The Tribal Climate Change Guide is part of the Pacific Northwest Tribal Climate Change Project (TCCP). The TCCP is part of the L.I.G.H.T. Foundation (LF), is an independent, Indigenous-led, conservation 501(c)(3) nonprofit established on the Colville Indian Reservation in the traditional territory of the Nespelem Tribe in present-day north central Washington State. LF supports the restoration and cultivation of native Plant and Pollinator Relatives and the culturally respectful conservation of habitats and ecosystems which are climate resilient and adaptive. For more information about LF, visit: https://thepnwlf.org/. For more information about the Tribal Climate Change Project, visit: https://tribalclimate.uoregon.edu/. If you would like to add information to this guide, please email kathy.lynn.or@gmail.com.

 

Funding

The Tribal Climate Change Funding Guide is intended to provide up-to-date information on grants, programs and plans that may assist tribes in addressing climate change through a broad range of sectors. We will update this guide regularly, so please check back often. If you have questions or updates for this guide, email: kathy.lynn.or@gmail.com. Please note that for entries that are accepting applications continuously, the grant deadline column will list "12/31/2024" as the grant deadline. This ensures that those grants will appear immediately after those grants with a set deadline.

Title Organization Sort descending Grant Deadline Description Funding Amount Geography Website
Solar for All EPA

Most Recent Deadline: September 26, 2023. President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act authorized the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to implement the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund (GGRF), a historic $27 billion investment to combat the climate crisis by mobilizing financing and private capital for greenhouse gas- and air pollution-reducing projects in communities across the country. As part of this program, EPA is launching a $7 billion Solar for All competition — designed to spur the deployment of residential distributed solar energy to lower energy bills for millions of Americans and catalyze transformation in markets serving low-income and disadvantaged communities. Solar for All will tackle the financial and non-financial barriers that limit the ability of low-income and disadvantaged communities across the country to benefit from the rapid growth in distributed solar capacity, thus advancing the Biden-Harris Administration’s climate and environmental justice goals. This Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) is for the $7 billion Solar for All competition. This competition will award up to 60 grants to states, territories, Tribal governments, municipalities, and eligible nonprofit recipients to expand the number of low-income and disadvantaged communities primed for distributed solar investment—enabling millions of low-income households to access affordable, resilient, and clean solar energy. Grantees will use funds to expand existing low-income solar programs or design and deploy new Solar for All programs nationwide. EPA will not fund individual projects under this competition. EPA’s $7 billion Solar for All competition will help deliver on the climate and environmental justice goals of the United States. To achieve these goals, Solar for All grantees will provide subsidies and other financial assistance to residential rooftop and residential-serving community solar projects in and benefiting low-income and disadvantaged communities in addition to project-deployment technical assistance such as workforce development, community outreach, and other project-deployment support (e.g., interconnection technical assistance, siting and permitting support) to help overcome barriers to solar deployment.

Categories: IRA, Inflation Reduction Act, Solar, Environmental Justice

$25 million - $400 million National Link
Clean School Bus Rebates EPA

Deadline Passed. Most Recent Deadline January 31, 2024. EPA’s new Clean School Bus Program is providing at least $500 million in funding to replace existing school buses with zero-emission and low-emission models. Beginning September 2023 through January 2024, EPA will be hosting a series of webinars on who is eligible, who is prioritized, and how to apply for the 2023 Clean School Bus Rebates.

Categories: Clean energy, transportation, zero-emission, education

Varies. National Link
EPA Region 4 Wetlands Program Development Grants EPA

Deadline unknown for 2017. Wetland Program Development Grants (WPDGs) provide eligible applicants an opportunity to conduct and promote the coordination and acceleration of research, investigations, experiments, training, demonstrations, surveys, and studies relating to the causes, effects, extent, prevention, reduction, and elimination of water pollution. All proposals submitted under this RFP must be for projects that build or refine state/tribal/local government wetland programs. Implementation of wetland protection programs is not an eligible project under this announcement

Categories: Conservation, Wetlands, Scientific Data

$100,000-$250,000 EPA region 4; South; Southeast Link
EPA Indoor Air and Climate Change Funding Opportunity EPA

This RFA seeks to understand the health effects from climate change mediated by indoor environments. A specific interest is the evaluation of adaptation guidelines, such as energy-saving building modifications, from a health perspective. Additional optional goals are 1) the understanding of behavioral adaptations, e. g. time spent outdoors, or use of natural ventilation and 2) extension of building ventilation models to newer energy-efficient buildings and evaluation of existing models against independent data sets.

