The Richard Kind Mellon Foundation is now accepting applications for Conservation Program Activation Grants to support efforts to use conservation assets to stimulate sustainable economic growth in rural communities through the recruitment, retention or reactivation (R3) of hunters, anglers, and outdoor enthusiasts.

Responses to the Request for Proposals are due October 8.

The Foundation recognizes that hunters, anglers, and outdoor enthusiasts are the backbone of the conservation movement in North America.

For more than 30 years, however, outdoor activities largely have been siloed into distinct and separate categories such as hunter, angler, hiker, birdwatcher, cyclist, etc.

These silos can disconnect individuals and entire communities from forming holistic outdoor identities that foster more inclusive and durable outdoor experiences over a broad range of activities.

Recent and projected demographic changes within the American population raise necessary questions about the relevance of these pursuits to underrepresented communities, whose members may struggle to see themselves and their values represented in the management and use of the nation’s public trust resources.

Past efforts to recruit, retain and reactivate outdoor enthusiasts often have focused on youth recruitment, certainly a laudable outcome, but have largely failed to concentrate on adults (18 and older) who may provide a much higher return on investment in terms of generating an interest in and a love for the outdoors.

The Activation funding program is focused on the recruitment, retention or reactivation (R3) of hunters, anglers, and outdoor enthusiasts.

The Foundation is inviting nonprofits and/or state agencies that have the capacity and demonstrated successes in growing and broadening the community of hunters, anglers, and outdoor enthusiasts, to apply for funding.

Click Here for all the details.

[Posted: September 20, 2021]

9/26/2021