1,000+ Opportunities
Find the right grant
Search federal, foundation, and corporate grants with AI — or browse by agency, topic, and state.
OSLAD (Open Space Lands Acquisition and Development) Grant is sponsored by Illinois Department of Natural Resources. OSLAD provides funding assistance to local government agencies for acquisition and/or development of land for public parks and open space. Projects vary from small neighborhood parks, sport courts, and swimming pools to large county parks and natural areas.
Get a weekly digest of new grants like this
A free weekly digest of new foundation and federal funding opportunities as they're added to Granted. Unsubscribe anytime.
Or search similar grants →Extracted from the official opportunity page/RFP to help you evaluate fit faster.
Open Space Lands Acquisition and Development Grant and the Land and Water Conservation Fund Grant Open Space Lands Acquisition and Development Grant NEW: Funding the Fun: IDNR OSLAD Grant Tips for 2027 (pdf) NEW: Funding the Fun: IDNR OSLAD Grant Tips for 2027 (youtube.
com) NEW: FY27 OSLAD Amplifund Application Link (Will be live at 8AM, July 1, 2026) NEW: FY27 Program Manual (pdf) NEW: Distressed Community Resources: Determination Worksheet and Instructions (pdf) Standard Metropolitan Statistical Areas (Census. gov) Applications that have not completed this form and submitted it prior to submitting their application will not be considered for a reduced match requirement.
IDNR OSLAD Application Walkthrough (youtube. com) IDNR Grant Outlook and Successful Grant Submission Webinar (youtube. com) What is the OSLAD Grant Program?
The Open Space Lands Acquisition and Development (OSLAD) Program is a state-financed grant program that provides funding assistance to local government agencies for acquisition and/or development of land for public parks and open space. Projects vary from small neighborhood parks or tot lots to large community and county parks and nature areas. The state program is financed by a percentage of the state's Real Estate Transfer Tax.
Except for jurisdictions having populations exceeding 2. 0 million residents, the maximum OSLAD grant award to any one project in a given year is currently limited to $1,125,000 for approved land acquisition projects and $600,000 for approved development (construction) projects. Counties serving a population exceeding 2.
0 million residents shall be eligible for up to $1,725,000 in annual OSLAD funding for approved outdoor recreation acquisition and/or development projects. Municipalities with a population exceeding 2. 0 million residents are eligible for up to $3,450,000 in annual OSLAD funding for approved projects.
HOWEVER, no more than 10% of the annual OSLAD appropriation can be allocated to any one project. OSLAD grants are available to units of local government that are authorized by Illinois law to expend public funds for the acquisition and development of land for public outdoor park, recreation, or conservation purposes. School districts are not eligible.
There are now five grantee pre-award requirements statewide per Grant Accountability and Transparency Act (GATA) State Statute 30 ILCS 708/1 . The five pre-award requirements all state grantees must complete are described in more detail. Example of Eligible Projects include: Acquisition of land for new park sites or park expansion, water frontage, nature study, and natural resource preservation.
Development/Renovation of: Picnic and playground facilities; Outdoor nature interpretive facilities; Sports courts and play fields; Swimming pools, beaches and bathhouses; Campgrounds and fishing piers; winter sports facilities; Park roads and paths, parking, utilities and restrooms; and Architectural/engineering (A/E) services necessary for proper design and construction of approved project components.
Applications must be submitted to IDNR during the period indicated on the current Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) on the GATA website. Only those local government agencies having statutory authority to acquire and develop land for public park purposes are eligible to apply for and receive assistance under the OSLAD grant program.
Applications are evaluated and prioritized for funding assistance based upon recreation priorities and criteria identified in the Department's Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan (SCORP). Lands acquired with OSLAD funds are required to be operated and maintained in perpetuity for public outdoor recreation. All applicants must be pre-qualified through the State of Illinois Grantee Portal .
Additional information on prequalification is available here . Please READ the Notice of Funding Opportunity (first page of application) for more details on this program, including scoring criteria and grant program rules and restrictions. Download the Open Space Lands Acquisition and Development (OSLAD) Program Manual .
