Building capacity and addressing need through DCNR’s Partnership Grants

The South Mountain Partnership is rooted in advancing regional recreation and conservation efforts through collaboration and partnerships. We do this by working from the ground up, connecting communities and local governments to resources and tools to accomplish shared goals. Often though constrained budgets and timelines coupled with limited resources and capacity can make programs, funding sources and offerings from conservation organizations difficult to pursue. With a growing public demand for all things outdoors, recreation, conservation, and nature-based programing, a more flexible source of funding is needed to handle small scale needs.

To address these needs and help further build capacity, DCNR’s Peer and Circuit Rider Partnerships Grants offer a more flexible year-round source of funding via a less strenuous process. One of the goals of the Partnerships Grant Program is to help build local municipal, multi-municipal, county, regional, and statewide capacity to better promote, develop, and manage resources through the creation and implementation of public planning processes.

Under the larger Partnerships Program, two types of local capacity building programs are offered – the Peer and Circuit Rider programs.

Peer Program

The Peer Program is available to assist municipal entities with hiring a professional consultant to study specialized small-scale issues to improve their park, recreation, and conservation services through a collaborative process. Projects are accomplished through contracts with experienced park, recreation and conservation professionals who will work closely with local leaders. Examples may include projects that form new intergovernmental recreation and park agencies; improving management of a specific facility like a community center, trail or pool; conducting an overall management assessment of an agency’s park and recreation services; park and recreation board training and development, etc. Generally, between $10,000 and $18,000 can be made available (the grantee must provide at least a 10% cash match) to hire a peer to work in close collaboration with community leaders to develop an action plan.

Circuit Rider Program

This Circuit Rider Program provides grant funds (over a period of four years) for county or regional organizations to hire a professional, full-time staff person. Circuit Rider grants are awarded to initiate new programs and services for county(ies), Council of Governments and/or multi-municipal entities, that individually do not have the financial resources to hire a professional full-time staff person. The Circuit Rider’s purpose is to initiate new programs and services in the designated service area. The intended result of this project is to increase the ability of a grantee to more efficiently and effectively meet their recreation, park, greenway, open space and/or natural resource conservation needs. The grantee will be responsible for the long-term financial commitment and maintenance of this professional position (after the four years have concluded).

Under these two funding programs, eligible applicants include:

  • Single municipalities intending to establish multi-municipal partnerships
  • Statewide and regional recreation, conservation, and greenways organizations
  • Regional municipal entities
  • County(ies)
  • Council of Governments

To get started, please reference DCNR’s Peer and Circuit Rider grant opportunities page, and reach out to your regional advisor to discuss your project and ideas.