Together Outdoors Extends Micro-Grant Application Deadline
Together Outdoors has extended the deadline to apply for its Inclusive Micro-Grants. This unique program supports the small and rural grassroots organizations that are key to creating a more inclusive and welcoming outdoor recreation environment.
The new deadline to apply is March 18 at 11:59 ET pm. Qualified organizations could receive one-time grants ranging from $5,000 to $10,000. For detailed information on the Micro-Grant Program and to apply, click here.
“This is more than just a grant program; it's a statement that the outdoors is a space where everyone—no matter your color, creed, or community--should feel at home," says Ambreen Tariq, Senior Program Director at Outdoor Recreation Roundtable and Together Outdoors Coalition Lead. "We're eager to see the innovative and impactful ways our 2024 grantees will use these funds to break down barriers to outdoor recreation."
Recognizing the disparities in traditional grant funding, which often favors large, well-resourced organizations, the Together Outdoors Inclusive Micro-Grant Program focuses on enhancing the capabilities of small-scale, community-based groups that serve diverse and underrepresented populations. These organizations are instrumental in bridging the outdoor “adventure gap” but frequently can’t compete for conventional funding due to resource-intensive application and reporting requirements.
In 2022, thanks to THOR Industries, Winnebago and Airstream, the Together Outdoors Inclusive Micro-Grant Program distributed $54,000 across nine organizations. Those grants supported a variety of outdoor recreation-related programming, events, and leadership initiatives specifically benefiting communities of color, LGBTQIA+, and other intersecting groups. The program won a Bessie Award for its work on inclusion.
Thanks to foundational support from THOR Industries, this unique initiative, now in its second year, is focused on two areas:
Research + Resources: Financial backing for projects developing research and resources that facilitate inclusion outdoors. This includes the creation of educational toolkits, multimedia content, and translation services to ensure accessibility for all.
Activating Change Outdoors: Support for outdoor recreation programming, events, and leadership development initiatives specifically designed to empower communities of color, LGBTQIA+, individuals in underserved regions, people with disabilities, and other intersecting minority groups.
Grant recipients will be announced in April.