Circuit Trails
Circuit Trails supports nonprofit organizations’ projects and programs to add 75 miles to Greater Philadelphia’s trail network by 2035, connecting communities and expanding access to the outdoors.
Funder: William Penn Foundation
Due Dates: Rolling (Open grantmaking for urgent opportunities)
Funding Amounts: $13,056,951 awarded through 18 grants since 2024
Summary: Supports projects and programs that advance the addition of 75 miles to Greater Philadelphia’s Circuit Trails System by 2035.
Key Information: Open grantmaking is limited to urgent opportunities that cannot be supported through a future RFP.
Description
Circuit Trails is an objective of the William Penn Foundation’s Environment and Public Space program. It supports projects and programs that advance the addition of 75 miles to the regional trail system by 2035. The Circuit connects urban, suburban, and rural communities across nine counties in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, with a broader goal of connecting more than 850 miles by 2040.
The Foundation emphasizes trails’ benefits for physical and mental well-being, non-motorized transportation, economic development, and connections to the outdoors. Its support has also helped build the Circuit Trails Coalition, whose outreach, education, and advocacy advance network completion and incorporate equity into trail planning, development, and use. The current focus is adding trail miles, with progress measured through the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission’s annual tracking.
