The Tribal Climate Change Guide is part of the Pacific Northwest Tribal Climate Change Project. For more information, visit: https://tribalclimate.uoregon.edu/. If you would like to add to or amend information included in this guide, please complete this Google Form. If you have additions or suggestions for this website, please email kathy@uoregon.edu.

 

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@uoregon.edu. 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 Grant Deadline Description Funding Amount Sort ascending Geography Website
Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grants DOE

The Energy and Environmental Block Grant program assists local, state and tribal governments in developing and implementing strategies to help the nation meet its energy and climate goals. The purpose of the program is to help eligible entities reduce fossil fuel emissions, reduce the total energy use of eligible entities and improve energy efficiency in the transportation, building, and other sectors. Of the $3.2 billion in total program funds, $2.8 billion will be allocated as authorized in Title V, Subtitle E of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007. An additional $400 million will be available in competitive grants.

Categories: Energy, Regulation, Adaptation, Mitigation, Research

Individual awards usually range between $50,000 and $200,000 per year, with some exceptions for larger awards. Northwest, Southwest, Midwest, Northeast, Southeast, National, Alaska Link
Emergency Community Water Assistance Grants USDA 12/31/2024

Applications accepted continuously. This program provides grants to assist rural communities that have had a significant decline in quantity or quality of drinking water. Grant may fund waterline extensions from existing systems, construction of new water lines; repairs to existing systems, construction of new wells, reservoirs, transmission lines, treatment plants, and other water sources. Priority is given to areas with less than 10,000 people, low-income areas, and communities facing imminent decline and shortage of water.

Categories: Water, Natural Resources, Health, Emergency

Individual awards range from 150,000 to $500,000 depending on the severity of decline in quantity or quality of water. Northwest, Southwest, Midwest, Northeast, Southeast, National, Alaska Link
Seventh Generation Fund for Indian Development NGO

RFP closed for 2016. The Seventh Generation Fund is an Indigenous non-profit organization dedicated to promoting and maintaining the uniqueness of Native peoples throughout the Americas. It offers an integrated program of advocacy, small grants, training and technical assistance, media experience and fiscal management, lending its support and extensive expertise to Indigenous grassroots communities. Its Sustainable Communities Program Area provides seed money, organizational support and technical training to Native grassroots community-based projects striving for holistic community health and renewal. It supports traditional agricultural methods, renewable forms of energy and sustainable strategies for development that preserve or restore traditional life-ways for future generations.

Categories: Education, Energy, Environmental Justice, Health, Research

Individual awards of up to $5,000 Northwest, Southwest, Northeast, Southeast, National, Midwest, Alaska Link
Preserve America Initiative Internal Funding Program NOAA

This popular internal funding program is designed to stimulate efforts within NOAA to preserve, protect and promote the agency's heritage assets. Projects from FY05 through FY12 have varied in scope from interpreting historic and cultural resources in NOAA's care to capturing oral histories of NOAA employees and constituents. Must be partnered with a NOAA partner.

Categories: Education, Conservation, Research

Individual awards of up to $12,000 Northwest, Southwest, Midwest, Northeast, Southeast, National, Alaska Link
Coastal Resilience Networks (CRest) DOC

Grant Status Unknown. The purpose of this notice is to solicit grant proposals from eligible organizations to implement activities that enhance resilience of coastal communities to natural hazard and climate risks through a regional or national network. Proposals must leverage, enhance, or create a system in which one or more coastal hazard issues can be addressed through partnerships to improve coordination and collaboration throughout the region. Partnerships must include multiple institutions, disciplines, and sectors at the local, state, and federal level. Proposals submitted in response to this announcement should provide beneficial public outcomes for coastal communities to address existing and potential future climate and hazard risks to coastal infrastructure, local economies, vulnerable populations, and the natural environment.

Categories: Coastal, Conservation, Disaster, Research, Water

Individual awards of up to $100,000 Northwest, Southwest, Northeast, Southeast, Pacific Islands, Coastal, National, International (US Territories) Link
NOAA Sea Grant Coastal Community Climate Adaptation Initiative 2013 NOAA, DOC

This climate adaptation initiative is designed to support action to prepare for the current and predicted impacts of climate variability and change on America's coastal communities. Applications to this competition must propose projects that identify and address the vulnerabilities a coastal community may face in adapting to climate change. Projects must be carried out in active partnership with local (county or municipal) leadership, and should include cooperation with relevant state, NOAA, and other Federal agencies, or other organizations, as appropriate.

Categories: Adaptation, Mitigation, Conservation, Coastal

Individual awards of up to $100,000 Northwest, Southwest, Southeast, Northeast, National, Alaska, Coastal Link
Native American Affairs Office Technical Assistance Program DOI

Deadline for 2018 Unknown. The Bureau of Reclamation’s Office of Native American and International Affairs has a Technical Assistance for Tribes program. This program assists Federally recognized Indian Tribes to develop, manage and protect their water and related resources. Past project have included water needs assessments, improved water management studies, water quality data collection and assessments, and water measurement studies.

