The William Penn Foundation’s Environment and Public Space program is designed to help improve and protect the natural and built environment in communities around the region.
Donor Name: William Penn Foundation
State: New Jersey, Pennsylvania
County: Berks County (PA), Bucks County (PA), Burlington County (NJ), Camden County (NJ), Chester County (PA), Delaware County (PA), Gloucester County (NJ), Mercer County (NJ), Montgomery County (PA), Philadelphia County (PA)
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 07/25/2025
Size of the Grant: More than $1 million
Grant Duration: 3 Years
Details:
The Foundation seeks to support efforts that will help to expand the Circuit Trails network by 75 miles in the next 10 years.
Trails offer wide-ranging benefits to communities, supporting health, active transportation, and economic development. Trails connect people to the outdoors and each other, enhancing physical and mental health, strengthening communities, and improving overall quality of life. In addition to their recreational value, trails function as vital infrastructure for non-motorized transportation, providing safe and sustainable travel options. They also contribute to local economies, making neighborhoods more attractive places to live and work.
Funding Information
WPF has $6 million available.
Grant Period
The Foundation is requesting proposals for up to three years of funding.
Eligible Projects
Examples of eligible project types include, but are not limited to:
- advocating for Circuit Trails development or maintenance to be prioritized at the state, regional, or local level, including growing grassroots support for “Priority Projects” in the Circuit Trails Coalition’s strategic plan
- providing technical assistance to an entity seeking to construct a Circuit Trail by 2035
- providing services that directly support the Circuit Trails Coalition’s work to accelerate equitable trail development, such as applied research, database management, or other services
- conducting marketing and communications that elevates the importance of the Circuit Trails among influential constituencies
- supporting trail stewardship or maintenance to grow community or city support for specific additional trails
- providing programs that demonstrate a strong potential to advance a specific trail, such as guided walks to or along a trail “gap,” or a youth development initiative integrated with advocacy training. (Applicants seeking support for programming that is not linked to a specific trail development opportunity should consider applying to the next William Penn Foundation Outdoor Programming RFP.
Eligibility Criteria
- Applicants must be recognized by the Internal Revenue Service as 501(c)3 public charities or operate under a public charity fiduciary. Public charities include community-based organizations, schools and educational institutions, and other types of public-serving groups. Government entities are also eligible to apply.
- Organizations do not need to be members of the Circuit Trails Coalition to apply to this RFP.
- Proposed projects must demonstrate likelihood of adding trail segments that are currently part of, or are likely to be added to, the defined Circuit Trails network in Berks, Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, and Philadelphia Counties in Pennsylvania and Burlington, Camden, Gloucester, and Mercer Counties in New Jersey.
For more information, visit WPF.
