Established in 2020, the Virginia’s Outdoors Foundation’s Get Outdoors (GO) Fund provides grants for projects that increase access to safe open space in Virginia’s communities. Some examples of costs that can be covered include planning, capacity building, programming, and infrastructure, although priority will be given to shovel-ready projects with tangible, measurable results. The intent of the program is to serve as a flexible, adaptable tool to be used to address communities’ needs.
Two grant rounds are held annually, with requests for proposals announced in January and July each year, and grant awards made in June and October or November. Grant agreements have a two-year lifespan.
The GO Fund requires the submission of a short pre-application. Pre-applications most aligned with program parameters will be invited to submit a final application. Invitations to apply for the GO Fund will be sent within one week of receipt of a successful pre-application. The responses provided in the pre-application will be incorporated in and elaborated on in the final application.
GO Fund grants may be awarded to state, local, regional, or tribal government entities, educational institutions, or non-profit organizations registered as tax-exempt under the Internal Revenue Service code, https://www.irs.gov/charities-non-profits/exempt-organization-types. Federal governmental entities, for-profit entities, and individuals are not eligible at this time.
Applicants who have received past GO Fund grants of more than $5,000 must complete the approved project before submitting additional requests.
VOF has funding available for proposals that increase access to safe open space in Virginia’s communities, especially those that are underserved. The amount of funding available for each grant round is determined annually and announced in June or July. Funding requests are capped at $25,000. Funds will generally be disbursed through a reimbursement process, though $5,000 in starter funds are available to all approved projects, and funding may be advanced upon the provision of invoices, signed contracts, or other binding documentation of future expenses. No funds will be paid directly to a vendor. Partial funding is possible.
VOF may provide funding for studies, planning, concept development, capacity building, programming, and infrastructure to enable safe use of or access to public open space, as well as for land acquisition. Priority will be given to shovel-ready projects with tangible, measurable results. Projects that seek to acquire or convey an interest in real estate (such as land acquisition, easement protection, lease agreement, or a right of way) should consider applying for a grant from VOF’s Preservation Trust Fund program which can be accessed at https://www.vof.org/protect/grants/ptf/.
Applications will be accepted through an online process, which can be accessed at https://vaoutdoors.webgrantscloud.com/. VOF requires a pre-application to be submitted for review before a final application for funding may be submitted. Please email grants@vof.org with any questions about the application process or project eligibility.
With funding from VOF’s Get Outdoors Fund in 2022, Camp Under the Stars, Inc., provided kids from the D.C. area with summer-camp experiences while building an inclusive and supportive camp community.
With help from the Virginia Outdoors Foundation’s Get Outdoors Fund, former students and descendants continue their work toward the preservation of the Pine Grove School and its grounds, where generations of Black children received a quality education during the Jim Crow era.
Educator Carley Pavan-Ballard’s efforts to get her classes outside and learning after the COVID-19 pandemic turned into a school- and county-wide project that is providing a resource for the entire community.
