Montgomery County, PA

Potential Sources of Open Space and Revitalization Funding       Federal Federal Grants Catalogue of Federal Domestic Assistance www.cfda.gov  (Also available at public libraries)   National Park Service                                    www.nps.gov/ncrc/programs/rtca/ Rivers, Trails, and Conservation Assistance Program – The program offers technical assistance only to nonprofit organizations, community groups, and local or state government agencies.  The program's technical staff offers the following types of assistance for recreation and conservation projects: Building partnerships to achieve community-set goals Assessing resources Developing concept plans Engaging public participation Identifying potential sources of funding Creating public outreach Organizational development Providing conservation and recreation information   Pennsylvania State Department of Environmental Protection               www.dep.state.pa.us Storm water management Assists or reimburses counties for costs involved in preparing or revising watershed storm water plans. Reimburses municipalities for costs associated with the preparation, administration, enforcement, and implementation of ordinances and regulations as required by the Storm Water Management Act.   Department of Community and Economic Development             www.newpa.com Community Development Block Grant Program (CDBG): Provides grant assistance and technical assistance to aid communities in their community and economic development efforts.  Community Revitalization Program (CR): Provides grant funds to support local initiatives that promote the stability of communities.  Elm Street Program: Grant funds for planning, technical assistance, and physical improvements to residential and mixed-use areas in proximity to central business districts. Industrial Sites Reuse Program: Grant and low-interest loan financing to perform environmental site assessment and remediation work at former industrial sites.  Main Street Program: Provides assistance for revitalization planning and projects.  Visit the DCED Web site as well as www.padowntown.org for more information.   Department of Natural Resources and Conservation        www.dcnr.state.pa.us/grants Community Conservation Partnerships Program (C2P2) - The Community Conservation Partnerships Program provides state and federal grant dollars to help fund community recreation, land trust, rails-to-trails, rivers conservation, and Pennsylvania recreational trails projects.           Contact: Southeast Field Office (Philadelphia) Don Gephart and Fran Rubert 908 State Office Building 1400 Spring Garden Street Philadelphia, PA 19130 E-mail: dgephart@state.pa.us or frubert@state.pa.us Phone: 215.560.1182 or 215.560.1183 Fax: 215.560.6722   Pennsylvania Infrastructure Investment Authority (PENNVEST)    www.pennvest.state.pa.us/pennvest/site/default.asp Brownfield redevelopment and water/sewer issues   Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission            www.phmc.state.pa.us Certified Local Government Grant Program – Provides funding for cultural resource surveys, national register nominations, technical and planning assistance, educational and interpretive programs, staffing and training, and pooling CLG grants and third party administration.  Keystone Historic Preservation Grant Program - Funding for preservation, restoration, and rehabilitation. Pennsylvania History and Museum Grant Program - Funding under this program is designated to support a wide variety of museum, history, archives, and historic preservation projects as well as nonprofit organizations and local governments. There are ten types of grants available.   Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency                www.pema.state.pa.us   Pennsylvania Department of Transportation                             www.dot.state.pa.us Safe Routes to School This category includes projects for bicyclists and pedestrians that permit safe passage for children to walk or bike to school. This includes activities that enhance the transportation system through the construction of new facilities or the improvement of existing facilities to make them more usable for pedestrians and bicyclists.  Examples of eligible activities include sidewalk improvements, pedestrian/bicycle crossing improvements, bike lanes, traffic diversion improvements, and off-street bicycle and pedestrian facilities.  In addition, this program may fund traffic-calming measures to slow vehicle speed, such as curb extensions, bulb-outs, traffic circles, raised median islands, speed humps, and textured or raised crosswalks.  Funds cannot be used for bicycle and pedestrian facilities that are solely for recreational use. www.dot.state.pa.us/Penndot/Bureaus/CPDM/Prod/Saferoute.nsf Home Town Streets This category includes a variety of streetscape improvements that are vital to reestablishing our downtown and commercial centers. This category includes activities undertaken within a defined "downtown" area that collectively enhance that environment and promote positive interactions with people in the area.  Projects may include sidewalk improvements, planters, benches, street lighting, pedestrian crossings, transit bus shelters, traffic calming, bicycle amenities, kiosks, community "gateway" plantings, signage, and other visual elements. Transportation Enhancement Program · Trails (construction, maintenance, and improvement) · Historic resource preservation and enhancement · Streetscape improvements · Public transit facility improvements · Traffic calming · Trees/planting Contact: Greg Brown 7000 Geerdes Boulevard King of Prussia, PA 19406 Phone: 610.205.6950 E-mail: gregbrown@state.pa.us   Pennsylvania Infrastructure Bank www.dot.state.pa.us/penndot/bureaus/pib.nsf/homepagepib?readform Low-interest loans for capital improvement and construction projects   WREN – Water Resources Education Network                 www.pa.lwv.org/wren Administered through the League of Women Voters of PA Grants are available for water resources education projects, especially projects that raise awareness about protecting drinking water sources and preventing non-point pollution.     