Grants for Nonprofits - Environment

The City of Flint has launched a new Youth Climate Action Fund, a microgrant program designed to empower youth-led climate initiatives. This program aims to support projects that advance critical community goals related to climate resilience, environmental sustainability, and community engagement. The fund's mission aligns with the broader objective of fostering a more sustainable and resilient Flint by investing in its younger generation as agents of change. The primary beneficiaries of this grant are youth aged 15-24 residing in Flint, who will collaborate with local groups, organizations, nonprofits, and schools to implement their projects. The impact goals are far-reaching, intending to cultivate youth leadership, increase community participation in climate action, and produce tangible environmental improvements within the city. This approach recognizes that youth are not only vulnerable to climate change impacts but also possess unique perspectives and innovative solutions. The fund prioritizes a diverse range of youth-led projects, including awareness, education, research, and development initiatives such as climate education programs, hackathons, surveys, and public art campaigns. It also supports youth-driven climate mitigation and adaptation projects like community gardening, tree planting, reforestation, urban farming, recycling, waste reduction, and disaster preparedness programs. Additionally, the fund encourages co-governed youth climate action plans, fostering partnerships between city leaders and youth groups to inform climate-related policy and the formation of youth climate ambassadors or advisory boards. Expected outcomes include a more informed and engaged youth population, a reduction in environmental waste and an increase in green spaces, improved community resilience to climate-related challenges, and the development of new climate-related policies influenced by youth perspectives. Measurable results will likely involve the number of youth engaged, the types and scale of projects implemented, the amount of waste diverted, the number of trees planted, and the development of new community programs or policies. The City of Flint's strategic priority through this fund is to build a foundation for long-term climate action by investing directly in its youth, thereby creating a sustainable future rooted in community-led solutions and a strong theory of change that empowers the next generation to tackle pressing environmental issues.

This funding opportunity provides financial support for projects that conserve and improve natural resources, targeting municipalities, nonprofits, schools, and private property owners in Hennepin County.

This grant provides funding to local nonprofit organizations in Manatee County, Florida, to support impactful projects in areas such as arts, education, health, and environmental stewardship.

This program provides financial incentives to certified glass cullet processors in California to expand their processing capacity and promote the use of recycled glass in new beverage containers.

The Aquatic Stewardship Grant Program, formerly known as the Aquatic Education Grant Program, is organized by the ODNR Division of Wildlife. It aims to foster aquatic stewardship through hands-on educational experiences facilitated by partnering organizations. Eligible projects must offer an aquatic education learning experience and include educational components beyond mere fishing skills, aimed at promoting aquatic stewardship. A final report must be submitted to the ODNR Division of Wildlife upon project completion. Suggested activities include the Teen Leadership Fishing Retreat, OSU Stone Lab Program, Water Quality & Fish Monitoring Program, and Aquarium setup for the Trout in the Classroom program. Competitive activities are excluded. Grant renewed every year. Grant Annual opening/closing deadlines: February 1st to March 15th

The Washington State Recreation and Conservation Office administers the Community Forests Program to help communities preserve working forest heritage while balancing economic, environmental, and recreational benefits. The program supports land acquisition and complementary restoration and recreation development to keep working forests intact. Typical projects acquire forestland and may include restoration of forest and habitat health and development of recreation facilities such as trails, trailheads, parking, restrooms, campgrounds, picnic and day use areas, challenge courses, and interpretive displays. Restoration activities may include removal of fish barriers and actions that restore forest health. Approximately 3,000,000 dollars is available for awards. Eligible applicants include cities, counties, and towns, Native American tribes, nonprofit nature conservancy organizations, special purpose districts and other political subdivisions, and state agencies in partnership with one or more of these groups. All projects must include acquisition; restoration and development cannot be stand alone activities. Applications are due May 1, 2024 through the state process. Grant size and duration beyond the available pool are not specified. Further information is provided by the Washington State Recreation and Conservation Office.

