Leveraging Grant Funds
The National Scenic Byways Program has been successful at leveraging funds for the America’s Byways® collection. The required 20 percent match from the State or byway has often been exceeded. Local byway communities, in addition to dedicated funds, have contributed labor, professional services, and materials to their byways. While often small monetarily, these contributions and commitments represent a significant interest in the program and desire to actively participate in fundraising and byway development.
From 1999 through 2006, $196.6 million in National Scenic Byways Program grant funding has leveraged $122.4 million in matching funds. While detailed data for other grant years are not readily available, the total amount of matching funds over the life of the program exceeds $150 million and is estimated to be as much as $190 million.
| Year | Total Grants Awarded |
Matching Funds | Total Project Costs | Match % of Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | $34,385,173 | $14,231,941 | $48,617,114 | 29% |
| 2000 | $20,399,233 | $20,426,539 | $40,825,772 | 50% |
| 2001 | $20,483,088 | $21,807,890 | $42,290,978 | 52% |
| 2002 | $23,083,400 | $11,859,346 | $34,942,746 | 34% |
| 2003 | $26,327,750 | $13,500,160 | $39,827,910 | 34% |
| 2004 | $23,854,702 | $8,651,126 | $32,505,828 | 27% |
| 2005 | $22,457,500 | $14,912,810 | $37,370,310 | 40% |
| 2006 | $25,563,807 | $16,989,007 | $42,552,814 | 40% |
| Total | $196,554,653 | $122,378,819 | $318,933,472 | 38% |
Source: MDSC
Figure 2: Matching Funds for National Scenic Byways Program Grants, 1999-2006
Source: MDSC - Breakdowns by source not available prior to 1999
