The purpose of the Foundation for Geauga Parks is to help park authorities and organizations raise funds for projects and programs that align with our mission and help ensure residents and visitors have the opportunity to access and appreciate the beauty of our county’s natural spaces.
We encourage organizations to apply for funding assistance, and have a menu of resources available to help our communities.
See FGP Grantmaking Policy and Procedures for details.
Small Grants Program
Each year, FGP budgets a specific amount of restricted funds available for small grants in the range of $200 - $5000 to support:
- Park and trail improvements
- Nature education programs (including school field trip funding)
- Education scholarships for studies in natural resources
See Small Grant Application here. Complete and send the writable application form or answer all questions on a separate document and send according to instructions.
Applications will be accepted by:
June 1 for decisions at July board meeting or
November 15 for decisions at December board meeting
FGP Conservation Scholarships
Fundamental to the Foundation mission is to nurture our next generation of conservationists. To that end, FGP offers conservation education scholarships to students who plan to enter studies in the areas that promote education, preservation, conservation and appreciation of natural resources.
See the FGP Conservation Scholarship Application for more details.
Applications will be accepted by:
January 31 for decisions at the February board meeting.
We are pleased to announce the recipients of FGP's 2023 Conservation Scholarship Program.
School Field Trip Transportation Grants
The Foundation continues to offer transportation grants for schools to travel to parks for naturalist-led programs. The Foundation will reimburse bus fees for up to $200 per bus and reserves the right to fund only one field trip per building per grade per school year. Applications must be submitted no less than one month prior to the field trip. See the Field Trip Transportation Grant form.
Large-scale Funding Support
Your park district or municipality may have a project planned for land acquisition or park improvements that fall outside the maximum of Foundation for Geauga Parks restricted funds available through grants. If this is the case and your project falls within our grantmaking intent, we would consider making resources available to assist your team in raising money for your own projects. (Be aware, our level of assistance may be impacted by availability of staff and board.)
Our team may collaborate with your team to:
- Develop a strategic fundraising plan
- Build collaborations with complimentary organizations
- Research sources of funding (public, private, nonprofit)
- Write grant applications
- Develop metrics to measure the progress and success of your project or program.
- To allow sufficient time to design and implement a fundraising strategy, inquiries for large scale project must be submitted at least six months before a project begins.
- To submit a request, please complete the Grant Application Form linked above and send to the FGP office by email or USPS. For other inquiries, please submit the "Join our email list" form at the bottom of the page.