Pennsylvania Wilds Small Grants Program

Pennsylvania Wilds Small Grants Program is sponsored by Pennsylvania Wilds Center for Entrepreneurship. Offers funding for projects that promote conservation and sustainable tourism, including pollinator habitat initiatives.

Pennsylvania Wilds Center for Entrepreneurship – Trust for Civic Life Pennsylvania Wilds Center for Entrepreneurship Region: Communities in Transition Sector: Arts and Culture , Economic Development Revitalizing communities through conservation and collaboration Pennsylvania Wilds Center for Entrepreneurship, Inc. is the nonprofit backbone of the Pennsylvania Wilds, a 13-county conservation landscape in north central Pennsylvania that encompasses over two million acres of public land and some of the Commonwealth’s most rural communities.

PA Wilds Conservation Shop. Photos courtesy of PA Wilds. For over two decades, regional partners have engaged in place-based development to grow a vibrant outdoor recreation and tourism economy while stewarding the landscapes that make the region unique.

The Center envisions a sustainable outdoor recreation industry that diversifies local economies, attracts investment, retains residents, and enhances quality of life. “Place-based development in rural communities like the Pennsylvania Wilds can drive economic growth while addressing challenges such as population decline, workforce retention, and pride of place. These efforts are so deserving of support.

” – Ta Enos, founder and CEO of PA Wilds Center, and author of Proudly Made: A Story of Reinvention in the Big Woods and Small Towns of the Pennsylvania Wilds Through the PA Wilds Cooperative, small businesses, nonprofits, and communities gain access to marketing, peer networks, and retail opportunities in physical conservation shops and an online marketplace.

With over 700 members, the cooperative tackles pressing rural challenges by building locally-rooted wealth, strengthening civic leadership, and demonstrating how conservation and commerce can work hand-in-hand to revitalize communities. Through the Wilds Cooperative project, the Center conducted a study of its membership network, stakeholders, staff, and partners to understand how it can be strengthened for the future.

This work created meaningful space for listening and capturing the lived experiences of artisans, small businesses, nonprofits, and community leaders across the region. The process strengthened connections among members, gave them direct agency in shaping the Cooperative, and produced a model that empowers local leaders to guide its future.

The Civic Hub grant funding will support the nonprofit’s work to strengthen community capacity and build social capital across rural communities Learn more www. PAWildsCenter. org