Micro-Grants
The Outdoors for All Micro-Grants program awards one-time grants for community-focused outdoor recreation projects that benefit the Greater St. Louis bi-state region.
outdoor Recreation Micro Grants
2024 Micro-Grant Recipients
Our first round of Outdoors for All Micro-Grants were awarded in 2024 and went to: Chain of Rocks Community Association ($1,500), Missouri Whitewater Association ($2,000), and Friends of Carondelet Park ($2,500). You can read more about the individual projects and grant awards at Terrain Magazine.
Top photo: Carondelet Park Mountain Bike Trail, courtesy of Route 3 Films
A better future is possible if we work together to build the outdoor culture we want. River City Outdoors supports this vision through the awarding of one-time grants of up to $5,000 for community-focused outdoor recreation projects that benefit the Greater St. Louis bi-state region.
2025 Submission Deadlines
We will be accepting applications for the second round of Outdoors for All Micro-Grants in summer 2025. The grants will be awarded at the Gateway Outdoor Summit on November 15-16, 2025. Please check back here for more details soon.
Eligibility and Criteria for Selection
Evaluation
Process
1. Proposal must align with the grant’s focus areas (i.e., outdoor recreation).
2. This grant program is limited to applicants in the Greater St. Louis bi-state region, including the counties of Franklin, Jefferson, Lincoln, St. Charles, St. Louis, Warren, and The City of St. Louis in Missouri and the counties of Bond, Calhoun, Jersey, Macoupin, Madison, Monroe, and St. Clair in Illinois.
3. Grant funding may not be used to support political advocacy, fundraising, lobbying, litigation, terrorist activities, or Foreign Corrupt Practices Act violations.
4. 501(c)(3) status is not required, but individuals cannot apply for their sole benefit. Fiscal sponsorships are eligible.
5. The applicant’s organizational or project income level must currently be under $300,000.
1. Following submission, applications are subjected to an initial administrative screening to ensure each application matches the eligibility criteria.
2. River City Outdoors will review grant applications and score for need, feasibility, sustainability, and relationship to our mission — to promote outdoor recreation, accelerate equitable outdoor activities, and expand outdoor access in the Greater St. Louis region.
Submission Guidelines
Include the following information in your application.
Applicant
Information
1. Applicant name
2. City
3. County
4. State
Project
Information
1. Organizational or project status (nonprofit, for-profit, social enterprise, fiscally sponsored project, or other)
2. Geographic location of work (local vs. regional scale)
3. Focus area (research and resources or events and programming)
4. Project budget
5. Requested grant amount
6. Current operating budget if applicable
Project
Proposal
1. Written and/or video project proposal (maximum length of 5,000 characters or 3-minutes, respectively)
2. Storyboard and/or visual representation of project (map, rendering, etc.)
3. Letter of recommendation (optional)
APPLICATION SUBMISSION
Submit your application by email to:
The deadline for 2025 micro grant applications to be considered is November 1, 2025.