Select Priority Funding Opportunities
The fourth step is identifying funding and financing opportunities that align with your project needs, goals, and priority benefits. The below database includes 50+ available grants, but is designed to help you find the best funding opportunities to match your selected priority project as well as the contact information needed to establish relationships with the program administrators.
To narrow down the list, first, identify your applicant type. This could be “State Governments,” “Local Governments,” “Tribal Governments,” and “Other.” Next, select the project driver that best identifies the key factor that motivated you to begin the selected priority project. The project driver filter options are “Conservation & Restoration,” “Flooding,” “Infrastructure Resilience,” “Recreation,” and “Stormwater.”
From there, you can select your key project goal. The project goal filter options are “Coastal Resilience,” “Economic Development,” “Water Quality Development,” and “Wildlife Habitat & Biodiversity.” The project goals often reflect your community needs.
Finally, select the state where your project will be located. From the dropdown menu, you can select “Michigan,” “Wisconsin,” or “All” for a project that will bridge across both states.
Once you’ve found your priority fund options, use the “Print This” or “Email This” buttons to save your selections.
Start exploring!
Climate-Ready Workforce
Project Type: Planning
Through a new competition and technical assistance, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) will invest approximately $60 million to meet the emerging and existing needs of employers while helping workers find high quality jobs by investing in workforce training focused on climate resilience concepts, principles, and techniques and implementation, and ensuring direct hire or promotion into jobs related to climate resilience with an emphasis on training and hiring in place, especially to benefit underserved communities.
NOAA will assist communities in coastal and Great Lakes states and territories so they may form partnerships that train workers and place them into jobs that enhance climate resilience.
Click through the sections below to learn more about this funding opportunity.
Go to Grant WebsiteGrant Priorities
NOAA will give priority to applications that advance equity for all, including people of color and others who have been historically marginalized, underserved, and underrepresented and adversely affected by persistent poverty and inequality. NOAA also prioritizes efforts to reach individuals from historically underserved communities and to benefit disadvantaged communities.
For a full list of grant priorities, please refer to the Notice of Funding Opportunity here.
Click on the next section to learn more about this funding opportunity’s eligibility requirements.
Eligibility Requirements
The eligibility criteria for the Climate Ready Workforce Competition includes:
- Applicants must be located in coastal states or territories as defined by 16 U.S.C. § 1453(4) or in the District of Columbia.
- Applications must include project teams that consist of committed partners. Partners may include government entities, educational institutions, training organizations, economic development organizations, workforce development organizations, unions, labor management partnerships, industry associations, employer-serving organizations, conservation corps, not-for-profits, philanthropic organizations, and/or community-based organizations.
- Applicants are encouraged to collaborate with NOAA-affiliated entities, such as NOAA offices, labs, cooperative institutes, personnel, and programs that implement NOAA climate resilience priorities.
- Applicants or partners could be existing AmeriCorps or Corps Network members or other organizations that offer paid training, career skills development, and/or job pathways into climate resilience careers.
- Be consistent with NOAA’s strategic focus to enhance climate resilience, make equity central to our work, and support economic growth and the agency’s mission of science, service, and stewardship.
- Support one or more of the following actions from the Ocean Climate Action Plan
- Promote coastal community resilience strategies that are adaptive, equitable, and based on best practices.
- Support transformational resilience investments in coastal habitat restoration, conservation and in coastal community resilience.
- Advance evaluation and adoption of nature-based solutions, such as living shorelines, to build resilience against climate-driven coastal hazards.
- Reduce climate threats and improve the resiliency of climate-vulnerable protected species, including marine mammals.
- Recruit workers (e.g., 50-1000+ over time) into “good jobs that enhance climate resilience,” and train them for using one or more of the five climate-informed skills (see I.A.).
- Place workers in good jobs within coastal states, tribal nations, and territories or the District of Columbia, with a focus on training workers from the community where the jobs are located (per section VIII.H).
- Support work in communities with climate justice vulnerabilities and in disadvantaged communities as identified by the Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool.
Click on the next section to learn more about the matching requirements for this funding opportunity.
Matching Requirements
There are no match requirements for this funding opportunity. However, cost sharing, leveraged funds, and in-kind support will make projects more competitive.
Applicants are encouraged to combine this NOAA federal funding with formal matching contributions or informal leverage from a broad range of sources in the public and private sectors. Informal leveraging includes resources that are not committed as part of the formal cooperative agreement, but which are brought to bear on the project in other ways, for example employer commitments, staff time or volunteer hours. Community, government, academic, non-government, and industry participation/involvement in projects is encouraged through cost sharing, leveraged funds, and/or in-kind support.
Click on the next section to learn more about the eligible costs for this funding opportunity.
Eligible Costs
The purpose of the competition is to ensure workers in coastal states and territories are trained for and hired into quality private- and public-sector jobs in the U.S. economy that are needed to increase resilience to climate-related hazards.
Examples of activities that could be funded through the competition include:
- Developing training programs that build in-demand skills for jobs that enhance climate resilience.
- Offering wraparound services that allow workers to successfully enroll in and complete training, such as transportation, childcare, elder care, and housing services.
- Helping workers enter or advance into good jobs that enhance climate resilience.
Click on the next section to learn more about this funding opportunity’s project timeline.
Project Timeline
NOAA expects projects to range in duration from 24 months to 48 months, beginning no earlier than August 1, 2024.
Click on the next section for this funding opportunity’s application deadline and forms.
Application Deadline
Letters of Intent are due at 11:59 pm Eastern Time on November 30, 2023. If invited, the deadline for application submission is 11:59 pm Eastern Time on February 13, 2024.
Application packages are available online and can be downloaded from Grants.gov under opportunity NOAA-OAR-SG-2024-2007783.
Click on the next section to access the Contact Information for this funding opportunity.
