Perry County Grants for Nonprofits

Background

The Chesapeake Bay Green Streets, Green Jobs, Green Towns (G3) Grant Program funded by the United States Environmental Protection Agency, Region III (EPA), and the Chesapeake Bay Trust with support from the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, was created to support design projects, financing strategies, and/or implementation of green street projects. The goal of this grant program is to help communities develop and implement plans that reduce stormwater runoff, increase the number and amount of green spaces in urban areas, improve the health of local streams and the Chesapeake Bay, and enhance quality of life and community livability. This collaborative effort supports implementation of the Chesapeake Bay Protection and Restoration Executive Order and serves as a key component of EPA’s Green Streets, Green Jobs, Green Towns (G3) Partnership. The G3 Partnership provides support for local, grassroots-level greening efforts to reduce stormwater runoff from towns and communities in urbanized watersheds.

Applicants can request funds from the following project tracks.

• Track 1: Conceptual Plans for Green Streets/Green Infrastructure Projects (generally less than $15,000)
• Track 2: Engineered Designs for Green Streets/Green Infrastructure Projects (generally less than $30,000)
• Track 3: Implementation/Construction of Green Streets/Green Infrastructure Projects (generally less than $150,000)
• Track 4: Community Greening (generally less than $50,000)
• Track 5: White Papers (generally less than $20,000)
• Track 6: Green Street Charrette/Technical Planning Assistance

Pennsylvania Grant Opportunities

The PPL Foundation empowers communities by supporting student success from cradle to career; advancing diversity, equity and inclusion; and promoting the development of vibrant and sustainable communities.

The PPL Foundation’s grant programs provide grants up to $50,000 to support education, workforce development and community revitalization initiatives.

Empowering Communities Grants

Enriching the overall vitality of the community through programs that protect the environment and improve people’s lives, these grants support programs focused on:

• Environmental stewardship and education
• Economic development
• Workplace development

Background

The Highmark Foundation is a private, charitable, organization of Highmark Inc. that supports initiatives and programs aimed at improving community health. The Highmark Foundation's mission is to improve the health, well-being and quality of life for individuals who reside in communities served by Highmark Inc. and its subsidiaries and affiliates. We fulfill our mission by awarding high impact grants.

Ideally, the Foundation seeks evidence-based programs that impact multiple counties, that achieve replicable long-term models, and that attract collaborative funding by community partners.

Foundation grants have been awarded to hospitals, community health centers, health service organizations, local community groups and government agencies committed to improving community health.

Our focus is health. The Foundation awards health-related programmatic grants to charitable organizations to implement evidence-based programs aimed at improving community health within Pennsylvania and West Virginia. Grant funding is used to support projects that:

• Are consistent with the Foundation’s goals, strategies and focus
• Demonstrate new and sustainable ways to solve health problems
• Illustrate the effectiveness of early intervention and preventive health

Funding Priority Areas

The Foundation awards grants in the area of health, defining health broadly to include social, behavioral and other dimensions beyond illness or disease. The Foundation focuses its grantmaking on four areas:

Chronic Disease

For more than a decade, the Foundation has funded chronic disease intervention and prevention programs for the most vulnerable populations in the region. By analyzing data from global, national, and statewide resources, the Foundation determines where it can make significant impact among populations by reducing the burden on both patients and health care providers.

One major example of the Foundation's leadership is its funding of community-based programs and services that have been created to reduce the effects of diabetes among minority populations. Through comprehensive, multilevel strategies, the Foundation has provided millions of dollars which grant these individuals easier access to diabetes prevention programs.

The Foundation has also supported national efforts—locally. For example, the Foundation was one of the first in the nation to fund an initiative known as Mission Lifeline. This is an initiative of the American Heart Association which advances the systems of care for patients who have experienced the most severe form of heart attack.

Data analysis of other chronic diseases, such as osteoporosis, certain types of cancer, asthma, and many others, are constantly being reviewed by the Foundation staff to determine significant impact opportunities with outcomes that are both measurable and achievable.

Funding Programs and Interventions that Address:

• Diabetes
• Heart Disease
• Cancer
• Obesity

Family Health

Family health initiatives have been at the heart of many programs funded by the Highmark Foundation.

For five years, the Foundation's Highmark Healthy High 5 initiative focused on five areas that ultimately impacted family health: physical activity, nutrition, bullying, self-esteem and grieving. Many of the programs funded were not just aimed at children, but incorporated the entire family unit.

