• The NYC Green Fund Crowdfunding Challenge provides up to $2,500 in matching funds to NYC Green Fund grant recipients for approved community projects that are hosted through an ioby crowdfunding campaign. Projects benefiting an NYC open space—including parks, community gardens, street trees, green streets, plazas, water bodies, and NYCHA communities are eligible to have their ioby crowdfunding campaign matched. If approved, the NYC Green Fund contributes one dollar for every dollar raised-up to $2,500!

• In Our Backyards, Inc. (ioby) is a civic tech nonprofit that gives local leaders the ability to crowdfund the resources they need to build real, lasting change from the ground up. ioby’s crowdfunding platform, including one-on-one coaching and support, helps connect local leaders with support and funding from their communities. You must be an NYC Green Fund grantee to participate in the NYC Green Fund Crowdfunding Challenge. 

To be eligible for the NYC Green Fund Crowdfunding Challenge, projects must:

• Be submitted by a 2020, 2021, or 2022 NYC Green Fund grant recipient.
• Have an operating budget of $50,000 or less.
• Provide a publicly accessible benefit, community programming, and/or small-scale physical improvement to a park, playground, community garden, street tree, green street, or other open space anywhere in the five boroughs.
• Not be aimed at making private profit for a specific individual, family, or business entity.
• Engage or be led by the residents of the neighborhood where the open space is located.
• Be feasible, legal, and likely to be implemented within six months of when the campaign closes. Projects that require approval from the land management agency should have that approval before fundraising begins.
• Be specific and concrete. The projects can be a continuation of your grant or a brand new initiative. We will not consider requests for general operating support. Please note: All ioby crowdfunding campaigns must include a detailed budget outlining how funds will be spent.
• Priority will be given to groups who are currently working and actively collaborating with Partnerships for Parks (PfP).

Eligible expenses include any cost required to implement a specific project, including, but not limited to:

• Food and other event costs.
• Event permit fees.
• Advertising and marketing.
• Materials and equipment.
• Tools and field supplies. 
• Safety supplies (personal protective equipment, gloves, etc.).
• Educator, instructor, or intern stipends.
• Travel and transportation.
• Contracted services.
• Consultant fees.

Projects can be a continuation from your NYC Green Fund grant or they can be brand new. The projects will fall under several categories:

• Small-scale physical improvements to open spaces.
• Projects including new plantings and guards for street trees and new stages, shade structures, sheds, benches, raised beds, murals, etc. in community gardens. Repainting of fences or new signage, plantings, etc. in a park space must be permitted by NYC Parks or the appropriate land management authority. 
• Free public programming that benefits community health and wellbeing.
• Physical, mental, and environmental programming occurring in open spaces, such as yoga, athletic events, fitness classes, instructor fees, and other programs supporting physical health and wellness.  
• Purchases of safety supplies to support volunteer and public events. Supplies include masks, hand sanitizer, and gloves.

Examples of Ineligible Projects:

• Fundraising solely for overhead costs such as staff pay, rent, utilities, or liability insurance without a planned public program or specific project.
• Major capital construction projects.
• Fundraising to cover the cost of producing other fundraising events or to purchase materials that will be sold for profit.
• Fundraising for an event that will not be open to the general public or does not happen in a park, community garden, or other open space.

• Applications are submitted on a rolling basis until funding runs out.
• The program will run from November 2022 until May 2023, unless otherwise noted by Partnerships for Parks and ioby.
• Application review and ioby crowdfunding campaign set-up typically take at least two to three weeks. Therefore, we recommend that you apply to the NYC Green Fund Crowdfunding Challenge at least one month prior to launching your crowdfunding campaign.

1. What is crowdfunding? 

Crowdfunding is a way of raising money in small amounts from a large number of people, usually online. 

2. What is match funding? 

Match funding refers to funds that will be paid in equal amounts to funds received from another source. 

3. What is the NYC Green Fund Crowdfunding Challenge? 

The NYC Green Fund Crowdfunding Challenge provides up to $2,500 in matching funds to NYC Green Fund grant recipients for approved community projects that are hosted through an ioby crowdfunding campaign. Projects benefiting an NYC open space—including parks, community gardens, street trees, green streets, plazas, water bodies, NYCHA communities, and more are eligible to have their ioby crowdfunding campaign matched. If approved, the NYC Green Fund contributes one dollar for every dollar raised-up to $2,500!