The United States Agency for International Development in Vietnam (USAID/Vietnam) is seeking applications from qualified entities to implement the "USAID Reducing Pollution" activity. The overall objective of this activity is to reduce environmental pollution in targeted areas through a collective impact approach. The USAID Reducing Pollution project supports Vietnam’s efforts to address environmental pollution challenges in targeted areas through a collective impact approach. Working in close partnership with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment’s Vietnam Environment Administration (VEA), the project will demonstrate clear connections between environmental benefits and other social benefits, including public health, employment, and sustainable economic growth. COLLECTIVE IMPACT APPROACH A collective impact approach addresses complex challenges by mobilizing diverse actors to collaborate, identify ways to solve a shared problem, and take action based on their roles and comparative advantages. The USAID Reducing Pollution project will follow the collective impact framework to strengthen networks of local organizations, government, private sector, and academic institutions working together to prevent, mitigate, and reduce environmental pollution. SUPPORTING A PORTFOLIO OF COLLECTIVE IMPACT INITIATIVES The project will facilitate a broad consultative process with local government officials, community leaders, local organizations, and motivated businesses to identify 5-7 priority collective impact initiatives that reflect strong political will, community leadership, and engagement from private sector partners to address environmental pollution challenges. Preliminary consultations have identified air pollution and ocean plastics as areas of focus. GRANT-MAKING TO VIETNAMESE LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS To foster Vietnamese leadership in addressing environmental pollution, the project will make grants to a local organization to serve as the “backbone” for each collective impact initiative. These backbone organizations will serve as the local leaders for each initiative by building public support, advancing policy, leveraging additional funding, and designing and implementing targeted awareness and behavior change campaigns. Additional small grants to local research institutions and community-based organizations will provide targeted support for complementary research and advocacy efforts. EXPECTED RESULTS Through the Reducing Pollution project, USAID expects to attain the following results: 1) 5-7 collective impact initiatives launched, including air pollution and ocean plastics; 2) Grants awarded to one backbone organization to lead each initiative; 3) Capacity of backbone organizations and local actors strengthened to advance collective impact initiatives; 4) Sustainable funding mechanisms identified to strengthen long-term effectiveness of collective impact initiatives; and 5) New policies and guidance developed to support the 2020 Law on Environmental Protection and create a stronger enabling environment for addressing environmental pollution challenges.

This program provides financial support and resources to community-driven environmental initiatives in underserved areas of New York, New Jersey, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and federally recognized Indian Nations.

This grant provides financial support to nonprofit organizations and government entities that enhance the welfare of residents in Fayette County, Iowa, through projects in areas such as arts, education, health, and community development.

The Countywide Gender-Based Violence and Trafficking Prevention RFP, funded by the King County Department of Community and Human Services (DCHS) through VSHSL funds, aims to support Domestic Violence, Sexual Violence, and Human Trafficking programs. This initiative aligns with the foundation's mission to foster in-depth, multi-level, coordinated prevention and community engagement strategies. The program specifically targets geographically and culturally diverse communities across King County, Washington, striving to build community bridges through responsive care networks and strengthen prevention efforts. This strategy focuses on preventing all forms of gender-based violence and human trafficking, including domestic violence, sexual assault, and commercial sexual exploitation. It builds upon insights gained from a prior VSHSL pilot program (2018-2023), emphasizing a unified approach to developing and implementing prevention and community engagement strategies tailored to the unique needs of King County's diverse populations. Priorities include prevention awareness and education, alongside survivor-centered advocacy for social change. The expected outcomes of this grant program include a reduction in gender-based violence and human trafficking through enhanced community-based prevention programs. Measurable results will likely involve the number of community-based entities funded, the reach of prevention awareness and education initiatives, and the development of stronger, more responsive care networks. The program's strategic priorities are centered on supporting community-based organizations that can effectively implement these multi-level strategies. DCHS's theory of change appears to be that by investing in community-based entities and strengthening prevention programs, they can create lasting social change and reduce the incidence of gender-based violence and human trafficking. The program encourages proposals from for-profit and nonprofit organizations, community-based organizations, tribes and tribal organizations, and public or governmental agencies serving King County, with a particular emphasis on small nonprofit, community-based Black, Indigenous, and other Communities of Color-led organizations, reinforcing an equitable approach to community impact. The grant period is from October 1, 2024, to December 31, 2027, with up to $5,457,508 in VSHSL funds to be awarded.

The Strengthening the Sector grants program, offered by The Music Man Foundation, is designed to provide initiative-based support to organizations that are actively catalyzing systemic change at the policy level. This program aligns with the foundation's mission by focusing on efforts that reflect music within the organization's activities, underscoring a commitment to arts and community vitality. The foundation seeks to empower non-profit organizations that have a proven track record of mission-aligned programming and have sustained at least one paid employee since March 2023. This strategic focus ensures that the grants support established entities capable of driving significant and lasting change. The target beneficiaries for this program are non-profit organizations that are actively engaged in music-related efforts and operate with a service jurisdiction that includes Los Angeles County, the state of California, or the entire United States. However, it's crucial that programs not focused on California will not be eligible, highlighting a specific geographical priority for the foundation's impact. The primary impact goal is to foster systemic change at the policy level within the arts and community vitality sectors, with a particular emphasis on music's role. The foundation aims to support initiatives that lead to sustainable impacts and demonstrate a clear understanding of the systems they seek to influence. The program prioritizes initiatives that involve advocacy training and tools to build capacity for individuals to proactively influence issues impacting arts and community vitality. Additionally, it focuses on research collection and action plans designed at a scale that can impact policy and field-wide practices. Key focuses include demonstrating accomplishments in systems change, a clear connection between initiatives and systemic change, and a well-defined vision for future intentions. Music must be a primary component of the initiative's efforts, and strategic collaborations or partnerships that reflect intentional efforts to influence system dynamics are highly valued. Expected outcomes include organizations achieving demonstrable accomplishments in systems change and creating sustainable impacts through their programming. Grant recipients are expected to have a clear understanding of the system they aim to impact and be well-positioned to drive that change. Measurable results will stem from the organization's capacity to identify and track progress towards key milestones, both for the organization itself and for the broader system it is impacting. The Music Man Foundation's strategic priorities are deeply rooted in fostering policy-level systemic change, leveraging music as a core element, and supporting organizations with a strong capacity for execution and a clear theory of change that links their initiatives to tangible, lasting impacts.