Contact Information
EPA Community Change Grants
Project Type: Planning; Construction
EPA’s Environmental and Climate Justice Community Change Grants program anticipates awarding $2 billion nationally to benefit disadvantaged communities through projects to reduce pollution, increase community climate resilience, and build community response capacity. The Community Change Grants will support comprehensive community and place-based approaches to redressing environmental and climate injustices for communities facing legacy pollution, climate change, and persistent disinvestment.
Click through the sections below to learn more about this funding opportunity.
Go to Grant WebsiteGrant Priorities
Grant Priorities include:
Track 1: Community-driven investments for Change
- Climate resiliency and adaptation
- Mitigating climate and health risks from urban heat islands, extreme heat, wood heater emissions, and wildfire events
- Community-led air and other pollution monitoring, prevention, and remediation
- Investments in low- and zero-emission and resilient technologies and related infrastructure
- Workforce development that supports the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and other air pollutants
- Reducing indoor toxics and indoor air pollution
Track 2: Facilitating engagement of disadvantaged communities in public processes
- Support for state and federal advisory groups for environmental and climate justice
- Participation in workshops
- Engagement in environmental and related rulemakings
- Engagement in other public processes
Click on the next section to learn more about this funding opportunity’s eligibility requirements.
Eligibility Requirements
Applications must meet all eligibility criteria, as outlined in Section III of the NOFO.
Applications for both tracks must include:
- Application for Federal Assistance (SF-424)
- Budget Information for Non-Construction Programs (SF-424A)
- EPA Key Contacts Forms 5700-54
- EPA Preaward Compliance Review Report Form 4700-4 (Useful tips)
- Project Narrative Attachment Form
- Attachments using the “Other Attachments Form” in Grants.gov including Program Budget Template, Partnership Agreement, and Indirect Cost Rate Agreement
- Compliance Plan – describes how applicants will ensure compliance with the grant’s terms and conditions and manage broader legal and compliance risks.
Additional Track 1 Requirements:
- Climate Action Strategy – applications must include at least one project aligned with at least one of EPA’s Climate Action Strategies, e.g., Green Infrastructure and Nature-Based Solutions
- Pollution Reduction Strategy – applications must include at least one project aligned with at least one of EPA’s Pollution Reduction Strategies, e.g., Clean Water Infrastructure to Reduce Pollution Exposure and Increase Overall System Resilience
- Community Engagement and Collaborative Governance Plan – details how applicants will inform, respond to, and engage community members throughout project development and implementation
- Community Strength Plan – describes how applicants’ proposed projects will enhance the overall strength and economic prosperity of the community
- Readiness Approach – describes how applicants will successfully complete the grant within the 3 year period of performance
Click on the next section to learn more about the matching requirements for this funding opportunity.
Matching Requirements
No cost-sharing or matching is required.
For Michigan applicants, the State of Michigan through the Make it in Michigan Competitiveness Fund will provide 5% match funding of the total awarded amount for eligible Community Change Grant applications awarded by the EPA to fund projects benefiting disadvantaged communities in Michigan. To be eligible for this match funding, applications for the Community Change Grant must be fully submitted to the EPA prior to August 1, 2024.
Click on the next section to learn more about the eligible costs for this funding opportunity.
Eligible Costs
Eligible Costs include:
- Tree planting
- Multi-benefit stormwater projects
- Targeted water infrastructure upgrades, e.g., private-side lead lines replacement
- New parks or enhancing/expanding existing parks to provide climate resilience benefits like heat island reduction and flood mitigation
- “Complete Streets” projects to improve walkability, bike-ability, and transit use
- Measurement, analysis, design, planning, and engineering work necessary to submit a competitive application for state and/or federal funding for large-scale improvements to significantly reduce Greenhouse Gas emissions and/or improve climate resilience
- Community resilience hubs that remain open during an emergency
- Workforce development programs that will help reduce Greenhouse gas emissions and other air pollutants to benefit disadvantaged communities
Ineligible Costs include:
- Projects for community or Tribal relocation activities. Relocation activities generally include activities intended to plan or assist the moving of an individual from their residence or a business from its place of business.
For more information on eligible project activities, please refer to Appendix C and D of the Notice of Funding Opportunity.
Click on the next section to learn more about this funding opportunity’s project timeline.
Project Timeline
All projects funded by Community Change Grants must be completed within 3 years. There can be no extensions.
EPA anticipates that the first awards will be made in the late Spring of 2024 and will continue to be made on a rolling basis until funding is exhausted.
Click on the next section for this funding opportunity’s application deadline and forms.
Application Deadline
Applications are being accepted by EPA on a rolling basis through November 21, 2024.
Applications will be reviewed and evaluated on a rolling basis as described in Section V of the Notice of Funding Opportunity to facilitate and expedite the review and award process. EPA cannot guarantee that funding will be available through the end of the NOFO 12-month application period as funding availability is dependent on the volume and quality of applications received, as well as other applicable programmatic and funding considerations.
Applicants must apply electronically through Grants.gov. If your organization has no access to the internet or access is very limited, you may request an exception from applying through Grants.gov.
Organizations applying to this funding opportunity must have an active SAM.gov registration. If you do not have a SAM.gov account, then you will need to create an account using login.gov to complete your registration. Finalizing these registrations could take a month or more so please register as soon as possible to prevent a delayed registration from affecting your ability to submit an application.
Click on the next section to access the Contact Information for this funding opportunity.
Contact Information
For general information or questions about this NOFO, email the program administrators.
To request TA for preparing a Community Change Grant application, please fill out the request form or call (800) 540-8123 if you have any questions or need help in filling out the form. If you need language assistance, please send an email here.
For Michigan applicants, to request help connecting with potential project partners or technical assistance providers in Michigan, email:
Five Star and Urban Waters Restoration Grant Program
Project Type: Planning; Construction
The Five Star and Urban Waters Restoration grant program seeks to develop community capacity to sustain local natural resources for future generations by providing modest financial assistance to diverse local partnerships focused on improving water quality, watersheds, and the species and habitats they support.