In Our Backyards, Inc. (ioby) is a civic tech nonprofit that gives local leaders the ability to crowdfund the resources they need to build real, lasting change from the ground up. ioby’s crowdfunding platform, including one-on-one coaching and support, helps connect local leaders with support and funding from their communities. You must run an ioby crowdfunding campaign to participate in the NYC Green Fund Crowdfunding Challenge.

4. Who is eligible? 

Recipients of an NYC Green Relief and Recovery grant in 2020, 2021, or 2022.

5. How much match funding can I receive on my campaign? 

$2,500 is the maximum amount that can be applied to any campaign in the NYC Green Fund Crowdfunding Challenge. This cap helps ensure that multiple projects will have access to funding. 

6. Will ioby always have match funding from the NYC Green Fund available for my project? 

No, the NYC Green Fund Crowdfunding Challenge has a finite pool of funds available for groups to access. However, the majority of ioby crowdfunding campaign participants fundraise successfully without match funding on their campaign. 

7. How does match funding work? 

When you fundraise through an ioby crowdfunding campaign with NYC Green Fund match funding, donations to your campaign will be doubled instantly, so you move toward your goal twice as fast. If someone donates $25, your page will reflect a donation of $50! Your page will continue to accept donations after your goal is met and you can raise your campaign goal at any time. You are always welcome to raise more (unmatched) funds beyond the maximum match funding cap, and you can keep whatever match funds you earn even if you raise less than the cap. 

8. If I’m approved for match funding, am I guaranteed to receive the maximum amount? 

No, this is a challenge match, not a grant. Your team needs to raise a dollar to receive a dollar, and no amount of match funding is guaranteed in advance. For example, if you begin a campaign but then stop fundraising for several months, there is no guarantee that match funding will still be available later. Funds will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis to all participating campaigns, so that funding flows toward projects with the most urgent funding needs and active teams. 

9. How do I get approved for match funding? 

First, share your project idea via the brief form found here. We will confirm that your project idea fits within the eligibility criteria and discuss the legalities or permit requirements for your project with the appropriate staff. You will then be notified if your project is approved for match funding. Once approved you can begin fundraising! 

10. How do I know if match funding is still available for my project? 

Once you start an ioby crowdfunding campaign, you will be assigned a success strategist. Your ioby success strategist will alert you in the unusual case that match funds are running low and you may not be able to access the maximum amount. 

11. When will I receive match funding? 

Once you’ve been approved, donations to your ioby crowdfunding campaign will be doubled instantly as people donate to your page. When you decide to close your campaign, your ioby success strategist will help you with the simple check disbursement process. You’ll receive the total you raised, plus any match applied, as one lump sum—minus ioby’s super-low fees. Please allow two weeks from closing your campaign to receive your check. 

12. Can I apply match funding to any donation? 

Match funding is meant to make it easier for you to reach out to your networks broadly to ask for donations and not meant for doubling just one large gift. For that reason, $400 is the maximum amount that will be matched on any single donation. 

13. Does ioby accept checks? 

Yes. It’s not standard practice, but if you have a donor who prefers to give by check, they can send their check to ioby to be applied to your campaign. ioby’s standard processing fee (3%) applies to check donations. We won’t be able to match a check donation until we receive and process the check, whereas online donations are matched instantly. 

14. Should the goal I set on my fundraising page include the amount of match funding I hope to receive? 

Yes. For example, if you need $2,000 to implement your project, your public goal on your page would be $2,000 — you would only need to raise $1,000 of that goal, which would be doubled as you fundraise. 

15. What if I use up the maximum match amount but want to keep fundraising? 

Great! You may always continue to fundraise (unmatched) dollars after you’ve reached the match cap of $2,500. Your ioby crowdfunding challenge will stay active and continue to accept donations until YOU decide to end your campaign. 

16. What if my project is small and I don’t need the full $2,500 of match funding? 

That’s fine! You can still participate with a lower fundraising goal that fits the scale of your project. For example, if you only need $800 to implement your project, build an ioby crowdfunding campaign with a goal of $800, and work to fundraise $400 from your community, which will be doubled as you fundraise. 

17. What if I don’t meet my goal? 

We want everyone to be successful, and ioby’s training materials and one-on-one support are intended to give you and your team everything you need to pick an appropriate fundraising goal that you can meet. However, with ioby’s flexible finish policy, you can always keep what you raise, even if you fall short of your original goal. 

