Grants

Dr Pepper Snapple & KaBOOM! are excited to offer $15,000 grants to qualifying U.S.-based organizations to be used toward the purchase of playground equipment that will be built using the KaBOOM! community-build model. Grantees will plan their project, share best practices and challenges through Our Dream Playground.

Application Deadline: May 17, 2013, 11:59 PM EST

How to Apply

1. Visit Our Dream Playground (ourdreamplayground.org) and click Sign Up to create a KaBOOM! account
2. Next to your name in the top right corner, click Start a New Playground and follow the steps to create your playground's project page
3. When you reach your project dashboard, above the picture you will click Community Construction Grant Application
4. Download the KaBOOM! Grant Application Handbook for in depth information about the application, including application questions
5. Click Apply for a grant when you’re ready to apply!

Benefits of Let's Play Community KaBOOM! Construction Grantees

• $15,000 grant award applied towards your equipment purchase from a KaBOOM! Preferred Vendor
• Access to valuable planning tools on Our Dream Playground
• Opportunity to receive one-on-one planning support from KaBOOM! Alumni
• Post-Build access to the KaBOOM! Alumni Network, where grantees have access to exclusive grants to maintain and expand on their playspace, as well as opportunities to learn more about the state of Play in the U.S.

Eligibility and Selection Criteria

This grant is open to U.S.-based municipalities, neighborhood associations, schools, day care centers, and non-profit organizations without a playground or with existing equipment that is unsafe for children to use.

Other eligibility requirements:

• Applicant must own the land or possess a long-term lease and must obtain permission from the land owner to construct a playground
• Scope of the playground project must include a total playground equipment purchase between $24,000 and $40,000
• Applicant must demonstrate his/her ability to maintain the playground and fulfill commitments of the grant program, and keep the project page on Our Dream Playground up to date
• Playground project cannot be supported through any other KaBOOM! funding
• Applicant must be willing to use the KaBOOM! community-build model throughout the planning and installation process
• Applicant must complete the playground project within one year of receiving the grant award
• Applicant must be willing to work with a KaBOOM! Preferred Equipment Vendor

Selection criteria:

Only applicants who have submitted complete applications and demonstrate they meet the eligibility requirements will be considered. Key criteria used in the competitive selection process include:

• Demonstrated need for a playground in the community
• Anticipated impact that the playground and project will have on the community
• Impact on low income areas
• Capacity to engage the community in planning and building the playground
• Capacity to generate the matching funds to support and complete the build within the time frame of the grant period
• Demonstrated enthusiasm for this project and commitment to fulfill requirements

If you have any questions about the application process, please email grants@kaboom.org.

Not your typical grant, this opportunity is also known as the KaBOOM! Community Partner Program and is our flagship program. We work to match KaBOOM! Funding Partners, who have committed to providing the majority of funding to build playgrounds in specified towns or regions, with child-serving non-profits and municipal organizations in need of playgrounds. These projects are guided by a KaBOOM! Project Manager, completed on defined timelines, and include volunteer support from the Funding Partner and members of your community.

We look for Community Partners who have a "Can Do" spirit. You must be interested in hard work, developing meaningful new relationships, and building on existing relationships within your community.

Learn more about the KaBOOM! Community Partner Program and start your application!

A total of 103 Let's Play Grants worth $2.1 million are available to Playful City USA communities between 2011–13. The $20,000 Let's Play City Construction Grants can be used towards the purchase of playground equipment that will be built using the community-build model. The $15,000 and $30,000 Let's Play Access Grants are available for projects relating to joint-use agreements to open school playground facilities to the public during non-school hours. Learn more about the Playful City USA Grants.

Attention all playground owners! Thanks to generous support from Dr Pepper Snapple Group, KaBOOM! will be awarding grants of $750 each to communities this year who wish to make their playgrounds cleaner, safer and more inviting. The Let's Play Maintenance Grants are designed to reward communities that have maintained and "spruced" their playspaces since their playground build.