Categories: Health, Infrastructure, Research

$500,000-$1,000,000 Northwest, Southwest, Northeast, Southeast, National, Alaska, Midwest Link
Region 10 Indian Environmental General Assistance Program EPA

Recent Deadline: 1/29/2021 EPA provides GAP financial and technical assistance to tribal governments and intertribal consortia to assist tribes in planning, developing, and establishing the capacity to implement federal environmental programs administered by the EPA and to assist in implementation of tribal solid and hazardous waste programs in accordance with applicable provisions of law, including the Solid Waste Disposal Act (commonly known as the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, or RCRA). As described in the GAP Guiding Principles, this support promotes tribal government efforts to develop core environmental program capacities (administrative, financial management, information management, environmental baseline needs assessment, public education/communication, legal, and technical/analytical) and baseline capacities for media-specific programs (e.g., ambient air quality, water quality, managing waste, and other EPA-administered statutory programs).

Categories: Adaptation, Regulatory, Environmental Justice, Natural Resources, Conservation, Health

$75,000 - $125,000 per year. Tribes with large reservations may request a higher level of funding. Northwest, Alaska Link
Smart Growth Implementation Assistance (SGIA) Program EPA

Communities receive direct technical assistance from team of national experts in one of two areas: policy analysis (e.g., reviewing state and local codes, school siting guidelines,transportation policies, etc.) or public participatory processes (e.g., visioning, design workshops, alternative analysis, build-out analysis, etc.). The assistance is tailored to the community's unique situation and priorities. EPA provides the assistance through a contractor team –not a grant. Through a multiple-day site visit and a detailed final report, the multi-disciplinary teams provide information to help the community achieve its goal of encouraging growth that fosters economic progress and environmental protection.

Categories: Infrastructure, Smart Growth

Competitive program in which awardees receive technical assistance from experts; no funds dispersed Northwest, Southwest, Midwest, Northeast, Southeast, National, Alaska Link
Nonpoint Source Management Grants Under Clean Water Act Section 319 EPA

Tribes are eligible to receive Clean Water Act Section 319 grant funding to implement EPA-approved NPS programs. As required under the Clean Water Act, tribes must be approved for treatment in a similar manner as a state (TAS) and have an EPA-approved NPS assessment report and NPS management program to receive §319 funds. Each year, a §319-eligible tribe may apply for a base §319 grant that support their NPS management program, and they are eligible to compete nationally for additional §319 funds (competitive §319 grants) to implement on-the-ground projects to restore and protect their waters. 

Categories: nonpoint source pollution, management, watersheds, Clean Water Act

Up to $100,000 Northwest, Southwest, Midwest, Northeast, Southeast, National, Alaska Link
Healthy Places for Healthy People EPA

Deadline passed as of November 6, 2016. Deadline for 2017 unknown. Healthy Places for Healthy People will provide selected communities with expert planning assistance that centers around a two-day community workshop. A team of experts will help community members develop an implementable action plan that will focus on health as an economic driver and catalyst for downtown and neighborhood revitalization.

Categories: community, neighborhood, infrastructure, economy, urban

unknown National, Appalachia Link
The Environmental Justice Collaborative Problem-Solving (EJCPS) Cooperative Agreement Program EPA

Past Deadline: 5/7/2021. The Environmental Justice Collaborative Problem-Solving (EJCPS) Cooperative Agreement Program provides financial assistance to eligible organizations working on or planning to work on projects to address local environmental and/or public health issues in their communities. The program assists recipients in building collaborative partnerships with other stakeholders (e.g., local businesses and industry, local government, medical service providers, academia, etc.) to develop solutions that will significantly address environmental and/or public health issue(s) at the local level. Additionally, the EJCPS Program requires selected applicants, or recipients, to use the EPA’s Environmental Justice Collaborative Problem-Solving Model as part of their projects. The model aims to address local environmental and/or public health issues in a collaborative manner with various stakeholders such as communities, industry, academic institutions, and others. Case Studies highlight some of the successful and effective strategies of previous projects.

