or educational programming. Examples: planting in or cleaning up a street tree bed, installing tree guards, hosting tree care education workshops, or providing members of your organization with professional development opportunities (such as Citizen Pruner certification).

Eligibility

You can learn more about this opportunity by visiting the funder's website. Applicants must possess demonstrated experience working in NYC’s parks and/or open spaces and have a strong connection to the community/communities they are working in.Applicants’ most recent annual operating budget must be less than $175,000. If an applicant is submitting a joint application, their combined operating budgets must be less than $175,000. If you are an organization without a formal annual operating budget, then you can think of this as your total expenses over the last full year. Applicants’ proposals must support work in one or more of the following public open spaces:ParksPlaygroundsCommunity gardensStreet trees**NYCHA propertiesPublic plazasOpen StreetsWaterfrontsApplicants without 501(c)3 status must utilize an external fiscal sponsor or request one- time fiscal sponsorship from PfP through CPF.If an applicant received the Capacity Fund grant, NYC Green Relief & Recovery Fund grant, or Green / Arts LIVE grant in 2020 or after, all due interim and final reports must be submitted prior to applying for additional funding.One-Year Grant SupportApplicants with annual operating budgets of less than $175,000 may request between $1,000 - $40,000.Organizations whose annual operating budget was between $0-$9,999 are eligible to apply for up to $2,500. Organizations whose annual operating budget was $10,000 or higher are eligible to apply for funding up to 25% of their annual operating budget. $40,000 is the maximum per year amount that any organization can apply for. Organizations applying in partnership are eligible to apply for up to $2,500 or up to 25% of their combined annual operating budgets, depending on the combined budget total.Two-Year Grant SupportIn order to be eligible to apply for two-year funding, an organization must have received a PfP or CPF grant since 2020 and completed all required interim and final reports. Applicants may request funding between $1,000 - $40,000 per year, receiving a total of $2,000 - $80,000 across two years.The second year of funding is contingent on the level of funding for the NYC Green Fund program. Organizations whose annual operating budget was between $0-$9,999 are eligible to apply for up to $2,500 per year. Organizations whose annual operating budget was $10,000 or higher are eligible to apply for funding up to 25% of their annual operating budget per year. $40,000 is the maximum per year amount that any organization can apply for. Organizations applying in partnership are eligible to apply for up to $2,500 per year or up to 25% of their combined annual operating budgets per year, depending on the combined budget total. $40,000 is the maximum per year amount that any applicant can apply for.

Ineligibility

Applications submitted on behalf of individuals are not eligible