The 2025 REC for All Support, Engagement, and Events (SEE) Grant, offered by the DC Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR), aims to support community organizations in delivering engaging recreational programming for underserved youth in the District of Columbia. This initiative aligns with Mayor Bowser’s vision of creating inclusive opportunities that enhance physical, social, and emotional well-being. Applications are due by January 8, 2025, at 4:00 PM EST, and must be submitted electronically via the DPR Grants Management System. Late or incomplete submissions will not be accepted. The SEE Grant provides funding in three categories. The Support Grant offers up to $5,000 for purchasing equipment, supplies, or materials to improve existing programs in areas such as sports, cultural arts, and youth development. The Engagement Grant provides up to $10,000 to fund field trips and other youth engagement activities. Finally, the Event and Travel Grant allocates up to $10,000 to support events, tournaments, or travel for youth athletic competitions. Applicants may choose one category and must clearly demonstrate how the funding will enhance their programming. Eligible applicants include nonprofit, community, and faith-based organizations, as well as public and private service providers with a demonstrated track record of effectively engaging youth. Proposals must address the program’s core values of equity, inclusion, empowerment, community, sustainability, and innovation. Applications should include a program description, participant demographics, and an itemized budget with a narrative detailing how the funds will be utilized. Personnel costs are generally disallowed, except for transitional needs. A pre-application meeting will take place on December 17, 2024, at 11:00 AM, offering applicants an opportunity to learn more about the grant requirements and application process. Interested organizations must register by emailing [email protected]. Grantees are required to maintain records for three years post-grant, comply with all reporting and audit requirements, and submit final deliverables no later than 30 days after the program ends. The SEE Grant program has a total funding pool of $550,000, with multiple awards anticipated. Funded programs must operate within the District of Columbia and provide proof of site ownership or occupancy. For additional information or assistance, applicants can contact LaShaun N. Basil at [email protected]. Detailed application instructions and resources are available on the DPR Grants webpage. This funding opportunity is an excellent chance for organizations to expand recreational offerings and create impactful experiences for youth across the city.

This program provides funding to organizations in Maryland that promote equitable access to outdoor recreation for underserved communities, addressing barriers like transportation and cost.

Nature crimes, criminal forms of logging, mining, wildlife trade, land conversion, and associated criminal activities, as well as crimes associated with fishing, pose serious threats to the environment and to national security. They undermine the rule of law and fuel corruption. They also spread disease globally, drive species to the brink of extinction, and rob governments, indigenous peoples, and local communities of their natural resources and legitimate revenue. The goal of this program is to increase global grassroot civil society engagement in addressing nature crimes. To advance the policy goal described above, OES seeks one or two lead implementing partners to form consortia with grassroots civil society organizations across various countries to deploy community-led approaches that address global nature crime trends. By taking advantage of the valuable knowledge offered by these partners, OES aims to strengthen their efforts to expose nature crimes, hold perpetrators accountable, reduce profits from these crimes, and support the environment and local livelihoods.

