New York State Parks · paid through DASNY
NY BRICKS Community Center Grants
NY BRICKS (Building Recreational Infrastructure for Communities, Kids and Seniors) pays to design, build, expand, renovate and equip community centers run by New York nonprofits and local governments. Round 2 has $75 million, paid through the Dormitory Authority of the State of New York (DASNY).
- $250,000 to $15 million per grant
- At least 20% match
- Round 2 due December 7, 2026
At a glance.
- Run by
- NYS Parks (OPRHP), paid through DASNY
- Where
- New York
- Maximum award (Round 2)
- $250,000 to $15,000,000 per grant; grant covers no more than 80% of capital costs (at least 20% match) Source
- Total funding (Round 2)
- At least $75 million Source
Next round
- Round 2Opening soonOpens November 2, 2026 · Deadline December 7, 2026Due by 3:00 p.m., through the DASNY Grants Application Portal.
Last round
- Round 1ClosedJuly 14 to August 15, 2025 Source3:00 p.m. RFA announced June 5, 2025; application submission period July 14 to August 15, 2025.32 days
Every past round, with its sources · Grant calendar · Page last checked October 19, 2026
What NY BRICKS pays for.
- Capital costs to design, build, expand, renovate and equip a community center.
- Grants from $250,000 to $15 million. The grant covers no more than 80% of the project's capital costs; you bring at least 20% from other committed money.
- Not covered: buying land or a building, minor repairs and routine maintenance, long-term debt, and projects in a tax-credit structure.
- Costs paid on or before April 1, 2026 are never reimbursed.
Paid back after you spend. NY BRICKS reimburses costs your organization has paid itself, and nothing is paid until the grant agreement is signed. Plan the cash flow before you apply.
How Round 2 is divided.
- New centers and expansions that add space: grants of $5,000,001 to $15 million (Priority 1) or $1 million to $5 million (Priority 2).
- Renovations of an existing center: $250,000 to $5 million (Priority 3).
- At least $37.5 million goes to centers in underserved communities.
- One application per organization, for one community center at one location.
Who can apply.
- A New York nonprofit: incorporated with the New York Department of State or chartered by New York, and prequalified in the State's grants system (the Statewide Financial System, SFS) before it applies.
- A county, city, town, village or Indian Nation.
The building has to be a community center in the program's sense. You attest that it:
- keeps regular published hours and scheduled programs for the community;
- is open to the public and serves the community around it;
- operates year-round, apart from reasonable closures;
- runs programs for youth, adults and seniors.
Not eligible: a facility whose main function is a business, library, school, gym, daycare, house of worship, food pantry or health care facility.
What it takes, and how to prepare.
Round 2 is scored, and an application needs 85 of 100 points to be considered. Much of the score depends on how ready the project is:
- Site control: a deed in your organization's name, a lease that runs at least 10 years from the day you apply, or a signed contract to buy that closes within 6 months.
- Design documents with a signed, dated letter from your architect. Construction documents score highest, then design development, then schematic design.
- A project budget backed by professional cost estimates.
- Committed money for your share, documented.
- SFS prequalification for a nonprofit, finished before you submit.
We help with every one of these: checking whether your center fits, the prequalification, the documents and the application, and the reimbursement requests after an award.
Common questions.
Can a house of worship, school or daycare get a NY BRICKS grant?
Not for a building whose main function is worship, a school or a daycare: those are excluded. What counts is what the building mainly does. A separate building that truly runs as a public community center, for youth, adults and seniors, can be eligible if it meets every requirement. Ask us to look at your situation.
Is NY BRICKS money paid up front?
No. It reimburses eligible costs your organization has paid, and nothing is paid until the grant agreement is signed. Costs paid on or before April 1, 2026 are never reimbursed.
How much do we need to bring ourselves?
At least 20% of the project's capital costs, from committed sources. The grant covers no more than 80%.
Can we apply if we rent our building?
Yes, if the lease runs at least 10 years from the day you apply and the landlord gives written permission for the project, on letterhead.
When is the Round 2 deadline?
Applications go through the DASNY Grants Application Portal from November 2, 2026, and are due by 3:00 p.m. on December 7, 2026. Awards are announced no earlier than February 26, 2027.
Get notified when it opens.
Leave your details and we'll let you know when the next round opens. No newsletter, only a call or an email about this grant.
Is your community center project ready for December 7?
Tell us about the building, the plans and the money in place. We'll tell you plainly whether Round 2 fits, and what to put in place first if it doesn't.
Also worth knowing: NJ NSGP · SCAHC (NY) · Federal NSGP · popular government grants