OSLAD: Submit your application through the Amplifund Grant Management System . No other form of submission will be allowed or eligible. Note: Applications received after the application deadline, will not be considered.
Submission of an incomplete application does not extend the application deadline. Applications submitted without all required documentation will not be considered for funding.
Illinois Department of Natural Resources Playground Planning Guide Illinois Department of Natural Resources Outdoor Recreation Facilities Guide Illinois Department of Natural Resources Community Park and Recreation Planning Guide US Access Board Summary of Accessibility Guidelines for Play Areas SFY24 OSLAD Distressed Communities List Consultant Access to Amplifund.
pdf Distressed Communities Calculation An eligible local unit of government located within a Standard Metropolitan Statistical Area (SMSA): EAV Calculation: Per capita EAV is less than 60% of the state average EAV. Poverty Calculation: More than 15% of population below the poverty level. Fair-share Calculation: Per capita OSALD funds received is less than state per capita OSLAD funds awarded.
Major University: No major University. An eligible local unit of government located NOT within a Standard Metropolitan Statistical Area (SMSA) EAV Calculation: Per capita EAV is less than 50% of the state average EAV. Poverty Calculation: More than 20% of population below the poverty level.
Fair-share Calculation: Per capita OSALD funds received is less than state per capita OSLAD funds awarded. Major University: No major University. A Physically Distressed Community is an eligible local unit of government that has encountered catastrophic events such as floods or tornados.
In a county declared a "disaster area" by the Governor or President of the United States*, The disaster must have directly affected the community applying for the grant. The physically distressed status will be allowed one time within a 3-year period. The Department reserves the final determination as to whether an applicant meets the definition of a physically distressed community.
*The Department may require verification of disaster impacts and a public assistance declaration from the Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA) and/or the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) before allowing eligibility under this provision. All determinations are final and are based on data from the U.S. Census Bureau and IL Dept. of Revenue.
One Natural Resources Way FOIA Request for Public Records Listing by Topic (A to Z)
According to the current listing, eligibility includes: Local government agencies in Illinois. Confirm the full requirements in the official notice before applying.
The current listing shows up to $1,725,000 for acquisition projects and up to $600,000 for development/renovation projects. Verify award ceilings, matching requirements, and allowable costs in the official notice.
OSLAD (Open Space Lands Acquisition and Development) Grant is funded by Illinois Department of Natural Resources. Verify program details on the funder's official page before applying.
This opportunity targets applicants in Illinois. If your organization operates elsewhere, check the official notice for location requirements.
Start from the official opportunity page linked in this listing — it carries the sponsor's submission instructions.
The OpenAI Foundation is putting $100 million behind Breakthroughs to Follow-Through, a Common Health Coalition initiative aiming to at least double hepatitis C cure rates in eight states and localities within two years. Alabama, Illinois, Louisiana and Massachusetts go first, money flows to local collaboratives and nonprofits, and the grants are deliberately not tied to any one AI vendor. Here is what makes an organization fundable under it.
Read articleIDNR's OSLAD program closes at 5:00 p.m. on August 31, 2026, with $37.5 million available, a $1,125,000 ceiling for land acquisition and $600,000 for development. The standard deal is 50/50. The deal that matters for small towns is the full-funding provision for economically distressed communities — and the thing that disqualifies applicants is not the project, it is GATA prequalification.
Read articleIllinois's Federal Grant Support Program (Round 2) puts $16.9 million into a single, unglamorous job: paying the non-federal match that keeps competitive applicants out of federal competitions they would otherwise win. Awards run $10,000 to $2 million across roughly 30 recipients, on a rolling basis with no fixed deadline. As federal rules tighten and match requirements harden into eligibility gates, a 'grant to get a grant' is becoming one of the highest-leverage dollars a state can spend. Here is how the program works, who should pursue it, and why match funding is the quiet chokepoint in the 2026 federal landscape.
Read article