Childhood obesity and bullying remain major public health concerns for the nation and the region, and will remain critical issues for the Foundation. To that end, the Foundation is continuing to fund school and community-based programs that directly impact these issues and bring about positive change for children's physical and mental well-being.

The Foundation also funds programs in the area of maternal health, such as the doula pregnancy programs, walk-in clinics for uninsured and underinsured women, and parenting education classes. For the region's senior population, the Foundation funds programs that provide senior access to home health or palliative care, as well as routine health screenings and interventions.

Funding Programs and Interventions that Address:

• Nutrition and Physical Activity
• Adolescent Health
• Maternal Health
• Senior Care
• Mental Health

Service Delivery Systems

Serving a diverse geographic area that encompasses urban and rural populations presents a unique set of challenges. However, despite the differences in these settings, gaining access to quality health care is a challenge for many individuals in both. In urban settings, there is a lack of health care providers, but the underinsured or uninsured often lack the resources to gain access. In rural settings, the situation is even worse. There are very few health care providers available, and those that are available may not have the capacity to serve the underinsured or uninsured populations.

During the past decade, the Foundation has funded many programs across the region to help underserved and uninsured populations gain access to quality and, in some cases, free health care. This is most evident in the area of dental care and oral health, in which the Foundation, through a series of grants, allowed more patients to gain access to quality dental care.

The Foundation has also provided grants to help organizations hire and recruit health care professionals. It has funded millions of dollars in grants to address the nursing shortage in Pennsylvania. In fact, approximately 5,000 nursing students, nurses, medical students, residents, first responders and nursing faculty have benefited from Foundation funding.

Finally, the Foundation has provided grants to organizations planning to invest in new capital and technologies that will better serve their local population. By providing funding for capital expenditures at locations such as Federally Qualified Health Clinics (FQHC), nonprofit organizations, and community hospitals, the Foundation allows these facilities the ability to serve more patients.

Funding Programs that Address:

• Access to Care
• Recruitment of Healthcare Professionals
• Community Health Clinics
• Screenings

Vision

The Educational Foundation of America is a family foundation that envisions a society in which every person has a meaningful voice in an inclusive democracy, with unrestricted access to full reproductive freedom, and lives in creative, thriving communities on a healthy, regenerative planet. 

Mission

The Educational Foundation of America advances progressive change through support for creative initiatives working toward sustainability, justice, and equity. 

Values

• The Educational Foundation of America believes in strategic grantmaking and impact investing that:
• collaborate with communities and causes seeking structural change
• support innovative ideas and talented leaders
• take risks to achieve results 
• invest in people, places, and organizations underserved by philanthropy

Reproductive Health & Justice Program

EFA’s Reproductive Health & Justice program supports a range of strategies to improve access to abortion and contraception at the national and state level. We support national organizations that use litigation to protect and advance abortion access, as well as organizations providing direct support to abortion providers. We provide core support and capacity-building assistance to abortion funds nationwide. And we support fresh and innovative communications efforts to destigmatize abortion care. At the state level, we support state-based organizations that use civic engagement, litigation, communication, and advocacy efforts to improve access to abortion and contraception. Our current geographic focus is on the Appalachian region, Alabama, and Florida.

Additionally, EFA helped to launch the Reproductive Health Investors Alliance (Rhia Ventures) in partnership with our peer funders. Rhia Ventures utilizes shareholder engagement and other impact-investing strategies to support reproductive rights in the workplace. This nascent venture builds upon the Foundation’s commitment to aligning our investments with our grantmaking goals.

Summary

The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF), in partnership with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the federal-state Chesapeake Bay Program (CBP) partnership, is soliciting proposals through the Chesapeake Bay Stewardship Fund to restore water quality and habitats of the Chesapeake Bay and its tributary rivers and streams.

NFWF is soliciting proposals under the Innovative Nutrient and Sediment Reduction (INSR) Grants program to accelerate the rate and scale of water quality improvements through the voluntary implementation of best management practices that cost-effectively reduce nutrient and sediment pollution to local rivers and streams and the Chesapeake Bay.

For 2024, this includes both INSR Partnership Grants supporting the coordinated and collaborative efforts of sustainable, regional-scale1 partnerships implementing proven water quality improvement practices more cost-effectively, as well as INSR Infrastructure Grants opportunity for projects working to implement critical natural and nature-based watershed restoration infrastructure at scale.

