San Diego County CA—The San Diego Foundation announced on Tuesday, the availability of grant funding through the Opening the Outdoors Program. The 2017 grant cycle will prioritize collaborative nonprofit projects that protect and connect outdoor spaces and improve outdoor access, especially in park-poor and underserved communities across the region.
According to The San Diego Foundation, Parks for Everyone report, 45 percent of San Diego County’s total land area is green space. However, many low-income, ethnically diverse communities have limited access to parks and open spaces. The Opening the Outdoors program serves to close this gap and ensure that San Diego youth grow up with equitable access to nature and similar, shared experiences outside.
Partnerships of two or more are welcome to apply for grants ranging from $25,000 to $50,000. Project submissions should address at least two of the following goals:

• Increase access/connectivity to trails, parks, and natural amenities in neighborhoods where resources are deficient (access can include transportation and/or activities that make the outdoors more culturally relevant to typically park-poor neighborhoods).
• Connect and protect nature through conservation/restoration/acquisition of key lands.
• Encourage kids from park-poor communities to safely engage with the natural environment through physical or educational activities.
• Build community support for relevant public policies or funding.

Interested nonprofit organizations that want to learn more about the grant cycle should sign up for an informational webinar hosted by The San Diego Foundation on Thursday, January 26 at 9:30am. Please contact Bridget Altman at bridgeta@sdfoundation.org to sign up for the webinar.
For more information about The San Diego Foundation Opening the Outdoors Program or to apply for one of the available grants, visit www.sdfoundation.org/OTO.
Grants from the Opening the Outdoors Program are made possible thanks to funding through the Environment Endowment at The San Diego Foundation, Satterberg Foundation in partnership with San Diego Grantmakers, Hattie Ettinger Conservation Fund and other generous donors at The San Diego Foundation.