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NRF Announces 2025 Special Grant and Trustee Grant Recipients

February 7, 2025  |  access to nature, National Recreation Foundation, outdoor recreation, positive youth development, special grants, trustee grants
STW
Photo courtesy of Vamos Outdoors Project

The National Recreation Foundation is pleased to announce its 2025 Special Grant and Trustee Grant recipients. More than $1.5K was distributed to 41 organizations across 23 states. NRF is proud to invest in these organizations that share our mission of fostering positive youth development through increased access for young people to play, explore, learn, and grow in the outdoors.

Join us in congratulating the following organizations:

Special Grant Recipients: Aspen Institute Forum for Community Solutions, Catalina Island Conservancy, Cheyenne River Youth Project, Chicago Training Center, Chicago Voyagers, Gardeneers, Grand Canyon Youth, Ironwood Tree Experience, Momentum Bike Clubs, Muddy Sneakers, and SailMaine

Trustee Grant Recipients: A Warm Current, Adventure Crew, Arizona Trail Association, Bronx Children's Museum, Camp Phoenix, Center for Native American Youth at The Aspen Institute,  Common Ground, New Haven Ecology Project, Cultivate Collective, Dakota Wicohan, EARTHseed Farm, a fiscally sponsored project of Community Movement Builders, Excite All Stars, Friends of Nature Parks, Friends of the DPS Hub Farm, Girls Incorporated of St. Louis, Heritage Conservancy, Lookout Mountain Conservancy, LOOP NOLA, Naples Botanical Garden, PowerPlay NYC, See You at the Top, The Semilla Project, Sitka Trail Works, StreetWaves, Urban Adventure Squad, Vamos Outdoors Project, Vibe Tribe Adventures, Wenatchee River Institute, West Point Association of Graduates, Wilderness Inquiry, and Wilderness Youth Project.

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Photo courtesy of Ironwood Tree Experience

NRF believes in the profound power of meaningful experiences in the outdoors. With a vision for all our nation’s young people to have access to these important opportunities, NRF has invested in life-changing recreation experiences for young people for decades. Over the past five years, NRF has distributed more than 403 grants totaling over $10M across 41 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.

You can read more about these organizations and their programs here.