ORR Rural Outdoor Recreation and Health Grant Program -- Recreation Economy for Rural Communities
The Rural Outdoor Recreation and Health Grant Program is designed to help RERC communities identify, improve, and activate outdoor spaces and programs that support healthier, more connected rural lives. The program recognizes that access to safe, welcoming, and well-maintained outdoor places can play a meaningful role in preventative health, mental well-being, social connection, youth development, active aging, and overall quality of life.

Grounded in community-defined priorities, grants will support local projects that connect outdoor recreation with health outcomes. 

The program will prioritize projects that are locally led, responsive to rural needs, and built through partnerships among local governments, public health departments, hospitals and clinics, parks departments, schools, senior centers, veterans organizations, community nonprofits, outdoor businesses, and state offices of outdoor recreation.

Priority will be given to projects that:

- Improve safe, inclusive, and convenient access to the outdoors.
- Advance community health, preventative care, mental well-being, physical activity, or social connection.
- Reflect community-driven priorities and include meaningful rural resident engagement.
- Build or strengthen partnerships between outdoor recreation, healthcare, public health, schools, local government, and community organizations.
- Support health outcomes by reducing barriers to outdoor participation for children, older adults, veterans, people with disabilities, low-income residents, and other underserved rural populations.
- Demonstrate potential for measurable outcomes, including increased outdoor access, participation, community partnerships, leadership development, and local economic benefits.

**Applicants must be a prior or current participant in the RERC program.

For more information about ORR, please visit our website at https://recreationroundtable.org 
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Email *
Name of Applicant *
Name of Community (Town/City, ST) *
ORR can provide up to $15,000 in grants and $1000 in in-kind assistance to support your work. Please briefly describe your total request and the project or projects this funding would support. *

Projects may include, but are not limited to, trail improvements and connectivity, accessible parks or playgrounds, outdoor fitness zones, gear libraries, safety improvements, shade, water, seating or trail amenities, community-led outdoor wellness programming, outdoor recreation partnerships with schools, senior centers, veterans organizations, clinics, public health agencies, or other efforts that improve access to the outdoors, community health, quality of life, and local economic vitality.

If you do not receive the full amount requested, could your project still proceed? *
What forms of outdoor recreation would this grant serve? Select all that apply. *
Required

How will this project improve community health, quality of life, or access to the outdoors?

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Which RERC action plan goals does your project proposal support? If you have not yet made your action plan, you can connect to anticipated goals. 

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What existing goals, initiatives, and/or priority metrics for community health would this proposal support? *

How does this project address a gap in outdoor access or participation for residents who have historically faced barriers to the outdoors?

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Please describe community support for the proposed project and list relevant partners or interests.

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How will rural residents be engaged in shaping, leading, or participating in this project?

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How do you see this grant leveraging other funding opportunities or building momentum for your community’s work?

How will you measure success? Describe any metrics you expect to track.

Do we have permission to share your application with other external partners who may be interested?
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Learn more about ORR at https://recreationroundtable.org
https://recreationroundtable.org
A copy of your responses will be emailed to the address you provided.
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