clouds

Grant Guide

It’s no surprise that park and trail projects require lots of funding. Grants issued by government and private entities can help friends groups and park and trail land management agencies accomplish a wide variety of projects.

To aid in your search for a grant that might be a good fit for your group or project, we’ve created a snapshot for each grant, which identifies the grant’s key features with icons. Find Search Suggestions before digging in and view the Icon Key to identify which icons you should be looking for.

Search Suggestions

  1. View the Icon Key
  2. Identify categories and icons that are relevant to your group or project
  3. Search by category and select an option from the drop down list
  4. Glance at the grants for any other icons that are relevant to your group
  5. Click on a grant to find more information
  6. Go directly to the granting organization’s website for even more details

Unfortunately, at this time, you cannot search for grants using multiple criteria (e.g. Infrastructure AND Trail grants). You will need to select one or the other, and then peruse the quick looks to identify other criteria you are looking for.

System Type

What system does the park or trail belong to?

state icon orangeState

region icon orange   Regional

local icon orange Local

Land Type

Is the project focused on or in a park or trail?

orange tree Park

orange trail icon Trail

Project Type

What kind of project would the grant fund?

tools icon orange Infrastructure

grass icon orange Land/Resource

gears turning icon orange Organizational Development

people icon orange People/Engagement

Applicant Type

Who is applying for this grant?

heart handshake orange  501(c)(3) Nonprofit

columns icon orange  Government Entity

Search for grants by:

System Type

Choose which system you are searching for:

  • All
  • Local
  • Regional
  • State
Bass-Community
Clif-Small
DNR-ConservationPartners
dnr-frtp
DNR-LocalTrailConnections1
DNR-NaturalScenicAreas
dnr-ncli
dnr-or
DNR-RegionalTrails
energycoop-roundup
GMRPTC-RegionalLegacy
Musser-Environmental
LCCMR-Trust
MnDOT-TA
MNHS-Heritage
MNInitiativeFoundations-REGIONALgrants
MRPF-NewInitiative
NSSTC-NorthStarGrants
ptc-friendsgroupgrants
PeopleForBikes-Community
ship-local

Land Type

Choose which land type you are searching for:

  • All
  • Park
  • Trail
Bass-Community
Clif-Small
DNR-ConservationPartners
dnr-frtp
DNR-LocalTrailConnections1
DNR-NaturalScenicAreas
dnr-ncli
dnr-or
DNR-RegionalTrails
energycoop-roundup
GMRPTC-RegionalLegacy
Musser-Environmental
LCCMR-Trust
MnDOT-TA
MNHS-Heritage
MNInitiativeFoundations-REGIONALgrants
MRPF-NewInitiative
NSSTC-NorthStarGrants
ptc-friendsgroupgrants
PeopleForBikes-Community
ship-local

Project Type

Choose which project type you are searching for:

  • All
  • Infrastructure
  • Land/Resource
  • Organization
  • People/Engagement
Bass-Community
Clif-Small
DNR-ConservationPartners
dnr-frtp
DNR-LocalTrailConnections1
DNR-NaturalScenicAreas
dnr-ncli
dnr-or
DNR-RegionalTrails
energycoop-roundup
GMRPTC-RegionalLegacy
Musser-Environmental
LCCMR-Trust
MnDOT-TA
MNHS-Heritage
MNInitiativeFoundations-REGIONALgrants
MRPF-NewInitiative
NSSTC-NorthStarGrants
ptc-friendsgroupgrants
PeopleForBikes-Community
ship-local

Applicant Type

Choose which applicant type you are searching for:

  • All
  • 501(c)(3) Nonprofit
  • Government Entity
Bass-Community
Clif-Small
DNR-ConservationPartners
dnr-frtp
DNR-LocalTrailConnections1
DNR-NaturalScenicAreas
dnr-ncli
dnr-or
DNR-RegionalTrails
energycoop-roundup
GMRPTC-RegionalLegacy
Musser-Environmental
LCCMR-Trust
MnDOT-TA
MNHS-Heritage
MNInitiativeFoundations-REGIONALgrants
MRPF-NewInitiative
NSSTC-NorthStarGrants
ptc-friendsgroupgrants
PeopleForBikes-Community
ship-local

Acknowledgements

This grant guide would not exist without the many dedicated professionals working on grant programs for parks and trails across Minnesota. A big thank you to the following individuals who provided information and guidance—their assistance in the project is greatly appreciated.

  • Explore Minnesota Tourism: Lori Peterson
  • Laura Jane Musser Fund: Sandra Voytovich
  • Minnesota Department of Natural Resources: Audrey Mularie & Dave Sobania
  • Minnesota Historical Society: Carolyn Veeser-Egbide
  • National Environmental Education Foundation: Isabel Spake
  • North Start Ski Touring Club: Mel Peterson
  • PeopleForBikes: Zoe Kirkos