Genesee Valley Trail Town Grants

Congratulations to our 2023 Grant Award Recipients!

• Town of Hume ($10,000) – Providing a designated rest area through the construction of an open-air pavilion on the site of the former tennis court just off the Greenway in the hamlet of Fillmore.
• Town of York ($7,015) – Enhancing the user experience by installing wayfinding signage, ADA-compliant picnic tables, and a bicycle repair station.
• Cuba Friends of Architecture ($6,026) – Improving the west end of the greenway by installing a picnic table, bench, bike rack and dog waste station, and properly sealing concrete abutments with graffiti-resistant sealant.
• Town of Caneadea ($6,000) – Highlighting local heritage by contributing towards programming and event support for the first Caneadea Seneca Field Days event in July 2023.
• Village of Scottsville ($5,853) – Improving access by creating five new ADA designated handicapped parking spaces at Canawaugus Park and a concrete pathway connecting the parking area to the Greenway.
• Perry Main Street Association ($5,853) – Creating additional community connections to and activating the Silver Lake Trail by expanding a public art play structure.
• Village of Geneseo ($5,835) – Installing wooden trail signs marking the Geneseo Loop Trail, and bicycle repair stations at Village Park and Highland Park in Geneseo.
• Village of Avon ($3,417) –Driving foot, bicycle, horse, and snowmobile traffic to the downtown area with new wayfinding and directional signage.

Read the full press release announcing the grant awards.

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TO APPLY

Applications for the Genesee Valley Trail Town Grants are now open. Click on the link above or visit https://www.grantinterface.com/Home/Logon?urlkey=ptny to apply.

Eligible organizations interested in applying for a Genesee Valley Trail Town Grant must first create an account with our online grant application and reporting system (Foundant). Once registered, you will be able to see the grant application and follow the steps to apply.

When creating an account, provide the email address of the person ultimately responsible for the grant administration. Parks & Trails New York will communicate all pertinent information to this email address.

If you have an account from applying for a different PTNY grant, you do not need to create another account.

To register and begin the application process, visit the online application and reporting system.

If you need assistance with the registration process, please watch this short tutorial or read these step-by-step instructions.

Once in the dashboard of our online application system, select Apply. From there, select the grant for which you would like to apply (it should be the only choice).

Be sure to answer all questions completely and upload all correct documents.

For tips on filling out the online application, check out our help page or contact us at trails@ptny.org.

You may work on your application over time. Your responses will be saved automatically. Your application will not be submitted until you hit the submit button. Once you submit the application, you will no longer be able to edit it.

ELIGIBILITY

Awards will be made to municipalities participating in the Genesee Valley Trail Town Initiative and to non-profit organizations located in communities participating in the Trail Town initiatives.

Non-profit applicants must meet the following requirements:

An applicant must be a corporation formed pursuant to or subject to the NYS Not-for-Profit Corporation Law.

An applicant must be classified by the IRS as a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization or have a Memorandum of Understanding with a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt fiscal agent.

Eligible municipal applicants are:

Allegany County:

• Town of Caneadea
• Town of Cuba
• Town of Hume
• Village of Cuba

Livingston County:

• Town of Avon
• Town of Geneseo
• Town of Mount Morris
• Town of Nunda
• Town of York
• Village of Avon
• Village of Geneseo
• Village of Mount Morris
• Village of Nunda

Monroe County:

• Town of Wheatland
• Village of Scottsville

Wyoming County:

• Town of Perry
• Village of Perry

PROJECTS ON STATE PARK LAND

Applying for a GVTT Grant for a Project on OPRHP Land

Municipal, county or non-profit entities that are awarded GVTT grants for projects that reside on State Park property will require Parks approval and should follow the guidance outlined below.

For all applicants intending to undertake a project on Parks property, the applicant will need to enter a partnership agreement with Parks. If the organization is a 501c3 or other non-profit, they will also need to show proof of insurance ($2 million aggregate). Like the State, municipalities are self-insured and therefore will not be required to show proof of insurance. The partnership agreement may take a few weeks to process. We do not require that the agreement is in place before the grant request is submitted, but the agreement must be in place before any work can be done.