Categories: environmental justice, health issues, environment, collaborative projects

$160,000 Inernational Link
Southeast New England Program (SNEP) Opportunity to Advance Resilience (SOAR) Fund Program EPA

Most Recent Deadline: June 7, 2024 – The Southeast New England Program (SNEP) Opportunity to Advance Resilience (SOAR) Fund is an EPA New England program designed to improve climate resiliency in disadvantaged communities throughout southeast New England. With funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the EPA program will invest at least $5 million in SNEP disadvantaged communities by 2027. This Request for Proposal (RFP) represents the second round of funding for a total investment of over $2.5 million to date.

Categories: adaptation and resilience (1230)

The EPA program will invest at least $5 million in SNEP disadvantaged communities by 2027. This Request for Proposal (RFP) represents the second round of funding for a total investment of over $2.5 million to date EPA region 4; South; Southeast Link
Drinking Water State Revolving Fund Tribal Set-Aside Program EPA

Most types of projects that improve the health of the public being served by the drinking water system are eligible for funding. Funds may also be used to conduct project feasibility studies, engineering design work, and for project administration.

Categories: Water, Health, Research

Varies Northwest, Southwest, Midwest, Northeast, Southeast, National, Alaska Link
Cool & Connected EPA

Deadline passed as of November 6, 2016. Deadline for 2017 unknown. Through Cool & Connected, a team of experts will help community members develop strategies and an action plan for using broadband service to promote smart, sustainable community development. Broadband access can provide new opportunities for people and businesses. A growing number of communities have combined broadband service with other local assets such as cultural and recreational amenities to attract and retain investment and people, including young people. This can help diversify local economies. Such efforts typically require planning among community leaders, businesses, and internet service providers. The Cool & Connected program will provide assistance to this end, helping communities take advantage of broadband service to create walkable, connected, economically successful main streets and small-town neighborhoods.

Categories: internet, urban, infrastructure, technology, economic development

Unknown National Link
Tribal Solid Waste Management Assistance Project EPA

The Tribal Solid Waste Interagency Workgroup was created to coordinate federal assistance to tribes to help them comply with the municipal solid waste landfill regulations. Successful proposals should characterize/assess open dumps, develop integrated waste management (IWM) plans, develop and implement alternative solid waste management activities/facilities; or develop and implement cleanup, closure, and post-closure programs for open dumps in Indian Country. Each proposal must address only one of the four proposal categories described above.

Categories: Water, Regulatory, Research

10 Individual awards ranging from $10,000 to $50,000 Northwest, Southwest, Midwest, Northeast, Southeast, National, Alaska Link
Local Governments Reimbursement Program EPA 12/31/2024

Rolling Deadline. In the event of a release (or threatened release) of hazardous substances, EPA may reimburse local governments for expenses related to the release and associated emergency response measures. The Local Governments Reimbursement Program provides a "safety net" of up to $25,000 per incident to local governments that do not have funds available to pay for response actions.

Categories: Emergency Management, Disaster, Adaptation, Health, Natural Resources

Up to $25,000 per incident Northwest, Southwest, Midwest, Northeast, Southeast, National, Alaska Link
Drivers and Environmental Impacts of Energy Transitions in Underserved Communities EPA

Deadline passed. Most recent deadline: April 28, 2022. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), as part of its Science to Achieve Results (STAR) program, is seeking applications proposing community-engaged research that will address the drivers and environmental impacts of energy transitions in underserved communities. For purposes of this competition and the evaluation of applications, “underserved communities” refers to populations sharing a particular characteristic, as well as geographic communities, that have been systematically denied a full opportunity to participate in aspects of economic, social, and civic life, including people of color, low income, rural, tribal, indigenous, and other populations that may be disproportionately impacted by environmental harms and risks. Learn more and apply here.

