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Playground Grants in North Carolina

Active grant programs that fund playgrounds, parks, and recreation projects in North Carolina. We re-check the source portal weekly so the list stays current. Source: North Carolina Division of Parks and Recreation.

North Carolina Division of Parks and Recreation
Recreation Resources Services
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North Carolina Division of Parks and Recreation
Recreation Grants and Outreach Staff
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North Carolina Division of Parks and Recreation
About the Program
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North Carolina Division of Parks and Recreation
Recreation Grants and Outreach
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North Carolina Division of Parks and Recreation
RRS Grant Locator Tool
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North Carolina Division of Parks and Recreation
Complete the Trails Program
The Complete the Trails Program provides funding for the planning, construction, promotion, and maintenance of North Carolina state trails. For more information, please visit the North Carolina Trails website.
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North Carolina Division of Parks and Recreation
Recreational Trails Program Grants
The Recreational Trails Program provides funding for construction of new trails, maintenance and repair of existing trails, land acquisition, purchase of trail tools and planning, and legal, environmental and permitting …
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North Carolina Division of Parks and Recreation
2022 Accessibility for Parks Grant Program
The Accessibility for Parks program was a non-recurring grant that provided $10 million in parks and recreation grants to benefit children and veterans living with disabilities in North Carolina. The AFP grants were awar…
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North Carolina Division of Parks and Recreation
The Great Trails State Program
The Great Trails State Program provides funding for the new trail development and extension of existing trails within the state of North Carolina. This includes paved trails or greenways, natural surface trails, biking t…
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North Carolina Division of Parks and Recreation
Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership Grant Program
The Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership Program is a subset of the LWCF, a grant program intended to provide new or significantly improve recreation opportunities for economically disadvantaged communities in larger ur…
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North Carolina Division of Parks and Recreation
2024 Accessible Parks Grant Program
The Accessible Parks Grant Program provides $12.5 million in matching grants for parks and recreation for people with disabilities. The grants fund the construction of special facilities or adaptation of existing facilit…
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North Carolina Division of Parks and Recreation
Helene Recovery Fund for PARTF
The Disaster Recovery Act of 2025 (SL 2025-26, House Bill 1012) was ratified on June 27, 2025, allocating $4,158,875 to the Parks and Recreation Trust Fund for eligible uses in the affected area for local governments. Pe…
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North Carolina Division of Parks and Recreation
2025-2030 Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan
For states to be eligible for the Land and Water Conservation Fund, a Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan, or SCORP, must be updated every 5 years. The 2025-2030 SCORP is called "Shaping Outdoor Recreation fr…
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North Carolina Division of Parks and Recreation
Land and Water Conservation Fund Federal Grant
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North Carolina Division of Parks and Recreation
LWCF Federal Grant
The Division assists in managing North Carolina's allocation of the federal Land and Water Conservation Fund, a nationwide Department of the Interior program permanently funded through royalties from offshore oil and nat…
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North Carolina Division of Parks and Recreation
Parks and Recreation Trust Fund Grant
The PARTF grant cycle begins in the fall, with the application due in late spring or early summer of the following year. Grant recipients are announced in early fall.
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North Carolina Division of Parks and Recreation
PARTF Grant
Funded through the North Carolina General Assembly, the N.C. Parks and Recreation Trust Fund awards matching grants to local governments for parks, public beach access, and improvement in state parks.
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North Carolina Division of Parks and Recreation
Types of Parks and Recreation Grants
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North Carolina Division of Parks and Recreation
At a Glance: Grant Programs in North Carolina
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North Carolina Division of Parks and Recreation
Join our Grant Update List:
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North Carolina Division of Parks and Recreation
Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF)
Funding Opportunity Opens: May 1, 2026
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North Carolina Division of Parks and Recreation
Complete the Trails (CCST): Connecting Communities to State Trails Grant
Application Deadline: October 8, 2026
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North Carolina Division of Parks and Recreation
Recreational Trails Program
Funding Opportunity Opens: March 2, 2026
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North Carolina Division of Parks and Recreation
Parks and Recreation Trust Fund (PARTF)
Application Deadline: May 1, 2026
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42 more grants available — use the matcher to filter by your project type and budget.

Frequently asked questions about North Carolina playground grants

Who can apply for playground grants in North Carolina?

Most North Carolina grants are open to public agencies (school districts, parks departments, municipalities), 501(c)(3) nonprofits, and tribal entities. A handful are restricted to specific county types or census-designated places. Each grant card above lists eligibility — the matcher narrows the list to programs your specific organization type qualifies for.

How much can I get from a North Carolina playground grant?

North Carolina programs typically award between $10,000 and $250,000, with a few capital programs going higher. Most require a 1:1 local match, though some allow in-kind contributions to count. Click into any grant above to see its specific award range and match requirements.

What's the difference between state and federal playground grants?

State grants like the ones above tend to have shorter application windows, smaller award ranges, and stricter geographic eligibility (you must be in North Carolina). Federal grants — Land & Water Conservation Fund, CDBG, etc. — award more but have longer review cycles and more competitive applicant pools. We surface both in the grant matcher.

Do you help with the North Carolina grant application?

Yes. When you're applying for a grant that includes our equipment, we provide a Grant-Ready Documentation Package free of charge: formatted equipment quote, ADA compliance notes, site layout sketch, and a validity letter on our letterhead that grant reviewers expect. Submit a quote request to start.

Already applying for a North Carolina grant?

We'll send you a free Grant-Ready Documentation Package — formatted quote, ADA compliance notes, site layout sketch, and validity letter — within 48 hours. Reviewers expect to see these.

Request Grant Documentation Package