Opportunity Information: Apply for DOI NPS CUVA E12AC30069
Apply for DOI NPS CUVA E12AC30069
- The National Park Service in the education environment natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Operate Environmental Education Center and Volunteer Program at CUVA" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.944 Natural Resource Stewardship.
- This funding opportunity was created on Dec 21, 2011 and posted on Dec 21, 2011.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Dec 31, 2011. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The funding agency has allocated a total of $2,000,000.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $2,000,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
- Notice of Intent to Award without Competition Continuation and Unique Qualifications The Conservancy for Cuyahoga Valley National Park has been a key operating partner of Cuyahoga Valley National Park (CVNP) since our first Agreement in 1988. Since the Cuyahoga Valley Environmental Education Center opened its doors in 1994, the Conservancy has expertly managed the operations of CVEEC in partnership with the NPS. In addition, the Conservancy raises funds each year so that children in urban schools in Cleveland and Akron, who otherwise could not afford to experience a residential environmental education program in a national park, have the opportunity to do so. The remainder of the 2011 2012 school year is already booked to capacity. The Conservancy has been instrumental in working with the park for the past 23 years to implement numerous interpretive and educational programs for children and adults, create unique special events, and enable the development a very successful Environmental Education Program. In addition, the Conservancy has two full time staff who work collaboratively with the park s Volunteer Program Manager. This team of three has grown the park s Volunteer Program over the past two years by over 50 (to over 5,700 volunteers) and has developed a variety of new and creative opportunities for volunteers, allowing them to get involved and become park stewards/ambassadors. and 1) The Conservancy is a local non profit organization based in the Cuyahoga Valley and has strong ties and long standing, trusted relationships with the surrounding communities in the park. 2) The Conservancy owns Trail Mix, a small store located adjacent to the Towpath Trail, but outside of park boundaries. This store serves as a hub for park visitors to gather and as central location for park visitors to obtain information about the park and its programs. 3) The Conservancy also owns all of the furniture and appliances at the Stanford House, which is utilized mainly for Environmental Education programming purposes. 4) The existing volunteer base of 5,700 people assist the organization with everything from hosting special events to leading public programs in the areas of education, cultural arts, and nature and removing invasive species, to name a few. These volunteers also include the Board of Trustees made up of 30 dedicated community leaders from the Cleveland and Akron areas. 5) The Conservancy actively fund raises (approximately 50 of its operating budget) to help support its operation and programs. The Conservancy s reputation and skilled staff have also enabled the organization to bring additional support to the park through various in kind donations of equipment and skilled, technical labor. 6) The Conservancy s staff brings a high level of educational, arts, marketing, and customer service expertise that the NPS alone could not provide.
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Opportunity Summary:
This funding opportunity, titled "Operate Environmental Education Center and Volunteer Program at CUVA" (Funding Opportunity Number: DOI NPS CUVA E12AC30069), is a National Park Service (NPS) discretionary cooperative agreement focused on education, the environment, and natural resource stewardship (CFDA 15.944). The agreement is designed to continue a long-running partnership between the NPS and the Conservancy for Cuyahoga Valley National Park, centered on Cuyahoga Valley National Park (CVNP). The core aim is to sustain and expand community involvement in the park through high-quality interpretive programs, environmental education, cultural arts programming, and a wide range of volunteer opportunities that build informed, committed park stewards.
A major component of the agreement is the continued operation of the Cuyahoga Valley Environmental Education Center (CVEEC), including a nationally recognized residential environmental education program that serves students during the school year. The opportunity emphasizes continuity of service and operational stability, noting that the remaining portion of the 2011-2012 school year was already booked to capacity at the time of posting. It also highlights the Conservancy's role in fundraising to help ensure access for students from urban schools in Cleveland and Akron who might not otherwise be able to afford a residential environmental education experience in a national park. In practice, this means the cooperative agreement supports both program delivery (the education experience itself) and the enabling infrastructure behind it (operations, partnerships, and supplemental fundraising that broadens participation).