18. What if I’m also planning to apply for a Capacity Fund Grant in Winter 2023? 

You are welcome to apply for the Capacity Fund Grant and participate in the NYC Green Fund Crowdfunding Challenge at the same time, for the same or different projects.

The Partnerships for Parks (PfP) Capacity Fund Grant provides up to $3,000 to strengthen the outreach, membership, and program-planning capacity of community groups who care for their neighborhood parks in all five boroughs of New York City.

• This grant is seed money for volunteer-run groups working with PfP who do not have existing staff, are new to the grant application process, and/or have limited budgets. 
• This grant covers outreach and materials for projects or programs that cultivate long-term stewardship and activation of green spaces. It can also cover general promotional materials for groups and their activities and costs related to group development, such as 501(c)(3) filing fees or volunteer training for groups who demonstrate more advanced fundraising capability and have a history of working with PfP.

El programa Capacity Fund Grant (Subsidios para Financiar la Capacitación de la Comunidad) de Partnerships for Parks provee pequeños subsidios de hasta $3,000 para fortalecer la difusión, la membresía y la capacitación en planificación de programas de los grupos comunitarios que se preocupan por los parques de su vecindario en los cinco distritos de la ciudad de Nueva York.

• Esta subvención es capital inicial para grupos dirigidos por voluntarios que trabajan con PfP y que no tienen personal existente, son nuevos en el proceso de solicitud de subvenciones y / o tienen presupuestos limitados.
• Esta subvención cubre la divulgación y los materiales para proyectos o programas que cultivan la administración a largo plazo y la activación de los espacios verdes. También puede cubrir materiales promocionales generales para grupos y sus actividades y costos relacionados con el desarrollo del grupo, como tarifas de presentación 501 (c) (3) o capacitación de voluntarios para grupos que demuestren una capacidad de recaudación de fondos más avanzada y tengan un historial de trabajo con la PfP.

• Application deadline: Monday, January 24th, 2022 12:00 pm Noon. 
• Earliest notification of decisions: Late May 2022.
• All submissions must be received by 12:00 PM on the due date. 

• Fecha límite de solicitud: lunes 24 de enero de 2022 12:00 PM del mediodía
• Notificación más temprana de decisiones: finales de mayo de 2022.                       
• Todas las presentaciones deben recibirse antes de las 12:00 PM en la fecha de vencimiento.

The application process should not begin with submitting the proposal. Below are some ways to prepare:

• Speak with your GreenThumb or Partnerships for Parks outreach coordinator or Catalyst organizer to discuss your project and your group’s goals. If you don’t know who your outreach coordinator is please contact us here. 
• Register for an individual consultation to discuss your group’s specific proposal questions with the grants team.
• Attend and/or watch a recorded Capacity Fund Grant info session.

Siga estos pasos cuando comience el proceso de solicitud: 

El proceso de solicitud no debe comenzar con la presentación de la propuesta. A continuación se muestran algunas formas de prepararse:

• Hable con su coordinador de extensión de GreenThumb o Partnerships for Parks o con el organizador de Catalyst para discutir su proyecto y los objetivos de su grupo. Si no sabe quién es su coordinador de alcance, comuníquese con nosotros aquí.
• Regístrese para una consulta individual para discutir las preguntas específicas de la propuesta de su grupo con el equipo de subvenciones.
• Manténgase a disposición durante el período de revisión para responder preguntas. Responda las llamadas o correos electrónicos con celeridad.

Who is eligible?

• Community groups proposing projects for any NYC Parks property throughout the five boroughs (i.e. Greenthumb gardens, parks, playgrounds, natural area trails, street trees, and greenstreets).
• Groups who lead projects or programs that engage their community, expand the group’s capacity to serve as long-term stewards of green spaces, and are free and open to the public.
• Applicants are not required to have 501(c)(3) status, but if groups are not 501(c)(3) organizations or do not have an outside fiscal sponsor, grant funds can only be accessed by reimbursement or paid invoice directly to vendors through an account with City Parks Foundation.
• Volunteer-run groups who have annual budgets less than $15,000 and are working in historically under-resourced areas are prioritized.
• Organizations with larger budgets up to $50,000 must be currently working with PfP in order to be eligible.