This grant is administered by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) and the Wildlife Habitat Council (WHC), in cooperation with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), USDA Forest Service (USFS), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) USDA Office of Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production, FedEx, Southern Company and Arconic Foundation.
Click through the sections below to learn more about this funding opportunity.
Go to Grant WebsiteGrant Priorities
Grant priorities include:
- Projects that increase access to the benefits of nature, reduce the impact of environmental hazards and engage local communities, particularly underserved communities, in project planning, outreach and implementation
- Applicants who represent a mixture of urban and rural communities
- Projects that advance an existing conservation plan or strategy
In addition, proposals should address at least one bullet under each of the five following bolded priorities:
- On-the-Ground Restoration: Projects must restore and/or create wetlands, coastal or riparian areas
- Environmental Outreach, Education & Training: Projects must integrate meaningful outreach, education and/or training into the proposed on-the-ground activities that advance local watershed and conservation goal
- Community Partnerships: Projects must involve five or more partners (public and private entities) including the applicant
- Measurable Results: Projects must result in specific, measurable ecological, educational and community benefits
- Sustainability: Projects must include a plan for maintenance and care of the project beyond the grant period
Click on the next section to learn more about this funding opportunity’s eligibility requirements.
Eligibility Requirements
Eligibility requirements include:
- Projects selected may be subject to requirements under the National Environmental Policy Act, Endangered Species Act (state and federal), and National Historic Preservation Act. Documentation of compliance with these regulations must be approved prior to initiating activities that disturb or alter habitat or other features of the project site(s).
- Applicants should budget time and resources to obtain the needed approvals. As may be applicable, successful applicants may be required to comply with additional Federal, state or local requirements and obtain all necessary permits and clearances.
Click on the next section to learn more about this funding opportunity’s matching requirements.
Matching Requirements
The ratio of matching contributions offered is considered during the review process, and projects are required to meet or exceed a 1:.75 match ratio to be competitive.
Matching contributions must be non-federal in nature and may include in-kind contributions of staff and volunteer time, work performed, materials and services donated, cash or other tangible contributions to the project objectives and outcomes.
Additionally, partner contributions can serve as matching contributions and grantees for this grant program commonly use a large amount of in-kind matching contributions to reach this threshold by utilizing their community partnerships to generate match. Applicants are highly encouraged to contact NFWF for assistance in determining what qualifies as in-kind or any other matching contribution (see “Contact Information” section below).
Click on the next section to learn more about the eligible costs for this funding opportunity.
Eligible Costs
Eligible Costs include:
- On-the-Ground Restoration
- Environmental Outreach, Education & Training
- Community Partnerships
- Measurable Results in ecological, educational and community benefits
- Sustainability
Ineligible Costs include:
- Equipment
- Political advocacy
- Fundraising
- Lobbying
- Litigation
- Compliance with legal requirements, e.g., permit conditions, mitigation, and settlement agreements.
For additional details, please click here.
Click on the next section to learn more about this funding opportunity’s project timeline.
Project Timeline
Grants should span 12 to 18 months with a start date in late summer/early fall 2024.
Click on the next section to learn more about this funding opportunity’s application deadline and forms.
Application Deadline & Forms
All application materials must be submitted online through National Fish and Wildlife Foundation’s Easygrants system by January 31, 2024, 11:59pm ET.
A Tip Sheet is available for quick reference while you are working through your application and can be downloaded here. Additional information to support the application process can be accessed on the NFWF website’s Applicantion Information page.
Click on the “Contact Information” section below to get in touch with this funding opportunity’s program officers.
Contact Information
For questions on regional programs, please contact:
Sarah Vest, Coordinator, Regional Programs
Phone: (202) 595-2602
For questions on community stewardship, please contact:
Kaitlyn Hill, Program Manager, Community Stewardship
Phone: (202) 595-2436
For issues or assistance with our online Easygrants system, please contact:
Easygrants Helpdesk
Voicemail: (202) 595-2497
Hours: 9:00 am to 5:00 pm ET, Monday-Friday.
Please include: Your name, proposal ID #, e-mail address, phone number, program you are applying to, and a description of the issue.
Land and Water Conservation Fund
Project Type: Planning; Construction
Created by Congress in 1964, the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) provides grants for projects that protect natural areas, water resources, and the nation’s cultural heritage, as well as projects that provide recreation opportunities.
In Wisconsin, the Department of Natural Resources administers the state’s LCWF program in partnership with the National Park Service. DNR strongly encourages applicants to contact their regional project manager as early as possible in the planning stages of a project, ideally within three months prior to submitting an application.
Click through the sections below to learn more about this funding opportunity.
Go to Grant Website
Grant Priorities
WDNR’s Grant Program Guidance details LWCF funding priorities including projects that:
- Are on waterfront properties open to the public and focuses on preserving and enhancing natural wildlife and areas
- Meet the needs of urban areas
- Provide recreation opportunities for elderly, minority, disabled, and low-income populations
- Acquire land in areas with limited outdoor recreation facilities
- Provide multi-use and multi-season facilities
- Enhance or preserve natural beauty
- Are proposed by applicants which have sufficient financial resources to adequately maintain and operate the project
- Have other priority characteristics specified in law/statute/code or the LWCF Federal Financial Assistance Manual, Vol. 72
Click on the next section to learn more about this funding opportunity’s eligibility requirements.
Eligibility Requirements
The following are threshold requirements that must be met to be eligible for this funding opportunity:
- LWCF projects must be specified in a local adopted and approved Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan (CORP), or otherwise known as a Parks and Open Space Plan. A CORP must be updated every five years.
- The project must also be consistent with the Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan (SCORP) adopted by the DNR. The SCORP identifies in-county public camp sites and access to nature walks as top needs in the state.
