Zoos, Botanical Gardens and Aquaria Operational Support Grant Program (ZBGA OS)
The Zoos, Botanical Gardens, and Aquaria (ZBGA) Operational Support Grant program provides eligible local governments and not-for-profit organizations with timely and stable annual funding to maintain, operate, and secure permanent collections of natural specimens, and to offer robust educational programs interpreting those collections. Applicants will be evaluated based on the administrative and fiscal strength of their organization, the quality and care of its collections, and the level of service to the public.
The ZBGA Operational Support program is funded through annual appropriations from the New York State Environmental Protection Fund (EPF) and is administered by the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (OPRHP or Agency).
Full guidelines can be found in the Forms and Documents section below.
How to Apply
To apply for current funding in the State Financial System (SFS), you must read in detail the “ZBGA OS 2025 Request for Application & Guidance Document” found in the forms and documents section below.
Reimbursement
Reimbursement requests comprise of:
- State Aid Voucher,
- ZBGA Expense Summary Report, and
- Grantee Certification.
See "Forms and Documents" section below.
Backup documentation for all expenses must be readily available to be provided electronically within two business days upon request but should not be submitted with reimbursement requests. Backup can take various forms including, but not limited to, copies of receipts, invoices, payroll registers, IRS form 941, employee signed and approved time sheets, check registers, bank statements and cancelled checks.
Reimbursement requests should be submitted by e-mail to
ZBGAGrants@parks.ny.gov.
Reimbursement cannot occur prior to contract execution and receipt by the Agency of a valid request. Reimbursements will be processed through the Statewide Financial System. Detailed payment information can be obtained using the NYS Vendor Self-Service Portal
.
Forms and Documents
- ZBGA OS Guidelines (pdf)
- ZBGA OS 2025 Request for Application & Guidance Document (pdf)
- ZBGA Expense Guide for Award Calculation and Reimbursement (pdf)
- Historical Expenditure Detail Report (xlsx)
- State Aid Voucher (pdf)
- ZBGA Expense Summary Report (xlsx)
- Grantee Certification (pdf)