Regional Funding Opportunities

Northeast

Stellar Jay, Simon Richards via BirdShare

Cell Signaling Technology’s Environmental Grants: Cell Signaling Technology’s Environmental Grants are available for nonprofit organizations that conduct research, stewardship activities, and community engagement related to wildlife and ecosystem conservation.

  • Location: Preference given to applicants from the North Shore of Boston
  • RFP Date: May 1
  • Amount: $500 to $8,000

The Champlin Foundation: Supports nonprofit organizations and agencies working in nine different fields, including conservation and parks.

  • Location: Rhode Island
  • RFP Date: Varies with grant stream
  • Amount: Unspecified

Connecticut Ornithological Association: The purpose of the COA Mini-grant committee is to help fund and support initiatives within the state of Connecticut which specifically benefit the avian wildlife in our state. It has always been part of COA’s mission to reach out to all of those in Connecticut who appreciate our state’s birds and support bird management/conservation initiatives whenever possible.

  • Location: CT
  • RFP Date: Jan. 15
  • Amount: Up to $2,500

Davis Conservation Foundation: The Davis Conservation Foundation offers grants for efforts to support wildlife protection, habitat conservation, and outdoor recreation that engages with local community members and volunteers.

  • Location: Northern New England
  • RFP Date: April 10 and October 10
  • Amount: Unspecified

Fields Pond Foundation: The primary mission of Fields Pond Foundation is to provide financial assistance to nature and land conservation organizations that are community-based and that serve to increase environmental awareness by involving local residents in conservation issues.

  • Location: New England and upper New York State
  • RFP Date: Applications selected on a rolling basis
  • Amount: $500 to $25,000

Greenway Ecological Fund: The Greenway Ecological Standing Committee offers the Greenway Ecological Fund for projects that increase or protect the ecological health of the Niagara Greenway.

  • Location: Buffalo-Niagara Region in New York
  • RFP Date: January 25 and June 21
  • Amount: Unspecified

John Sage Foundation: The John Sage Foundation provides grants for land acquisition and easements, water monitoring, and environmental education programs that benefit human-environment relationships.

  • Location: Maine
  • RFP Date: April 30
  • Amount: Unspecified

Maine Outdoor Heritage Fund: promotes conservation of Maine’s fish and wildlife habitat, acquisition and management of special places, endangered species, and conservation law enforcement.

  • Location: Maine
  • RFP Date: January 15 (Spring Round) & July 15 (Fall Round)
  • Amount: Unspecified

MassWildlife Habitat Management Grant Program: Provides assistance to private and municipal owners of protected lands to enhance wildlife habitat, while promoting public access for outdoor recreation.

  • Location: Massachussetts
  • RFP Date: Fall
  • Amount: $10,000 to $75,000

National Fish and Wildlife Foundation’s Delaware Watershed Conservation Fund: The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation’s Delaware Watershed Conservation Fund aims to protect the water quality, wildlife habitat, recreation opportunities in the Delaware River Watershed.

  • Location: Delaware River Watershed (New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Delaware)
  • RFP Date: April 1
  • Amount: $75,000 to $750,000

The Nature Conservancy’s New York Climate Resilience Grant Program: The Climate Resilience Grant Program (CRGP) offers grants to non-profit 501(c)(3) conservation and community organizations, municipalities, tribal entities and local and state agencies for projects that protect lands and waters critical for adapting to climate change.

  • Location: New York
  • RFP Date: Opens in fall and closes in spring
  • Amount: Up to $50,000

Northeast Wilderness Trust: Eligible land trusts can apply for financial support to help cover project costs associated with protecting wilderness across the Northeast.

  • Location: New England and northern New York
  • RFP Date: October 18
  • Amount: Up to $250,000 to support new land acquisitions and up to $100,000 to add forever-wild protections to existing preserves

Onion Foundation: Offers environmental grants for organizations that promote environmental stewardship and education, climate adaption, outdoor recreation, and scientific research.

  • Location: Maine
  • RFP Date: March 9 and October 5
  • Amount: Between $5,000 and $20,000

PPL Foundation’s Empowering Communities Grants: Funding for programs that protect the environment and improve people’s lives.

  • Location: Pennsylvania counties served by PPL Electric Utilities
  • RFP Date: June 15
  • Amount: Unspecified

The Salazar Center’s Peregrine Accelerator: Invests in ideas that contribute to national and global targets for biodiversity and climate, advance community wellbeing, and address environmental inequities and injustice.

Vermont Outdoor Recreation Community Grant Program: Funds community projects that leverage outdoor recreation, which are defined as leisure, sport, and therapeutic recreation activities pursued outdoors, mainly in a natural setting. 

