2012 Heritage Action Plan Grant Program Schuylkill River Heritage Towns & Tours

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1 PROGRAM OVERVIEW 2012 Heritage Action Plan Grant Program Schuylkill River Heritage Towns & Tours Applications due May 15, 2012 by 4:00 p.m. The Heritage Action Plan (HAP) Grant Program is to assist communities in the Schuylkill River Heritage Area (SRHA) to anticipate connections to regional river and land trails that promote existing community heritage resources, such as historic sites and art galleries, to enrich the visitor experience and spending to benefit the local economy. The Schuylkill River Heritage Towns and Tours Program is offered by The Schuylkill River National & State Heritage Area in collaboration with the William Penn Foundation. Due to this round s tight timetable applicants may only apply for one of the two Program grants: The Heritage Action Plan grant to identify partnerships and heritage resources through the use of the Program s published Toolkit. About 30 pages in length, the Plan is to identify community recommendations that advance the Program s initiatives. A completed HAP is a requirement to make application to the subsequent Implementation Program. Implementation grants of up to $25,000 per community partnership are available with a minimum grant award of no less than $2,500 and a 10% local match. Please see the Implementation grant materials for application information. PROGRAM INITIATIVES The intent of these grants is to advance targeted project work in trail communities. This grant program will support three major program initiatives: Creating an identity and a sense of place Improving and creating on the ground connections between trails and communities Destination creation and marketing ELIGIBLE ACTIVITIES The Heritage Action Plan objectives include increasing knowledge of history and culture in the Schuylkill River Heritage Area, increasing attendance and income from heritage tourism events and activities, and to enhance local participation to support and sustain their heritage tourism initiatives. Planning and feasibility studies are ineligible expenditures under this grant program. Eligible projects may include, but are not limited to: Tours and walks of historic sites, architecture, arts and murals Connections from the river and trail to communities Connections between historic resources, visitor services, and the trail Recreational user amenities such as bike racks and cyclist welcome signs Visitor amenities such as information gateways, directional and interpretation signage, brochures, and increased access to community information 2012 Phone: * Fax: Page 1 of 8

2 APPLICANT CRITERIA This grant program is available to tax exempt 501(c) (3) non-profit organizations, cultural organizations, community business associations, and recreational groups as well as counties, cities, townships and boroughs located within the Schuylkill River Heritage Area. The Applicant s geographic area must be attached to a regional land or water trail, or both. Projects must be of a type and nature that can be complete within ten months. Applicants must have identifiable heritage resources including historical, cultural, archeological, architectural, natural, and/or recreational resources with community entities such as a government, an historical society, a heritage non-profit, or a downtown business association that manage and protect these resources. Applicants must have experienced person(s) and/or staff to manage the SRHA grant. Applicants must identify all collaborative partners and supply evidence of support and level of participation in the project(s). A letter of commitment from each partner must be attached to the grant application (see the sample Schuylkillville Community Assessment Model in the Toolkit). Successful applicants shall sign a grant contract with SRHA. All contracts require compliance with SRHA fiscal and reporting standards. Successful applicants will be required to report outcome measures. The project application shall address the measurable outcomes described in Attachment 1. Applicants may be required to assist in assessment of the economic impact of their project after the grant period and completion of the project. FUNDING: Successful Heritage Action Plan Letters of Interest will receive Partnership financial support through this program of up to $3,000 to create the Heritage Action Plan using the SRHA Heritage Towns and Tours Toolkit publication. Eligible costs for these support dollars may include workshop expenses, reproduction costs, Plan preparation hours, room rentals, administration, and other similar capacity building activities. Heritage Action Plan preparation will be supported by Peter Johnston Associates (PJA), Heritage Towns & Tours Planning Consultants, and SRHA staff. PJA s support cost shall be capped at $5,000 per Plan and they will be compensated directly by SRHA. Future Heritage Towns & Tours Implementation grants will be awarded upon satisfactory completion the Plan. Grant recipients will receive 50% of the of the total grant award up to $1,500 upon receipt of the signed contract with the remaining 50% of the award upon completion and submittal of a final Plan to SRHA. Grants are funded wholly from the William Penn Foundation and can be used to leverage additional funds from other sources if this does not compromise the grant timeline. Phone: * Fax: Page 2 of 8

