Local Environment Grants

The Maryland Agricultural Education and Rural Development Assistance Fund (MAERDAF) provides grants to rural-serving nonprofit organizations that promote statewide and regional planning, economic and community development, and agricultural and forestry education. Donor Name: Rural Maryland Council State: Maryland County: All Counties Type of Grant: Grant Deadline: 05/17/2024 Size of the Grant: $10,000 to $100,000 Grant Duration: Less than 1 Year Details: Also eligible are rural community colleges that provide enhanced training and technical assistance to support agricultural and small businesses. The Fund’s goal is to increase the overall capacity of rural-serving nonprofit organizations and community colleges to meet a multitude of rural development challenges and to help them establish new public/private partnerships for leveraging non-state sources of funding. The Rural Maryland Council (RMC) serves as the administrative agency in receiving the applications and disbursing the grants to the successful applicants. Funding Information For Fiscal Year 2025, the State has budgeted $878,964 in General Funds for the MAERDAF program. However, grant awards are subject to funding availability. The maximum grant amount is $45,000. For Fiscal Year 2025, the RMC, as the administrative agent, is encouraging applications that address the following: Agriculture & Forestry Agricultural Education Regional Food System Development Forest Industry Development Energy Combined Heat Power Energy Efficiency Biomass Rural Broadband Rural Broadband Expansion Efforts, including municipal broadband Digital Inclusion Programs Youth Engagement & Leadership Development Career Technology Centers Youth Enrichment Programs, including summer programming Economic Development Entrepreneurship Ecosystem Development Education & Workforce Development Regional Marketing Efforts & Tourism Projects Community Development Rural Transportation Housing repairs Housing counseling Poverty Alleviation Efforts. Grant Period August 1, 2024 and June 30, 2025. Rural Counties  State-determined rural counties are Allegany, Calvert, Caroline, Carroll, Cecil, Charles, Dorchester, Frederick, Garrett, Harford, Kent, Queen Anne’s, St. Mary’s, Somerset, Talbot, Washington, Wicomico and Worcester. Regional projects may include non-rural counties but the majority of service must be provided in rural areas. Eligible Expenditures MAERDAF does not generally fund ongoing staff positions due to sustainability. Grant funds may be used to fund staff time associated with the completion of the proposed project only. Construction and renovation of buildings are eligible expenses. Acquisition of land is not. Please include quotes of expenditures and be shovel-ready. The purchase or rental of vehicles are eligible expenses. Meals are allowable if the costs are reasonable and a justification is provided that such activity maintains the continuity of the meeting and to do otherwise will impose arduous conditions on the meeting participants. Indirect administrative costs are capped at 10%. Eligibility Criteria Applicants must be a 501(c)(3) IRS tax designation or similar and serve a regional or statewide rural constituency. Trade associations are not eligible. Community Colleges, Career Technology Centers, Regional Councils, and Libraries are eligible applicants. The applicant does not have to be located in a rural area or in the area it serves. For more information, visit RMC.