Categories: Energy transitions, community-engaged research, underserved communities, environmental justice

Up to a total of $1,125,000 per regular award, and up to a total of $650,000 per early career award, including direct and indirect costs, with a maximum duration of four years. National Link
Environmental Justice Small Grants Program EPA

Deadline extended: 6/1/2021. The EJSG program awards grants that support community-driven projects designed to engage, educate, and empower communities to better understand local environmental and public health issues and develop strategies for addressing those issues, building consensus in the community, and setting community priorities.  The EJSG program will award approximately $2.8 million nationwide for this competitive opportunity. EPA anticipates awarding approximately 56 grants ( about 5 per EPA region) of up to $50,000 each.  These grants are for one-year projects. This opportunity places special emphasis on projects focusing on COVID-19 impacts, as well as climate and disaster resiliency.  Additionally, EPA is emphasizing projects addressing diesel pollution in underserved communities living near ports and railyards as part of EPA’s Ports Initiative.  Finally, to promote equitable accessibility to EPA grant funding and to assist small entities, approximately half of the total available funding under this announcement is intended to be reserved for small non-profit organizations as defined in the announcement.

Categories: community-based organizations, underserved communities, environmental issues, health issues, environmental justice

up to $50,000 United States Link
Building the Capacity of Tribes to Address the Health Impacts of Climate Change EPA

Deadline passed as of July 15, 2016. Deadline for 2016 unkown. This notice announces the availability of funds and solicits proposals to enable tribal climate change and health impacts curriculum development and training, web communications, and outreach.

Categories: Curriculum Development, Climate Impacts, Training, Outreach, Climate Education, Capacity Building

$600,000 total funding available National Link
Pollution Prevention Grant: Environmental Justice in Communities EPA

Deadline passed. Most recent deadline: June 6, 2023. The purpose of the Pollution Prevention Grant: Environmental Justice in Communities is to provide technical assistance to businesses (e.g., information, training, expert advice) on source reduction, also known as pollution prevention (P2). Grantees must demonstrate that the project will improve human health and the environment in disadvantaged communities by implementing P2 approaches. This grant is funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

Categories: BIL, pollution, community health, technical assistance, Justice40

$100,000 to $800,000 for the individual grant awards, or up to $1.2 million for multi-state or multi-tribal projects National, US territories Link
EPA Healthy Communities Grant Program--Northeast EPA

The Healthy Communities Grant Program is EPA New England’s main competitive grant program to work directly with communities to reduce environmental risks, protect and improve human health and improve the quality of life. The Healthy Communities Grant Program will achieve this through identifying and funding projects that: 1) Target resources to benefit communities at risk [areas at risk from climate change impacts, areas impacted by stormwater run-off, environmental justice areas of potential concern, urban areas and sensitive populations (e.g. children, elderly, tribes, and others at increased risk)]; 2) Assess, understand, and reduce environmental and human health risks; 3) Increase collaboration through community-based projects; 4) Build institutional and community capacity to understand and solve environmental and human health problems; 5) Advance emergency preparedness and resilience; 6) Achieve measurable environmental and human health benefits. In order to qualify as eligible projects under the Healthy Communities Grant Program, proposted projects must take place within New England states and must meet several criteria including: (1) Be located in and/or directly benefit one or more of the Target Investment Areas; and (2) Identify how the proposed project will achieve measurable environmental and/or public health results in one or more of the Target Program Areas

Categories: Human Health, Risk Mitigation

$25,000 ceiling Northeast Link
EPA Brownfields Technical Assistance, Training, and Research EPA

Applications Accecpted Year-Round. The Technical Assistance to Brownfields (TAB) Communities Program helps communities, states, tribes and others understand risks associated with contaminated or potentially contaminated properties, called brownfields, and learn how to assess, safely clean up and sustainably reuse them. EPA funds three organizations—Kansas State University (KSU), the New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) and the Center for Creative Land Recycling (CCLR)—to serve as independent sources of technical assistance. Each of these TABs has an extensive network of partners, contractors and other contacts that provides services across the country. They help communities tackle a variety of challenges related to identifying, assessing, cleaning up and redeveloping brownfields. The technical assistance comes at no cost to communities. This makes the TAB program a great resource for small, underserved, rural and other communities that might otherwise struggle to address their brownfields.

