Research, relationships and tenacity pay off in grants

Ypsilanti Township’s Loonfeather Point Park’s connection to trails helped it quality for a $300,000 grant.

Over the last five years, landscape architect / planner Chris Nordstrom helped CWA client communities obtain more than $1 million in state grant funds. In 2019 Chris steered clients towards different grant sources to receive almost $400,000 for significantly different projects.

Typically, client communities pursue grant programs administered by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (MDNR), especially the Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund (MNRTF). Chris identified elements of client recreation plans that matched MNRTF priorities. When applying for a MDNR grant wasn’t feasible, he helped communities locate and qualify for alternative funding.

“You have to understand grant requirements and write in a way that answers their questions,” Chris said. “Grant requirements change from year to year. You have to go to the meetings, review the guidelines, talk to the agency.”

Ypsilanti Township and Clarkston applied to the Trust Fund in 2019. The township had several potential projects but working with the supervisor and clerk, Chris helped narrow the field down to Loonfeather Point Park, which is connected to the Border-to-Border/Iron Belle Trail. Trails are a DNR priority, and Loonfeather offered not only pedestrian and cyclist facilities but also the potential for water trail development. The result: A $300,000 grant.

The development project at Clarkston’s Depot Park would not have been considered a priority project by the DNR, however. The city’s high median income also meant that their grant application would score lower than one from a less affluent area. Chris showed the city that smaller grants – under $50,000 – have a high rate of approval and suggested that they consider developing the park in phases, and focus on a small portion of the park during this grant cycle. All MDNR grants require matching funds from the applicant. Clarkston was able to raise over half of the required match through generous donations of time, money, and materials from residents. The end result was over a 50% match of the grant funds, and an award of the city’s first recreation grant.

The state isn’t the only possible funding source. The Washtenaw County Parks and Recreation Commission’s Connecting Communities grant awards $600,000 a year to communities for pathway and trail planning and construction. Chris helped the City of Milan and Augusta Township obtain $15,000 for trail feasibility planning. The award was Augusta’s first and could form the basis for trail development near the Lincoln Consolidated Schools campus, Chris said.

Clarkston’s grant will help update pavilions, like the one shown here.

Chris keeps track of multiple other funding sources like the DNR’s Land and Water Conservation Fund and Recreation Passport, as well as the Transportation Alternative Program grant which is administered by the Michigan Department of Transportation.

“You have to spend the time and understand their priorities to succeed,” he said. His research produces big wins for the communities we serve.