United Way of Dane County is excited to announce the 2025-2026 Impact Grants. Donor Name: United Way of Dane County State: Wisconsin County: Dane County (WI) Type of Grant: Grant Deadline: 05/17/2024 Size of the Grant: $10,000 to $100,000 Grant Duration: 2 Years Details: This Request for Proposals (RFP) encourages organizations doing outstanding work in the areas of Youth Opportunity, Financial Security and Healthy Communities to apply for funding aligning to collective vision. They have an open, competitive application process that identifies which organizations will have the greatest impact in helping us reach our community goals. They are looking to support organizations whose work aligns with United Way of Dane County’s Plan for Community Well-Being. United Way of Dane County are looking to invest in organizations whose work and vision align to the goal to measurably increase individual and family well-being so that every person in Dane County leads a healthy, thriving, and secure life that meets their own defined goals, and that is not impacted by experiences of systemic racism, discrimination, and poverty. To achieve this ambitious goal, the work of United Way of Dane County is dedicated to: Engaging in sustainable, long-term work on systems change with a clear focus on youth opportunity, financial security, and healthy communities in a multi-generational approach. Modeling equitable, anti-racist practices through all work: investments, partnerships, innovation, public policy advocacy, data and research and connection to resources. Cultivating a stronger nonprofit ecosystem through trust-based collaborations to create positive community change. Funding Information Total investment available: approximately $2-$3 million Minimum award: $15,000/year Funding cycle: year 1: January 1, 2025 – December 31, 2025, year 2: January 1, 2026 – December 31, 2026, each year the funding is contingent on Campaign results Eligibility Criteria The following describes what types of organizations are eligible to apply for funding with United Way of Dane County for this Grant. 501(c)(3) organizations in good standing with the IRS (Internal Revenue Service) or nontax-exempt organizations may apply with a Fiscal Agent that is a 501(c)(3). If your organization is applying for investment under Financial Stability strategies, specifically to work aligned with our Women and Wealth Strategies, then non 501(c)(3) organizations are eligible to apply. Priority will be made to BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, or Person of Color) women led and serving organizations. Organizations who provide services to individuals and families in Dane County that align to driving impact in the goals and strategies of the Plan for Community Well-being. Organizations with a current valid EIN Number Organizations will be asked to provide the most recent Form 990 For more information, visit United Way of Dane County.

Open Space Institute and the Land Trust Alliance are pleased to announce the 2024 Land and Climate Grant Program. Donor Name: Open Space Institute State: Selected States County: All Counties Type of Grant: Grant Deadline: 05/17/2024 Size of the Grant: $100,000 to $500,000 Grant Duration: 1 Year Details: The program aims to support and build the capacity of land trusts and other groups that conserve and steward land to integrate climate change into land protection and management decisions. The program will support the development of climate-informed land conservation, stewardship, policy, or communications plans that address one or more of the following issues habitat resilience, carbon mitigation, renewable energy siting or community adaptation to climate impacts such as stronger storms, flooding, drought, fire or extreme heat. Projects should achieve one or more of the following deliverables: Land protection plans Incorporate climate science into new or existing strategic conservation plans that target land protection for climate adaptation or mitigation. Management plans Incorporate climate science into land stewardship or management plans to address adaptation and/or mitigation strategies. Communications plans Develop a comprehensive climate communication strategy that promotes the adaptation and mitigation goals of the organization and its conservation or stewardship plans. Renewable Energy Siting Plans Develop a plan, decision matrix and/or policies to guide organizational engagement with renewable energy siting on conservation lands and/or in service areas. Funding Information Through the program, Land Trust Alliance and Open Space Institute will award $200,000 to support projects in the 2024 grant round. Projects must begin in 2024 and be completed by Dec. 1, 2025. Eligible Use of Grant Funds The grants may be used to cover costs associated with the development of strategic conservation plans or land management plans as described above and/or to develop internal policies, procedures, and communications in support of this work. Eligible costs include, but are not limited to staff time, travel, graphic design, printing, mailing, indirect costs (up to 15%) and project consultants. Eligibility Criteria Land Trust Alliance Grants Land Trust Alliance member land trusts and Affiliate state land trust associations are eligible to apply. Applicants must have been a qualified organization under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code for at least two years, or, in the case of affiliate member state land trust associations, have an established fiduciary meeting this qualification. Applicants must be a current member in good standing of the Land Trust Alliance. Preference is given to accredited land trusts and organizations with a board-approved plan to pursue accreditation. Geographic eligibility: Nation-wide. Open Space Institute The following entities are eligible to apply for Open Space Institute grants: 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organizations or organizations that otherwise fulfill a similar not-for-profit charitable purpose State or federally recognized Tribes Open Space Institute will consider applications from the following regions and states: Northern New England: Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine Delaware River Watershed: Portions of New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Delaware. Open Space Institute will award grants to support land conservation and land stewardship plans that address climate resilience with a preference for projects that integrate forest carbon and/or mitigation of flood hazard or other climate impacts to communities. For more information, visit Open Space Institute.