VOREC Community Grant Program

Grant Programs: The VOREC Community Grant Program will begin accepting applications October 9, 2023.

The Vermont Outdoor Recreation Community Grant Program was established in 2018 when the Vermont legislature passed Act 194. Grant funding can be used for a variety of purposes with the result being a community(ies) that can show measurable success supporting and growing their local economies through leveraging outdoor recreation.

The program is closely tied to the five pillars of the VOREC program which are to:

• Grow outdoor recreation-related businesses.
• Increase participation in outdoor recreation activities among all demographics.
• Strengthen the quality and extent of outdoor recreation resources.
• Increase stewardship of outdoor recreation resources and environmental quality.
• Promote and enjoy the health and wellness benefits of outdoor recreation.

Recognizing the wonderful variety and complexity of Vermont’s existing outdoor recreation infrastructure, assets, and use, it is important to note that outdoor recreation is defined by VOREC and the community grant program as leisure, sport and therapeutic recreation activities pursued outdoors, mainly in a natural setting. Outdoor Recreation encompasses a wide scope of potential activities and the role of VOREC and the grant program is to elevate the knowledge base and potential of traditional and growing outdoor recreation activities.

Inclusion, openness, and innovation are fundamental principles of VOREC and we encourage creative and collaborative approaches. If you have a project idea and are unsure if it would qualify for a VOREC Community grant, please reach out to program staff who can help guide you.

2023 VOREC Community Grant Program

The Vermont Outdoor Recreation Economic Collaborative (VOREC) and the Vermont Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation (FPR) are  pleased to announce that the applications for the 2023-2024 VOREC Community Grant Program will open on October 9, 2023.

The program will award  up to $6 million  to communities around the state. Projects will be funded across four tracks –Implementation, Project Development, Outdoor Equity and Flood Recovery.

Please use the links below to locate information on this page

• Grant Track Descriptions
• Key Information
• Timeline
• Application Development
• Contact Us

Key information

Grants are intended to give communities the resources they need to achieve their vision for a thriving outdoor recreation economy. Multi-faceted, cross-sector projects are encouraged. All projects must relate to at least one of the VOREC Pillars, listed on the VOREC website. Ultimately, the goal is to fund successful projects that demonstrate the wide array of benefits outdoor recreation has for local communities. 

For more ideas about projects that are eligible for VOREC Community Grants, check out The Next Outdoor Playgrounds and the Next Outdoor Playgrounds II, published by VT Sports magazine to highlight the recipients of the 2022 VOREC Community Grant Program. The VOREC Application Guidance (coming soon!) will also have a more complete list of which activities are eligible under each of the grant tracks.

Applicants must choose one track to apply to, although there may be projects that span multiple tracks.  For example, a community may have a project that is ready to implement, supports and expands the local outdoor economy and has components of flood recovery.  This overlap in tracks is welcome! Even though applicants will choose one track, projects will be reviewed for alignment with tracks that aren’t selected. If application reviewers believe the project fits better under a different track, they will consult the applicant to discuss next steps and the path forward.

Timeline:

Open Application Period: October 9 – December 15

Grant Review and Selection: December 15 – February 28

Grant Agreement Development: March 1 – May 31

Project Implementation: June 1, 2023 – December 31, 2025*

*Please note that Flood Recovery grants can be reimbursed for eligible expenses starting July 11, 2023.

Application:

The online application will be open October 9 through December 15, 11:59 PM.

Links to the online application and application guidance will be added here on October 9.

Application Support:

Municipal Technical Assistance Program

Towns that need help with grant development, management, or administration, can get support from the State of Vermont’s Municipal Technical Assistance Program. The program is intended to assist communities that have a limited capacity for accessing and applying for state and federal grants. To be eligible for this program, towns must be pre-approved by the Vermont Agency of Administration. Here is the current list of pre-approved of towns. If you have further questions about how this program can help, please email the Vermont Agency of Administration at ADM.ARPAMuniAssist@vermont.gov.

Rural Economic Development Initiative

The Rural Economic Development Initiative (REDI), a program of the Vermont Housing and Conservation Board (VHCB), helps rural communities access funding they need for community and business development through grant-writing support. To be eligible for this assistance, the project must be based in or primarily serve a community with a population of less than 5,000 people. If you qualify and are interested in help from the REDI program, please submit a REDI inquiry form by Friday, October 20, 2023.

Contact: Mariah Noth, Mariah@vhcb.org

Frequently Asked Questions (Coming soon)

For answers to frequently asked questions regarding the program check-out the program’s FAQs document. Staff will be adding to this document as questions come in from prospective applicants.

