Joint Ventures and National Funding Opportunities

Photo credit: Alex Chang

Joint Ventures

Joint Ventures (JV) are partnerships for bird conservation that can help land trusts seeking federal grant funds. One of the many benefits of participating in a JV partnership is improved access to funding. JVs also help partners find other sources of funding for conservation projects. One example of a potential source is the North American Wetlands Conservation Act (NAWCA), featured above. JVs can help advise partners in building competitive NAWCA grant submissions.

More information on Joint Ventures can be found in our Resources section, or by clicking here.

AmeriCorps: AmeriCorps provides support to organizations dedicated to the improvement of communities through funding and people power.

  • Location: National
  • RFP Date: Varies amongst each grant
  • Amount: Varies amongst each grant

Apex Community Grant Program: The program’s goal is to fund projects and programs that build safe and healthy communities, create economic opportunity, encourage environmental sustainability, and promote education. Funds are awarded on a regular basis through development, construction, and operations once the program is launched for an Apex project.

  • Location: National
  • RFP Date: Unspecified
  • Amount: $1,000 to $10,000

Catalyzing Agroforestry Grant Program: Direct financial support is available through the program for landowners, managers, and community land project coordinators who seek to mitigate climate change through use of agroforestry applications.

  • Location: All states except Alaska
  • RFP Date: Rolling
  • Amount: Up to $1500/acre for all field-based agroforestry practices, up to $1,000 for 1/4 acre for forest farming, and up to $500/acre for site preparation (depending on project scale and scope) 

ConocoPhillips SPIRIT of Conservation Program: Grants to help reduce barriers to migration, restore priority habitats and improve conservation practices on working lands.

  • Location: Alaska, Colorado, Louisiana, Montana, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, and Wyoming
  • RFP Date: July 20
  • Amount: $50,000 to $250,000, minimum 1:1 funding match

David and Lucile Packard Foundation: The David and Lucile Packard Foundation offers a wide number of Conservation and Science grants for projects that concurrently restore ecosystems and enhance human well-being in a variety of contexts including ocean, land, agriculture, and livelihoods.

  • Location: National
  • RFP Date: Varies amongst each grant
  • Amount: Varies amongst each grant

Leiter Family Foundation: The Leiter Family Foundation provides funding for habitat preservation and environmental education programs facilitated by community based nonprofit organizations, especially those that engage multiple organizations.

  • Location: National
  • RFP Date: June 1 and December 1
  • Amount: $2,000 to $10,000

REI Cooperative Action Fund: The REI Cooperative Action Fund directly supports organizations promoting justice, equity, and belonging in the outdoors to strengthen the health and well-being of people and communities.

  • Location: National
  • RFP Date: Spring and fall
  • Amount: Varies amongst each grant

Robert F Schumann Foundation: The Robert F Schumann Foundation supports nonprofit projects that support wildlife conservation, with an emphasis on birds, and landscape conservation, with an emphasis on open space habitats.

  • Location: Special consideration given to Northeast, Mid-Atlantic and East Coast regions
  • RFP Date: February 28
  • Amount: Unspecified

Volgenau Foundation: The Volgenau Foundation believes that preservation of the environment is essential to the survival of life on our planet and that people are inspired and enriched by nature: 1) Mitigation of human impacts on the environment — TVF supports organizations that mitigate negative human impacts on the environment through activities that (a) protect and restore land, water, and air resources or (b) protect wildlife, especially species threatened by human activity. 2) Place-based conservation – TVF supports conservation strategies that benefit local economies, enrich local communities, and protect environments in places that have significance for our trustees. 3) Analysis of research to identify solutions – TVF supports the analysis of past, current, and ongoing research, especially analysis that leads to action that addresses our conservation goals.

  • Location: National
  • RFP Date: By Invitation Only
  • Amount: Unspecified

Walmart Spark Good Local Grants: Each year, Walmart U.S. stores, Sam’s Clubs, and Distribution Centers award local cash grants to address the unique needs of the communities where they operate. 

  • Location: National
  • RFP Date: Quarterly
  • Amount: $250 to $5,000

The above granting agencies were pulled from small grant applications where applicants received matching funds from these various grant opportunities.