Coral Reef Stewardship Fund
This funding opportunity provides financial support to nonprofit organizations, governments, and educational institutions for projects that enhance the health and resilience of coral reef ecosystems across U.S. territories.
The Coral Reef Stewardship Fund, administered by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF), offers grants to improve the health and resiliency of coral reef ecosystems across U.S. coral jurisdictions, including American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI), Florida, Guam, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. For the 2025 grant cycle, approximately $3,500,000 is available, with awards ranging from $80,000 to $600,000. Grants will support projects that address priority areas such as reducing land-based pollution, enhancing coral reef fisheries management, expanding reef restoration capacity, and increasing institutional management capabilities for coral conservation. Eligible applicants include nonprofit organizations, state and local governments, tribal governments, municipal governments, and educational institutions. Projects must align with the fund’s conservation goals and may include activities such as implementing watershed management plans, establishing water quality targets, reducing pollution, enhancing coral restoration efforts, and increasing fish stocks on coral reefs. Priority will be given to projects targeting specific geographic areas and conservation activities outlined in the RFP. The grant application process involves two stages: a pre-proposal, due by February 12, 2025, and, if invited, a full proposal, due by April 16, 2025. Applicants must submit their materials through NFWF’s Easygrants system. To assist with the application, a pre-proposal webinar will be held on January 22, 2025, at 4:00 PM ET. Full proposal webinars will be offered in March 2025 for selected applicants. Award decisions are expected in August 2025. Projects are required to provide matching funds at a 1:1 ratio from non-federal sources, although exceptions may be granted. NFWF encourages collaboration with local stakeholders and coral reef managers to align projects with community conservation priorities. A strong emphasis is placed on technical feasibility, cost-effectiveness, and long-term sustainability. For more details, applicants are encouraged to review the RFP, available on NFWF’s website, and contact Michelle Pico (pico@nfwf.org) for program-specific questions. Assistance with the Easygrants system can be obtained by contacting the Easygrants Helpdesk at Easygrants@nfwf.org or 202-595-2497.
Award Range
$80,000 - $600,000
Total Program Funding
$3,500,000
Number of Awards
Not specified
Matching Requirement
Yes - 1:1 match required.
Eligible Applicants
Additional Requirements
Eligible • Eligible applicants include non-profit organizations, state government agencies, local governments, municipal governments, Tribal governments and organizations, and educational institutions in the United States. For-profit entities and individuals are potentially eligible for Priority Category III. Increase Management Capacity for Coral Conservation. If this applies to your project, please contact Michelle Pico (pico@nfwf.org) • Ineligible applicants include U.S. Federal government agencies and projects seeking to work on non-U.S. coral reefs. • NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program staff are available and encouraged to provide general information on programmatic goals and objectives, ongoing coral reef conservation programs/activities, and regional funding priorities; however, NOAA employees are not permitted to assist in the preparation of applications or write letters of support for any application. If NOAA employees will be a collaborator on a project, they may provide a statement verifying that they are collaborating with the project applicant, confirming the degree and nature of the collaboration, and acknowledging the utility of the proposed work. NOAA employee activities, including travel and salaries, are not allowable costs.
Geographic Eligibility
All
Application Opens
Not specified
Application Closes
Not specified
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