Skatepark Construction Grants
The primary mission of the The Skatepark Project is to help underserved communities create safe and inclusive public skateparks for youth.
Only organizations seeking to build free, public, concrete skateparks in underserved communities may apply for a construction grant from The Skatepark Project.
The Skatepark Project Grants Committee primarily considers skatepark projects that:
• are designed and built from concrete by qualified and experienced skatepark contractors.
• include local skaters throughout the planning, fundraising, and design process.
• are in underserved areas.
• can demonstrate a strong grassroots commitment to the project, particularly in the form of fundraising by local skateboarders/wheeled stakeholders and other community groups.
• have a creative mix of street obstacles (rails, ledges, stairs, etc.) and transition/vert terrain (quarterpipes, bowls, halfpipes, etc.)
• don’t require skaters or their parents to sign waivers.
• encourage skaters to look after their own safety and the safety of others without restricting their access to the park or over-regulating their use of it.
• are open during daylight hours, 365 days a year.
• don’t charge an entrance fee.
• are unsupervised
• allow all types of skatepark users (skate, BMX scooter, rollerskate, Wheelchair (WCMX) and inline)
• are in areas that currently have inadequate skateboarding facilities.
BUILT TO PLAY SKATEPARK GRANT PROGRAM
If your skatepark project is located in one of the following counties, CLICK HERE for the regional Built To Play Skatepark Grant program: Michigan (Wayne, Oakland, Macomb, Monroe, Washtenaw, St. Clair and Livingston counties); New York (Allegany, Chautauqua, Cattaraugus, Erie, Genesee, Monroe, Niagara, Orleans and Wyoming counties).
If your skatepark project is not located in one of those counties, continue below.
THE SKATEPARK PROJECT NATIONAL GRANT PROGRAM
The Skatepark Project offers grants ranging from $1,000 to $300,000. The average grant amount for a National Program applicant is $10,000. Built To Play Grants range from $50,000 to $300,000.
TYPES OF PROJECTS
Many types of public concrete skatepark projects can be eligible for a skatepark construction grant from The Skatepark Project.
• New Skatepark Construction
• New Skate Spot Construction (Turn-Key grants available)
• Skateable Art Sculptures
• Permission DIY Skatepark Construction
• Active City Space Conversion (legalizing skateboarding in shared spaces)
• Accessibility Improvements / Repairs
SCHEDULE OF AVAILABILITY
Letters of Inquiry are accepted on a rolling basis (anytime).
Grant Award decisions are made by the Grants Committee on a quarterly basis.
ADDITIONAL SUPPORT
The organization may offer technical assistance on design and construction, promotional materials, and other information. The organization may also provide letters of support and/or facilitate support from vendors, suppliers, and community leaders. If you are interested in receiving free Technical Assistance from our Programs Department, please email contact@skatepark.org
DEFINITION OF “UNDERSERVED”
The primary mission of the The Skatepark Project is to help underserved communities create safe and inclusive public skateparks for youth. “Underserved” can be defined as communities marginalized by poverty, geography, or racial, gender and other forms of social inequality or discrimination.TSP Staff and Grants Committee members may evaluate projects using some or all of the following factors.
CITY
• Distance to existing contemporary skate space (concrete, public)
• Median Household Income
• Population Density
• Racial and Ethnic Composition
• Poverty Rate
• Free and Reduced Lunch Rate
COUNTY
• Suicide, Overdose & Disconnected Youth Rates
SUPPLY VS. DEMAND
As skateparks grow in popularity, the demand for grants from The Skatepark Project is far exceeding our available resources. We have received as many as 450 applications in a single year, with the vast majority requesting our maximum grant. In other words, the competition for The Skatepark Project funds is stiff, so please don’t get your hopes too high. If your proposed skatepark is not located in an underserved area, and if you are not able to illustrate strong community and grassroots support for the project, and if your project does not meet the criteria listed above, you are unlikely to receive a significant grant from our organization.
All The Skatepark Project Grant Applicants will receive a detailed review of their projects and skatepark designs, whether a grant is awarded or not.
Before beginning the Grant Application process, you should review these eligibility requirements.
GRANT APPLICANT ELIGIBILITY
Can we apply for a grant from The Skatepark Project?
• If your organization is not a public charity (organized under IRC Sec. 501c3, and qualified under IRC Sec. 170b1A and does not have a Federal ID# number and an IRS Determination Letter to confirm your tax-exempt status) or your organization is not a state or local agency, including public school systems or public projects, it is not eligible to apply for a grant from The Skatepark Project. Name of the Applicant Organization MUST match the name on the IRS document you will be asked to submit.
• If your organization is not prepared to sign a Grant Agreement document absolving the The Skatepark Project from any and all liability claims resulting from use of your skatepark, you are not eligible to apply for a grant from The Skatepark Project.
• If your organization plans to build a skatepark from temporary ramps (steel or wood), it is not eligible to apply for a grant from The Skatepark Project. Your project must be a permanent, concrete skatepark.
