The Georgia Recreation and Park Association New Initiative Grant Program is intended to spur innovation in parks and recreation services at a local or regional level that ultimately could have state-wide impact.
What is eligible for funding?
Grant funding is available for new initiatives that demonstrate innovation in park and recreation services for the agency submitting the grant application, with future applicability for other agencies at a local, regional, or state-wide level. Initiatives can be defined as programs, services or events.
Eligibility
- Applicants must be a GRPA agency member in good standing. One grant submittal per agency
- Grant funds must be expended within the agency’s current or upcoming fiscal year in which they were awarded
- 2024 Grant recipients are not eligible
What is excluded?
Capital improvements like buildings and structures, funding for existing programs and services, personnel, on-going expenses and costs incurred prior to the award of the grant are not eligible.
Other Requirements
If the initiative that is being funded is not
implemented, recipients are required to return the funds to the association.
1. Grant recipients will be required to provide a report to the association documenting all expenditures with copies of receipts. The report should also include the initiative outcomes including any variations that had to be made to the original proposal.
2. Grant recipients will be required to provide a narrative on their initiative to be included in GRPA publications and may be asked to present their initiative as a session at the GRPA annual conference.
Application Process
To apply, submit a narrative describing the initiative, no more than 4 pages (12 pt. Times New Roman Font with 1” margins). The narrative must follow this format:
Section 1: Initiative name, location, duration, and expected audience
Section 2: Initiative personnel and grant contact information
Section 3: Initiative description (very thorough) and the innovative approach to the initiative
Section 4: Community need/support
Section 5: Initiative budget (Please state all expected revenues and expenditures - be specific, such as admissions, marketing, supplies, equipment rental, etc.)
Section 6: Feasibility or likelihood that the initiative could be used by other agencies throughout Georgia
Section 7: How the initiative will be evaluated and what measures will be used to determine its success
Evaluation Process
Grant applications will be reviewed by a panel
of third party recreation professionals and grant
specialists. Applications will be evaluated based
on this criteria:
- Innovative approach to the initiative (30%)
- Community need or support (25%)
- Feasibility or likelihood that the initiative could be used by other agencies throughout Georgia (25%)
- How the initiative will be assessed and what measures will be used to determine its success (10%)
- Thoroughness of application including all requested information (10%)