fundinggrantseason
Can the NFWF Five Star Urban Waters grant fund splash pads?
Quick answer
Indirectly — the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation Five Star and Urban Waters Restoration grant funds water-quality and habitat restoration. A splash pad isn't habitat, but a splash pad with a stormwater-capture or rain-garden integration can qualify as the community-engagement component.
The NFWF Five Star and Urban Waters Restoration Program funds community-based projects that restore wetlands, streams, and watersheds while engaging residents. Awards run $20K-$50K for the community-engagement-and-stewardship component. A pure splash pad doesn't qualify, but a project that ties splash-pad construction to broader water-quality work can. Examples: a splash pad with stormwater capture redirecting runoff to a constructed wetland next to the pad; a splash pad in a creek-adjacent park where kids learn about watersheds and the construction itself includes riparian-buffer restoration; or a splash pad serving as the public-engagement anchor of a larger watershed-cleanup grant. Applicants should be local nonprofits or municipalities with a watershed-organization partner. Strong applications include educational signage about local water sources, volunteer-stewardship commitments, and clear restoration metrics (linear feet of streambank stabilized, gallons of stormwater captured). Apply through nfwf.org.