To support our goal of meeting the unique needs of communities in the Chesapeake Bay watershed, the Alliance launched the Community Green Access (CGA) grant in 2024 to offer financial and technical support to local groups that seek to connect their community members to nature. With over 52 years of experience cultivating community partnerships, the Alliance was excited to apply our knowledge and administer results-oriented grants to support local projects and build organizational capacity where it is needed most.

Repeatedly, Community-Based Organizations (CBOs) express how antiquated granting models limit their access to funding for their missions. It’s reported that finding and writing a grant application can cost an organization up to 144 hours or the equivalent of ~$18,720. This includes time spent managing and reporting on the grant if awarded. Given the small staff and limited resources, CBOs lack the internal infrastructure required to undertake complex grant-seeking. Their time is generally spent on addressing the barriers to maintaining nonprofit status and connecting with the community they exist to serve.

“The RFP reads like you are trying to change the [funding] process, and we really appreciate seeing that” – Anonymous feedback given through our application survey.

With this in mind, the Alliance crafted a mini-grant program that leveraged trust-based funding principles. This means low-barrier applications, reduced reporting, and upfront payout. The program also hosted a streamlined application process for all potential grantees, with an emphasis on simplifying grant writing and project management. The Alliance’s aim is to use these funds to meet communities where they are via their local advocates, supporting their unique local needs and addressing underfunded or much-needed, community-driven initiatives.

“It’s very clear that you are trying to de-burden grantees- which is so important.” – Anonymous feedback given through our application survey.
two people standing behind orange flowers in a garden

Local community leader, Johnny Shaw, shares what’s growing in their community garden that is supported by Baltimore GreenSpace.

We awarded five projects throughout the Chesapeake Bay watershed:

Collectively, these projects engaged 5,277 community members in addition to volunteer days, community engagement days, community visioning sessions, and more.

a colorful playground surrounded by a fence

The current park at Swansboro Elementary Schoolyard, where a new master plan was developed in collaboration with the community to build a new green space.

During the grant period, we brought together our grantees to form a cohort. While funds are a significant capacity builder, forming relationships also allows for longer-term capacity building beyond a grant period. In addition to supporting their projects, we offered resources, networking, peer learning, and technical skills training on topics they requested. Organizations leveraged these tools to make the biggest impact in their local projects, ultimately leading to sustained environmental stewardship in places of greatest need across the watershed.

two people examine plants in a garden

Local leader shows Alliance staff what is growing in their community garden supported by NeighborSpace’s Community Green Access funding.

“I just wanted to say that I appreciate your efforts to bring us together and build capacity! I have attended a fair number of webinars about volunteers and other capacity-building topics over the last two years, and I found that very few of them were worth my time. But yesterday’s presentation and the first cohort meeting were truly helpful, so thank you.” Phyllis Joris, Executive Director, NeighborSpace of Baltimore County
two children examine plants in a garden

Students browse Edible Classroom’s garden.

As our team considered the different aspects of transformational capacity building, we thought a lot about ways to support beyond a distinct grant period. It became obvious that the Alliance’s communications team, namely our videography skills, are an amazing asset that could be shared. As a close out to the program, the Alliance crafted project videos for each grantee, which they can use and amplify as an evergreen resource for years to come. Keep an eye out for our upcoming blog series, where we highlight each of our projects and officially publish the videos!

Looking ahead, we hope to secure funding to launch another round of Community Green Access grants. The cohort was transformational in its trust-based funding process and long-term resources. The grantees also provided valuable information to the Alliance, allowing our team to learn priority topics where more capacity is needed. The Alliance intends to continue supporting programs and resources that organizations can leverage to make an impact at the local level, leading to sustained environmental stewardship where the greatest opportunities exist.

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