Application Deadline: May 31, 2013

Benefits

• $750 gift card to communities to further enhance or improve their playspace

Eligibility and Selection Criteria

This grant is open to communities and organizations within the U.S., Canada, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands that meet the following requirements:

• Submit a completed application by a priority deadline
• Must have a record of playground in the KaBOOM! Map of Play
• Must have a well-maintained playground or plan to refill the Engineered Wood Fiber
• Must have completed a playground spruce project in the last 6 months or plan to refill the Engineered Wood Fiber in the next 60 days
• Must be able to sign off on the following liability language:

  The Grantee undertakes the project supported by the Grant funds on its own behalf and not on behalf of KaBOOM! or DPS, and the Grant shall in no way be construed as creating the relationship of principal and agent, of partnership or of joint venture as between KaBOOM! or DPS and the Grantee or any other person involved in the project. By accepting the Grant, the Grantee acknowledges that neither KaBOOM! nor DPS nor their respective subsidiaries and affiliates, and their officers, directors, employees or agents shall be liable for any acts, omissions, errors, injuries or damages, whether direct, indirect, incidental or consequential, associated with the use of the Grant funds or the Grant sponsored project.

Selection criteria:

Only applicants who have submitted complete applications and demonstrate they meet the eligibility requirements will be considered. Key criteria used in the selection process include:

• Demonstrated diligence in maintaining playground
• Documented spruce project at playground or plan for refilling the Engineered Wood Fiber
• Registered playground in KaBOOM! Map of Play
• Has not previously received a Let's Play Spruce Grant

How to Apply

To be considered applicants must complete the application no later than April 30, 2013. Click here to apply for a Let's Play Maintenance Grant.

If you have any questions about the Let's Play Maintenance Grant application, please email grants@kaboom.org.

Thanks to generous support from the Dr Pepper Snapple Group, KaBOOM! is able to offer exclusive grant opportunities to our KaBOOM! Alumni Network members.  Alumni have the opportunity to enhance their current play spaces through:

• Outdoor Fitness Station – This opportunity brings outdoor fitness equipment to an existing playground, creating a multi-generational play space for individuals of all ages to exercise and have fun.
• Outdoor Shade Structure – By installing a shade structure over a playground, children have more access to playgrounds in the hot summer months (and hotter climates), expanding opportunity for safe and active play!
• Imagination Playground – Imagination Playground is a mobile play system made up of custom-designed loose parts in 15 unique shapes and sizes.  Children use the parts and their own creativity to transform any space into a play space that encourages learning, social development, movement, and above all, fun.

If you are interested in these grants or your eligibility as a KaBOOM! Alumni, contact Joy Yoo at jyoo@kaboom.org or 202-464-6168.

Dr Pepper Snapple Group & KaBOOM! are excited to offer $500 grants to qualifying Do-It-Yourself communities to be used toward the improvement of an existing playground built using the KaBOOM! community build model.

Application Deadline: Rolling

Benefits of Let's Play Completion Grantees

• $500 American Express Gift Card will be provided to use towards any improvements in your existing playground
• Recognition as a successful DIY community build and possible feature on our website
• Opportunity to join the KaBOOM! Alumni Network and receive invaluable resources from other successful communities, other exclusive grants, maintenance help, as well as opportunities to learn more about the state of Play in the U.S.

Eligibility and Selection Criteria

This grant is open to U.S.-based municipalities, neighborhood associations, schools, day care centers, and non-profit organizations who have built a playground without any KaBOOM! funding. KaBOOM! funding includes Dr Pepper Snapple Group Grant recipients, Community Partner communities and previous Let's Play Completion Grant recipients.

Other eligibility requirements:

• Build 100% independent of KaBOOM! grant or financial support
• Applicants must have completed the playground build within the current year
• Applicant must own the land or possess a long-term lease and must obtain permission from the land owner to construct a playground
• Playground project cannot be supported through any other KaBOOM! funding
• Applicant must have used the KaBOOM! community-build model throughout the planning and installation process, unless installation restrictions apply. *Restrictions on installation may include local Board of Education rules or public use laws requiring professional installation.