NFWF is requiring all prospective INSR applicants to consult with NFWF program staff prior to submitting applications and no later than January 24, 2024 to ensure eligibility and competitiveness and allow for NFWF program staff to provide constructive feedback to strengthen proposed projects, consistent with program priorities. Prospective applicants should contact Jake Reilly to schedule project consultations at this link.

Background

The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF), in partnership with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the federal-state Chesapeake Bay Program (CBP) partnership, is soliciting proposals through the Chesapeake Bay Stewardship Fund to protect and restore water quality and habitats of the Chesapeake Bay and its tributary rivers and streams.

Through the Small Watershed Grants (SWG) Program, delivered in partnership with EPA and the CBP partnership, NFWF is soliciting proposals for projects within the Chesapeake Bay watershed that promote voluntary, community-based efforts to protect and restore the diverse and vital habitats of the Chesapeake Bay and its tributary rivers and streams.

NFWF will award funding through two distinct funding opportunities. All SWG Program proposals must directly align with one or more of the SWG PROGRAM PRIORITIES outlined further in this Request for Proposals.

• SWG Implementation (SWG-I) grants of $150,000-1,000,000 will be awarded for projects that result in direct, on-the-ground actions to protect and restore water quality, species, and habitats in the Bay watershed.
• SWG Planning and Technical Assistance (SWG-PTA) grants up to $150,000 will be awarded for projects that enhance local capacity to implement future on-the-ground actions, consistent with SWG Program priorities, through community-based assessment, planning, design, and other technical assistance-oriented activities.

What We Want to Encourage

Our core belief is that smartly guided exposure to the arts will positively impact an individual’s intellectual and social skills and ultimately contribute to improving our global home.

We want to encourage and will take a chance on new, yet-to-be-tested initiatives based on a broad range of artistic expressions.

The goal is that with GKV first-year funding enough measurable results will be achieved to attract sustaining funding from other sources.

Programs of Interest to GKV

How innovative?

Something untried but with exciting possibilities grabs our interest. But a program that is an extension of a current program into a new area or will include a creative but impactful new wrinkle will be seriously considered.

How broadly do you define “arts”?

Very broadly. Someone once asked if GKV would consider a Culinary Arts program. We debated that for a bit, and then decided “why not.” All depends on the specifics of the proposed program.

What’s your ideal grant size?

Somewhere between $25,000 and $50,000.

Can I request multi-year funding?

Extensions of grants into subsequent years are part of our plan, but the extension will be a fraction of the first year grant and then only if other grantors can be convinced that the program is worth their “investment” given first year results.

Why the Appalachian Landscapes Protection Fund?

Accelerating and unprecedented climate change is the greatest challenge of our time, posing equal threats to nature and people.

Our forests are a critical support to help adapt to and mitigate climate change. The Appalachian Mountain region, stretching 1,500 miles from Alabama to Canada, includes massive stores of forest carbon, absorbing 1 million tons of air pollution each year. 

This vast region – the world’s largest temperate broadleaf forest – is an essential resilient refuge for plants and animals, particularly as the climate changes. Tens of millions of people call this region home, relying on its forests and waters for their health and well-being. (Read OSI's report that highlights the critical role of land protection in mitigating carbon pollution.)

Yet the Appalachian forest faces significant threats from encroaching development, poor management, and mineral and energy extraction.

To ensure that this region continues to support plants, animals, and people, OSI launched the Appalachian Landscapes Protection Fund, an $18 million effort that provides capital grants to protect 50,000 acres in key focus areas along the Appalachian Range. To complement land protection efforts, OSI’s Climate Catalyst Program works in partnership with states, local communities, Tribes, land trusts, and other not-for-profit organizations to reduce climate risks for communities disproportionately affected by flooding and other climate-induced threats.

This Fund builds on the success of OSI's Resilient Landscapes Initiative (2013 - 2020), which advanced the use of Climate Resilience Science in land protection. Climate resilience remains a priority in this new fund, along with a new emphasis on forests’ ability to store atmospheric carbon and on community equity and inclusion.

Capital Grant Focus Areas

The Fund awards capital grants for land protection in portions of:

• the Cradle of Southern Appalachia (Tennessee, Georgia, and Alabama),
• the the Kittatinny (New Jersey and Pennsylvania),
• Western/Central Pennsylvania and,
• the Northern Appalachians (Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont).

Please note that during the current funding cycle, we are only accepting proposals for projects in the Cradle of Southern Appalachia, Western/Central Pennsylvania, and the Northern Appalachians focus areas.