- Applicants must also have a current signed resolution (within the past 2 years) from the applicant’s governing board approving the project. The resolution must outline the governing board’s commitment of funding to complete the project. A sample resolution meeting these requirements can be found here.
Click on the next section to learn more about this funding opportunity’s matching requirements.
Matching Requirements
Matching funds must be equal to or greater than the amount of the grant award, i.e., a 50% match.
Grant recipients may charge reasonable user fees (e.g. state park daily entrance or camping fee) to defray operation and maintenance costs. However, any income accruing from the property should be used for purposes that support the original grant contract. Income accruing to an area receiving assistance during the project period from a source other than the intended recreational use must be used to reduce the total costs of the project.
Typically, federal grants cannot be used to provide matching funds for other federal grants. Common allowable sources of matching funds include:
- Applicant funds, e.g., general funds, fee revenues, etc.
- Financial donations from private organizations and individuals
- Municipal labor, equipment, and materials provided by the municipal applicant
- In-kind donations of labor, services, materials, and equipment from private organizations and individuals
Click on the next section to learn more about this funding opportunity’s eligible costs.
Eligible Costs
Eligible costs include:
- Pre-engineering costs for development projects
- Direct costs which are supported by time sheets, vouchers or similar documentation reflecting specific assignment to a project are eligible project costs
- Equipment rental at rates that not exceed the county machinery rates established annually by the department of transportation
- Actual fringe benefits paid as part of the direct labor costs claimed
- Engineering or planning fees necessary to complete eligible items, which may be recovered retroactively
Ineligible costs include:
- Construction costs incurred prior to the date of the grant award
- Purchase of equipment
- Income-generating facilities (e.g. concession buildings)
- Stand-alone maintenance facilities that do not specifically serve the grant property
- Facilities developed on property that was acquired via condemnation
- Donated labor, materials, land, or other activities which do not result in an actual expenditure by the sponsor and indirect costs are not allowable in the claim
- Buildings primarily devoted to operation and maintenance
An applicant’s eligible and ineligible costs will be further defined during the discussions with the regional program officer (please click on “Contact Information” section below for links).
Click on the next section to learn more about this funding opportunity’s project timeline.
Project Timeline
Projects that can be completed within 3 years receive priority.
Click on the next section to learn more about this funding opportunity’s application deadline and forms.
Application Deadline & Forms
Complete grant applications must be submitted electronically to the Regional Project Manager by 11:59pm on May 1. Applications are accepted annually.
The time between submitting a complete application and receiving a grant contract ranges from 6-18 months depending on the details of each project. An application submitted in May 1, 2025, could receive funding sometime between November 1, 2025, and November 1, 2026.
The application form for the LCWF program is available on DNR’s website here and instructions here. To apply for a LCWF grant, applicants will need a Unique Entity ID (UEI) number that can be obtained by going to SAM.gov.
Click on the next section for contact information for this funding opportunity.
Contact Information
Wisconsin Statewide Contact:
Pam Rood, Financial Assistance, Division of Internal Services, Facilities and Land
Phone: (608) 333-3718
Wisconsin Northeast Regional Contact:
Jessica Terrien, Regional Project Manager, Land and Water Conservation Fund
Phone: (920) 461-2680
Wisconsin Northern Regional Contact:
Pat Anderson, Regional Project Manager, Land and Water Conservation Fund
Phone: (715) 416-5020
Wisconsin South Central Regional Contact:
Mary Rothenmaier, Regional Project Manager, Land and Water Conservation Fund
Phone: (608) 720-0121
Wisconsin Southeast Regional Contact:
Jeremy Holtz, Regional Project Manager, Land and Water Conservation Fund
Phone: (920) 883-7428
Wisconsin West Central Regional Contact:
Kurt Byfield, Regional Project Manager, Land and Water Conservation Fund
Phone: (608) 501-4274
Michigan Coastal Management Program
Project Type: Planning; Construction
The Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy’s (EGLE), Water Resources Division (WRD) Michigan Coastal Management Program (MCMP) offers grant funds to assist in the development of vibrant and resilient coastal communities through the protection and restoration of our sensitive coastal resources and biologically diverse ecosystems. This grant funding supports the efforts of coastal communities, non-profit organizations, universities, and Tribal governments to protect, preserve, restore, enhance, and wisely develop our coastal resources along the longest freshwater coastline in the nation.
These grant funds are made possible through the partnership with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), pursuant to the Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972.
Click through the sections below to learn more about this funding opportunity.
Go to Grant WebsiteGrant Priorities
MCMP grant priorities include the development of vibrant and resilient coastal communities through the protection and restoration of Michigan’s sensitive coastal resources and biologically diverse ecosystems.
Grant Focus Areas:
- Coastal Water Dependent Uses and Community Development – plan and manage future growth and development on lands adjacent to the coast, while protecting coastal natural resources, maritime heritage resources, water-dependent livelihoods, outdoor recreation, and other assets and activities that contribute to the community’s sense of place
- Coastal Waters – protect and manage coastal waters, including planning and installing nature-based solutions like vegetated buffers, raingardens, and living shorelines to manage and slow the flow of stormwater and coastal flooding
- Coastal Hazards – increase coastal communities’ understanding of the risks associated with living on the coast from coastal erosion, flooding, stormwater, and urban heat to build upon the ability to absorb, respond, and adapt to impacts from coastal storms and Great Lakes water level variabilities
- Coastal Habitat – protect, preserve, and restore healthy coastal wetlands, beaches, and dunes
- Public Access – protect, restore, create, and enhance public access to the Great Lakes using approaches that support coastal communities; foster appreciation of our natural, cultural, and historic resources; and create coastal tourism opportunities
Click on the next section to learn more about this funding opportunity’s eligibility requirements.
Eligibility Requirements
Site-specific, low-cost construction projects, and land acquisitions must be located entirely within the approved MCMP coastal boundary. Coastal zone boundary maps are available through the MCMP’s website.