Regional Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission                www.dvrpc.org Transportation and Community Development Initiative (TCDI)  - The TCDI program is intended to assist in reversing the trends of disinvestment and decline in many of the region's core cities and first generation suburbs by: Supporting local planning projects that will lead to more residential, employment, or retail  opportunities. Improving the overall character and quality of life within these communities to retain and attract business and residents, which will help to reduce the pressure for further sprawl and expansion into the growing suburbs. Enhancing and utilizing the existing transportation infrastructure capacity in these areas to reduce the demands on the region's transportation network. Reducing congestion and improving the transportation system's efficiency. Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement (CMAQ) Program seeks transportation-related projects that can help the region reduce emissions from highway sources and meet National Clean Air Act standards. The program covers the DVRPC region of Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, and Philadelphia counties in Pennsylvania and Burlington, Camden, Gloucester, and Mercer counties in New Jersey.   Schuylkill River Heritage Area (SRHA)                                      www.schuylkillriver.org Grants are available to counties, municipalities, and nonprofit organizations to develop projects and programs that address SRHA’s five core goals:  resource conservation (natural and cultural) education and interpretation, recreation, community revitalization, heritage, and tourism. Projects should be consistent with criteria established in  Living with the River: The Management Plan and Environmental Impact Statement for the Schuylkill River Heritage Area, available on the SRHA Web site. Contact: Cory Kegerise, heritage coordinator, at 484.945.0200.     Private PECO Energy “Green Region” administered by Natural Lands Trust                              www.natlands.org Grants for municipalities in Southeastern Pennsylvania Up to 50% of the planning expenses associated with developing or updating municipal open space protection plans. Up to 75% of the direct and indirect expenses associated with the fee simple purchase (or receipt by donation) of open space properties identified in a municipal open space plan. Up to 75% of the direct and indirect expenses associated with the purchase (or receipt by donation) of conservation easements (also known as “development rights”) on properties identified in a municipal open space plan. Up to 75% of the planning expenses to improve municipal-owned open spaces or lands to be acquired by a municipality. Up to 50% of the cost of materials and labor to install habitat improvements and capital improvements for passive recreation on municipal-owned open space, when such improvements are identified in a municipal open space plan. Contact: Administrator Elizabeth Robb Green Region c/o Natural Lands Trust 1031 Palmers Mill Road Media, PA 19063 Phone: 610.353.5587 e-mail: brobb@natlands.org   The Conservation Fund                                              www.conservationfund.org Watershed Action Grant Program    Watershed Action Grants aid nonprofit organizations and their partners in implementing conservation plans to protect watersheds, improve water quality, and promote watershed stewardship. For complete information, go directly to www.conservationfund.org/?article=2829.   National Fish and Wildlife Foundation                    www.nfwf.org/programs.cfm The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation is a private, nonprofit 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization, established by Congress in 1984 and dedicated to the conservation of fish, wildlife, and plants, and the habitat on which they depend.  The foundation's goals are to promote healthy populations of fish, wildlife, and plants by generating new commerce for conservation.  The foundation meets these goals by creating partnerships between the public and private sectors and strategically invests in conservation and sustainable use of natural resources. Please visit the organization’s website to view the large variety of grant programs available.  All of these grants are related to wildlife conservation and restoration.  One of the newest grant programs, Acres for America, is a partnership with Wal-Mart that seeks to preserve lands to offset the loss of habitat when stores are constructed.   Kodak American Greenways Grants Program       www.conservationfund.org/?article=2106 The Kodak American Greenways Awards Program, a partnership project of the Eastman Kodak Company, The Conservation Fund, and the National Geographic Society, provides small grants to stimulate the planning and design of greenways in communities throughout America. Applications may be submitted by June 1. Greenways are corridors of protected public and private land established along rivers, stream valleys, ridges, abandoned railroad corridors, utility rights-of-way, canals, scenic roads, or other linear features.  In general, grants can be used for all appropriate expenses needed to complete a greenway project, including planning, technical assistance, legal and other costs, annually.   William Penn Foundation                               www.wpennfdn.org Grants for private, nonprofit 501(c) 3 organizations in Southeastern PA Funding Priorities: Promote sustainable watershed assets. Promote strategic, coordinated policies and investments to ensure land and water protection.  Implement projects in targeted areas that demonstrate model practices and policies. Promote sustainable regional development. Promote coordinated, strategic public redevelopment policies and investments that build on existing infrastructure and regional assets of older communities. Foster innovation and implement community redevelopment models in the urban core (targeted communities in Philadelphia and Camden).   The Pew Charitable Trusts                            www.pewtrusts.org Grants for private, nonprofit 501(c) 3 organizations Environment program Contact: Josh Reichert c/o The Pew Charitable Trusts, 2005 Market Street, Suite 1700, Philadelphia, PA 19103 Phone: 215.575.4740 E-mail:  envimail@pewtrusts.org   Claneil Foundation, Inc. www.claneilfoundation.org/mission.php Purpose and activities: Giving primarily for the arts, education, health, the environment, and community development.   Geographic focus: Pennsylvania Contact:  Executive Director Cathy M. Weiss 630 W. Germantown Pike, Ste. 400 Plymouth Meeting, PA 19462-1059   Foundation Center www.fdncenter.org Foundation Grants                                      Contact the Foundation Center at 79 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10003. This Web site has a large database of organizations that make grants for many different types of projects.