Funding: who wouldn't want more?
It's not crazy to say that money solves problems. Without external funding and grants, natural areas, urban parks, and trail systems couldn't function like they do today.
Unfortunately, funding for parks in the U.S. and Canada has been significantly cut in recent years. As more organizations compete for a slice of the pie, grant programs are being pushed to favor applications with strong supporting data.
What data do grant makers care about? These days, it's all about quantitative data—in particular, visitation. To name a few: the number of visitors per day, increase in visitors per year, time spent per visitor, etc. And one of the most effective, easy to understand types of visitation data is count data.
Why is Count Data so Appealing to Funding Providers?
It's simple to understand.
Although it's true that it doesn't provide every detail, count data is straightforward and punchy. It illustrates what's happening with transparency and brevity, something any application reader will appreciate.
It demonstrates proof of need.
Count data is a quantifiable way to demonstrate things like scale and urgency (e.g. Visitation is growing drastically; we need to expand now!).
It makes showing a return on investment easy.
Tracking counts means having a solid starting point. What were numbers like before more funding came? For funding providers, this means they can show stakeholders—often taxpayers or donors—the impact their dollars have made and will continue to make.
It highlights your reliability as an applicant.
Collecting count data shows that you are serious about your park or trail. Long-term counts take time to collect, and having it shows dedication, responsibility, and engagement.
It doesn’t discriminate.
Count data is an unbiased form of data that can give underserved areas with high potential a real shot. If a grant focuses on topics like equitable access to nature or community improvement, counting is your best friend.
How to Start Winning Grants and Funding with Count Data
Maybe you already have a count program for your park or trails. Maybe you're starting from scratch and want an extra edge on your applications. Either way, use these tips to guide your next steps.
1. Build a base; establish your count strategy
Establish (or reestablish) your count strategy by writing down what you want to understand and/or prove. What are your current needs? Which areas require future repairs, improvements or investments? Don't forget: If you can't find value in your count data, your funders won't be able to either.
Answer a few of these burning questions:
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What are my key indicators? Understanding this helps guide the rest of your actions. Examples of indicators include: yearly percentage increases, differences in visits per month, comparing counts at two key entrances, contrasting visits in different weather conditions, etc.
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Where are my key count sites? Have a good look at the map of your park or trail. Where would counting bring the most value to you? Often, it's at entrances, trailheads, visitor centers, or places with high volumes and a low risk of vandalism.
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Do I want long-term or short-term counts? Long-term data gives you knowledge on yearly/monthly increases and seasonal differences. Short-term data is more agile and is great at measuring events, new developments, or tourist seasons. You can also do both to see the big picture and get nuanced understanding to boot.
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Do I want overall numbers or trends? Yes, having a raw number for overall visitation can have a certain wow factor—but it's usually not the most interesting for funders. Trends (i.e. change over time) are much better to show your growth and the impact extra funding would have.
2. Choose a superstar team
If you don't dedicate someone to manage your count program, chances are your visitation won't get measured to the level funders want to see. Choosing the right people to oversee your count program is very important.
Of course, choosing a team is just step one— you also need to give everyone involved the proper training. Teach your team how to work the counters, maintain them, and understand the data they produce (in Eco-Counter's case, we can do this part for you).,
3. Acquire the right tools and start collecting
Which tools do you need for your count program? There are a variety of counters that exist for every context you could imagine. For instance, the PYRO Nano for ultra-discreet counting with direction detection ; the MULTI Evo Nature for counting pedestrians, bikes, and scooters; or the CITIX AI Evo for counting cars.
Whatever the tool, consider all aspects like battery life, ease of data export, installation, and maintenance before deciding.
4. Analyze the data early
Don't wait to start exploring your data. In the beginning stages, you can start getting a feel for visitation on your trails or in your park. This will open the floodgates; your ideas about what you can present to funders should start flowing.
What do your weekdays look like? What about your weekends? After a few months, ask yourself if there's a noticeable difference between the seasons. Look at differences in visitation at different times of day—your options are plenty!
Plus, going through your data early can help you catch small issues before they become bigger ones. If a counter is over-or-undercounting, your data will show it. Then you can fix it so your data set stays clean—a major factor when doing yearly comparisons.
5. Learn how to present the data
Data tells a story, but you have to know how to tell it. Once you have enough to show a pattern, here are some best practices for including count data in grant or funding applications:
- Visuals are a must. Funders read lots of applications, so make yours clear and memorable with good graphs, charts, and tables. Some examples are: line graphs showing hourly, weekly, or monthly profiles; pie charts or stacked bar graphs showing mode share at different locations; a table with visitors per entrance and its percentage of total visitors; and a bar graph comparing visitor increase over the years.
- Contextualize it. You understand your data well; after all, you've been monitoring it since the beginning. For funders however, they're seeing it for the first time—so make sure it's clear what they're looking at. Clearly explain the counting location and why it's relevant. Introduce the objective of the count data. Mention when you started counting. And don't forget to label the different modes of travel.
- Focus on impactful insights. Insights like percentage visitation increase, usage gaps due to missing infrastructure, and peak visitation volumes and times speak the loudest to funders. Depending on the criteria for the grant, target what's interesting and easy to understand. Show funders how their money could make a positive impact on a significant number of people.
- Add in other data. Count data can be complimented by several other data types to create a more convincing argument to win funding. Combine visitation data with data on local demographics to show how your park or trail serves diverse members of your community. Combine it with economic data to show your park's impact on neighboring businesses. Or, combine it with petition data or quotes from citizens to show how much public support your park has.
Real-World Examples of Count Data Helping Win Grants
Prairie Sunset and Redbud Trails, Kansas
The Prairie Sunset Trail and the Redbud Trail in Kansas used just one counter each to gather trail usage data at key points on their trails.
After just two years of counting, the Redbud Trail got two bridges approved to extend their trail: one over the US 54/100 and another over the Whitewater River. The city where the second bridge is being built won over $5 million in federal and state funds.
The Prairie Sunset trail is currently using their count data in discussions with a neighboring town to get approval to expand their trail.
Weatherford Mountain Bike Club, Texas
The Weatherford Mountain Bike Club in Texas collected just four months of data in a temporary count project on one of their most popular hills. They found visitation in all weather (which they didn’t expect) and put together a report for the City of Weatherford to convince the city to further invest in the trail.
Downtown New Haven, Connecticut
A more urban example, but very much applicable to parks and trails.
A Special Services District of Downtown New Haven in Connecticut measured usage patterns and volumes on a pedestrian-friendly bridge. After four years of counting, they were able to show their community the effects of their multi-step placemaking project and win $40,000 from the Ikea Foundation to install new lighting on the bridge.
Want to Win Park Grants and Funding? Try Count Data.
Count data doesn't just help with planning and management—it also helps you win park grants and funding. Give yourself a way to stand out to funders by including solid, quantitative insights in your application. With the right strategy, tools, and communication tactics, visitation data can help you squeak out the win on your next grant application.
What are your next steps? We recommend that you start gathering data as soon as you can to build up your data set. If you already collect count data and you need help building your case, we'd love to help.
You can also explore our dedicated tools to help you analyze, visualize, and share your count data like Eco-Visio and our Public Web Page
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