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Quality of Place: Pathways to Progress Grants
The Community Foundation of Southern Indiana’s Quality of Place – Pathways to Progress Grants Program focuses on serving people with the least access to safe, high-quality public places and amenities. Typically, this includes those community members with:
- income limitations
- transportation / mobility issues
- physical / mental differences
When the lives of all of our neighbors are improved, our communities become more welcoming and attractive to all residents, tourists, and employers.
The Quality of Place – Pathways to Progress Grants Cycle is NOW CLOSED. The portal will re-open on July 1, 2023 and remain open until July 31, 2023.
What Priority Results Are We Looking For?
For these populations, we will work with our nonprofit partners to improve:
- Both real and perceived safety of existing amenities (greenspaces, parks, playgrounds, rivers, etc.)
- Safe and affordable access to the amenities (trails, public/shared transit, etc.)
- Environmental quality and sustainability of those amenities
- Use of the areas to increase physical activity – which will improve health outcomes, such as obesity and other health risks
What Are Some Examples that Achieve These Results?
- Safe, accessible routes to parks and greenspaces through public transportation, sidewalks, crosswalks, bike trails, and access points
- Parks infrastructure that connects existing parks and ensures parks are safe and accessible for people with limited mobility
- Attractive programs and activities in parks or greenspaces that promote physical activity
- Safety features and amenities available in parks
- Activation of unused or underused public spaces, such as pocket parks
- Marketing and communication about activities offered in parks and greenspaces
- Advocacy and policy reform to improve air quality
- Advocacy and government partnerships around park and greenspace planning
- Complete Streets projects
- Collaboration on funder-led projects and initiatives around parks and greenspaces
Past Award Recipients Include:
Croghan Launch Point (Clarksville, IN)
The Quality of Place – Pathways to Progress Grants Program began in May 2021, when CFSI awarded River Heritage Conservancy a $100,000 grant to begin their first project as part of the new Origin Park: the Croghan Launch. Located in Clarksville, Ind., the Croghan Launch area allows paddlers of all experience levels to launch canoes, kayaks, and paddleboards into Silver Creek.
Jeffersonville Library Pocket Park (Jeffersonville, IN)
The Jeffersonville Township Public Library was awarded $80,000, which will be used to construct a pocket park with structures for active, imaginative play designed to accommodate all children – including those with intellectual and physical differences. The park will be thematically tied to the city’s history, and it will include a story walk and sustainable plantings of native flora.
Kevin Hammersmith Memorial Park Inclusive Playground (New Albany, IN)
Floyd County Parks and Recreation was awarded $70,000 to support an accessible playground for all children and adults with physical and mental disabilities in the Southern Indiana area. The inclusive playground will be added to Kevin Hammersmith Memorial Park and will meet the National Demonstration Site criteria for Inclusion, becoming a regional destination for children and adults with special needs.
Greenway Park (Charlestown, IN)
The City of Charlestown was awarded $150,000 to support construction of an inclusive playground . The “Greenway Glow Up” project will update outdated, malfunctioning playground equipment in Greenway Park – the city’s centralized and most-used park – and replace it with safer, ADA-approved equipment for children of all ability levels. The park’s central location makes its accessibility ideal for walkers and bikers, as well as those living in the Charlestown Housing Authority.
What If I Still Have Questions About the Grant Process?
That’s ok! We have an information session video that might be able to help answer some of those questions. Please click the button below:
Or you can contact Crystal Gunther, CFSI’s Vice President of Community Philanthropy, at 812-948-4662 or cgunther@cfsouthernindiana.com.