$60K in Grant Funding Available for Trail Projects in 2021 and 2022

The Greenways Foundation, a statewide charitable trust providing leadership and advocacy in the growth and use of Indiana greenways and trails, will be granting a $40,000 for the development of trails and citizen trail organizations in Indiana this year. Trails include those for walkers, runners, cyclists, horseback riders, as well as water trails for canoeists and kayakers. $20,000 in funding is still left in the current grant cycle. The group is accepting grant applications for 2022 projects until November 30, 2021.  An additional $40,000 will b available in January. Maximum awards are $10,000 for trail projects and $1,000 to cover start-up funds (legal and IRS application fees) for those interested in establishing a nonprofit trail group.

 Funds for the grants are raised through the group’s specialty I Support Trails license plate, which can be purchased from the Bureau of Motor Vehicles website. The license plate program is key in helping the group achieve its Indiana Trails Vision of a trail within 15 minutes of every Hoosier. The special Trails plate is an additional $40, of which $25 goes to the Foundation to make these grants. To date, the organization has given away $164,000 in grants to 46 projects totaling over $12 million.

The Greenways Foundation Grant Review Committee, an all-volunteer board, will review all grant requests and contact applicants as soon as possible if additional information is required to make a determination. Once reviewed by the committee, projects are voted on by the Greenways Foundation Board of Directors and applicants are notified immediately of their decision. The process typically takes sixty days.

Examples of past trail projects supported in part by Greenways Foundation grants include:

·        Creation of the Golden Spike Section of the Pufferbelly Trail in Ft. Wayne

·        Founding of the Friends of Quaker Trace Trail, a citizen group focused on developing and maintaining the 17-mile multi-use path, part of what will eventually be a 40-mile loop connecting Elkhart, Goshen, Middlebury, and Bristol.

·        Expansion of the Erie Trail in Starke County, which is also a part of the 6800-mile coast-to-coast American Discovery Trail.

Grant application, instructions, and budget and final report templates can be found at https://www.greenwaysfoundation.org/grants.html. Interested organizations are encouraged to apply as soon as possible, as grant applications are reviewed on a first-in, first-out basis.