Pennsylvania Grant Opportunities

The PPL Foundation empowers communities by supporting student success from cradle to career; advancing diversity, equity and inclusion; and promoting the development of vibrant and sustainable communities.

The PPL Foundation’s grant programs provide grants up to $50,000 to support education, workforce development and community revitalization initiatives.

Energizing Education Grants

Supporting equitable and engaging high-quality educational opportunities for all students, these grants fund programs focused on:

• STEM (with a focus on programs that inspires students to pursue careers in the energy industry)
• Literacy and summer learning
• College and career readiness

Pennsylvania Grant Opportunities

The PPL Foundation empowers communities by supporting student success from cradle to career; advancing diversity, equity and inclusion; and promoting the development of vibrant and sustainable communities.

The PPL Foundation’s grant programs provide grants up to $50,000 to support education, workforce development and community revitalization initiatives.

Powering Equity Grants

Advancing diversity, equity and inclusion through programs that move racial and social justice forward such as:

• Diversity Education and advocacy programs
• Programs focused on protecting underrepresented residents (ethnicity, race, gender, sexual orientation, disability and veterans)

Appalachian Regional Commission

The Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) is an economic development partnership entity of the federal government and 13 state governments focusing on 423 counties across the Appalachian Region. ARC’s mission is to innovate, partner, and invest to build community capacity and strengthen economic growth in Appalachia to help the Region achieve socioeconomic parity with the nation.

The Region’s 26.4 million residents live in parts of Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Maryland, Mississippi, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia, and all of West Virginia.

The Region also comprises three federally recognized and five state recognized Native American Tribal Communities, with Tribal entities in Appalachian Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, New York, and North Carolina.

Purpose of ARISE

Appalachian Regional Initiative for Stronger Economies (ARISE) is ARC’s multi-state initiative that aims to drive large-scale, regional economic transformation through collaborative projects across Appalachia. With the additional funding provided by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) of 2021 (also known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law or BIL), ARC launched ARISE to strengthen Appalachian business and industry, and to grow and support the development of new opportunities across multiple states.

ARISE encourages initiatives that go beyond borders and help the 13 Appalachian states advance ARC’s strategic investment priorities as one, united Appalachia.

Grant Types

Planning Grants

Funding Availability for Planning Grants: $10,000,000 in FY23

Maximum Planning Grant Award Size: $500,000

Implementation Grants

Funding Availability for Implementation Grants: Up to $63,500,000 in FY23

Implementation Grant Award Size: $10 million maximum (ARC reserves the right to award grants in larger amounts on a case-by-case basis when substantially compelling circumstance are present and funds are available)

Investments Supporting Partnerships In Recovery Ecosystems (INSPIRE) Initiative

The Investments Supporting Partnerships In Recovery Ecosystems (INSPIRE) is an initiative addressing the substance use disorder (SUD) crisis by creating or expanding a recovery ecosystem that will lead to workforce entry or re-entry.

The INSPIRE Initiative makes funding available for projects that address the substance use crisis by creating or expanding a recovery ecosystem that will lead to workforce entry or reentry for individuals in recovery from substance use disorder (SUD). Projects are encouraged to support the post-treatment-to-employment continuum, such as the following, among others:

• Investments in healthcare networks and partnerships that support substance use recovery, as well as behavioral health professionals and employers
• SUD recovery-focused job training programs
• Initiatives designed to coordinate or link SUD recovery services and employment training

The recovery ecosystem, within the context of building and strengthening economically resilient communities in Appalachia, is a complex linkage of multiple sectors, including but not limited to recovery communities, peer support, health and human services, faith communities, criminal justice, public safety, housing, transportation, education, and employers. The goal of the recovery ecosystem is to help individuals in recovery access the support services and training they need to maintain recovery and successfully obtain sustainable employment.

Grant Types and Amounts

• Implementation Grants: The Appalachian Regional Commission expects to make implementation awards in amounts up to $500,000 for each project it awards within the congressionally defined Appalachian Region. The period of performance for awards under this funding announcement may be up to three years (36 months) if warranted by the size and scope of the project.
• Planning Grants: In addition to implementation grants, planning grants in amounts up to $50,000 each are available to assist communities and regions in the Appalachian Region to develop plans and strategies for expanding or creating a recovery ecosystem. The period of performance for planning grants may be up to 18 months if warranted by the scope of the project.

Chesapeake Watershed Investments for Landscape Defense (WILD) Program

The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF), in partnership with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), is soliciting proposals through the Chesapeake Bay Stewardship Fund (CBSF) to conserve, protect, and restore vital fish and wildlife habitat of the Chesapeake Bay and its tributary rivers and streams. 