Categories: Planning, Brownfields, Environmental Pollutants, Human Health, Infrastructure, Cleanup, Assessment, Urban Restoration

up to $200,000 per applicant National Link
Region 9 Indian Environmental General Assistance Program EPA

Most recent deadline: 1/14/2021. EPA provides GAP financial and technical assistance to tribal governments and intertribal consortia to assist tribes in planning, developing, and establishing the capacity to implement federal environmental programs administered by the EPA and to assist in implementation of tribal solid and hazardous waste programs in accordance with applicable provisions of law, including the Solid Waste Disposal Act (commonly known as the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, or RCRA). As described in the GAP Guiding Principles, this support promotes tribal government efforts to develop core environmental program capacities (administrative, financial management, information management, environmental baseline needs assessment, public education/communication, legal, and technical/analytical) and baseline capacities for media-specific programs (e.g., ambient air quality, water quality, managing waste, and other EPA-administered statutory programs).

Categories: Adaptation, Regulatory, Environmental Justice, Natural Resources, Conservation, Health

$75,000 for first-time applicants. Total Funding will be determined after EPA receives its full budget from Congress. Pacific Southwest Link
EPA Region 7 Wetland Program Development Grants EPA

Wetland Program Development Grants provide eligible applicants an opportunity to conduct and promote the coordination and acceleration of research, investigations, experiments, training, demonstrations, surveys, and studies relating to the causes, effects, extent, prevention, reduction, and elimination of water pollution. All proposals submitted under this RFP must be for projects that build or refine state/tribal/local government wetland programs.

Categories: Wetland Conservation, Water Pollution

Varies Midwest Link
Clean Air Act Grants under the Inflation Reduction Act EPA

Deadline passed. Most recent deadline: April 17, 2023. EPA's Office of Air and Radiation is announcing approximately $25,000,000 in Clean Air Act (CAA) grants under section 60105(f) "Funding to Address Air Pollution: Clean Air Act Grants" of the Inflation Reduction Act. These funds will supplement annual funding for air pollution control agencies in support of activities under Clean Air Act Section 103. The funds will support efforts by air pollution control agencies and other organizations to partner with EPA to deliver cleaner air through programs that address air quality, transportation, indoor air, and climate change. Other activities may include planning and preparation for implementing other Inflation Reduction Act provisions. EPA regional offices will contact eligible entities about how to apply via Grants.gov.

Categories: air quality, pollution, non-competitive, IRA, transportation, GHG emissions

Varies National Link
National Indoor Environments Program: Reducing Public Exposure to Indoor Pollutants EPA

This notice announces the availability of funds and solicits applications from eligible entities for demonstration, training, outreach and/or education cooperative agreements that will have a national scale impact to reduce exposure to indoor air contaminants and yield measurable environmental outcomes.

Categories: Air Pollution, public health

Up to $200,000 annually for up to 3 years Northwest, Southwest, Northeast, Southeast, National, Alaska, Midwest, US territories Link
EPA Region 3 Wetlands Program Development Grants EPA

Deadline unknown for 2017. Wetland Program Development Grants (WPDGs) provide eligible applicants an opportunity to conduct and promote the coordination and acceleration of research, investigations, experiments, training, demonstrations, surveys, and studies relating to the causes, effects, extent, prevention, reduction, and elimination of water pollution. All proposals submitted under this RFP must be for projects that build or refine state/tribal/local government wetland programs. Implementation of wetland protection programs is not an eligible project under this announcement

Categories: Conservation, Wetlands

$200,000-900,000 Northeast, Southeast Link
EPA's Office of Water supports the National Tribal Water Council (NTWC) EPA

Deadline passed as of August 11, 2016. Deadline for 2017 unknown. EPA's Office of Water supports the National Tribal Water Council (NTWC), composed of tribal governmental representatives, to increase communications, promote sharing of technical information and best management practices for Indian country, raise awareness of tribes on priority water issues, and facilitate tribal input on actions to protect water quality and provide safe drinking water in tribal communities. EPA supports the efforts of the National Tribal Water Council through a multi-year cooperative agreement to a recipient who manages and supports the operations of the Council, and assists in developing and completing products in coordination with the NTWC. Eligible recipients interested in managing the NTWC under this cooperative agreement may apply by submitting applications to EPA for this competitive process.

