Financial Options for Projects
"How do we raise money to do this project?" Here’s an overview.
Grants
Greenway Grants - Municipalities or nonprofits can apply. $20,000 for a single municipality, $45,000 for an intermunicipal project https://hudsongreenway.ny.gov/grants-funding
Local Banks and Credit Unions - These financial institutions are required by law (the Community Reinvestment Act) to give money back to their local communities.
Here are just a few
Hudson Valley Credit Union Charitable Foundation https://www.hvcu.org/about-us/foundation/
Bank of Green County https://www.thebankofgreenecounty.com/about/giving/
Community Bank https://cbna.com/community-involvement
Trustcobank https://www.trustcobank.com/resource/charitable-giving/
Hudson River Bank and Trust Foundation https://hrbtfoundation.com/
HREP - The Hudson River Estuary Project gives out grants. They also often support projects such as NRIs by providing technical assistance and GIS support. https://dec.ny.gov/nature/waterbodies/oceans-estuaries/hudson-river-estuary-program/grants-funding-opportunities
Climate Smart Grants - These grant opportunities are usually announced in May, with a late July deadline. They usually require a 50/50 match, unless you’re in a designated disadvantaged community in which case the match requirement can be as low as 20%. https://dec.ny.gov/environmental-protection/climate-change/resources-for-local-governments/grants-for-climate-action
Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation. https://berkshiretaconic.org/
Understory - Game plan https://www.theunderstory.org/fundingfutures
Alternative Revenue Streams:
Community-Owned and Municipally-Owned Solar
https://www.municipalsolar.org/
Municipal Solar Partners based on the premise that community-owned solar could generate revenue that could be leveraged for community projects. While the financial picture has shifted, Municipal Solar Partners can still meet with your municipality or a local nonprofit that owns land and talk about whether publicly-owned or nonprofit-owned solar makes sense.
Sponsorships:
If your community wants to do a project that is specific and shovel-ready and won’t cost a ton of money, you could approach a local business. In exchange for public promotions, a business is often willing to donate money or provide in-kind donations such as materials.
Fundraising & Crowdfunding:
Crowd Funding with Go Fund me or other platforms like Partonicity
This is the general term for raising money from everyday people. Generally speaking, folks use a tool like GoFundMe to take donations. Check with your tax advisor to see at what threshold the donations need to be reported. (Note: We aren’t tax advisors!) A nonprofit can set up a GoFundMe to receive tax-deductable donations that go to fund the 501c3’s projects. At the end of a campaign, the money raised through GoFundMe will need to be moved to a bank account in order to be used. We had the co-founder of Patronicity give a talk for the Funding Futures cohort. In the video he talks about best practices for crowdfunding, including finding a funder to pledge to match the money you raise through crowdfunding.
Develop a Civic Fund
Watch on Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iHCfk10KP00
Lydia Slaby is a Village Trustee in Rhinebeck where she led the local government’s comprehensive plan process. Lydia, on her own time, is researching the potential to create a civic fund, which could raise philanthropic money to be used for civic purposes. It would sit outside the jurisdiction of the local government and be overseen by its own board. The devil is in the details of course—how the decision-making process would work when designating funds to projects. She discusses the idea of a civic fund at the end of her presentation.
Approaching Family Foundations:
Here’s the IRS tool https://apps.irs.gov/app/eos/which allows you to search by your town for nonprofit entities, some of which might be local foundations. This is a good resource but these lists are not always up to date so some may be inactive.
You can also use Candid (formerly Guidestar) to search for nonprofits
Starting a Non-profit:
Becoming a 501c3 is a project in itself and requires ongoing paperwork, funding streams, and committed individuals. There are some costs associated with filing to become a 501c3 ($400-$850). This is probably not the best option for projects that are one-offs, but better suited for projects that address an ongoing need in the community and that determine the capacity to raise donation dollars year after year.
