Press release from Buncombe County Government:
Do you have a community recreation project that needs a financial jump-start? The application period is open now for Buncombe County Community Recreation Grants for projects taking place from July 2023-June 2024.
The grants are part of other countywide initiatives that help make Buncombe County a place where everyone from infants to retirees has the opportunity to be strong, healthy, and successful. The program is intended to help community nonprofits make immediate improvements and jump-start long-term progress that align with the Buncombe 2025 Strategic Plan. Grants range in amounts from $500-$6,000, depending on the number of qualifying applicants.
Community Recreation Grant projects represent a primary goal of low-cost, inclusive wellness and therapeutic opportunities that are accessible to all residents regardless of cultural, physical, cognitive, or socioeconomic background. An important avenue for maintaining peoples’ physical and mental wellbeing are parks, open spaces, greenways, and trails – and the recreational opportunities that take place within them. When combined with the ability to deliver healthier, happier, equitable communities, parks and recreation’s powerful economic impact highlights the fact that these offerings are not merely a ‘nice-to-have’ luxury government service. Instead, public recreation is an essential core service that transforms our cities, towns, and counties into vibrant and prosperous communities for all.
More information
Eligible entities include Buncombe County nonprofits focused on providing equitable access to recreational, fitness, cultural, and wellness activities to the public at no- or low-cost. These funds are intended to be a leveraging tool that promote partnerships between the County and area nonprofits and are not a donation, funding stream, or sponsorship opportunity. Programs applying for funding should align with the Buncombe 2025 plan’s focus areas, as well as embody the spirit of Buncombe County Parks & Recreation mission: Connect Communities. Preserve Culture. Change Lives.
Past winning projects have included creative placemaking, increasing safe connections to a wider range of play and wellness activities for underserved residents, supporting access to experiences that preserve regional and international cultures, improvements to public athletic fields and fitness courses, expanding environmental education, building food security through community gardens, and establishing multigenerational outdoor spaces for neighbors to connect with each other and foster community pride.
Application, guidelines, and a list of 2023 recipients are available online. Grant Contact: Adam Zinke, Adam.Zinke@buncombecounty.org.
The grant application deadline is Friday, March 31, 2023, at 5 p.m. Late applications will not be accepted.
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