Please contact the grant administrators using the links in the “Contact Information” section below for the most up-to-date information on eligibility requirements.
Click on the next section to learn more about the matching requirements for this funding opportunity.
Matching Requirements
All applicants must demonstrate the ability to provide a 1-to-1, non-federal match and provide documentation of committed funds and the source of such funds. Match may be in the form of cash, in-kind services, or donations.
Click on the next section to learn more about the eligible costs for this funding opportunity.
Eligible Costs
Eligible costs include:
- Planning – includes a variety of proposed actions that meet the needs of coastal communities and typically result in the development of a Master Plan, conservation, or recreational plan, or plans that expand upon coastal values and characteristics.
- Feasibility, Engineering, and Design – includes site specific investigations such as feasibility studies, creation of conceptual designs, and/or final engineering plans that lead to a low-cost construction, habitat restoration, or other on-the-ground implementation work.
- Low-Cost Construction – includes projects that physically alter publicly owned property for site specific enhanced public access, habitat restoration, installation of bioengineering and green infrastructure practices, and installation of signage.
- Land Conservation Through Acquisition – includes projects that propose land acquisition, purchase of easements, and purchase of development rights. Note: Only units of government or public entities are eligible for this funding and all purchases must demonstrate significant ecological value, need for protection, and must be managed in perpetuity.
Click on the next section to learn more about this funding opportunity’s project timeline.
Project Timeline
The period of performance for MCMP grants are 12-15 months.
Grant Funding Opportunities are released in October of each year. Grant awards announcement are typically released the following Summer with awards beginning October 1.
Click on the next section for this funding opportunity’s application deadline and forms.
Application Deadline
The Grant Funding Opportunity (GFO) is released annually in the fall with applications due mid-December.
If you are interested in funding through the MCMP, complete and submit its Project Interest Form and one of the MCMP Focus Area Coordinators will follow up with you.
Please contact grant administrators for the most up-to-date information related to application deadlines and forms.
Click on the next section to access the Contact Information for this funding opportunity.
Contact Information
For questions or inquiries, please contact:
Ronda Wuycheck, Program Manager
Phone: (517) 420-5921
Adam Arend, Community Development Coordinator
Phone: (517) 231-2793
Emily Kirkpatrick, Coastal Hazards Coordinator
Phone: (517) 290-5476
Dave Schuberg, Coastal Habitat Coordinator
Phone: (517) 331-1792
Melissa Letosky, Coastal Waters Coordinator
Phone: (517) 416-7001
Rooting Resilience
Project Type: Planning; Implementation
River Network is excited to announce a funding opportunity for community-based nonprofit organizations for planning and implementing small community forestry projects in disadvantaged communities. Free technical assistance is available during both the application process and the grant period, through River Network and our Rooting Resilience partners at Anthropocene Alliance and Native Americans in Philanthropy, to support organizations who are new to federal funding and may need additional help applying for or managing this grant. River Network is an equal opportunity provider.
This opportunity is possible thanks to a grant from the Urban & Community Forestry Program of the Forest Service, an agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, under the Inflation Reduction Act (Funding Opportunity USDA-FS-2023-UCF-IRA-01). River Network will serve as a national pass-through partner of the Forest Service, providing funding and technical assistance for community-based nonprofit organizations, as defined below, to plan and carry out forestry projects that build the community’s abilities and resilience. Community-based nonprofit organizations that have 501(c)3 status or a fiscal sponsor are eligible. A total of $1,800,000 in program funding is available.
Click through the sections below to learn more about this funding opportunity.
Go to Grant WebsiteGrant Priorities
This funding opportunity’s grant priorities includes:
- Work rooted in community. This includes work proposed by and with support from Tribal or disadvantaged community members who understand, based on lived experience, what approaches will work best for their area.
- Entities or organizations that are seeking federal pass-through funding for the first time and/or have limited experience receiving charitable funds or grants.
- Projects that clearly demonstrate the benefits of their proposed activities to their community and their local trees.
Eligibility Requirements
Eligibility Requirements for this funding opportunity include:
- Applicants who are community-based nonprofit organizations that have 501(c)3 status or a fiscal sponsor are eligible
- All proposed projects must fund work that directly impacts disadvantaged communities as defined by the Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool (CEJST) or the EPA IRA Disadvantaged Communities tool
- Applicants will need to provide the census tract number for the disadvantaged community that your proposed project will benefit. Applicants can select more than one community.
Click on the next section to learn more about the matching requirements for this funding opportunity.
Matching Requirements
Match or cost share is NOT a requirement for requesting grant funds.
Click on the next section to learn more about the eligible costs for this funding opportunity.
Eligible Costs
Examples of eligible costs include:
Urban and Community Forestry Planning and Implementation
- Planning and carrying out tree plantings as stand-alone projects or as part of larger green infrastructure projects;
- Integration of tree planting and/or tree care into watershed, climate resilience or other planning efforts;
- Community or volunteer-based tree inventories or programs to monitor tree/forest health;
- Incorporating tree plantings into existing greenways, parks and water trails, projects that support community health;
- Initiating partnerships with public health professionals and organizations to assess and mitigate extreme heat or air quality concerns in a neighborhood through trees;
- Tree care and maintenance including the removal of invasive species or hazardous tree removal, tree watering or the installation of tree protection;
- The promotion of native trees for residential or school based “stormwater-smart” programs or the planting of “edible forests” that provide people with cultural connections and access to food.
- Facilitating dialogue between renters and property owners to increase renter involvement in tree planting and tree care activities.
- Mangrove forest restoration or other forestry approaches that address coastal and river bank erosion through tree planting.