  • Location: Vermont
  • RFP Date: TBD, based on future funding allocations from the legislature
  • Amount: Depends on grant track – No match required

Vermont Recreational Trails Program: Provides annual funding to municipalities, non-profit organizations, and other governmental entities for the development and restoration of public recreational trails.

  • Location: Vermont
  • RFP Date: Next round opens October 2024
  • Amount: $50,000 maximum with no minimum (20% match required)

William Penn Foundation’s Delaware River Watershed Initiative: The William Penn Foundation funds the Delaware River Watershed Initiative grants for science-based water quality improvement and land conservation efforts at the sub-watershed level.

  • Location: Delaware River Watershed (New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Delaware)
  • Inquiry Dates for proposals above $110,000: September 11, November 30, February 26, June 18
  • Inquiries are accepted on a rolling basis for grant applications at or below $110,000

Southeast and South Central

Arkansas State Wildlife Grant: The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission allocates funding from the Arkansas State Wildlife Grant to projects that support the conservation of wildlife and habitat. For instance, these funds have been used in the past to identify Important Bird Areas.

  • Location: Arkansas
  • RFP Date: March 4
  • Amount: $10,000 to $200,000

The Brown Foundation: Reviews requests from nonprofit organizations for general operating funds, program support, and capital campaigns/projects.

  • Location: Texas
  • RFP Date: Quarterly
  • Amount: Unspecified

The Community Foundation of Western North Carolina: Makes grants and works with fundholders to support promising projects across 18 counties.

  • Location: North Carolina
  • RFP Date: Varies with grant stream
  • Amount: Varies with grant stream

Duke Energy Foundation: Philanthropy focused on vibrant economies; climate resiliency; and justice, equity and inclusion.

  • Location: NC, SC, FL, OH, KY, IN
  • RFP Date: Rolling
  • Amount: $20,000 and less

Environmental Fund of Texas: The Environmental Fund of Texas provides grants for collaborative projects, start-up projects, and multi-year projects that protect and restore the water, natural areas, native wildlife of Texas.

  • Location: Texas
  • RFP Date: Applications selected on a rolling basis
  • Amount: Dependent on type of application, $2,500 to $50,000 spread over multiple years

Georgia Outdoor Stewardship Program: Provides a dedicated funding mechanism to support parks and trails and protect and acquire lands critical to wildlife, clean water, and outdoor recreation.

  • Location: Georgia
  • RFP Date: Pre-application due October 15
  • Amount: $500,000 to $3,000,000 (25% match)

The Longleaf Alliance Planting Funds: Works with multiple partners to provide longleaf pine seedling funds to public and private landowners.

  • Location: Unspecified
  • RFP Date: June 1
  • Amount: Requests must include a minimum of 5,000 trees

Manatee Community Foundation: MCF funds arts, human services, education, animal welfare, environmental, civic engagement, and health related causes.

  • Location: Florida
  • RFP Date: Reviews applications monthly
  • Amount: Considers grants of any size, requests greater than $10,000 require additional communication with the foundation

National Fish and Wildlife Foundation’s Small Watershed Grants Program: The Small Watershed Grants awarded by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation seek to support community-based conservation and restoration of the Chesapeake Bay watershed.

  • Location: Chesapeake Bay Watershed
  • RFP Date: April 29
  • Amount: $75,000 to $500,000

Texas Parks and Wildlife Landowner Incentive Program: The Texas Parks and Wildlife Landowner Incentive Program offers grants for conservation practices that support healthy watersheds and projects that support habitat for threatened native species.

  • Location: Texas
  • RFP Date: February 2023
  • Amount: Unspecified, minimum 25% match

Midwest

Bruce Krier Charitable Foundation: Supports education and the environment with a specific focus on educational grants to local schools, local environmental programs, and college scholarships for graduates of local high schools.

  • Location: Wisconsin
  • RFP Date: February 28
  • Amount: Unspecified

Consumers Energy Foundation: Environmental grants support removal of invasive species, conservation of natural resources and fostering of stewardship and environmental education.

  • Location: Michigan
  • RFP Date: Applications selected on a rolling basis
  • Amount: $5,000 and $50,000

Cook Family Foundation: Seeks to protect and enhance natural areas and agricultural lands in the Shiawassee watershed to improve water quality, protect wildlife, facilitate access to nature, and mitigate and prevent the impacts of climate change.

  • Location: Shiawassee County and the Shiawassee River watershed, Michigan
  • RFP Date: April 1 and November 1
  • Amount: Unspecified

Douglas County Community Foundation: Supports a wide variety of activities that improve the lives of Douglas County, Kansas, residents.

  • Location: Douglas County, Kansas
  • RFP Date: Unspecified
  • Amount: $1,000 to $10,000

Illinois Forestry Development Council Grants: Funds publications, technical reports, assessments, and directories; training, curricula development, websites, webinars, and videos; seminars, field days, workshops, conferences, and
demonstration sites; and other projects that specifically address issues outlined in Illinois’ Forest Action Plan.

