Natural Resources Grants

The Forecast Public Art’s Midwest Memory Grant, ranging from $10,000 to $100,000, is open to non-profit organizations in rural Midwest communities, aiming to elevate and preserve the stories of BIPOC communities through monuments, with a focus on addressing systemic inequities and advancing racial justice.

The Vision Partnership Program (VPP) – Cash Grant is offered by Chester County to its municipalities and multi-municipal groups. Established in 1996, and revised in 2010 and 2019 to align with Landscapes and then Landscapes2 and Landscapes3, the program aims to improve planning efforts at the local level. This grant program is deeply aligned with Chester County's comprehensive plan, Landscapes3, by promoting consistency and implementation of its goals, objectives, recommendations, and map. The core mission of the VPP is to foster cooperation between local governments and the County to achieve impactful, lasting, and positive benefits through innovative municipal and multi-municipal planning. The VPP targets all Chester County municipalities that have endorsed or acknowledged Landscapes3, including single municipalities or multi-municipal groups. The program aims to achieve a variety of impact goals, such as advancing consistency with the county comprehensive plan, accomplishing positive benefits for municipalities through innovative planning, and addressing community concerns through new and revised municipal plans, ordinances, and planning studies. The program prioritizes projects enabled by the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code (MPC), Act 247, and also includes "Planning Studies" for projects not adopted under the MPC. The VPP focuses on a broad range of eligible projects. These include comprehensive plans, open space, park, and recreation plans, zoning and subdivision ordinances and amendments (covering topics like agriculture, historic resources, natural resources, housing, and traditional neighborhood development), official maps and ordinances, urban center revitalization plans, resource protection/stewardship plans, environmental and community sustainability/resilience plans, community design guides, village master plans, heritage interpretation plans, historic resource surveys, housing plans/studies, economic development studies, transportation corridor plans/studies, streetscape master plans, multimodal plans/studies, trail feasibility studies, and plans/ordinances that support the transition to renewable or alternative energy, as well as agricultural economic development plans. Expected outcomes of the VPP include the successful adoption of plans or ordinances, for which grants of $50,000 are provided, with an additional $10,000 for each additional municipality involved. For planning studies, the expected outcome is acceptance, with grants of $30,000 plus $5,000 for each additional municipality. The strategic priorities of Chester County, as evidenced by the VPP, are to support local governments in developing robust planning programs that align with the county's comprehensive vision, ultimately leading to well-planned, sustainable communities. The theory of change is that by providing financial incentives and guidance, municipalities will be empowered to implement the principles of Landscapes3, resulting in tangible community improvements and a coordinated approach to regional development.

This funding opportunity provides financial support to government entities and educational institutions in Georgia for implementing strategies outlined in the Regional Water Plans, requiring a matching contribution from applicants.

This grant provides funding to U.S. states, territories, and designated local agencies to build and maintain facilities that prevent pollution from recreational boat sewage, improving water quality in public waterways.

This grant provides funding for innovative research, education, and outreach projects that promote ocean exploration and enhance environmental literacy, particularly in diverse and hybrid learning environments.

Funding and Duration: Grant amounts for the conventional program range from $100,000 to $500,000. The maximum grant duration is two (2) years, eight (8) months, and grant funds cannot be expended before November 1, 2025, or after June 30, 2028.   Projects submitted through the Additional Assistance for Historically Underrepresented Organizations (Additional Assistance) Program will range from $100,000 to $250,000. Program requirements and submission deadlines differ for Additional Assistance Program applicants. Please reference the 2025 Request for Concept Proposals - Additional Assistance Program or email [email protected] for more information.   CDFA reserves the right to offer an award amount different than the amount requested.    

The "Vermont NRCS FY24 Conservation Solutions Through Strategic Partnerships Announcement for Funding" is a funding opportunity by the USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service, offering up to $1.2 million to local governments, tribal governments, non-profits, and educational institutions in Vermont for projects that enhance natural resource management, increase conservation delivery, and support climate-smart agriculture and forestry through strategic partnerships.

This funding opportunity supports research, education, and innovative projects that enhance understanding and management of ocean resources, targeting a wide range of eligible applicants including universities, nonprofits, and governments.

This funding opportunity is designed to support Federally Recognized Tribes, Alaska Native Corporations, and Villages in collaborative projects that restore forest landscapes, improve wildlife habitats, and enhance water quality while addressing wildfire risks and invasive species.

This funding opportunity supports collaborative restoration projects in priority forest landscapes across thirteen Southern States, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, requiring sponsorship from a State Forester for non-tribal applicants.

This grant provides funding for innovative projects and research that support NOAA's mission goals, particularly in climate adaptation and mitigation, targeting educational institutions, non-profits, and other organizations involved in environmental science and education.