Urban and Community Forestry Education and Outreach
- Projects that build community support for trees, forests and green spaces through public programming, education campaigns, and volunteer opportunities;
- Support for the creation of grassroots, volunteer-led tree distribution and care program;
- Projects that provide educational activities for youth on the many benefits of trees and foster the next generation of tree stewards;
- Projects that increase languages that educational materials are provided in and American with Disabilities Act (ADA) accessibility of educational materials related to trees and urban forestry;
- Projects that build trust with disadvantaged communities by engaging residents in all steps of a tree-planting project, from selecting priority areas of where to plant trees to ways of measuring success.
Urban and Community Forestry Workforce Development
- Projects that establish or expand existing workforce development, job training, and youth training programs to include tree planting and maintenance activities.
- Support for expanded recruitment and access to workforce development programs by increasing language options and ADA accessibility for programs providing career pathways to urban and community forestry related jobs.
Click on the next section to learn more about this funding opportunity’s project timeline.
Project Timeline
Grants will range over a 1-3 year period, dependent upon the project, its activities, and grantee capacity. Projects must start no later than January 1, 2025, and must be completed by January 1, 2028.Please contact grant administrators using the Contact Information section below.
Click on the next section for this funding opportunity’s application deadline and forms.
Application Deadline
Applications must be submitted by 11:59pm ET, October 23, 2024 via River Network’s online application portal. River Network invites you to reach out to them before this deadline to discuss your project and see if it may be a good fit, and to access our free technical assistance to help you apply.
Click on the next section to access the Contact Information for this funding opportunity.
Contact Information
For assistance with this funding opportunity, please email:
Rooting Resilience at River Network
Applicants can also schedule virtual office hours.
Transformational Habitat Restoration and Coastal Resilience Grants
Project Type: Planning; Construction
$240 million in funding is available for habitat restoration and coastal resilience through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act. Under BIL, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is supporting habitat restoration efforts that will help strengthen the climate resilience of coastal ecosystems and communities.
Transformational Habitat Restoration and Coastal Resilience Grants fund projects that will have a transformative impact for coastal communities and tribes across the country. This grant program prioritizes habitat restoration actions that rebuild productive and sustainable fisheries, contribute to the recovery and conservation of threatened and endangered species, use natural infrastructure to reduce damage from flooding and storms, promote resilient ecosystems and communities, and yield socioeconomic benefits. NOAA anticipates $240M in total funds to be available for this competition.
Click through the sections below to learn more about this funding opportunity.
Go to Grant WebsiteGrant Priorities
Grant priorities include :
- Sustaining productive fisheries and strengthening ecosystem resilience
- Endangered Species Act: Listed Species
- Magnuson-Stevens Act: Managed Species
- Saltwater Recreational Fisheries
- Great Lakes: Native Species
- Enhancing community resilience to climate hazards and providing other co-benefits
- Fostering regionally important habitat restoration
- Providing benefit to Tribal, Indigenous, and/or Underserved Communities, including through partnerships
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Click on the next section to learn more about this funding opportunity’s eligibility requirements.
Eligibility Requirements
Applicants for this funding opportunity must meet the following eligibility thresholds:
- The project location must be coastal, marine, or estuarine areas that benefit species or fisheries that are outlined within the program priorities
- Standard Federal (SF)-424 forms
- Proposal content:- Project Summary and Project Narrative- Budget Narrative- Supplemental Materials and Project Designs
Click on the next section to learn more about the matching requirements for this funding opportunity.
Matching Requirements
There are no cost share requirements. Cost share is encouraged, however, and is an element within the evaluation criteria. Cost share may include formal, non-federal match funds, and/or informal leverage from a broad range of sources.
Click on the next section to learn more about the eligible costs for this funding opportunity.
Eligible Costs
Eligible costs are projects that have the greatest potential to provide holistic benefits through habitat-based approaches that strengthen both the ecosystem and community resilience.
Projects can include:
- restoring marine, estuarine, coastal and Great Lakes ecosystems
- rebuilding sustainable fisheries and contribute to the recovery of threatened and endangered species
- protecting the safety and well-being of coastal communities by using natural infrastructure to reduce damage from flooding and storms
- supporting benefits that healthy habitats provide, such as clean drinking water and industries like boating, fishing, and tourism.
Ineligible costs include projects that focus solely on:
- marine debris prevention and removal
- acquisition of real property
- beach renourishment for recreation.
Additional ineligible activities include:
- hard infrastructure for water quality
- consent decree, court order, statutes
- effectiveness monitoring and research
Click on the next section to learn more about this funding opportunity’s project timeline.
Project Timeline
Period of performance for projects funded through this grant is approximately three years.
Click on the next section for this funding opportunity’s application deadline and forms.
Application Deadline
Proposals must be received through Grants.gov by 11:59 PM Eastern time on November 17, 2023. Please check back for updates on new grant cycles.
Applicants should apply through the Grants.gov website. A complete standard NOAA financial assistance application package should be submitted in accordance with the guidelines in the Notice of Funding Opportunity announcement. Each application must include the application forms from the SF-424 form family.
Click on the next section to access the Contact Information for this funding opportunity.
Contact Information
For general questions and inquiries regarding this funding opportunity, email:
Natalie McLenaghan, Competition Manager
For questions regarding Grants.gov registration and submission:
Grants.gov Support
(800) 518-4726
Website
Trees In Your Community Grant
Project Type: Construction/Implementation
GreenLatinos, in partnership with the USDA Forest Service, requests proposals for the Trees in Your Community Grant. The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) has invested more than $1 billion in the USDA Forest Service Urban and Community Forestry Program for competitive grants for tree planting and maintenance, with a focus on projects that combat extreme heat, provide workforce development opportunities and create new community partnerships. GreenLatinos was selected as one of twelve national pass-through partners to implement this grant program in conjunction with the Forest Service in historically underrepresented communities – 100% of the benefits of IRA funding through this program will flow to communities in need.
Urban forestry funding is available to community-based organizations to work in low-income, disadvantaged communities. Projects would implement urban forestry efforts focused on tree planting and maintenance, community engagement, and/or workforce development in the field of urban forestry. For more information, please see the Trees in Your Community Grant FAQ.