We do not fund: 

• Individuals.
• Projects not on NYC Parks property.
• Equipment such as computers, printers, laptops, or tablets.
• Fundraisers or materials that will be sold for profit.
• Capital improvements to parks.
• Staff time. It is our expectation that the programs we fund will be run primarily by volunteers. Exceptions are made for outside consultants such as educators or performers who provide a needed service or expertise and intern stipends when projects provide meaningful youth employment related to parks.
• Local travel.
• Overhead costs like rent, general liability insurance, utilities, etc.
• Work at flagship parks (i.e Central Park, Prospect Park) or well-established large nonprofit conservancies with dedicated staff and funding.

¿Quién es elegible? 

• Grupos comunitarios que proponen proyectos para cualquier propiedad de los Parques de la Ciudad de Nueva York en los cinco condados (es decir, jardines, parques, patios de recreo, senderos de áreas naturales, árboles en las calles, y calles verdes).
• Los grupos que lideran proyectos o programas que involucran a su comunidad, expanden la capacidad del grupo para servir como administradores a largo plazo de los espacios verdes, y son gratuitos y abiertos al público.
• Los solicitantes no están obligados a tener el estado 501 (c) (3), pero si los grupos no son organizaciones 501 (c) (3) o no tienen un patrocinador fiscal externo, solo se puede acceder a los fondos de la subvención mediante reembolso o factura pagada directamente a proveedores a través de una cuenta con City Parks Foundation.
• Se priorizan los grupos dirigidos por voluntarios que tienen presupuestos anuales de menos de $ 15,000 y están trabajando en áreas históricamente de escasos recursos. 
• Las organizaciones con presupuestos más grandes de hasta $ 50,000 deben estar trabajando actualmente con PfP para ser elegibles.

No financiamos: 

• Individuos.
• Proyectos que no se encuentran en la propiedad de NYC Parks.
• Equipos como computadoras, impresoras, laptops o tabletas.
• Recaudadores de fondos o materiales que se venderán con fines de lucro.
• Mejoras de capital a parques.
• Tiempo de Trabajadores. Esperamos que los programas que financiamos sean dirigidos principalmente por voluntarios. Se hacen excepciones para consultores externos como educadores o artistas que brindan un servicio o experiencia necesaria y estipendios para pasantes cuando los proyectos brindan empleo juvenil significativo relacionado con los parques.
• Viaje Local.
• Gastos generales como alquiler, seguro de responsabilidad civil, servicios públicos, etc.
• Trabaje en parques emblemáticos (es decir, Central Park, Prospect Park) o grandes conservaciones sin fines de lucro bien establecidas con personal y fondos dedicados.

Funding decisions will be based on:

• Equity and community served. Priority will be given to groups who are located in Environmental Justice Areas or are supporting neighborhood NYC Park spaces that are in historically under-served communities.
• Strategic alignment. The project aligns with the priorities of the grant as outlined, building the capacity of community groups. The proposal demonstrates a clear and timely community need. Community groups who have a long-term commitment to their neighborhood park and/or street trees will be given priority. Program/service providers using the park as a venue for a one-time event will not be given priority.
• Feasibility: The intended outcomes or results of the proposal are feasible considering the activities and resources. The project has approval from NYC Parks. 
• Budget: The project budget is reasonable considering the activities of the proposal.
• Partnerships: Established relationships with NYC Parks, Partnerships for Parks, City Parks Foundation, and/or Greenthumb and a long-term commitment to stewardship. Participation in and/or leading an It’s My Park project is strongly advised.

Las decisiones de financiación se basarán en:

• Equidad y comunidad servidas. Se dará prioridad a los grupos que se encuentran en las Áreas de Justicia Ambiental o que apoyan los espacios del Parque NYC del vecindario que se encuentran en comunidades históricamente desatendidas.
• Alineación estratégica. El proyecto se alinea con las prioridades de la subvención descritas, lo que fortalece la capacidad de los grupos comunitarios. La propuesta demuestra una necesidad comunitaria clara y oportuna. Se dará prioridad a los grupos comunitarios que tienen un compromiso a largo plazo con el parque de su vecindario y / o los árboles de la calle. Los proveedores de programas / servicios que utilicen el parque como lugar para un evento único no tendrán prioridad.
• Viabilidad: Los resultados previstos o los resultados de la propuesta son viables considerando las actividades y los recursos. El proyecto cuenta con la aprobación de NYC Parks.
• Presupuesto: El presupuesto del proyecto es razonable considerando las actividades de la propuesta.
• Asociaciones: Relaciones establecidas con NYC Parks, Partnerships for Parks, City Parks Foundation y / o Greenthumb y un compromiso a largo plazo con la administración. Se recomienda encarecidamente la participación y / o la dirección de un proyecto It’s My Park.