  • Location: Illinois
  • RFP Date: July 1
  • Amount: Up to $10,000

Marshall Community Foundation: Funds projects to increase community wellbeing and local nonprofit capacity.

  • Location: Marshall and Calhoun County, Michigan
  • RFP Date: January 1, April 1, July 1, and October 1
  • Amount: Up to $25,000

Minnesota Department of Natural Resources Conservation Partners Legacy Grant Program: The Conservation Partners Legacy (CPL) Grant Program funds conservation projects that restore, enhance, or protect forests, wetlands, prairies, and habitat for fish, game, and wildlife in Minnesota.

  • Location: Minnesota
  • Date:  RFP and complete funding schedule will be available in mid-July 2022. Application system opens August 1, 2022
  • Amount: $5,000 to $500,000, 10% match required

Stamp Funds – Wild Turkey, Pheasant and Waterfowl: To provide funding to support the development, maintenance, preservation, restoration and maintenance of each species and its associated habitat in Wisconsin. All non-profit conservation organizations and units of government are eligible to apply.

  • Location: Wisconsin
  • RFP Date: RFP will open in spring 2023
  • Amount: Funding is allotted in two-year cycles. On average, the following amount is available during each biennium: Wild Turkey = $1.5 million; Pheasant = $300,000; Waterfowl = $700,000

West

The Alaska Community Foundation: Brings together people, ideas, and resources to make lasting improvements, respecting that local communities have the ability to address their needs best.

  • Location: Alaska
  • RFP Date: Varies with grant stream
  • Amount: Varies with grant stream

Alaska Conservation Foundation: Serves as funder and supportive resource for a diverse community of nonprofits working to protect and wisely manage Alaska’s natural resources. 

  • Location: Alaska
  • RFP Date: Varies with grant stream
  • Amount: Varies with grant stream

Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management’s Invasive Plant Grants: The Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management offers funding for efforts to manage or eradicate invasive plant species from forest and rangeland areas.

  • Location: Arizona
  • RFP Date: July 29
  • Amount: $10,000-$200,000

The Burning Foundation: Supplies financial assistance to organizations that engage in the preservation of habitat that supports biodiversity and quiet remote recreation.

  • Location: Washington and Oregon
  • RFP Date: Spring and fall cycles
  • Amount: Unspecified

California Department of Conservation’s Planning Grant: Provides funds for the creation and implementation of strategic planning for the preservation of agricultural land that is at risk for development.

  • Location: California
  • RFP Date: July 1
  • Amount: Up to $250,000

Cinnabar Foundation: Grants apply in the following program areas:  Stewardship of Public Lands, Land Use on Public and Private Lands, Protecting Open Space and Wildlife Habitat from Subdivision and Development, Maintaining or Restoring Landscape and Habitat Connectivity, Indiscriminate Natural Resource Extraction, Air and Water Quality and Quantity, Community Support and Advocacy for Sound Conservation and Environmental Policies

  • Location: Montana or Yellowstone Ecosystem
  • RFP Date: March 31
  • Amount: Up to $15,000

Great Outdoors Colorado Habitat Restoration Grants: GOCO offers competitive grant programs for outdoor recreation and land conservation projects in the state of Colorado. Habitat restoration grant cycle for proposals that seek to improve and restore Colorado’s rivers, streams, wetlands, and critical habitat.

  • Location: Colorado
  • RFP Date: December 2
  • Amount: Varies amongst each grant

Icicle Fund: Supports non-profit organizations that develop North Central Washington as a region where nature, the arts, and an understanding of natural and human history encourage appreciation, care and stewardship of this special place.

  • Location: Washington
  • RFP Date: December 1, 2023
  • Amount: Varies by project; minimum grant amount is $3,000 and there is no top limit

Meg and Bert Raynes Wildlife Fund: Grant program aims to initiate, augment, or simply fund projects or activities to help maintain viable and sustainable wildlife populations into the future, especially in Wyoming and Jackson Hole, through support of research, education, habitat protection and habitat restoration.

  • Location: Wyoming
  • RFP Date: February 1
  • Amount: $1,000 to $5,000

M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust: Helps support community-focused organizations at every level of their development through grants, programming, and other resources.

  • Location: Pacific Northwest (including Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington)
  • RFP Date: Varies with grant stream
  • Amount: Varies with grant stream

New Mexico Department of Agriculture’s Healthy Soil Program: Created in 2019 following the passage of the Healthy Soil Act, New Mexico Department of Agriculture’s Healthy Soil Program awards grants to organizations that work to improve soil quality and practices that protect soil health.

