Park City opens Emergent Community Needs grants for nonprofits

Photo: Park City Municipal

PARK CITY, Utah — Park City is accepting applications for its Emergent Community Needs Grant Program, a small-grants effort designed to help local nonprofits respond quickly to urgent or unexpected challenges — or test early solutions before a problem escalates.

Under the city’s guidelines, awards are typically up to $15,000 per application and are meant to cover immediate needs outside an organization’s normal operating budget, including launching a new service, temporarily expanding capacity during a surge in demand, addressing an unanticipated time-sensitive need, or piloting a strategy aimed at emerging challenges.

Applications are accepted year-round, subject to funding availability, and are reviewed quarterly by the Nonprofit Services Advisory Committee, which forwards recommendations to the Park City Council for final approval, according to the city. In exceptional cases, the committee may convene a special meeting when a request cannot wait for the next scheduled review.

For 2026, the first quarterly review is scheduled for Jan. 14, and applications must be submitted by Dec. 30 to be considered at that meeting. Additional 2026 review dates are April 8, July 15, and Oct. 15, with deadlines roughly two weeks before each, according to the city’s guidelines.

To be eligible, nonprofits must meet Park City’s minimum criteria for public service funds, provide services that benefit Park City residents and/or the local workforce, and submit a request that fits the city’s definition of an emergent community need.

Nonprofits are encouraged to review the guidelines and submit their applications on Park City’s website to take advantage of available funding and address emergent needs without delay.