Fundraising Videos

Noah J. Roufos-Abbey led a one-hour interactive workshop and informational session, sharing best practices and industry insights that can help build strategies and structures to advance conservation work and resource procurement. Topic areas addressed include: an overview of the components of a well-rounded program, online fundraising, major gift development, and planned giving.

Trails usage has increased, especially during the last year.  For years, PennDOT has been supportive in leveraging funding to improve trails.  We have worked with DCNR, as a collaborative state partner, our MPOs and RPOs, stakeholders and local grass root partners to improve Pennsylvania's networks of trails.  Our overview will highlight our programs, funding sources, and our coordination efforts with other agencies, as well as our outreach to the community to enhance and support Pennsylvania's beautiful trails, parks, and byways.  PennDOT has several programs in place to maintain, improve and expand our trails.  Our TA Set-Aside Program provides funding for projects defined as transportation alternatives, including on-and off-road pedestrian and bicycle facilities, infrastructure projects for improving non-driver access to public transportation and enhanced mobility, community improvement activities, and environmental mitigation, trails that serve a transportation purpose, and safe routes to school projects.  Our Recreational Trails Program supports DCNR's goal to have a trail within 10 minutes of every Pennsylvania citizen. We work with DCNR to provide grants to support the enhancement and expansion of non-motorized and motorized trails to meet this goal.  Our Byways Program designates Pennsylvania Byways at the request of local communities seeking to highlight roadways with cultural, historical, recreational, archaeological, scenic, and natural qualities.  We will highlight a big success Byway story – Erie’s - Great Lake Seaway Trail.

C-PACE is the missing link to scale projects. It is a useful funding mechanism for nonprofits (non-governmental), multifamily, commercial, industrial, and agricultural. Repairing, rebuilding, and reimagining Pennsylvania’s infrastructure is necessary for economic development now and into the future. An infusion of federal funding to address Pennsylvania’s infrastructure needs is available now, or will be available, throughout 2023. This session will provide an overview of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), the Justice 40 Initiative, and the CHIPS and Science Act. The session will also go over some promising grants programs and share resources and technical assistance available. The Inflation Reduction Act, together with the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, provides a historic investment into the transportation electrification sector. What does this mean for cities and local governments? How can this funding be accessed, and for which purposes can the funding be used – vehicle purchase or lease, infrastructure, technical assistance, workforce development, etc? This presentation will cover these details and more about the EV moment.

WeConservePA in welcomes guest speaker's Joanne Walker and Brandon Ford for a two-part workshop series on grant finding, grant writing, and grant management for Environmental Advisory Councils. Learn more about the process of identifying grant opportunities, the application process, and what to do if you are successful in obtaining a grant for your municipality. Participants should view both parts 1 & 2.

WeConservePA in welcomes guest speaker's Joanne Walker and Brandon Ford for a two-part workshop series on grant finding, grant writing, and grant management for Environmental Advisory Councils. Learn more about the process of identifying grant opportunities, the application process, and what to do if you are successful in obtaining a grant for your municipality. Participants should view both parts 1 & 2.

Learn about the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) programs that offer cost-share to land preservation boards and land conservancies that want to purchase conservation easements. Cost-share recipients can leverage funding for fifty percent of the easement purchase price for conservation easements that use the USDA program’s minimum deed terms and include US Rights of Enforcement. The session will provide an overview of how land preservation boards and conservancies can apply for these programs, and what types of landowners and land uses are eligible for the conservation easements. The session also explains the involvement NRCS staff play in the easement acquisition and stewardship process.

Cynthia Carrow, Vice President of Government and Community Relations for Western Pennsylvania Conservancy will share the Conservancy’s experience in meeting the requirements and securing grants through the state’s Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program (RACP). Funding from RACP is provided for the acquisition and construction of regional economic, cultural, civic, recreational, and historical improvement projects that generate substantial increases or maintain current levels of employment, tax revenues, or other measures of economic activity. RACP is administered by the Office of the Budget. Western Pennsylvania Conservancy secured three RACP grants for Fallingwater: structural improvement of the house, various preservation improvements, and expansion of visitor parking lots.

Land trusts play a vital role in conservation in the Mid-Atlantic landscape and must be included in landscape-level management conversations. Many small to medium-sized land trusts may encounter challenges managing their land beyond preservation to additional goals (like wildlife habitat management). Audubon Mid-Atlantic would like to partner with these key land trusts and offer technical support and assistance where needed to create and/or maintain high-quality forest-bird habitat. A strategic plan has been formulated and Audubon Mid-Atlantic plans to either help land trust acquire funds for management or Audubon Mid-Atlantic will provide the funds outright through a small-grant program. Available funding for projects, educational opportunities, and technical assistance are on the table for discussion.

This 75-minute session examines the various components of the American Rescue Plan (ARP), including allocation mechanisms, grant funding opportunities, application criteria, and more. Join us as we welcome program specialists at the county, state, and federal levels to navigate through these new funding sources.  Explore how Pennsylvania can potentially tap ARP funds to advance conservation and outdoor recreation efforts.