  • Location: New Mexico
  • RFP Date: May 12
  • Amount: An Eligible Entity that is registered to do business with the federal government (via SAM.gov) may seek as much as to $100,000.00 from NMDA’s Healthy Soil Program. An Eligible Entity that is not registered may seek as much as $24,999.99. That is because NMDA’s Healthy Soil Program receives federal funding from USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). An Individual Applicant may seek up to $22,000.00 in project funds.

Oregon Advancing Conservation Excellence (ACE) Grant: The Oregon ACE program is to ensure highly effective, sustainable Oregon land trusts by building their capacity to generate broad and deep support for land conservation, support community priorities, and strategically conserve and steward the region’s natural heritage, agricultural lands, and high quality of life.

  • Location: Oregon
  • RFP Date: August 1
  • Grant Amount: Grant requires minimum 20% cash match against grant request

Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board: Offers a variety of grants for acquisition, operating capacity, partnerships, restoration, and monitoring.

  • Location: Oregon
  • RFP Date: Varies with grant stream
  • Amount: Varies with grant stream

Oregon Wildlife Foundation Grants: Offers small grant awards to the Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife (ODFW), tax-exempt organizations, volunteer groups with a fiscal sponsor, and qualified individuals for projects that fall within the following areas: 1) fish and/or wildlife habitat restoration, 2) public access preservation, restoration, or improvement, 3) natural resource or outdoor education, 4) invasive species removal or control, and 5) studies that support improved fish/wildlife management.

  • Location: Oregon
  • RFP Date: Quarterly, February 10, May 12, August 18, October 3
  • Amount: Up to $5,000, requires dollar-for-dollar match. If applying for more than $5,000 contact in advance of application.

Recreational Trails Program: The California Department of Parks and Recreation and the Department of Transportation provide funding through the Recreational Trails Program for projects related to trails for non-motorized recreational activities.

  • Location: California
  • RFP: April 7
  • Amount: No greater than $2,000,000 per application, with a 12% match requirement

Restoration and Stewardship of Outdoor Resources and Environment (RESTORE): The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation provides RESTORE grants for projects that aim to restore or conserve wildlife habitat.

  • Location: Colorado
  • RFP: October 29
  • Amount: $100,000 to $2,500,000

Rose Foundation: Offers a variety of environmental grants, including several grants for watershed and river conservation projects in the Pacific Northwest.

  • Location: California, Washington, and Oregon
  • RFP Date: Varies amongst each grant
  • Amount: Varies amongst each grant

Sacramento Audubon Conservation Grant: Sacramento Audubon Society would like to fund community-based conservation projects that promote the mission of the Society.  We believe that when organizations work together, we can exponentially magnify our impact.  The projects should conserve (or restore) habitats, or help protect species.

  • Location: Within 50 miles of Sacramento, CA
  • RFP Date: October 15 and April 15
  • Amount: Up to $1,500

Santa Barbara Associated Students Coastal Fund: Provides grants for initiatives to protect and restore coastline habitats along the University of California Santa Barbara campus.

  • Location: Santa Barbara, California
  • RFP Date: Major applications, April 8; Minor applications, May 13
  • Amount: Major applications, $3,000 to $15,000; Minor applications, $1,000 or less

Shield-Ayres Foundation: The foundation’s environmental grants are targeted at reducing the impact of growth and development on our environment with working areas of: land and water conservation, endangered species protection, environmental education, access to natural spaces and advocacy for public policy initiatives to support environmental stewardship.

  • Location: Texas: Edwards Plateau, the Gulf Coast, and the Trans Pecos regions
  • RFP Date: February 15 to August 15
  • Amount: Most awarded grants are around $10,000, accepts applications for any amount

Southwest Rivers Headwaters Fund: Dedicated to restoring, protecting, and enhancing aquatic and riparian species and their habitats in the headwaters of the Rio Grande and Colorado River watersheds.

  • Location: Headwaters of the Rio Grande and Colorado River watersheds
  • RFP Date: Unspecified
  • Amount: Unspecified

Washington Department of Natural Resources Forest Health Program: Through their Forest Health Program, the Washington Department of Natural Resources offers the Building Forest Partnerships Competitive Grant Program to increase collaborative efforts to improve forest health.

  • Location: Washington
  • RFP Date: April 23
  • Amount: Up to $50,000

Wildlife Conservation Board’s Stream Flow Enhancement Program: Provides funding for projects that enhance stream flow for the benefit of fish and wildlife.

  • Location: California
  • RFP Date: October 1
  • Amount: Projects that are scientific studies can request up to $3,000,000, no limit on other types of projects such as acquisitions, conservation implementation, or conservation planning

Wildlife Conservation Board’s Pacific Flyway Program: Offers grants for projects that protect or restore migratory bird habitat or biodiversity along the Pacific Flyway.

  • Location: California
  • RFP Date: Depends on grant
  • Amount: $100,000 to $12,000,000

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