Examples of eligible expenses include:

• Tools, equipment, and field supplies for small physical improvements or beautification projects.
• Events and programs that bring new audiences to the park and encourage sustainable involvement.
• Materials for arts and culture programming (e.g., art and musical programs, crafts workshops) or wellness/fitness programming (e.g., yoga, walking groups, meditation circles). 
• Personal protective equipment.
• Outreach materials such as newsletters, banners, posters, postcards, or bulletin boards.
• Consultants/instructors.
• Plants and gardening materials such as mulch and compost.
• 501c3 filing fees (groups who have received a previous Capacity Fund Grant are eligible).

Ejemplos de gastos elegibles incluyen:

• Herramientas, equipo y suministros de campo para pequeñas mejoras físicas o proyectos de embellecimiento.
• Eventos y programas que atraen nuevas audiencias al parque y fomentan la participación sostenible.
• Materiales para programación de arte y cultura (por ejemplo, programas de arte y música, talleres de manualidades) o programación de bienestar / acondicionamiento físico (por ejemplo, yoga, grupos de caminata, círculos de meditación).
• Equipo de protección personal.
• Materiales de divulgación como boletines, pancartas, carteles, postales o tableros de anuncios.
• Consultores / instructores.
• Plantas y materiales de jardinería como mantillo y abono.
• Tarifas de presentación 501c3 (los grupos que hayan recibido una subvención del Fondo de capacidad anterior son elegibles).

Examples of past grantees include:

• Friends of Travers Park in Queens received $2,000 for plant materials for park and street trees, quarterly newsletters, flyers, postcards, and banners to increase membership and volunteer efforts.
• Brooklyn’s Coney Island Beautification Project was awarded $2,000 for multilingual flyers, a rainwater irrigation system, plants, and 501(c)(3) filing fees.
• Friends of St. Mary’s Park in the Bronx received $1,500 for a cultural nonprofit group to perform in the park, community visioning materials, and flyers and posters for advertising.

Algunos ejemplos de beneficiarios anteriores incluyen:

• Friends of Travers Park Queens (Amigos del Parque Travers en Queens) recibieron $2.000 para material vegetal para el parque y el arbolado público, boletines trimestrales, folletos, postales y pancartas para aumentar la membresía y actividades voluntarias.
• Brooklyn’s Coney Island Beautification Project (Proyecto de embellecimiento de Coney Island en Brooklyn) recibió $2.000 para folletos multilingües, sistema de riego con aguas pluviales, plantas y tarifa administrativa 501(c)(3).
• Friends of St. Mary’s Park (Amigos del Parque St. Mary en el Bronx) recibieron $1.500 para la actuación en el parque de un grupo cultural sin fines de lucro, materiales visuales comunitarios, folletos y carteles para publicidad.

• Expect to hear about the funding decision roughly twelve weeks after the deadline. Please be available during the review period to answer follow-up questions. 
• Grant-funded projects and activities may only begin after awards are announced. 
• Grant activities must be completed within one year of receiving the award.
• Grant funds must be spent and a final grant report submitted upon completion of the project, no more than one year after receiving the grant.
• Groups who receive grants may reapply one year after their award date, but must have completed and submitted a final report for all previous grant activities.

¿Que más necesita saber? 

• Espere escuchar sobre la decisión de financiación aproximadamente doce semanas después de la fecha límite. Esté disponible durante el período de revisión para responder preguntas de seguimiento.
• Los proyectos y actividades financiados por subvenciones solo pueden comenzar después de que se anuncien los premios.
• Las actividades de la subvención deben completarse en el plazo de un año a partir de la recepción del premio.
• Los fondos de la subvención deben gastarse y presentarse un informe final de la subvención al finalizar el proyecto, no más de un año después de recibir la subvención.
• Los grupos que reciben subvenciones pueden volver a presentar una solicitud un año después de la fecha de concesión, pero deben haber completado y presentado un informe final de todas las actividades de subvenciones anteriores.