For less work-intensive projects such as installing signs, volunteer labor may be used as long as Kristine Uribe, GVGSP Park Manager, is involved in the placement process. For more significant projects, either Parks staff or municipal DPW (or similar) staff will need to install major elements of a project. Given the demands on Parks staff time, scheduling their involvement as early as possible will be essential in ensuring that your project can proceed quickly.

Each project will likely need to be assessed on an individual basis. As soon as you’ve determined that you are interested in pursuing a project on OPRHP land, reach out to Kristine Uribe, GVGSP Park Manager at Kristine.Uribe@parks.ny.gov to begin discussions.

AWARD AMOUNTS

The minimum award will be $3,000, maximum $15,000.

Genesee Valley Trail Town Grants require a local match of at least 15% of the total project budget. The match may be from in-kind sources. The amount funded through this project must be no more than 85% of total project budget.

GUIDELINES

Grants support implementation of the Genesee Valley Trail Town Community Action Plans. The grants are intended for Genesee Valley Trail Towns to support the Trail Town Initiative and take advantage of visitation to Genesee Valley Greenway State Park.

Grants will fund projects that enhance the visitor experience for users of the Genesee Valley Greenway, and support the ability of neighboring communities to benefit economically from their proximity to the Greenway including:

• Placemaking activities, such as public art, benches, or other street furniture.
• Bicycle and pedestrian safety infrastructure, such as crosswalks, lighting, and wayfinding signage, including temporary projects used as a prelude to a more permanent change.
• Bicycle infrastructure, such as bicycle repair stations.
• Programming or events that primarily highlight or significantly incorporate the Genesee Valley Greenway.
• Projects that enhance the history and culture of communities around the greenway, specifically as it relates to the Greenway’s previous iterations as a canal and railroad corridor.
• Other projects that are consistent with Trail Town action plans and that will positively impact the local community and the Genesee Valley Greenway.

Grant applications can include more than one discrete project, provided that each project meets all guidelines.

Grants cannot be used to fund:

• General operating expenses, or existing staff salaries or programming
• Endowments
• Lobbying or political activities
• Organizational start-up – e.g., incorporation, initial staff
• Professional consulting services that aid organizational development – e.g., fundraising, marketing, membership, strategic planning, financial management
• Board and staff training
• Feasibility studies, master plans, policy documents or litigation
• Volunteer recruitment, training and/or recognition programs

SELECTION CRITERIA

Award selection will consider the following factors:

• Consistency with the action plan completed as part of the Genesee Valley Trail Town Initiative for the community in which the project will be located
• Detailed, documented and realistic budget
• Clearly articulated goals, tangible outcomes and well-defined measures of success
• Organizational commitment to the project as demonstrated by financial and/or in-kind commitment
• Support from the broader community for the project
• Ability to leverage other opportunities, such as partnerships and funding sources
• Demonstration that the project will help an area defined by NYSDEC as Potential Environmental Justice Area or will benefit communities historically and disproportionately impacted by environmental or other structural injustices.
• Project leverages proximity or connection to other trails, greenways, or scenic corridors, or to natural, cultural, historical or recreational areas
• Project enhances the greenway as a long distance, multi-use trail system, and contributes to the Genesee Valley Greenway visitor experience.
• Degree to which project will foster public use, appreciation, stewardship, and development of parks and trails
• Plan for sustaining the work to be done under the grant beyond what funding requested will cover

TIMELINE

• January 2023 - Grant application open
• March 31, 2023 (6:00 PM) - Grant applications due
• April 2023 – Applications reviewed
• May 2023 – Awards announced
• June/July 2023 – Projects begin

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Note: These resources are provided to assist in completing the application, but are not necessarily required components of the application. For the complete application, use the link at the top of the page to access the Grant Management Software.

