ERIE CANALWAY HERITAGE FUND INC logo

Tourism Infrastructure & Amenity Support

ERIE CANALWAY HERITAGE FUND INC

Foundation Annual Recreation GrantsGrants for Disabled

Funding Amount

$5,000 - $24,000

Deadline

November 21, 2026

123 days left

Grant Type

foundation

Overview

Tourism Infrastructure & Amenity Support

Funder: New York State Canal Corporation and Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor

Geographic Scope: Erie Canalway Corridor (500+ miles of waterway and Canalway Trail in New York State)

Focus Areas:

  • Tourism infrastructure and amenity improvements

  • Projects that facilitate recreation and/or tourism

  • Enhancements to visitor amenities and experience

  • Encouragement of overnight stays

  • Commemoration of canal history, heritage, or culture

  • Accessibility improvements for people with and without disabilities

  • Expansion of audiences served

  • Connectivity improvements between recreation areas, communities, waterways, and land trails

    • Eligibility:

  • Counties

  • Municipalities

  • Units of local government

  • Not-for-profit organizations

  • Federally recognized Native American nations

    • 2026 Program Priorities:

  • Accessibility for all community members

  • Addressing service and amenity gaps

    • Program Objectives:
    Projects should demonstrate how they will achieve one or more of the following:

  • Facilitate recreation and/or tourism

  • Enhance visitor amenities and/or improve visitor experience

  • Encourage overnight stays

  • Commemorate the history, heritage, or culture of the canals

  • Make recreational and tourism assets more accessible for people with and without disabilities

  • Expand audiences served

  • Improve and/or promote connectivity between recreation areas and communities or between waterways and land trails

    • 2026 Timeline:

  • Applications Opened: October 14, 2025

  • Applications Closed: November 21, 2025

  • Awards Announced: February 2026

    • Contact:
    Mary Abbruzzese, Program Manager
    Phone: 518-237-7000, ext. 201
    Email: Mary_Abbruzzese@eriecanalway.org

    Resources Available:

  • Canal Recreationway Plan 2050

  • ECNHC Preservation and Management Plan

  • 2025 Amenities Study

  • NYS Canal Corporation Branding and Amenity Design Standards

  • Canal Design Standards

  • Signage Guidelines

  • Hand-Launch Facility Design Guide

  • Universal Design Guidelines and best practices

    • How to Apply

    Application Process

    2026 Applications Now Closed

    Check back in the fall for 2027 project and event support applications.

    Submission Instructions:
    1. Review the Program Guide for complete guidance
    2. Applications are submitted online
    3. Note: You cannot save applications in progress
    4. Recommendation: Complete answers in a Word document first, then copy into online form

    Required Materials:

  • Completed online application form

  • Project budget (using provided budget form)

  • Documentation of matching funds (if applicable)

  • Supporting documentation as relevant

    • Resources:

  • Program Guide (available on website)

  • Design standards and guidelines

  • Accessibility workshop recordings available

    • Support Available:

  • Two virtual workshops hosted in 2025 on accessibility

  • Recordings available for 2026 Events and Tourism Infrastructure accessibility workshops

  • Technical assistance available via email

    • Apply with Grantable Learn more

    Focus Areas & Funding Uses

    Fields of Work

    recreationdisabled

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