Lessons Learned: Applying for DNR grants

Mai Moua and Daniel Golner are part of the team that help administer the local parks and trails grant programs for the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. At GMPT’s Legislative Action Day on Feb. 26, they reminded everyone that applications for several of these programs are due at the end of March. (You can read more about the grants here: https://www.greatermnparksandtrails.org/apply-now-dnr-parks-trails-grants/)

Demand for these programs is high. Last year, only 36 out of the 105 applications received funding. Moua and Golner provided some insight and tips for communities applying for these grants:

• Apply early! If you send your application in at least a few weeks before the deadline, the staff is willing to review your work and provide feedback.
• Follow the directions. One of the top reasons applications are rejected is applicants fail to provide the information requested.

Think about accessibility. When evaluating grants, they are looking more and more at whether the overall project will be accessible to everyone. If you are providing or improving accessibility, make sure you highlight that fact.