• Genesee Valley Greenway State Park Action Plan
• DEI Resources for Applicants
• Template Project Budget
• Match Calculator Tool
• Volunteer Time-tracking Tool
• Sample MOU with Fiscal Agent (for organizations who lack 501(c)(3) status)
• Template Expense Tracking Worksheet
• Final Expense Report Expenditures

Where can I get help with the online application?

If you need assistance with the registration process, please watch this short tutorial or read these step-by-step instructions.

For additional information on how to use the online application, watch this tutorial.

If you need assistance with the online application, please contact Parks & Trails New York staff at trails@ptny.org.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

• Is my trail town allowed to submit grant applications for multiple projects?

Yes, applications will be accepted for multiple projects, either as one application or as separate applications. However, we will not award more than $15,000 total to any one community.

• Can I see all of the application questions before I start filling out the application?

Yes, once you've created an application, click on the "Question List" in the upper right hand corner, where you can download and review a PDF of all of the application questions.

• When can projects start?

We will announce funding awards in late May or early June, after which we will enter into a grant agreement with the selected grant recipients. Projects can begin at any time, and reimbursement for costs incurred before the grant agreements are finalized is possible, but funding cannot be guaranteed until the agreements are settled.

• If awarded, when will I receive funding? Is it a cash grant or reimbursement-based grant?

Funding will be awarded in two installments. The first installment will include 75% of the award, and will be distributed on a cash basis after grant agreements are finalized. The second installment will include the remaining 25% and will require an accounting of all costs incurred and submission of a final project report.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

Those applications selected for funding will be required to agree to the Terms and Conditions of receiving award.

The Terms and Conditions can be found in the document below. Note that the formal agreement to this will occur through the Foundant Grant Management system, and that the Terms and Conditions presented below are subject to change, but will be finalized before grant awards are announced.

Past Funding Rounds

2022 GVTT GRANT AWARDS

• Greater Wheatland Area Chamber of Commerce ($11,353) – The construction of a kiosk in Scottsville’s Canawaugus Park and Mumford’s Freeman Park, wayfinding signage, parking signs, crosswalk signage on Scottsville and Mumford’s Main Streets, historical interpretive signs, and a bike repair station and bike racks in Genesee Valley Greenway State Park.
• Perry Main Street Association ($11,000) - Signage in multiple locations and a self-service tool kiosk for bike service along the Silver Lake Trail (SLT).
• Town of York Trail Town Committee ($7,642) - Parking signs at the Piffard trailhead, a kiosk, bike rack, and bench at the Fowlerville trailhead, a bike rack and a bench at York Landing, signage on River Road, and promotional materials.
• Village of Nunda ($5,098) – A trailhead kiosk, bike rack and benches along the Nunda Branch Trail of Genesee Valley Greenway State Park, and parking signs and a bike rack in the Village of Nunda.
• Town of Hume ($5,000) – Demolition of former tennis court in town-owned park space directly adjacent to the greenway in preparation for the site to be used as a community gateway, and the purchase and installation of bicycle racks at three locations.
• Village of Geneseo ($3,123) – Completion of the Geneseo Loop Trail, including drainage and trail maintenance, marking the trail with blazes and directional signage, and placing benches along the trail.
• Town of Caneadea ($3,100) - Wayfinding and safety signage for public trails and disc golf courses in Houghton, and the installation of an informational kiosk at a river access site in Houghton, making the site a new pocket park and informational hub.
• Letchworth Gateway Villages ($2,185) - Printing of Genesee Valley Trail Town marketing materials, including brochures, community customizable brochure inserts, rack cards and square cards.
• Cuba Friends of Architecture ($1,500) - The purchase of three cloud-linked digital information displays and cloud-based digital signage devices that will allow the Cuba Trail Town committee to display general trail information, trail maps, trail history, local events, weather, town, charity, cultural and tourist information through digital feeds and locally created media.

Read our full press release announcing the grant awards.

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