when funders ask too much

For small organizations, rural towns, and volunteer trail groups, applying for grants isn’t just about paperwork. It’s planning. It’s community engagement. It’s emotional labor. We’re often pitching projects we believe in deeply — ones that reflect months, even years, of groundwork and real-world relationships.

When a grant program requires complex applications — all before a single dollar is awarded — that’s a heavy lift. 

And when hundreds or even thousands of applicants are competing for a limited pot, with no feedback and little transparency on the selection process, the result can feel less like partnership and more like extraction.

To be clear: guidance helps. Webinars and how-to materials are appreciated. But there’s deeper responsibility funders hold — to weigh their process against the real-world capacity of the communities they aim to support.

Some funding sources strike this balance beautifully.

The North Carolina Youth Outdoor Engagement Commission, for instance, offers a streamlined, accessible application with responsive staff and a clear understanding of how schools (whom they serve) operate.

Programs like the Great Trails State, the Parks and Recreation Trust Fund (PARTF), and the Recreational Trails Program (RTP) offer strong technical assistance from experienced and responsive staff. While RTP has faced past concerns about inconsistent proposal review at the committee level, N.C. Parks and Recreation leadership is taking proactive steps to improve the consistency of the review process — signaling a deeper investment in transparency and applicant respect.

That’s what partnership looks like.

When funders treat applicants as collaborators — not just content providers — the process becomes an opportunity to build capacity, not just compete for resources.

For applicants, especially under-resourced ones, it’s worth asking:

• Do we have the capacity to submit a strong proposal without burning out our team?

• Does this funder provide support beyond the guidelines page or webinar?

• Will we gain something from the process — even if we don’t get the grant?

And for funders, especially those who value building capacity: are we asking more from applicants than we’re giving back? Are we helping build a field, or just selecting from it?

No group should feel depleted by the very process of seeking support.

Let’s build a funding landscape that strengthens communities — not just screens them.