2026 NYC Green Fund Pathways Program Guidelines

Generous private support for the NYC Green Fund is provided by The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust, The Thompson Family Foundation, Essex Avenue Foundation, Freedom Together Foundation, Con Edison, The Charles H. Revson Foundation, The New York Community Trust, Leon Levy Foundation, The Monarch Foundation, Altman Foundation, Booth Ferris Foundation, Treebed LLC, Blackstone Charitable Foundation, Albert Giving Fund, Klein Family Foundation, and Marti Family Fund.

VISION
The NYC Green Fund was established in 2020 to support an equitable, resilient network of parks and open spaces that benefits the well-being of all New Yorkers. In addition to investing in the ongoing stewardship and activation of parks and open spaces, City Parks Foundation and the contributors of the NYC Green Fund also believe that it is crucial to examine the systems and processes in which our parks and open space partners operate, and help address the shared challenges the public realm community faces at large.

The Pathways grants (formerly “System Change” grants) are designed to provide financial support for practical solutions to tackle the citywide challenges in specific aspects of working within the public realm. Different from the Treetops and Grassroots programs, Pathways is not intended to support an individual organization’s advancement; instead, it seeks to invest catalytic funding in sector-wide models and best practices.

2026 PATHWAYS FOCUS
The Pathways grant program aims to provide early, catalytic funding to support project leaders working in our 2026 priority focus areas through an invite-only application process. The 2026 Pathways program will support innovative proposals that move beyond research and planning and take action to achieve long-term, sustained, and replicable impact in the following focus areas:

• Cultivating alternative funding for the public realm
• Improving resource sharing and technical assistance for partners in the parks and open spaces
• Advancing workforce development in the public realm sector
• Establishing better collaboration with government agencies

ELIGIBILITY AND FUNDING
Only invited applicants may submit proposals for this round.

Funding is available for carrying out proposed projects that advance system-wide change in the aforementioned programmatic tracks. Grantees may allocate a small portion of the Pathways grant towards fundraising for extra support for the proposed project. The majority of the funding must be used towards carrying out project activities.

The 2026 NYC Green Fund Pathways anticipates awarding $200,000 total in one-year grants to recipients, pending funding availability.

Solo applicants may request no more than 25% of their annual operating budget, and joint applicants may request no more than 25% of their combined operating budgets (based on the most recently completed fiscal year).

The NYC Green Fund Pathways grant program focuses on supporting activities that would not be possible without additional funding. The average grant size in 2025 was $55,000, and the largest grant awarded was $75,000.

APPLICATION AND REVIEW TIMELINE
For 2026, we are inviting submissions for projects that emerged as collective priorities through the NYC Green Fund Pathways Convening.

• September - October:
  • Project leaders are invited to apply through the application form on OpenWater, working closely with CPF to hone in on scope, partnerships, milestones, and budget as needed.
  • Project leaders may submit concept papers on a rolling basis. To be funded in 2026, concept papers should be submitted by October 31, 2026. If additional time is needed, please email nycgreenfund@cityparksfoundation.org to discuss what's realistic.
  • Concept papers will be reviewed on a rolling basis by panelists comprising CPF staff, members of the NYC Green Fund Steering Committee, and possibly peer reviewers.
  • Written and verbal feedback will be shared with the project leaders. If needed, applicants may be invited to meet with the review panel directly.
     
• November:
  • Project leaders may have an opportunity to adjust the project if needed.
     
• December:
  • Project leaders are notified of awards, receive grant agreements, and receive funds.
• Throughout the grant term:
  • Project leaders will be required to submit reports and project updates to CPF 
  • If project leaders deem it helpful, CPF may organize a small number of cohort gatherings for project leaders to share project updates with fellow Pathways grantees to enable coordination and shared awareness.
  • NYC Green Fund Steering Committee members and/or the NYC Parks and Open Space Partners coalition members may be invited to listen, depending on the format, interest, and openness of project leaders.

EXPENSES COVERED BY PATHWAYS
Eligible expenses include:

• Staffing costs, including fringe benefits (full-time/part-time/ seasonal/ internships/ apprenticeships/ etc.)  
• Consultants, contractors, or professional fees 
• Equipment and supplies 
• Marketing and outreach costs
• Impact assessment costs
• Event costs related to coalition and constituency building 

Ineligible expenses include: 

• Expenses unrelated to proposed project activities
• Administrative overhead, including fundraising, exceeding 10-15% of the grant request
• Maintenance work
• Public programming unrelated to policy change and/or project piloting
• Electioneering
• Lobbying
• Litigation

REPORTING
Grant recipients will be required to submit narrative and financial reports and may be asked for periodic project updates to share with funders of the NYC Green Fund and/or with the NYC Parks and Open Space Partners coalition. Final reports must describe the work results, final budget, and deliverables, and include photos of the project (if relevant).

GRANTS MANAGEMENT
Grants will be made by City Parks Foundation, and all reporting information will be submitted to City Parks Foundation, which administers the NYC Green Fund on behalf of funders. For more information, email NYCGreenFund@cityparksfoundation.org.