Playground Grant Directory
Last updated
This directory lists 766 grants that could fund a playground project. To find them, we've reviewed more than 3,100 grant programs from 884 national, state and local funders, and we update it every week as we find new programs and re-check existing ones. How we find and verify grants
Find grants in your state
Browse all states
- Alabama 13 programs
- Arizona 12 programs
- California 29 programs
- Colorado 20 programs
- Connecticut 17 programs
- Georgia 16 programs
- Hawaii 14 programs
- Illinois 30 programs
- Indiana 71 programs
- Iowa 49 programs
- Kansas 43 programs
- Louisiana 17 programs
- Maryland 11 programs
- Massachusetts 13 programs
- Michigan 81 programs
- Minnesota 23 programs
- Missouri 13 programs
- Montana 18 programs
- Nebraska 27 programs
- New York 28 programs
- North Carolina 96 programs
- North Dakota 11 programs
- Ohio 49 programs
- Oregon 17 programs
- Pennsylvania 47 programs
- South Carolina 19 programs
- Texas 25 programs
- Utah 11 programs
- Virginia 36 programs
- Washington 23 programs
- West Virginia 13 programs
- Wisconsin 29 programs
More states are being added. National programs below are open everywhere.
National programs open in every state
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NationalUp to $8,000, materials and installationOpen, due Dec 18, 2026Strong fit
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Walmart stores Spark Good Local GrantsWalmart stores, Sam's Clubs and distribution centersNational$250 to $5,000Open, due Dec 31, 2026Yearly cyclePossible fit
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Community Facilities Direct Loan and Grant ProgramUSDA Rural DevelopmentNationalGrant covers 15% to 75% of project cost, depending on town size and income. No dollar maximum published.RollingPossible fit
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NationalUp to 50% of project costs.Accepting applications, no posted deadlineStrong fit
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U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Community Development Block Grant ProgramU.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)NationalSet by each city, county or state.Accepting applications, no posted deadlinePossible fit
Common questions
How do you decide which grants to list?
We list grants a playground project could realistically win. Each grant page shows our read on it, Strong fit or Possible fit, with the funder's own sentences behind it. Grants aimed at something else, such as sports programs, arts projects or tennis courts, are left out, as are invitation-only programs.
Are there playground grants for schools?
Yes. State park programs, community foundations and several national programs accept public and private schools. On your state's page, set Who can apply to Schools to see them. Funders usually want the playground open to the wider community outside school hours, so mention that in your application. See our playgrounds for schools.
Can a church get a grant for a playground?
Often, yes, especially from community foundations. Most funders will not pay for activities limited to members of one faith, so plan for a playground the wider neighborhood can use. Some trusts give only to churches of named denominations; your state's page notes those. See our church playground equipment.
Can an HOA or neighborhood group get a playground grant?
Usually through a city program rather than a foundation. Many cities run neighborhood matching grants for resident-led projects on public or neighborhood-owned land. Most foundations require 501(c)(3) status, which HOAs usually do not have. Your state's page lists the city programs we know of. See our playgrounds for HOAs.
Do we need 501(c)(3) status to apply?
For most foundation grants, yes, or you need a fiscal sponsor that has it. Public schools, towns, counties and park agencies usually qualify as government bodies without it. Churches can often apply without a 501(c)(3) letter.
What does a 1 to 1 match mean?
It means you put in one dollar for every grant dollar, so a $50,000 grant needs $50,000 of your own. Some programs count donated land or volunteer hours toward the match and some do not. Each grant page that requires a match explains it in plain words, with a worked example.
Can a grant pay for shade or safety surfacing?
Yes, when the funder covers the whole playground project, since surfacing and shade are part of a safe playground. The American Academy of Dermatology funds shade alone, up to $8,000, for groups serving children. Your state's page notes which programs name surfacing.
How current is this directory?
Every grant shows the date we last checked it against the funder's own page. We re-check each funder's page every week when a deadline is near and every month otherwise, and update the listing when the funder changes something. The Last updated date at the top shows the most recent check.
Why you can rely on this directory
One place instead of hundreds of websites. Playground grants are scattered across state agencies, community foundations and national funders, and most never show up in a search. So far we've gone through the websites of 884 funders to find the 766 grants listed here, covering 32 states plus 5 national programs open to everyone. We're adding more: 77 grants in 18 more states are already verified and will appear as those states are added.
Straight from the source. Every listing comes from the funder's own website, not from another database. Who can apply, what the grant pays for, how much it awards and when it's due all match what the funder publishes. If we can't confirm a detail, we label it Unverified instead of guessing. Each grant links to its source and shows the date we last checked it.
Only grants worth your time. We read each program's rules and list a grant only if it could realistically fund a playground, shade, safety surfacing or an accessibility upgrade.
Kept up to date. We re-check each grant against its source: every week when a deadline is less than 60 days away, and at least monthly otherwise. Deadlines and statuses update as dates pass, and programs that end come off the list.
We summarize public information. Always confirm details with the funder before applying.