• If your organization has already received a grant larger than $1,000 from the organization for the same project, it is not eligible to apply for another grant from The Skatepark Project.
• If your organization seeks funds for anything other than the construction of a NEW skatepark in the United States (including projects such as expansion of an existing skatepark or amenities like bleachers or water fountains), it is not eligible to apply for a grant from The Skatepark Project.
• If the Median Household Income in the city or town where the skatepark will be located in is significantly higher than your State’s Median Household Income (using U.S. Census 2010 data from www.census.gov), your organization is not eligible to apply for a grant from The Skatepark Project.
• If your project is just getting off the ground and your organization has not achieved ANY fundraising goals or secured a location for your skatepark, you are not eligible to apply for a grant from The Skatepark Project.
• If your organization does not have at least a preliminary design for the skatepark, it is not eligible to apply for a grant from The Skatepark Project.
• If you plan to charge a fee or require a membership to use the skatepark, your organization is not eligible to apply for a grant from The Skatepark Project.
• Aside from daylight hours, city curfew, or city park hours, if you plan to limit the hours of access to the skatepark, your organization is not eligible to apply for a grant from The Skatepark Project.
• If your skatepark will not be located on public property, you are not eligible to apply for a grant from The Skatepark Project (this condition does not include skateparks built on private property that will then be donated to a public entity—city, county, parks, and recreation department, etc.).
FREQUENCY
Grants are based on a one-time, single-year award, although they may be paid over more than one year, if appropriate. The organization does not provide sustaining funds or multi-year grants.
ORGANIZATIONAL REQUIREMENTS
Applicant must be a public charity, organized under IRC Sec. 501(C)(3), and qualified under IRC Sec. 170(B)(1)(A), or a state or local agency, including public school systems or public projects. For organizations that are not municipalities or state or local agencies, proof of federal tax-exempt status is required with the grant application. A photocopy of the organization’s IRS Determination Letter, showing its tax-exempt status, will satisfy this requirement. The organization is legally prohibited from providing grants to private, for-profit entities.
Parties that don’t meet eligibility requirements or are “premature” will be given project notes and an invitation to receive free Technical Assistance before reapplying at a later date.
APPLICATION PROCESS DETAILS
If your organization submits a Letter Of Inquiry and is invited to apply for funding, TSP staff will reach out with further instructions.
The Skatepark Project grant applications are completed online, and all supporting documents are submitted through the same online portal.
Supporting documents (“supplemental materials”) emailed to our offices that do not correspond to a completed online application will not be considered.
Supporting (or supplemental) documents include the following:
• IRS Determination Letter: If this application is coming from a non-profit organization other than a municipality or public agency, a copy of your IRS Determination Letter must be submitted with this application. A scan or digital version will suffice.
• Press Clippings: Please include documentation (such as newspaper clips or letters from prominent officials) of community support for your skatepark. We only request a few of your favorite pieces but are happy to review anything that you think helps tell your skatepark’s story. Scans of articles and/or links to online articles are acceptable.
• Skatepark Design: A copy of your skatepark design must be submitted. A rendering of the final proposed skatepark design is preferred, but a preliminary concept may be acceptable. Your project’s design should fit on a standard sheet of paper.
The Skatepark Project Design Committee will review each skatepark design, make recommendations to the Board of Directors, and may return the diagram with comments and feedback. Including a copy of your skatepark design helps the Board understand the scope of your project.
• Financial Statements: Most recent financial statements and budget of skatepark committee, if any. (Please don’t include your municipality’s entire budget. We just need to see numbers pertinent to your skatepark project).
Only applications submitted via the online form will be considered. Applications may not be submitted via printed forms, FAX, e-mail, or CDs and other digital media.
The Skatepark Project approves grant requests four times a year. To be considered within a quarter, applications should submit a Letter of Inquiry via the online form. If invited to apply, all required supporting documents must be postmarked within one business day following the Grant Application deadline given to the applicant during communication with TSP Staff.
Subscribe to our newsletter to be reminded of upcoming grants opportunities and intervals.
GRANT FULFILLMENT REQUIREMENTS
If the grant application is approved, the applicant will be required to sign a Grant Agreement, confirming the terms of the award. These terms and conditions highlight the three year term to complete the project, the requirement to notify The Skatepark Project of the skatepark’s pending opening date, as well as deliverables such as photos of the completed space and testimonials of the advocacy experience.
GUIDELINES FOR REAPPLYING
There is no limit to the number of times an organization or community can apply for a grant from The Skatepark Project, though any applicant may only receive one grant from The Skatepark Project over $1,000 (per area skatepark). Grant recipients that have received no more than $1,000 from The Skatepark Project may re-apply for another grant.
HOW TO APPLY
To be invited to apply for a grant, interested parties must register their skatepark project and submit a Letter of Inquiry through our grant management software.