The volunteer element is another central pillar. The announcement describes a well-developed volunteer program that had grown significantly in recent years, reaching more than 5,700 volunteers and expanding by over 50 percent over a two-year period. The Conservancy contributes directly to this capacity with two full-time staff working alongside the park's Volunteer Program Manager, together creating new and varied volunteer roles. These opportunities span a wide range of park-support functions such as hosting special events, leading public programs in education, cultural arts, and nature, and engaging in hands-on stewardship activities like invasive species removal. The grant framing makes clear that volunteer engagement is not treated as peripheral help, but as a deliberate strategy for building long-term public investment in the park and developing "ambassadors" who support the park's mission beyond a single event or season.
From an eligibility and competition standpoint, this is presented as a "Notice of Intent to Award without Competition," justified on the basis of continuation and unique qualifications. The Conservancy is described as a key operating partner since 1988, with direct operational experience managing the environmental education center since it opened in 1994. The NPS also points to several specific capabilities and assets that make the Conservancy uniquely positioned to carry out the work: it is a local nonprofit embedded in the Cuyahoga Valley with trusted community relationships; it operates Trail Mix, a visitor-oriented hub adjacent to the Towpath Trail (outside park boundaries) that helps connect visitors to park information and programming; it owns furniture and appliances at the Stanford House used largely for environmental education purposes; and it maintains an established base of thousands of volunteers, including a 30-member Board of Trustees comprised of community leaders from the Cleveland and Akron areas. The announcement further emphasizes that the Conservancy fundraises roughly half of its operating budget and has a track record of securing in-kind contributions (equipment and skilled technical labor), along with staff expertise in education, arts programming, marketing, and customer service that the NPS indicates it cannot provide at the same level on its own.
Financially, the opportunity lists an estimated total funding amount of $2,000,000 with an award ceiling of $2,000,000 and an award floor of $0, with one expected award. It also specifies that cost sharing or matching is required, which aligns with the description of the Conservancy's active fundraising and ability to bring additional resources to the table. The announcement was posted and created on December 21, 2011, with an original and current closing date of December 31, 2011, and an archive date of January 30, 2012.
For administrative follow-up, the contact listed is Tonya Bradley, Contract Specialist, reachable by phone at 402-661-1656, with an email referenced but not fully provided in the source text.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. What is the title and funding opportunity number for this grant?
The funding opportunity is titled "Operate Environmental Education Center and Volunteer Program at CUVA" and the Funding Opportunity Number is DOI NPS CUVA E12AC30069.
2. What type of funding is being offered?
This opportunity is a National Park Service (NPS) discretionary cooperative agreement.
3. Which agency is offering this opportunity?
The opportunity is offered by the National Park Service (NPS), a bureau of the U.S. Department of the Interior.
4. What is the CFDA number associated with this opportunity?
The announcement lists CFDA 15.944.
5. What is the main purpose of this cooperative agreement?
The agreement is designed to continue and support a long-running partnership focused on sustaining and expanding community involvement in Cuyahoga Valley National Park (CVNP) through interpretive programs, environmental education, cultural arts programming, and volunteer opportunities that build long-term park stewards.
6. What park or location is this funding focused on?
The work is centered on Cuyahoga Valley National Park (CVNP), including operations tied to the Cuyahoga Valley Environmental Education Center (CVEEC).
7. What are the major program areas supported by the opportunity?
The announcement highlights support for high-quality interpretive programs, environmental education, cultural arts programming, and a wide range of volunteer opportunities focused on natural resource stewardship and community engagement.
8. What is the Cuyahoga Valley Environmental Education Center (CVEEC) and how is it involved?
A major component is continued operation of the Cuyahoga Valley Environmental Education Center (CVEEC), including a nationally recognized residential environmental education program that serves students during the school year.