The Fund for Columbia County: Seed Funding for Emerging Nonprofits
https://berkshiretaconic.org/grants/fund-for-columbia-county-seed-funding-for-emerging-nonprofits
Here’s a video series from Candid:
https://learning.candid.org/starting-a-nonprofit/267834#Step11
Steps to take from DonorBox:
https://donorbox.org/nonprofit-blog/how-to-start-a-501c3
Council of Nonprofits:
https://www.councilofnonprofits.org
Fiscal Sponsorship:
Rather than start your own 501c3 nonprofit right away, one path is to be fiscally sponsored by a nonprofit. Foundations and larger nonprofits will often play the role of fiscal sponsors. Fiscal sponsorship allows emerging nonprofits and community projects to accept tax-deductible donations and apply for grants before receiving their own 501(c)(3) status. Local organizations and foundations provide this legal and financial oversight. A fiscal sponsor will typically charge a management fee of 5 - 15%. Academic institutions charge more like 50%.
Fiscal Sponsors
Good Works Institute: https://goodworkinstitute.org/fiscal-sponsorship/
Columbia Economic Development Corporation: Offers guidance and acts as a localized Non-profit Sponsor for organizations pursuing state economic development grants.
https://www.councilofnonprofits.org/
Other Groups to Check out and be Inspired by
Green infrastructure and Flood Resilience Groups
Rain Check in Philadelphia
Depave in Portland, OR
https://www.urbanconservancy.org/project/stormwater-management/
Climate and Nature Groups
Fingerlakes Climate Fund
https://fingerlakesclimatefund.org/
Ecological Citizens Project
http://ecologicalcitizens.org/
Preppers
“Pepare Your Community” Guest Speaker Scott James https://www.prepareyourcommunity.org/
January 7, 2026: Scott James, head of Prepare Your Community, will join us to share the story of how his community came together to plan for “the big one”—with a focus on neighbors. Bainbridge Island, off the coast of Seattle, is located in an area prone to earthquakes and tsunamis. They’ve taken what they developed and shared it as a free kit for other communities —even those that don’t suffer from the same kinds of disasters. Scott will talk us through his approach to planning and mutual aid, and how much of it has to do with mindset and approach.
Housing
Hudson Valley Alliance for Housing and Conservation” https://rpa.org/hudson-valley-affordable-housing-conservation-strategy#
Healthy communities need both abundant, affordable housing and protected land that supports clean water, food production, climate resilience, and outdoor access. Land is the common denominator - neither affordable housing nor conservation goals can be achieved without it. This unique, regional approach built on shared values, trust and mutual support is creating a new playbook. Brought together in 2022 by project co-conveners Rebecca Gillman Crimmins and Steve Rosenberg, 14 of the region’s leading land trusts and affordable housing organizations are partnering to advance the effort.
Road Trails and Traffic Safety
“Walkable/Bikeable” Guest Speaker Emily Dozier
March 4, 2026: Emily Dozier of Dutchess County Transportation Council discusses how to work with your communities, municipalities, and DOT (if necessary) to improve walkability and bikeability in your towns. https://www.dutchessny.gov/Departments/Transportation-Council/Transportation-Council.htm
Trail Associations
The Harlem Valley Rail Trail https://www.hvrt.org/
THE CORKSCREW RAIL TRAIL ASSOCIATION https://www.corkscrewrailtrailny.org/
“Community forests” Guest Speakers Patrick Knapp, Betsy Albert, and Timothy Kennelty
Invasive Removal
“On Vine Squads and Volunteers” https://www.hohny.gov/558/Vine-Squad
Guest Speaker Haven Colgate
May 6, 2026: Haven Colgate is the queen of volunteers. We welcome Haven to present about her community’s program to manage invasive plants, the Hastings-on-Hudson Vine Squad. We are even more excited to have her brainstorm with us ways for you to galvanize volunteer support and foster dynamic leaders in your communities.