Malcolm Gordon Charitable Fund Awards 2026

Malcolm Gordon Charitable Fund Awards 2026 is a grant from Open Space Institute that funds environmental education and community-based programs in the Hudson River Valley that connect people to the outdoors, encourage environmental stewardship among youth, expand access to fresh food, and make nature more welcoming and inclusive. Since its establishment in 1994, the fund has distributed over . 28 million to 59 organizations.

Eligible applicants are nonprofit organizations operating in the Hudson River Valley region. Individual grants range from ,000 to ,000, with a combined ,500 awarded across eleven organizations in 2026. Organizations are invited to apply through an OSI-led identification process.

Open Space Institute Announces 2026 Malcolm Gordon Charitable Fund Grants Supporting Eleven Hudson Valley Organizations - Open Space Institute Open Space Institute Announces 2026 Malcolm Gordon Charitable Fund Grants Supporting Eleven Hudson Valley Organizations Image Credit: Land to Learn / Meghan Spiro Annual awards recognize environmental education and equity-focused programs New York, NY (Feb 19, 2026) — The Open Space Institute (OSI) today announced recipients of its 2026 Malcolm Gordon Charitable Fund Awards.

This year, OSI is awarding a combined $60,500 to eleven nonprofit organizations across the Hudson River Valley. The grants will support environmental education and community-based programs that connect people to the outdoors, encourage environmental stewardship among young people, expand opportunities to grow and access fresh food, and help make nature and outdoor spaces more welcoming for everyone.

“The Malcolm Gordon Awards build on the Hudson Valley’s long and celebrated community-based environmental efforts by providing critical resources to programs that may not otherwise have the funding to reach their full potential,” said Oni Tongo, Conservation Communities Manager at OSI.

“The organizations we invest in are doing thoughtful, creative work, bringing people onto the land and supporting lasting care for the region’s natural resources. This year’s recipients stood out for their inclusive approaches and for the promise and originality of their educational and cultural programming. ” Since the Malcolm Gordon Charitable Fund was established in 1994, OSI has distributed more than $1.

28 million in grants to 59 organizations. Each year, the award process begins with OSI identifying Hudson Valley organizations that develop and lead environmental programs that align with the Fund’s mission. These organizations are then invited to submit full applications, which are reviewed by a selection committee.

Individual grants range from $5,000 to $15,000, depending on organizational need and the scope of the proposed project. The 2026 recipients of the Malcolm Gordon Charitable Fund Awards are: Arm-of-the-Sea : $7,000 to support environmental education through theater. The grant will fund live performances of four theatrical works presented with community partners across five Mid-Hudson communities.

Planned productions include: “Estuary Tales,” “Riparian Rhapsody,” “Dirt: The Secret Life of Soil,” and “City that Drinks the Mountain Sky. ” Bannerman’s Castle Trust: $4,000 for outreach and hands-on educational experiences on the Hudson River and at Bannerman Island through community cruises and curriculum-connected field trips for middle school students.

The program uses experiential learning, storytelling, and local history to deepen understanding of river science, geography, and the Hudson Valley’s cultural landscape, while fostering welcoming outdoor learning opportunities and a sense of responsibility for the environment.

Ecological Citizen’s Project: $6,000 to support the transition of two long-standing community food gardens in Peekskill and Newburgh to locally-led nonprofit stewardship.

Building on five years of successful operation, the initiative will help emerging organizations assume leadership of these sites, ensuring they will continue to grow fresh food, provide educational programs, and serve as welcoming spaces that strengthen connection among residents and bolster food security.

Fly the COOP: $5,000 to deliver hands-on environmental education and food-growing opportunities through vocational training for 40 youth ages 14-18; school-based gardens in Kingston; and a gardening tool-lending library in Rosendale.

Serving towns that have not traditionally had environmental education programs or places to grow fruits and vegetables, the program builds practical skills, environmental understanding, and youth leadership while expanding access to fresh food and supporting community-led stewardship.

Hudson River Sloop Clearwater: $5,000 for a river exploration program that connects youth and families to the Hudson River through a free day of guided paddling and hands-on ecological learning in Newburgh.

The pilot program intends to remove barriers to river access by providing equipment, instruction, and multilingual support, creating a welcoming, community-centered program that builds environmental understanding and a sense of belonging on the waterfront. Land to Learn: $7,500 to expand the SproutEd garden-based environmental education program with a new school in Kingston and increased programming for third-grade classes.

Partnering with eleven schools through monthly hands-on lessons, students take on the roles of “garden scientists” and “garden chefs,” exploring ecosystems, supporting pollinators, and learning how fresh food is grown, harvested, and prepared.

Mid-Hudson Discovery Museum: $5,000 to launch the Hudson River Lab, a hands-on environmental education program that helps children ages 5-12 learn about the Hudson River through real science activities like testing water quality and observing wildlife. Designed to serve under-resourced communities, the program builds environmental literacy and helps children understand how they can care for their local environment.

Outdoor Promise: $6,000 to introduce the OP Adventure Bus, a regional transportation equity program that removes one of the largest barriers preventing Newburgh families from accessing outdoor spaces and participating in environmental education: transportation. By providing free, reliable transportation, the project ensures families feel genuinely welcomed in parks and natural spaces that have long been out of reach.

Poughkeepsie Farm Project (PFP) : $6,000 to develop the Cultivate Poughkeepsie Learning Initiative , an open-source training curriculum that prepares young farmers and Green Jobs for Youth program participants for leadership in regenerative agriculture.

The project will formalize PFP’s place-based farming knowledge into a free, publicly available curriculum that builds practical skills, supports workforce development, and fosters a sense of belonging for youth and others historically excluded from land stewardship.

Stony Kill Farm: $5,000 to expand scholarship funding for school field trips and summer camp to Stony Kill Farm for children from Beacon, Poughkeepsie, Peekskill and Newburgh to participate in hands-on environmental and agricultural education.

Wild Earth Wilderness School: $4,000 to sustain the Nature Connection & Experiential Education program for students in the Kingston City School District during the school year, ensuring that guided, mentored outdoor recess and staff coaching remain available to the more than 3,000 students who rely on these experiences for social and emotional support.

The Open Space Institute is a national leader in land conservation and efforts to make parks and other protected land more welcoming for all. Since 1974, OSI has partnered in the protection of more than 2.

5 million at-risk and environmentally sensitive acres in the eastern U.S. OSI’s land protection promotes clean air and water, improves access to recreation, provides wildlife habitat, strengthens communities, and combats the devastating impacts of extreme weather. Donate to support OSI’s work Become a part of our mission to safeguard at-risk places through your tax-deductible gift.

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