9. Does the opportunity emphasize continuity of services already being delivered?
Yes. The announcement emphasizes continuity of service and operational stability, and notes that the remaining portion of the 2011-2012 school year was already booked to capacity at the time of posting.
10. How does the funding relate to student access and affordability?
The announcement highlights the Conservancy's fundraising role to help ensure access for students from urban schools in Cleveland and Akron who might not otherwise be able to afford a residential environmental education experience in a national park.
11. Is this funding only for delivering programs, or also for operations and infrastructure?
Based on the description, the cooperative agreement supports both program delivery (the education experience itself) and the enabling infrastructure behind it, including operations, partnerships, and supplemental fundraising that broadens participation.
12. What role does volunteering play in this opportunity?
Volunteer engagement is described as a central pillar of the agreement. The volunteer program is portrayed as a deliberate strategy to build long-term public investment in the park and to develop committed stewards and "ambassadors" for the park mission.
13. How large is the volunteer program described in the announcement?
The announcement states the program reached more than 5,700 volunteers and expanded by over 50 percent over a two-year period.
14. What kinds of volunteer activities are included?
The opportunity references volunteer roles that include hosting special events, leading public programs in education, cultural arts, and nature, and hands-on stewardship activities such as invasive species removal.
15. Who supports or manages the volunteer program capacity?
The announcement states the Conservancy contributes two full-time staff who work alongside the park's Volunteer Program Manager to create new and varied volunteer roles.
16. Is this a competitive grant opportunity?
No. It is presented as a "Notice of Intent to Award without Competition."
17. Why is the award intended to be made without competition?
The announcement justifies the non-competitive approach on continuation and unique qualifications, citing the Conservancy's long-standing role as a key operating partner since 1988 and its experience operating the environmental education center since it opened in 1994.
18. Who is the intended recipient/partner mentioned in the notice?
The notice is framed around continuing the partnership with the Conservancy for Cuyahoga Valley National Park.
19. What unique capabilities or assets are cited for the Conservancy?
The announcement cites several factors, including trusted local community relationships; operating Trail Mix (a visitor-oriented hub adjacent to the Towpath Trail outside park boundaries); ownership of furniture and appliances at the Stanford House used largely for environmental education; a base of thousands of volunteers; a 30-member Board of Trustees comprised of Cleveland and Akron community leaders; fundraising of roughly half its operating budget; a record of securing in-kind contributions (equipment and skilled technical labor); and staff expertise in education, arts programming, marketing, and customer service that NPS indicates it cannot provide at the same level on its own.
20. What is Trail Mix, as described in the announcement?
Trail Mix is described as a visitor-oriented hub adjacent to the Towpath Trail (outside park boundaries) that helps connect visitors to park information and programming.
21. What is the Stanford House item referenced in the notice?
The announcement notes that the Conservancy owns furniture and appliances at the Stanford House, which are used largely for environmental education purposes.
22. What is the estimated total funding amount?
The estimated total funding amount listed is $2,000,000.
23. What are the award ceiling and award floor?
The award ceiling is $2,000,000 and the award floor is $0.
24. How many awards are expected?
The opportunity indicates one expected award.
25. Is cost sharing or matching required?
Yes. The announcement specifies that cost sharing or matching is required.
26. What does the notice indicate about the partner's ability to meet cost share or bring other resources?
The description aligns the cost share requirement with the Conservancy's active fundraising (roughly half of its operating budget) and its ability to secure in-kind contributions such as equipment and skilled technical labor.
27. When was the opportunity posted and created?
The announcement was posted and created on December 21, 2011.
28. What are the closing date and archive date?
The original and current closing date is December 31, 2011, and the archive date is January 30, 2012.
29. Who is the listed contact for administrative follow-up?
The contact listed is Tonya Bradley, Contract Specialist.
30. What phone number is provided for the contact?
The phone number provided is 402-661-1656.
31. Is an email address provided for the contact?
An email is referenced, but it is not fully provided in the source text described here.
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