Need Help Finding Grant Funding for Construction of Skatepark

BD:

I can understand your son's excitement!!

I understand you have a small town - but you can start with the community center - http://augustaga.gov/index.aspx?NID=616

then contact your local mayor and other state officials - especially programs that are encouraging kids to get off the streets and into programs.

Contact Tony Hawk - http://tonyhawk.com/ - he is a professional skater and from what I understand helps get things like this started.

Have your son state the purpose of the park.
Where he believes would be the best place to put the park
How it will benefit the community (jobs, income, etc.)

Also contact the YMCA - http://www.ymca.net/contact-us/
get them involved.

Then call radio stations and news stations. Get publicity.

It won't happen overnight and it will take time - but the first I think of is Tony Hawk and the YMCA.

GOOD LUCK!!

Well...I don't have encouraging info for you. There has been a group in my town (led by several business owners, coaches etc. - people of influence) that has been trying to get a skate park built for 10 years with no success. And I live in a large town with a fairly high average income and just about every amenity under the sun already. People here fund a lot of things, but the skate park has not made a high enough priority list. I can imagine that in a small town of low-income people without other amenities, a skate park can seem like a pie-in-the-sky luxury.

Here is a link that you may find helpful. It also outlines the costs of a park - looks like the average cost for a small park of portable pieces that can be set up and then put away is $15K while a more permanent ramp park runs around $100K and requires maintenance. Good luck!

http://spausa.org/park-costs.html

I would suggest making a solid business plan, present it to your city leaders, with your son, and see if there may be some state funds somewhere that could be allocated for this.

Find out the cost of construction. Is the location paid for? What kind of fees would children pay to enter the site and skate? What type of liability insurance is needed? If you have concessions you may have to get another type of permit.

Gather ALL information about the skatepark, present it very professionally to the city board. You never know what they may say! If they turn you gown, move up the ladder to state reps.

A positive thing would be children getting exercise and playing in the skatepark vs out getting into trouble.

Good luck

They may have decided that there's a legal issue involved with someone getting injured. You would need to address the problem of getting it insured. I think that is one of the first things to deal with, with whomever you are trying to get to sponsor the building of the structure.

Good luck!
Dawn

You've gotten some great suggestions. I want to add that Pepsi and Kickstarter are also good places to look to raise money. Though, the Pepsi Refresh Project is more of a contest, and Kickstarter can be tricky to navigate. Good luck and good job kiddo!