Click through the sections below to learn more about this funding opportunity.
Go to Grant WebsiteGrant Priorities
Grant Priorities include:
- Work in low-income, disadvantaged communities
- Funding requests over $750,000 for proposals with a regional strategy
Click on the next section to learn more about this funding opportunity’s eligibility requirements.
Eligibility Requirements
Eligibility requirements include:
- 100% of project activities must benefit and occur in low-income, historically disadvantaged communities (LIDAC) as defined by the CEJST, EPA IRA and/or EJScreen maps
- Applicants must pass a financial readiness assessment
- Applicants in Wisconsin must be located in Kenosha or Racine
- Projects must conform to the laws and authorities in Section 9 of the Cooperative Forestry Assistance Act [16 U.S.C. 2105] Urban and Community Forestry Assistance
- Costs must conform to 2 CFR 200 Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards
Click on the next section to learn more about the matching requirements for this funding opportunity.
Matching Requirements
No match requirement for this funding opportunity.
Click on the next section to learn more about the eligible costs for this funding opportunity.
Eligible Costs
Eligible Costs include projects that:
- Encourage individuals, groups, and organizations in disadvantaged communities to become engaged participants in urban forest planning, planting, and management
- Improve and increase access to parks and nature, and expands urban tree canopy in disadvantaged communities
- Protect, enhance, and expand equitable urban tree canopy cover to maximize community access to human health, social, ecological, and economic benefits in disadvantaged and nature-deprived communities experiencing low tree canopy cover, extreme heat, and frequent flooding
- Protect, enhances, and increase access to and stewardship of watersheds in urban and developing areas with a focus on conserving and managing forest patches and green stormwater infrastructure
- Provide paid training experiences for residents to establish and maintain urban forests into the future
- Support youth employment, internship and/or apprenticeship, and/or other professional training opportunities in tree planting, arboriculture, urban forest management, urban wood utilization, and related topics
- Work across boundaries, leveraging ideas and resources to increase capacity to provide equitable access to the benefits of trees across the larger landscape and at a greater geographic scale
Click on the next section to learn more about this funding opportunity’s project timeline.
Project Timeline
3-year awards that run from 2024-2027.
All projects are to be completed by or prior to November 30, 2027.
Click on the next section for this funding opportunity’s application deadline and forms.
Application Deadline
This is a rolling application process beginning September 5, 2024. All applications must be submitted by October 11, 2024. Applications will be reviewed as they are received on a first-come, first-served basis, with all award decisions finalized by October 23, 2024.
The Forest Service provides technical assistance at no cost to community-based organizations, Tribes and others through its Community Navigators Program. In addition, the Arbor Day Foundation has made available their implementation templates to assist community-based organizations seeking to scale their impact in urban and community forestry.
Click on the next section for this funding opportunity’s application deadline and forms.
Contact Information
For questions and inquiries, please email:
Wisconsin Coastal Management Program Grants
Project Type: Planning; Construction
The Wisconsin Coastal Management Program (WCMP) supports the management, protection, and restoration of Wisconsin’s coastal resources, and increases public access to the Great Lakes. Projects must be located in one or more Wisconsin counties adjacent to Lake Superior or Lake Michigan
The Wisconsin Department of Administration (DOA) administers WCMP Grants in collaboration with the Wisconsin Coastal Management Council (WCMC) and the Office for Coastal Management (OCM), U.S. Department of Commerce, through funding provided under the Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972.
Click through the sections below to learn more about this funding opportunity.
Go to Grant WebsiteGrant Priorities
Grant priorities include:
- Project evaluation will give the greatest weight to impact on coastal resources, followed by methodology, project budget, and timetable
- A bonus point system encourages applicants to develop creative proposals that:
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- build partnership alliances with other organizations or agencies
- develop exceptional marketing, outreach, or education strategies
- encourage coast-wide projects
- engage underrepresented communities
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- Preference for Public Access and Historic Preservation projects includes those that incorporate sustainable building practices and green infrastructure that reduce stormwater runoff
Click on the next section to learn about this funding opportunity’s eligibility requirements.
Eligibility Requirements
The following threshold requirements must be met to be eligible for this funding opportunity:
- Projects must be located in one or more Wisconsin counties adjacent to Lake Superior or Lake Michigan.
Click on the next section to learn more about this funding opportunity’s matching requirements.
Matching Requirements
WCMP Grant projects totaling $60,000 or less require a 50% match. Projects with a total budget larger than $60,000 require a 60% match.
Match may be in-kind, cash, or a combination of the two. Applicants must certify that they can supply the required match. Match cannot be federal funds except for tribal “self-sufficiency” grants. Local money spent before the grant is awarded cannot be considered as match, including expenses incurred in preparing this application, preliminary engineering reports, etc. All matching funds, including in-kind expenses, must be spent during the grant period (no prior match is allowed). In-kind match includes the use of equipment, supplies, land, or other commodity already owned by the applicant or the use of items or staff time donated by a third party.
Partnerships that include meaningful private contributions as part of the match are encouraged. Gifts and property donations are acceptable, but only if they are made during the grant period. Financial donations collected before the grant period may be included in the match calculation only if the money is expended after the grant period begins.
Volunteer time used as an in-kind match must be charged at the rate paid for the type of work being done. For example, the time an 2024-25 WCMP Grant Program Grant Application Instructions attorney spends doing data entry work for a project is charged at the rate paid to data entry operators. If the attorney volunteers to do legal work for the project, the attorney’s volunteer time is charged at the rate paid to an attorney.
Applicants must certify that they can supply the required match. Match cannot be federal funds except for tribal “self-sufficiency” grants. Local money spent before the grant is awarded cannot be considered as match, including expenses incurred in preparing this application, preliminary engineering reports, etc. If match funding is not available at the time of application, please describe what funding resources are being explored and when the funding decisions will be made. Commitment and security of match funding are included in the application evaluation criteria.