This year, NFWF estimates awarding up to $8.5 million in Chesapeake WILD Grants, contingent on available funding, for projects that enhance conservation, stewardship, and enhancements of fish and wildlife habitats and related conservation values in the Bay watershed.

Implementation Grants

WILD Implementation grants of $75,000-$750,000 will be awarded for projects that result in direct on-the-ground conservation, stewardship, and enhancements of fish and wildlife habitats and related conservation values in the Bay watershed.

Match Requirement is 1:1. Matching Contributions consist of cash, contributed goods and services, volunteer hours, and/or property raised and spent for the Project during the Period of Performance.

Chesapeake Watershed Investments for Landscape Defense (WILD) Program

The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF), in partnership with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), is soliciting proposals through the Chesapeake Bay Stewardship Fund (CBSF) to conserve, protect, and restore vital fish and wildlife habitat of the Chesapeake Bay and its tributary rivers and streams. 

This year, NFWF estimates awarding up to $8.5 million in Chesapeake WILD Grants, contingent on available funding, for projects that enhance conservation, stewardship, and enhancements of fish and wildlife habitats and related conservation values in the Bay watershed.

Planning and Technical Assistance Grants

WILD Planning and Technical Assistance grants up to $75,000 will be awarded for projects that enhance the capacity of local and regional partners to implement future on-the ground actions conservation, stewardship, and enhancements of fish and wildlife habitats and related conservation values in the Bay watershed, through community-based assessment, planning, design, and other technical assistance-oriented activities.

Partnerships for Opportunity and Workforce and Economic Revitalization (POWER) Initiative

Any selection and award under this NOSA is subject to the availability of appropriated funds, any other legislative action, or policy priorities. The Partnerships for Opportunity and Workforce and Economic Revitalization (POWER) Initiative provides funding to help communities and regions affected by job losses in coal mining, coal power plant operations, and coal-related supply chain or logistics industries due to the changing economics of America’s energy production and the coal economy. The POWER Initiative supports efforts to create a more vibrant economic future for coalimpacted communities by cultivating economic diversity, enhancing job training and reemployment opportunities, creating jobs in existing or new industries, and attracting new sources of investment. For coal-impacted communities to diversify their local and regional economies successfully, POWER prioritizes the allocation of federal resources to projects and activities with the following characteristics:

• Will produce diverse economic development outcomes, such as the following:
  • Diversify the commercial and industrial bases of local and regional economies.
  • Create high-quality, well-paying jobs in new and existing industries.
  • Attract new sources of public and private investment.
  • Provide a range of workforce services and skills training, including paid work-based learning opportunities, resulting in industry-recognized credentials for high-quality, in-demand jobs
• Are specifically identified under state, local, and/or regional economic development plans.
• Have been collaboratively designed by a diverse blend of state, local, and regional stakeholders

The POWER Initiative seeks to align and leverage complementary economic development resources to provide assistance through competitively awarded grants to partnerships anchored in coal-impacted communities. By aligning and leveraging multiple resources (federal, state, local, nonprofit, and private sector), POWER solicits and prioritizes the selection of projects that integrate multiple economic development systems and support the implementation of existing economic development strategic plans. Additionally, applicants to ARC’s POWER Initiative should apply an equity lens to their projects. This may be done by including intentional strategies that aim to increase inclusion of underrepresented communities in their proposed work. Applicants should consider how their project will aim to expand access to and increase representation and participation of underrepresented communities in their proposed activities.

POWER Investment Priorities

As adopted by the Commission, the POWER investment priorities build upon ARC’s strategic investment goals. ARC’s POWER Initiative will continue to focus on investments that are regional, strategic, and focused on the economic revitalization of coal-impacted communities and regions.

Project proposals need not include all the following POWER investment priorities to be considered for funding; however, all applications will be reviewed for their ability to address at least one of these priority areas.