The Artist Opportunity Grants (AOGs) program, administered by the Arizona Commission on the Arts, aims to support Arizona artists in pursuing unique professional growth opportunities. The core mission of this grant aligns with fostering artistic development and entrepreneurship within the state. It provides financial assistance to artists across all disciplines and career stages, enabling them to engage in activities that significantly impact their careers. The primary beneficiaries of the AOGs are individual artists aged 18 or older and residing in Arizona. Organizations are not eligible to apply. The program seeks to achieve significant impact in three key areas: introducing artists' work to new audiences, developing new artistic skills, and fostering artistic entrepreneurship. The overarching goal is to enhance the professional trajectory and sustainability of Arizona's artistic community. The program prioritizes opportunities that expose artists' work to new audiences, raise their artistic profile, or allow them to present their work in a significant way. It also focuses on skill development through activities such as conferences, artist residencies, workshops, fellowships, master classes, or apprenticeships. Furthermore, the grant supports entrepreneurial expansion, covering expenses like marketing material production, website development, professional fees (e.g., lawyers, accountants), and practice-related capital expenses, including equipment purchases, materials, services, and rental fees. Expected outcomes include artists successfully presenting their work to broader audiences, acquiring new artistic skills, and strengthening their entrepreneurial capacity, ultimately leading to greater professional stability and artistic recognition. While specific measurable results are not explicitly detailed beyond the qualitative impact areas, the focus on "significant impact" implies an assessment of the extent to which these opportunities contribute to an artist's professional growth and reach. The funding period runs from July 1, 2024, to June 30, 2025, with artists eligible to receive one AOG every two fiscal years, indicating a strategic approach to broad and recurring support within the artistic community.

Research grants support studies that address critical gaps in our understanding of natural history and contribute to the conservation and enhancement of aquatic ecosystems and healthy habitats. FAO seeks to fund projects that advance scientific knowledge and practical solutions for environmental challenges in the region, particularly those impacting aquatic biodiversity, water quality, and healthy habitats. Eligible projects include aquatic biodiversity assessments, water quality monitoring and analysis, development and application of innovative technologies and methodologies, collaborative research partnerships across disciplines and sectors, and habitat restoration and conservation efforts. FAO prioritizes projects that can result in scalable change and impact multiple counties. The maximum funding request per project is $25,000, with a total of at least $75,000 available to award. Eligible applicants include public and nonprofit organizations, academic institutions, and groups operating under fiscal sponsorship within the Muskingum Watershed and Appalachian Ohio regions. Applications must be submitted online, and supporting documents emailed to FAO by August 2, 2024. Grant decisions will be announced by September 30, 2024.

The State Urban Forest Resilience (SUFR) Funding Grant, offered by the Indiana Department of Natural Resources (IDNR), aims to restore and improve urban forests in Indiana. Its core mission aligns with environmental resilience and conservation, specifically addressing the catastrophic losses caused by the Emerald Ash Borer (EAB). The grant seeks to build long-term resiliency through increased tree diversity and the protection of existing healthy trees. While a specific "foundation mission" is not explicitly stated in the context, the IDNR's involvement implies a state-level commitment to environmental health and sustainable urban development. The primary target beneficiaries of this grant are municipalities and non-profit 501(c)3 organizations within Indiana. These entities, acting on behalf of their communities, will implement projects that directly impact the health and sustainability of public urban forests. The overarching impact goal is to mitigate the damage caused by the EAB, enhance the ecological integrity of urban areas, and foster community engagement in environmental stewardship. The grant is designed to support a range of activities, from tree removal and treatment to new plantings, all contributing to a more robust and diverse urban canopy. The SUFR Grant prioritizes management and reforestation activities. This includes the removal of EAB-infested or dead Ash trees, insecticidal treatments for threatened Ash trees, and comprehensive tree planting initiatives. A key focus is on replacing removed Ash trees with at least two new trees, promoting native Indiana species, and specifically restricting the planting of Acer genus (maples) to encourage greater biodiversity. Community engagement is a mandatory component of all tree planting projects, emphasizing the importance of local involvement and education in achieving sustainable outcomes. Additionally, applicants must possess an up-to-date tree inventory to demonstrate existing conditions and planned improvements. Expected outcomes include a measurable reduction in EAB impact, an increase in urban forest canopy cover, and a greater diversity of tree species in Indiana's urban areas. For every Ash tree removed, the requirement to plant at least two new trees will directly contribute to reforestation efforts. The restriction on Acer genus planting (with limited exceptions) will lead to a more varied and resilient tree population. Measurable results will stem from the required documentation, including ISA Certified Arborist reports or updated tree inventories, which detail the location and number of trees removed, treated, and planted. This data will allow for tracking the progress and effectiveness of the grant in achieving its goals. The grant's theory of change posits that by investing in strategic urban forest management, coupled with community involvement, Indiana's urban environments will become more resilient to pests and diseases, offering long-term ecological and community benefits.

This funding opportunity is designed for organizations in specific CESU regions to assist the U.S. Army in managing and rehabilitating training lands at Fort Stewart and Hunter Army Airfield in Georgia, while promoting environmental sustainability and military readiness.

This grant provides up to $100,000 to nonprofit organizations for innovative projects that address critical community needs in areas such as culture, education, environment, family, and health & wellness within the Tri-State region.

This grant provides $25,000 to nonprofit organizations and community groups in the U.S. to investigate and address environmental factors linked to cancer in underserved communities.