Selection criteria:

Only applicants who have submitted complete applications and demonstrate they meet the eligibility requirements will be considered. Key criteria used in the competitive selection process include:

• Demonstrated capacity to build, plan and organize on their own
• Demonstrated need for a playground in the community
• Anticipated the impact that the playground and project would have on the community
• Engaged the community in planning and building the playground
• Demonstrated enthusiasm for this project and commitment to fulfill requirements

How to Apply

To be considered, applicants must complete the following:

1. Complete the application narrative made up of fifteen (15) questions.
2. Submit photos of the actual playground
3. Sign and submit the Letter of Agreement, found at the end of the application

Additional Information

For more information, contact Annie Binder at abinder@kaboom.org with the subject line: Completion Grant Inquiry.

KaBOOM! is excited to announce a new grant opportunity to increase access to your city’s playgrounds at the fraction of the cost of a new build! Joint use agreements allow you to partner with local school districts to open school recreation facilities to the public during non-school hours. The $15,000 Joint Use Grants can be used to support the opening of at least four playgrounds and the $30,000 Joint Use Grants the opening of at least eight playgrounds. The grants are part of Let’s Play, a community partnership led by Dr Pepper Snapple Group to get kids and families active nationwide. Note: The Joint Use Grants are solely for the creation or expansion of joint use agreements to create new access to existing playgrounds. Apply today!

Application Deadline: Rolling

Benefits

• $15,000 or $30,000 grant awarded to support the creation of a joint use agreement for playgrounds.
• Access to the joint use toolkit, Playing Smart.

Eligibility

This grant is open to communities within the United States. Please note that you will need to demonstrate how you meet these eligibility requirements in your grant application.

• Commit to convening a Play Task Force or Committee to support the joint use agreement.
• Receive the support of the target school district administration (demonstrated by a letter of support and signature on the Letter of Agreement).
• Have demonstrated experience working with coalitions and community partners.
• The target school district has no independent, stand-alone joint use district policy currently in place, but could have joint use practices (as defined above) in place at one or more schools in the district.
• The recipient must be willing to develop and pursue adoption of a stand-alone district level joint use policy.
• Communities who receive a grant will have 12 months to implement the joint use agreement and utilize the grant funds. Grantees must provide a full budget at the end of the grant period.
• Communities earning the grants will agree to demonstrate a match of at least 50% in the form of fundraised support, in-kind services and other funds. In-kind fees can include staff time and other resources devoted to this project.

How to Apply

Applications are being accepted and reviewed on a rolling basis until all grants are awarded. Start your Let’s Play Playground Joint Use Grant application.

If you have questions about the Joint Use Grants, please contact Daniel by email at dmcnulty@kaboom.org.

Imagination Playground is an innovative design in play equipment that encourages creativity, communication, and collaboration in play. With a collection of custom-designed, oversized blue foam parts, Imagination Playground provides a changing array of elements that allow children to turn their playground into a space constantly built and re-built by their imagination. For more information about Imagination Playground, please contact Judy Lem at jlem@kaboom.org.

KaBOOM! Imagination Playground Opportunity Funded by the makers of Children’s Claritin®

Enter for a chance to see your BIG Idea win a $5,000 grant! The 4th Annual BE BIG In Your Community Contest is open now! Other prizing consists of five $1,000 first prize grants. The BE BIG Fund can help bring your winning idea to life with the help of Scholastic, HandsOn Network and, of course, Clifford! Click here for full details.

Are you working to start a community action project or program? Do you need money to turn your ideas into action? Do you have a sustainable community action project, program or idea? We give out a $500 Do Something Seed Grant every week to help young people just like YOU!

Application Deadline: Currently none; 2-3 month notification. Click here for full details.

Good Sports is a non-profit whose mission is to increase youth participation in sports, recreation and fitness activities. Good Sports provides sports equipment, apparel, and footwear to youth organizations offering sports, fitness and recreational programs to youth in need. To learn more about their grant opportunities, visit their website.

The National Child Awareness Month Youth Ambassador Program is a project of YSA (Youth Service America) and Festival of Children Foundation. This year-long Ambassadorship trains youth (ages 16-22) to combat critical issues facing youth. Each Ambassador will receive support, advocacy training in Washington, D.C., and planning-guidance for their respective service projects.