Grant Program Webinar

October 17 – 1:00-2:00 PM

The webinar will include a presentation explaining the goals of the grant program and eligible activities for the four tracks. There will be time at the end of the session for questions from attendees. The webinar will be recorded and posted here.

Register for the webinar

Open Office Hours

Staff at FPR will host a series of virtual open office hours for prospective grantees to learn more details about the four grant tracks and ask questions. Each opportunity will focus on a different track. The first half-hour of the session will be a presentation on the identified track. The second half hour of every session will be open for questions on any topic related to the grant program. Open office hours will be recorded and posted here.

To access the open office hours, click the link below the date to join the online video meeting or call into the listed number at the scheduled time.

If none of these times work for you, please email ANR.FPRRecreationGrants@vermont.gov with your questions and we will get back to you with an answer as soon as possible.

Information on the VOREC Community Grant Program FY22.

Contact Information

For more information about the VOREC Community Grant Program please email the Recreation Grants team at the Vermont Department of Forests Parks and Recreation: ANR.FPRRecreationGrants@Vermont.Gov

The Vermont Outdoor Recreation Communities pilot grant program was established in 2018 when the Vermont legislature passed Act 194. Grant funding can be used for a variety of purposes with the result being a community(ies) that can show measurable success supporting and growing their local economies through leveraging outdoor recreation. 

The program is closely tied to the five pillars, or goals, of the VOREC steering committee which are to: 

• Grow outdoor recreation-related businesses.
• Increase participation in outdoor recreation activities among all demographics.
• Strengthen the quality and extent of outdoor recreation resources.
• Increase stewardship of outdoor recreation resources and environmental quality.
• Promote and enjoy the health and wellness benefits of outdoor recreation.

Recognizing the wonderful variety and complexity of Vermont’s existing outdoor recreation infrastructure, assets, and use, it is important to note that outdoor recreation is defined by VOREC and the community grant program as leisure, sport and therapeutic recreation activities pursued outdoors, mainly in a natural setting. Outdoor Recreation encompasses a wide scope of potential activities and the role of VOREC and the grant program is to elevate the knowledge base and potential of traditional and growing outdoor recreation activities. 

Inclusion, openness, and innovation are fundamental principles of VOREC and we encourage creative and collaborative approaches. If you have a project idea and are unsure if it would qualify for a VOREC Community grant, please reach out to program staff who can help guide you. 

FY22 Program

Awards for this grant round were announced in March 2022.

For this funding round, the VOREC Community Grant Program had $5,100,000 to help Vermont communities fully leverage their natural outdoor recreation assets. Grant minimums were set at $50,000 with no maximum. 

Use the links below to navigate to specific information about the FY22 Program. 

1. Award Recipients Announced
2. Recordings from past information meetings
3. 2021 program deadlines (updated on 10.15.21)
4. Application requirements
5. FAQs document (updated 8.20.21)

Award Recipients Announced

In March 2022, the 24 projects receiving FY22 VOREC Community Grants were announced! These recipients stood out amongst the 103 letters of interest the program received requesting over $21.5 million and 30 full applications that were submitted.

In total, the VOREC Community Grant Program awarded $4,549,313 to applicants throughout Vermont. The Department of Forests, Parks, and Recreation is working to determine the best use of the remaining $550,687 for supporting Vermont communities in building their economies with outdoor recreation at the center. 

• Check out the full list of FY22 recipients
• Read the press release

Recordings from Past Information Meetings

2021 Outdoor Recreation Grant Funding Information Meeting

This meeting was held on Monday, July 19 from 4:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. During the meeting staff from the Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation shared detailed information about the VOREC Community Grant Program and Enhancement of Recreational Stewardship and Access (ERSA) Trail Grant Program. They also responded to questions shared by prospective applicants. ​

• Review the meeting presentation slides
• Watch the recording - Welcome from Commissioner Snyder (0:13:56). Review of Key deadlines (00:20:15). Review of VOREC Community Grant Program (00:22:50). Review of ERSA Trail Grant Program (00:39:34). Supplemental application documents review (00:49:53). Q&A discussion begins (00:52:16). 

VCGP Application Development Meetings

These meetings were held as opportunities for interested applicants to strengthen their VOREC Community Grant Program applications. The agenda for both meetings was the same. applicants had an opportunity to hear from each other, learn more about the letter of interest and how it will be reviewed, and learn about key elements of the full application to start thinking about now ahead of an invitation to fill out a full application. Meetings were recorded and are linked below for those who could not attend.  