Categories: intertribal, water health, water rights, water management

Total award $1,100,000. National Link
EPA 2022 Tribal EJ Small Grants Opportunity EPA

Deadline passed. Most recent deadline: May 19, 2022. EPA has announced the availability of up to $1.6 million in American Rescue Plan (ARP) funding to support Tribal government efforts to establish or modify programs on environmental justice, water and air quality issues. Congress made up to $1.6 million in ARP funding available to Tribes, recognizing the importance of supporting Tribal public engagement programs and related priorities that have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. EPA anticipates awarding 16 to 20 grants nationwide in amounts of up to $100,000 per award. Applicants should plan for projects to begin on 1 October 2022. Learn more and apply here.

Categories: Environmental justice, water quality, air quality, public engagement, COVID-19

Applicants may request up to $100,000. National Link
EPA Pollution Prevention Grant Program EPA

Pollution Prevention (P2) Grants provide technical assistance to businesses in order to help them develop and adopt source reduction practices (also known as “pollution prevention” or “P2”). P2 means reducing or eliminating pollutants from entering any waste stream or otherwise released into the environment prior to recycling, treatment, or disposal. In keeping with the Pollution Prevention Act of 1990, EPA is encouraging P2 because implementing these approaches can result in reductions in toxic pollutants, the use of water, energy and other raw materials, while also lowering business costs. P2 grants are awarded to States, colleges and universities (recognized as instrumentalities of the state), and federally-recognized tribes and intertribal consortia.

Categories: Pollution Prevention, Conservation, Efficiency, Greenhouse Gas Reduction

$40,000-$500,000 Northwest, Southwest, Northeast, Southeast, National, Alaska, Midwest Link
Systems-Based Research for Evaluating Ecological Impacts of Manufactured Chemicals EPA

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), as part of its Science to Achieve Results (STAR), and Chemical Safety for Sustainability (CSS) research programs is funding grants with the goal of applying systems-based approaches for identifying, addressing, and reducing uncertainties from limited exposure data and stressor-response relationships.EPA is seeking applications focusing on integrated, transdisciplinary research that would advance scientific understanding of potential for impacts to ecosystem wellbeing associated with the use of manufactured chemicals.Specifically, the RFA solicits proposals for systems-based research to develop and apply innovative metrics and modeling approaches to improve evaluation of ecological resilience and impact analyses, and to support environmental sustainability. Successful proposals will translate emerging and advanced methods, data, and computational tools to address complexity of these systems and distill drivers of adverse outcomes to ecological organisms and populations.

Categories: Research, Chemical Pollution

Up to $800,000 Northwest, Southwest, Northeast, Southeast, Midwest, Alaska, National Link
Tribal Clean Diesel Funding Assistance Program FY 2018 EPA Office of Transportation and Air Quality

Deadline Passed 04/03/2019. Deadline Unknown for 2020. EPA’s Office of Transportation and Air Quality (OTAQ) is soliciting proposals nationwide for projects that achieve significant reductions in diesel emissions in terms of tons of pollution produced by diesel engines and diesel emissions exposure, particularly from fleets located in areas designated as having poor air quality. Further, priority for funding will be given to projects which result in outcomes that benefit affected communities, those that engage affected communities with respect to the design and performance of the project, and those which can demonstrate the ability to promote and continue efforts to reduce emissions after the project has ended. 

Categories: emissions, alternative energy, sustainability, climate adaptation, air quality

Awards will range from $0-$800,000. United States Link