The Recruitment, Retention and Reactivation Education Grant Program (R3 Grant) provides funding to support R3-related fishing and boating education programs delivered by partners.
Donor Name: Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission
State: Pennsylvania
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant | Reimbursement
Deadline: 12/01/2025
Size of the Grant: $10,000 to $100,000
Grant Duration: 1 Year
Details:
The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission (PFBC) established the R3 Education Grant Program (R3 Grant) to support partner organizations providing hands-on education for the recruitment, retention, and reactivation (R3) of anglers and boaters in Pennsylvania. Accessible and inclusive learning opportunities increase fishing and boating knowledge, confidence in skills, facilitate social support, and empower participants to enjoy the waters in their communities. The intent of this grant is to primarily support the acquisition of fishing and boating equipment and facilitation of R3 efforts.
Priorities
Priority consideration will be given to applications that incorporate one or more of the following key areas supported by recent R3 research:
- Projects providing multiple, hands-on fishing and/or boating opportunities.
- Projects reaching underrepresented audiences in the fishing and boating population including girls, women, young adults ages 18-25, participants of diverse demographic backgrounds, participants with disabilities, and other groups.
- Projects occurring in Environmental Justice Areas as outlined by Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
- Projects occurring in locations that are accessible to the public or empower participants with an understanding of where to fish or boat in their communities
- Implementing education efforts targeting outdoor recreationists, to encourage fishing or boating participation as part of other outdoor recreation or social activities.
- Projects that are free or have reasonable and/or minimal fees incurred by participants.
- Preference is given to applications that do not rely heavily on staff time reimbursement.
Funding Information
The PFBC will reimburse qualifying organizations up to $25,000 for eligible expenses for projects running approximately July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2027.
Eligibility Criteria
Organizations eligible for funding include school districts, universities and colleges, community and civic groups, sporting and conservation organizations, and local recreation departments. State government agencies are not eligible. Projects can span a variety of topics within fishing and boating in Pennsylvania, such as but not limited to introductory fishing skills, fishing skills targeting specific species, fly fishing skills, kayak fishing, and paddlesports. Projects and organizations previously funded by this grant must demonstrate how additional funds will be used to innovate or expand the program.
For more information, visit PFBC.