Application Development Meeting #1 - Held on Tuesday, August 3 from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. 

• Review meeting presentation slides
• Watch the recording -Q&A discussion (00:21:10) 

Application Development Meeting #2 - Held on Tuesday, August 10 from 4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m.

• Review meeting presentation slides
• Watch the recording - Q&A discussion (00:20:18)

Program Deadlines

Application Deadlines

• August 27, 2021 - Letters of Interest due by 5 p.m. 
• Week of October 4, 2021 (updated) - FPR invites applicants with eligible projects to submit a full application. Only those invited may submit a full grant application.   
• November 29, 2021 (updated) - Full application due by 5 p.m.

Ranking Meeting and (tentative) Grant Announcement Schedule

• Week of December 13, 2021 – Grant Ranking Committee Meeting 
• Week of December 20, 2021 – Grant Recommendations given to Commissioner 
• March 28, 2022 (updated) – Grant Award announcements
• TBD – Grant Agreements Prepared 
• TBD – Grants Fully Executed 

Application Requirements

Applicants must establish a dedicated project team which includes a broad range of stakeholder representation (e.g. municipal staff/volunteers, education, businesses, RPCs, RDCs, outdoor recreation, social justice or environmental organizations).

Who is eligible to be the “lead” applicant

• Municipal entities  
  • Preferential consideration will be given to municipalities that are a state designated downtown or designated village center.
  • A consortium of municipalities is also welcome to apply. Consortiums must designate a “Sponsoring Municipality” in the application. The sponsoring municipality will be the team lead and fiscal agent.
• Non-profit organizations 
  • Must demonstrate community support and include municipal team member(s)
  • Must be nonprofits with missions compatible with VOREC (recreation, conservation, trails, health among others)

Project Eligibility

Eligible Activities 

• Wayfinding & Interpretation: Public access improvements including maps and/or other informational materials.
• Environmental Stewardship: Program or material needs related to environmental quality and stewardship of recreation assets.
• Recreational Programming: Program, material, or equipment support for existing or new outdoor recreation events and programs.
• Land Acquisition: Acquisitions are limited to municipalities (ex. Buying/conserving a town forest).  
• Capital Projects: Signage/kiosks/maps, or small scale/leveraged outdoor recreation infrastructure improvements.
• Community Marketing: Marketing activities (a percentage of a project/the program).
• Community Planning: Planning activities, including assessments or and/or mapping (a percentage of a project/the program; application cannot be for planning only). 
• Administrative Support: Administrative activities (a percentage of a project/the program).

Eligible Expenses Lead applicants are required to pay project costs up front and request re-imbursement from grant staff

• Services of consultants, subgrantees and technical assistance providers
• Outdoor recreation infrastructure improvements
• Material or equipment to support outdoor recreation programs
• Printing, website development, and event support
• Securing public access through the acquisition of land, easements, or rights-of-way

Ineligible Activities and Expenses

• Standalone planning: planning done without any implementation elements
• Political activities 
• Expenses incurred before April 17, 2021 when funds for community grants became available
• Alcohol, food & beverage, or entertainment expenses
• Interior design services
• Regular/annual maintenance projects (unless substantial redevelopment)
• Projects on state lands

Project Preparedness

Applicants must demonstrate they 

• Have completed some prior planning and mapping of outdoor recreation assets. 
• Have identified outdoor recreation as a component of their local economy through a local, regional, or statewide planning effort (town, regional, recreation plans, etc.).
• Have dedicated staff and/or volunteer capacity to ensure long-term success of project.
• Have a clear plan for stewardship of outdoor recreation resources.

Documents

FAQs Document (Updated 8.20.21) 

FY22 VOREC Community Grant Administration Guide (Updated 8.08.23)

2021 Community Grant Program Recommendations

FPR Private Landowner Permission Form

FPR Certificate of Insurance Guidance

Press

Explore VT From These 8 New Basecamps (Published in Vermont Sports on 11.17.20. See "What the VOREC Grant Will Do" sections for examples of past projects) 

The Next Outdoor Playgrounds (Published in Vermont Sports on 05.06.22)

The Next Adventure Towns, Part II (Published in Vermont Sports on 09.15.22)

Contact Information

For more information about the VOREC Community Grant Program please email the Recreation Grants team at the Vermont Department of Forests Parks and Recreation: ANR.FPRRecreationGrants@Vermont.Gov