3 PROCESS Interested partnerships must submit a Letter of Interest (LOI) application to the SRHA office no later than 4.00 p.m. May 15, SRHA will award submissions on a competitive basis. Step Action Target Date 1 Community Partnership submits Letter of May 15, 2010 by 4:00 p.m. Interest to SRHA office. 2 SRHA notifies successful Partnerships, June 1, 2010 prepares contract, and Heritage Action Plan using the Heritage Towns & Tours Toolkit begins. 3 Heritage Action Plan completed and accepted. February 15, Implementation Grant application prepared and April 15, 2013 May 15, 2013 submitted to SRHA (assumes continued program funding, which is not a given). 5 SRHA notifies successful applicants and issues June 1, 2013 a Notice to Proceed upon signed grant contract approval. Partnership submits final budget, plans, and drawings prior to SRHA 6 Partnership completes implementation work and submits final report to SRHA March 1, 2015 LETTER OF INTEREST CRITERIA Return completed Letter of Interest to: 140 College Drive Pottstown, PA Attention: Robert Folwell, Trails Project Manager The Letter of Interest will be reviewed and assessed based upon the following criteria: Project Quality: Describe prior activities such as projects and plans, clarity of proposed project needs and anticipated outcomes, and availability of resources. Requirements: Meets the requirements and criteria provided in this document. Depth of Partnerships: Number of contributing partnerships and the capacity of applicant to implement and manage the project. Program Initiates: Support of the grant program s initiatives as outlined in this document. Goals and Objectives: Support of SRHA s mission and goals per the SRHA Management Action Plan. (/resources) Anticipated Outcomes: If they are realistic and likely to produce tangible change and benefit for the communities and visitors. For further information or any questions, please contact Robert Folwell at (484) , or rfolwell@schuylkillriver. Phone: * Fax: Page 3 of 8

4 2012 Heritage Action Plan Grant Program Schuylkill River Heritage Towns & Tours Attachment 1, Goals and Expected Results Describe how funding from this grant will achieve one or more of the following outcomes. While the following list of possible project outcomes is not exhaustive, these outcome examples are specified to demonstrate the objective of this grant program in four key areas. 1. Increase knowledge of people-oriented cultural resources and heritage resources such as historic sites, attractions and ecotourism activities Conduct new cultural/heritage resource inventories. Evaluate potential for development of known cultural/heritage resources. Enhance existing cultural/heritage resources. Develop products to educate the public about local culture and heritage. Develop strategies for making cultural/heritage resources publicly accessible. Produce websites, publications, public campaigns or other products that educate the public, both locals and visitors, about cultural/heritage resources. 2. Increase attendance and/or income in one of the following cultural, heritage or recreational related areas Increase attendance at cultural, heritage or recreational events or sites. Increase income at cultural, heritage or recreational events or sites (including designated or non-designated local, state, or national sites) and from sales of tourism-oriented goods and services. 3. Increase local participation in cultural, heritage or recreational initiatives Increase number of partners/organizations involved in local cultural, heritage or recreational tourism projects. Leverage cash contributions for cultural and heritage or recreational tourism projects. Leverage in-kind contributions for cultural and heritage or recreational tourism projects. 4. Sustainability Enhances pride, respect and recognition of the value of local heritage and culture. Hospitality training available and provided to individuals who are likely to provide contact between visitors and your community Perpetuation of events Maintenance and improvement of facilities and equipment created as part of the grant Phone: * Fax: Page 4 of 8

5 Heritage Action Plan Grant Program Schuylkill River Heritage Towns & Tours Suggested Letter of Interest Form Applications should generally follow the form below. Although there is no limit to the number of pages, please keep responses concise. APPLICANT INFORMATION Responsible Applicant Organization: Contact Person Name and Title: Address: Phone: Fax: Signature: Date: PROPOSAL DESCRIPTION Community Name: May include multiple communities: Geographic Area Description: Attach map if available of the area to be served: Applying Organization: Brief history of your organization and area, detailing its mission and the service or value it provides. Include information on your annual operating budget and resources that will be devoted such as staffing: Phone: * Fax: Page 5 of 8

6 PARTNERSHIP DESCRIPTION Strategic Partners: List strategic partners, including their type (for example government, private, non-profit), and contribution, participation, or investment. Attached partner letters: Supporting Partners: List partners and the reason for their support. Attach partner letters: PREVIOUS ACTIVITIES & STUDIES Phone: * Fax: Page 6 of 8

7 SCHUYLKILL RIVER HERITAGE AREA GOALS Management Plan: How the project will complement the Management Plan s Heritage Park vision and goals: Program Initiatives: How the project supports the Program Initiatives: KNOWN COMMUNITY RESOURCES Attractions and Destinations: Historic Resources and Museums: Galleries and the Arts: Parks and Recreation: Parks, walking trails, fishing access: Tours: Car, walking, and thematic: Other Opportunities and Projected Resources: Include date they will become available: Phone: * Fax: Page 7 of 8

8 GOALS AND EXPECTED RESULTS (ATTACHMENT 1 OUTCOMES) Increase knowledge of people-oriented cultural resources and heritage resources such as historic sites, attractions and ecotourism activities: Increase attendance and/or income in one of the following cultural, heritage or recreational related areas: Increase local participation in cultural, heritage or recreational initiatives: Sustainability: Phone: * Fax: Page 8 of 8