This program provides funding for innovative research and technology projects that enhance the work of arborists, focusing on areas like plant propagation, selection, and establishment.

This program provides funding to various organizations and individuals in Florida to support projects that protect and conserve the state's wildlife and natural habitats.

This grant provides funding for international researchers to conduct studies in arboriculture and urban forestry, focusing on tree health, risk assessment, and innovative practices.

This program provides financial assistance to local governments, schools, and nonprofits in Indiana to enhance recycling, waste reduction, and sustainability initiatives.

This funding opportunity provides financial support for collaborative forest and ecosystem restoration projects in the western U.S. and Pacific Islands, targeting state and local agencies, Tribes, nonprofits, and universities to improve environmental health and resilience.

This funding opportunity supports non-profit organizations in Rush County, Indiana, to implement projects that enhance local parks and recreational facilities, benefiting the community and addressing current needs.

The Lake County Community Foundation Fall Grant focuses on two key priority areas: Leadership Development and Animal Welfare. The Foundation's mission is aligned with fostering a stronger nonprofit sector through leadership development opportunities that benefit Lake County's broader nonprofit community, rather than individual organizations. For animal welfare, the Foundation, through the Lake County Humane Society Fund, seeks to cultivate innovative approaches and address unmet needs for animals in Lake County. This grant embodies the Foundation's commitment to strategic investments that strengthen the community. Within Leadership Development, the Foundation prioritizes projects that build a pipeline of competent, emerging leaders for the county's nonprofit sector. A crucial aspect is increasing access to quality programming for leaders of color and other underrepresented groups, ensuring a diverse and inclusive leadership base. The ultimate goal is to equip leaders to better serve their nonprofit organizations, clients, and communities, thereby amplifying their collective impact across Lake County. This approach reflects the Foundation's theory of change, which posits that investing in leadership capacity will lead to more effective and sustainable social impact. For Animal Welfare, the grant targets organizations dedicated to the needs of animals in Lake County. The focus is on innovative approaches to support animal welfare and addressing needs where the applicant is the sole service provider. This area aligns with the Foundation's broader aim of addressing critical community needs and fostering a compassionate environment for all residents, including animals. The expected outcome is improved animal welfare through targeted interventions and support for organizations making a significant difference in this area. The Foundation's strategic pillars of Economic Justice, Community Ownership, and Rapid Community Response guide the evaluation criteria for all applications. Successful proposals will demonstrate alignment with these pillars and respond to high-priority needs identified by current Lake County data. The Foundation also emphasizes diversity and equity within applicant organizations, seeking staff, leadership, and boards that reflect the communities they serve. Furthermore, strong, documented partnerships, the potential to leverage other resources, and a high probability of affecting significant change over the next three years are key considerations, along with cost-effective service delivery and a proven track record of achieving outcomes. These criteria underscore the Foundation's commitment to impactful, sustainable change.

This program provides funding to landowners of working forests and rangelands in California to protect and manage their properties while allowing them to retain ownership and certain rights, promoting conservation of important environmental and cultural values.

CalRecycle is seeking projects that implement new programs or enhance existing programs to provide convenient beverage container recycling opportunities in various locations statewide. Eligible projects include:• Multi-family residential dwellings (five units or more).• Public colleges/universities, non-profit colleges/universities, and public K-12 school districts.• Curbside Residential Program locations (excluding single stream).• Community events including, but not limited to, those sponsored by local jurisdictions.• Parks/recreational areas.• Purchase of water refill stations, including installation, replacement of current infrastructure, plumbing, maintenance, additional attachments or modifications, or related educational and outreach activities/materials promoting water refill stations.• Litter reduction and cleanup along the United States-Mexico border where the waste stream includes beverage containers that will be recycled. o Out of State beverage containers collected as part of the litter abatement and cleanup projects cannot be funded under this grant program. Ongoing collection programs may include the following activities as a component of the grant project:• Temporary Community events (i.e., recycling or collection events sponsored by local jurisdictions, Earth Day events).• Drop-off, Collection Program, or Community Service Program.• Education and Outreach related to beverage container recycling. Note: Education activities and/or materials (signage, flyers, curriculum, etc.) related to the beverage container recycling project are capped at 25 percent of the total grant award. • Funding must have a direct connection to the California Redemption Value (CRV) of beverage containers and the overall program. If non-CRV items are included in the grant, they are subject to proportional cost. For example: a three-bin system with composting, paper and CRV recycling, can only be funded at one third of the cost. A mixed recycling bin will be funded proportionately based on the CRV content of materials collected. Priority funding will be given to Tribal Entities and applicants with litter abatement projects along the United States-Mexico border. Applicants who meet the criteria will be given priority and will be considered for funding first.