Stewardship Grant Information

Do you have an idea for a project that would help manage the impacts on Wisconsin climbing areas? The WCA wants to help! Each year the WCA happily accepts applications for projects of all sizes that will positively impact climbing in Wisconsin. The grant can help through monetary support, equipment/supply usage, project exposure, and more. Project proposals or questions regarding the Stewardship Grant should be sent to info@wiclimbers.com.

Important Dates Annually

Applications Open March 1
Applications Close March 31
Applicant selection notification mid-April

Purpose of the Grant:  The WCA developed the Stewardship Grant to facilitate and fund stewardship projects that improve the sustainability of climbing areas in and around Wisconsin. We believe that getting more people actively involved in caring for and developing sustainable climbing areas will enable the climbing community to take on more projects and build the community’s reputation with land managers.

Application Process: After the application deadline, the WCA Grant Committee will review and score applications based on the criteria listed below. The Committee will select projects and will submit a funding recommendation to the full WCA Board. The WCA Board will make the final decision on which project(s) to fund and how much funding to award to each.

Eligibility: The WCA Stewardship Grant is open to all applicants, including individuals, nonprofit and for-profit organizations and businesses. We will consider applications for stewardship projects that will improve the sustainable use of climbing areas or access to climbing areas. (We will not fund projects to install or replace bolts at this time.) Applicants may propose stewardship projects in or around areas that are open to climbing as well as areas that currently prohibit climbing but that would be suitable for climbing if we obtain access in the future. This Grant is open to any stewardship project that meets the grant purposes identified above, including (but not limited to) the following types of projects:

  • Trash Pickup

  • Graffiti Removal

  • Erosion Control

  • Trail Maintenance

Resources and Reporting: The WCA will award up to $1,500 to a successful applicant or applicants to complete a stewardship projects. The application should detail how the applicant plans to use the funding, including itemized estimated costs. On completion of approved projects, the applicant should submit receipts, an itemized invoice, and a brief grant report to WCA to receive the grant funds. The grant report should detail the work completed and the outcome of the project. We encourage the grant recipient to submit photos with the grant report so that we can share your success with our members.

Proposal Format: Applicants must provide the following information:

  • Applicant or organization name and contact person’s contact information

  • Applicant’s past experience with stewardship projects (or similar experiences)

  • Location of proposed project

  • Land manager of project area and their contact information

  • Brief description of the project (include steps needed and anticipated outcomes)

  • Necessary supplies

  • Itemized list with estimated costs

  • Volunteers expected to participate

An important component of any stewardship project is getting permission from the land manager. We encourage applicants to contact land managers or landowners to get permission to do the project before applying. However, we are also willing to work with a successful Applicant to get the land manager or landowner’s permission.

Selection Considerations: The Grant Committee and WCA Board will consider the following factors in selecting the grant recipient:

  • Reasonable estimated costs

  • Value to the climbing community

  • Demonstrated need for the project

  • Scale of the project

  • Uniqueness of the project

The Stewardship Grant is available to any applicant who proposes a stewardship project that meets the grant purposes identified above. However, we may give preference to the following applicants and projects:

  • WCA Members

  • Nonprofit or Individual Applicants

  • Projects in Wisconsin

  • Applicants who can complete the project independently and do not need help from the WCA board

Application Deadline (Annually): March 31. Please submit applications via email to info@wiclimbers.com. All applicants will be notified in mid-April regarding the funding of their project.