• Fostering Entrepreneurial Activities
• Developing Industry Clusters in Communities
• Building a Competitive Workforce
• Broadband

Grant Types

• Implementation Grants: Implementation grants awarded under the POWER NOSA are for the support of programmatic delivery. Applicants may also request funding to support construction incidental to their project. The Commission will make individual implementation grants in amounts between $400,000 and $2,000,000 for each project it awards within the congressionally defined Appalachian Region, with exceptions for broadband deployment and BaaS projects, which have a range of $400,000 to $2,500,000. Specific award guidelines may vary by type of project.
• Planning Grants: In addition to implementation grants, ARC will also award smaller planning grants in amounts up to $50,000. These grants will assist coal-impacted communities and regions in the Appalachian Region in the development of plans, strategies, and feasibility studies targeted to the diversification and growth of their economies. Planning awards should result in grantees better understanding their resources, identifying strengths and needs, and helping focus their future efforts through cost/benefit analyses. The objective of the planning projects is to assist entities with the development of an implementation project following their completion; therefore, no activities in the scope of work can include the delivery of a program or services. Planning grantees are encouraged to follow up with a POWER implementation application, but there is no guarantee of funding. Planning grantees should, within the context of their work, identify other possible sources of programmatic funding.

WeConservePA is providing grants to land trusts to support the completion of land assessments and resource management plans for largely forested lands already under conservation easement.

Subject lands must be in the Pennsylvania portion of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed.

Applications will be accepted and reviewed on a rolling basis through May 31, 2024, or until all project funds are committed, whichever comes first. WeConservePA will award up to $150,000 in total grants for this planning work.

WeConservePA will post regular updates at weconservepa.org/fmp as to how much in grant funds remains available to applicants.

Applicants may request grants in any amount.

This grant program is intended to explore the ways that land trusts, landowners, and forest professionals might work constructively together to better understand conserved lands and ultimately produce better conservation results on the land, including better forest health, habitat improvement, water resource protection, and sustainable timber production. 

Minimal Match Requirements 

No match needs to be documented. 

The only expenses that must be borne by awardees without WeConservePA reimbursement are those resulting from the awardee’s time spent preparing the grant application, submitting final expense documentation, providing brief one-year and two-year updates on any actions taken as a result of the planning effort, and other administrative and indirect personnel expenses incurred. 

Background; Grant Program Objective

Conservation easements have an excellent track record in Pennsylvania as tools to block landowners from taking actions that would harm the conservation values of the land. Between the use of the Model Grant of Conservation Easement and Declaration of Covenants, land trust monitoring and enforcement, and the courts’ excellent record of upholding conservation easements in Pennsylvania, there is assurance that improvements, activities, and uses contrary to the easement’s conservation objectives will not happen on eased lands in Pennsylvania. 

However, there is more to conservation than simply blocking bad actions on the land. Due to invasive species, deer over browsing, climate change, and other factors, the land often will need proactive management steps to be taken to actually improve forest health, wildlife habitat, and water quality. Moreover, it’s likely that without some proactive management, the land conserved could actually experience a loss in conservation values over time. This presents a challenge as land trusts typically lack the funding, information, tools, and other resources to meaningfully advance proactive management on lands they have under easement; landowners, for their part, are unlikely to act proactively in the absence of guidance and incentives. The challenge is heightened by the lack of study of changes in conservation values on already eased properties and paucity of management plans created with the primary objective of promoting healthy forest, habitat, and waters on those properties. 

By funding the assessment of conservation values on eased properties and identifying affirmative, actionable measures that can be taken on each individual property to improve upon these values, the grant program aims to arm land trusts and landowners with the information and plans they need to improve forest resiliency, wildlife, and water quality outcomes over time. WeConservePA also hopes to gain insights into what is happening following grants of easement to conservation values on the eased lands, which may suggest new strategies for conservation easement management in future years.

The READY G2G Initiative actualizes ARC’s vision of ensuring the Region achieves socioeconomic parity with the nation. READY G2G aims to invest in strategies that grow the region’s capacity through sustainable and outcome-driven projects related to ARC’s other investment priorities: building Appalachia’s businesses, workforce ecosystem, infrastructure, and regional culture and tourism.

• Goal 1: Building Appalachian Businesses
  • Strengthen and diversify the region’s economy through inclusive economic development strategies and investments in entrepreneurship and business development.
• Goal 2: Building Appalachia’s Workforce Ecosystem
  • Expand and strengthen community systems (education, healthcare, housing, childcare, and others) that help Appalachians obtain a job, stay on the job, and advance along a financially sustaining career pathway.
• Goal 3: Building Appalachia’s Infrastructure
  • Ensure that the residents and businesses of Appalachia have access to reliable, affordable, resilient, and energy-efficient utilities and infrastructure in order to successfully live and work in the region.
• Goal 4: Building Regional Culture and Tourism
  • Strengthen Appalachia’s community and economic development potential by preserving and investing in the region’s local cultural heritage and natural assets.