Playground grants in North Carolina

Yes. The local affiliates of the North Carolina Community Foundation (NCCF), such as the Cary Community Foundation, accept public schools. They fund specific projects but not capital campaigns, so present the playground as one defined project rather than part of a fundraising drive.

Schools can also apply for Walmart Spark Good Local Grants of $250 to $5,000 through the store that serves their area, with three application cycles a year. For shade, the American Academy of Dermatology pays up to $8,000 for a permanent shade structure, but only for schools that have run a sun safety program for at least a year. See our playgrounds for schools.

Often, yes. The local affiliates of the North Carolina Community Foundation (NCCF) accept churches and other houses of worship, but they won't fund activities limited to members of one faith or capital campaigns. A playground open to the whole neighborhood, pitched as a single project, is the right fit.

Walmart Spark Good Local Grants also accept faith-based organizations whose projects benefit the broader community, at $250 to $5,000 per grant. That usually covers one piece of a playground, such as shade or benches. See our church playground equipment.

Yes. Both cities run Neighborhood Matching Grants for resident-led improvements. Asheville pays up to $5,000, takes applications on a rolling basis and asks for a dollar-for-dollar match, at least half of it in volunteer hours. Anything permanently installed must go on public land or land the neighborhood group owns.

Concord pays up to $3,000 and sets aside $30,000 each fiscal year. Only neighborhoods that have been in its Recognized Neighborhood Program for at least one year can apply, so join that program well before you plan a playground request.

Yes, mostly through city and county programs, since most foundations require 501(c)(3) status. Asheville's Neighborhood Matching Grants name homeowners associations as eligible, for up to $5,000.

In Durham County, the Open Space Matching Grants let groups without formal nonprofit status apply for short-form projects of up to $5,000 in priority areas, and the county pays 75% of the cost. Standard projects there need the group to pay at least half. See our playgrounds for HOAs.

The Parks and Recreation Trust Fund (PARTF) pays up to $500,000 for land, new recreation facilities or renovations at a single public park site. Only counties, incorporated cities and towns, and public authorities can apply.

The match is dollar for dollar in cash or donated land. Volunteer labor and other in-kind services do not count, so a town needs real money or land for half the project. Schools, churches and nonprofits usually take part by partnering with their local government. See our playgrounds for parks.

Yes, as part of a park project. The application guide for North Carolina's LWCF local grants suggests buying playground equipment and surfacing that meet the latest American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) standards.

Those grants pay up to $750,000 per application with at least a 50% local match, and only a local government that owns the park property can apply.