Parks & Trails New York (PTNY) recently selected the Friends of Astoria Heights Park to receive a $1250 Growing the Grassroots capacity building grant. Included in this grant is an enclosed bulletin board. Red ribbon cutting ceremony planned for April 18, 2015. The bulletin board will be a great addition to the park, helping to reach more of the park and neighborhood community, informing our neighbors of all that we are doing and how to get involved. Thank you to our generous sponsor for making this possible
Installation with Lynn Kennedy & Parks Department
About Parks & Trails New York awards of grants to strengthen park and trail groups around the state
The statewide advocacy group Parks & Trails New York (PTNY) awarded almost $16,000 in Growing the Grassroots capacity building grants to seven not-for-profit park and trail organizations. The groups will use the funds to increase organizational visibility, generate community support, grow membership, and attract additional volunteers. The awards are supported, in part, by the visionary philanthropist, Merryl H. Tisch.
PTNY’s program is unique in that it awards funding for activities not normally covered by existing grants. PTNY’s Growing the Grassroots capacity building grants focus are designed to help park and trail not-for-profits develop and strengthen the skills, processes, and resources that will allow them to thrive and better foster the expansion, stewardship, and promotion of New York’s parks and trails. New to the program this year were awards to undertake small park or trail capital projects that will raise the visibility and capacity of park and trail not-for-profits.
“Hundreds of not-for-profit organizations are working to build, protect, and promote our state’s parks and trails which contribute so much to our economy and quality of life,” said Robin Dropkin, Parks & Trails New York Executive Director. “With our Growing the Grassroots grant program, we can help propel these groups to new levels, enabling them to leverage more private funding and marshal more volunteer power to aid their stewardship efforts.”
Since it initiated the awards program in 2009, PTNY has assisted 59 organizations in 36 New York counties. For more information on Parks & Trails NY go to their website at www.ptny.org.