Click on the next section to learn about the eligible costs for this funding opportunity.
Eligible Costs
Eligible costs include:
- Coastal wetland protection and habitat restoration
- Nonpoint source pollution control
- Coastal resource and community planning
- Great Lakes education
- Public access and historic preservation projects
Ineligible costs include:
- Activities to fulfill requirements of a permit
- Pass-through/small grants competitions
- Honoraria/awards
- Lobbying
Click on the next section to learn more about this funding opportunity’s project timeline.
Project Timeline
WCMP grant funded projects must be completed within one year.
2024-25 WCMP Grant Program Example:
- Application Deadline: November 3, 2023
- Project Review Committee: January 2024
- WCMC Meeting: February 2024
- Projects Selected: March 2024
- Projects Begin: July 1, 2024*
- Project Completion: June 30, 2025
*Subject to release of federal funding and, for habitat restoration, acquisition projects, and other projects with a ground-moving component, approval of technical documentation.
Click on the next section to learn more about this funding opportunity’s application deadline and forms.
Application Deadline & Forms
Applications are due via email by November 3, 2023. Applicants are highly encouraged to discuss proposals with staff prior to the due date, and applicants requesting $100,000 or more are required to contact WCMP staff before submittal.
For information on current grant cycles, please contact the grant administrators listed in the “Contact Information” section below.
Contact Information
WCMP staff welcome questions and discussion of project ideas. Please contact WCMP staff at:
Mike Friis, Bureau Director
Phone: (608) 267-7982
Kate Angel, Coastal Resources and Community Planning
Phone: (608) 267-7988
Todd Breiby, Wetland Protection/Habitat Restoration
Phone: (608) 261-6349
Lauren Leckwee, Public Access & Historic Preservation, Environmental Review
Phone: (608) 267-2125
Lydia Salus, Great Lakes Education, BIL Opportunities
Phone: (608) 266-3687
Or WCMP staff generally via email.
Wisconsin Recreational Trails Program
Project Type: Planning; Construction
The Recreational Trails Program is a federal program that provides funds to develop and maintain recreational trails and trail-related facilities for both motorized and non-motorized recreational trail uses. RTP grants are to be used on trail projects that further a specific goal or are included in the State Comprehensive Recreation Plan (SCORP) or a local plan referenced in the SCORP.
In Wisconsin, this program is administered by the Department of Natural Resources.
Click through the sections below to learn more about this funding opportunity.
Go to Grant WebsiteGrant Priorities
Grant Priorities include:
- Rehabilitation and maintenance of existing trails and trailhead facilities;
- Development of new trails, trail linkages and trailhead facilities (some restrictions apply on federal lands); and
- Acquisition of property for trails in areas with limited trail opportunities.
Click on the next section to learn more about this funding opportunity’s eligibility requirements.
Eligibility Requirements
Eligibility requirements include:
- RTP funds may only be used on trails which have been identified in or which further a specific goal of a local, county, or state trail plan included or referenced in the State Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan (SCORP). These include traditional trails as well as water trails recognized by the DNR.
Please note that applications for acquisition projects are not being accepted for State Fiscal Year 2024.
Click on the next section to learn more about the matching requirements for this funding opportunity.
Matching Requirements
Eligible sponsors may be reimbursed for up to 80% of eligible project costs.
Click on the next section to learn more about the eligible costs for this funding opportunity.
Eligible Costs
Eligible costs include:
- Maintenance and restoration of existing trails
- Development and rehabilitation of trailside and trailhead facilities and trail linkages
- Construction of new trails. Construction of new trails crossing federal lands only where permissible under other law, necessary and required by a statewide comprehensive outdoor recreation plan, approved by the DNR and the administering federal agency and consistent with applicable federal land management plans and policies.
- Acquisition of easements and fee simple title to property for recreational trails or recreational trail corridors (must comply with the provisions of the Uniform Relocation Assistance and Real Property Acquisition Policies Act of 1970, as amended).
Click on the next section to learn more about this funding opportunity’s project timeline.
Project Timeline
If your project is selected for funding, you will be notified of a tentative award approximately 4 months after the application deadline. Final award and payment will be subject to several additional required reviews, including, in some cases, approval of the Natural Resources Board and the Joint Committee on Finance. The time between submitting a complete application and receiving a grant contract ranges from six to eighteen months.
For the most up to date information on project timelines and period of performance, please contact the grant managers using the “Contact Information” section below.
Click on the next section for this funding opportunity’s application deadline and forms.
Application Deadline
Applications are typically due on May 1 each year. Please contact the grant program manager using the “Contact Information” section below to confirm application deadlines.
Stewardship Local Assistance Programs (STEW), Federal Land and Water Conservation Program (LWCF) and the Federal Recreational Trails Program (RTP) Grant Program Guidance and Application Materials available using the links below:
- 2024 Grant Guidelines| Appendix A to Guidelines
- Stewardship Local Assistance, Federal Land & Water Conservation Fund and Recreational Trails Program grant application Form 8700-191
- Application Answer Template (Form 8700-338)
- Recreation Grant Project Cost estimate worksheet Form 8700-014
- Environmental Hazards Assessment Form 1800-001
- Public Access & Acceptable Uses Form 8700-322 *
- Sample resolution for outdoor recreation aids
*One method to resolve PDF problems such as the [Please wait…] error is to use IE mode in Microsoft Edge Chromium. Another option is to save a copy of the file to your device for offline use, then open the file with Adobe Reader. For more PDF troubleshooting tips, please click here.
Click on the next section to access the Contact Information for this funding opportunity.
Contact Information
For assistance with RTP grants, contact:
Bobbi Winebar, WDNR Grant Program Manager
Phone: (920) 461-2595
Your regional DNR grant project manager
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