Categories: Water, Natural Resources, Education, Research

Individual awards of up to $100,000 Northwest, Southwest, Midwest Link
Green Neighborhoods Grant Program NGO

Deadline Passed 8/15/2016. Deadline for 2018 unknown. The Affordable Green Neighborhoods Grant Program will award grants and provide educational resources to affordable housing developers and related public agencies who choose to pursue LEED 2009 for Neighborhood Development certification. Preference will be given to qualifying projects that meet additional goals, including the redevelopment of infill and previously developed sites, effort to strengthen the surrounding neighborhoods, commitment to engage stakeholders in the development process, and the provision of green housing for a range of income levels.

Categories: Energy

Individual awards of $25,000 Northwest, Southwest, Midwest, Northeast, Southeast, National, Alaska Link
BLM CO – Vegetation Management and Fuels Reduction BLM

Unknown for 2017. The project/program is to restore and maintain healthy, productive ecosystems and wildlife populations through management activities including to continue to reduce the risk of undesirable catastrophic wildfires. Disruption of the presettlement disturbance regimes and climate have caused vegetative changes that now put many of Colorado’s ecosystems at risk of uncharacteristic damaging wildfire and unhealthy conditions.

Categories: Environmental Science, Healthy Ecosystems, Wildfires, Environmental Management, Stewardship.

Individual awards may range from $2,000-$400,000. Colorado. Link
Bring Back the Natives/More Fish NGO, DOI, USDA

RFP closed for FY 2015; Unknown grant status for FY 2016. Bring Back the Natives funds on-the-ground efforts to restore, protect, and enhance native aquatic species to their historic range. Projects should involve partnerships between communities, agencies, private landowners, and organizations and should focus on habitat needs of species such as fish, invertebrates, and amphibians. The Bring Back the Natives/More Fish program invests ins conservation activities that restore, protect, and enhance native populations of sensitive or listed fish species across the United States, especially in areas on or adjacent to federal agency lands.

Categories: Natural Resources, Wildlife, Aquatice Species Conservation

Individual awards between $25,000 and $100,000 Northwest, Southwest, Midwest, Northeast, Southeast, National, Alaska Link
Native American Food Security Grant NGO

The purpose of the Native American Food Security project is to support Native organizations working to eliminate food insecurity among tribal elders in rural and/or reservation-based Native American communities in Arizona, Louisiana, New Mexico and Oklahoma. There is a particular focus on locally-grown, healthy foods, and assist in the development or expansion of locally-controlled and locally-based food systems that provide healthy foods to senior community members while also supporting local food producers and the local economy.

Categories: Health, Natural Resources

Individual awards between $20,000 and $25,000 Arizona, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Southeast, Southwest Link
National Forest Foundation Matching Awards Program National Forest Foundation

Most Recent Deadline: June 21, 2024. The National Forest Foundation is pleased to announce that the Matching Awards Program (MAP) is now accepting applications for Round 2 2024. Through the Matching Awards Program (MAP), the NFF is soliciting proposals to provide funds for projects that directly benefit America’s National Forests and Grasslands. MAP pairs federal funds provided through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Forest Service with non-federal dollars raised by award recipients, multiplying the resources available to benefit the National Forest System. MAP: Connecting People to Forests, focuses primarily on in-person community engagement, and completion of appropriate stewardship activities. Program goals are to create lasting change that will allow all communities, especially underserved communities, opportunities to benefit from activities on National Forest System lands or adjacent public lands. For more information, visit: https://www.nationalforests.org/grant-programs/map?mc_cid=d201808eaf&mc_eid=863d7a43ce.

Categories: National forests, restoration, impacts, forest health, civic engagement, community involvement

In recent years, NFF has considered applications ranging from less than $5,000 to over $60,000. New applicants to MAP are encouraged to submit applications requesting under $30,000. National Link
Active Transportation Infrastructure Investment Program (ATIIP) US Department of Transportation, Office of Planning, Environment, and Realty

Most Recent Deadline: June 2024. The Active Transportation Infrastructure Investment Program (ATIIP) is a new competitive grant program created by Section 11529 of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (enacted as the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (Pub. L. 117-58) to construct projects to provide safe and connected active transportation facilities in active transportation networks or active transportation spines.

Categories: Transportation (386), infrastructure development (37)

In 2023, FHWA received $45 million in funding for ATIIP from the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023 (Pub. L. 117-328), the first funds appropriated for this program. Pursuant to section 11529(d)(2) of BIL, FHWA will set aside at least $3 million of available ATIIP funding for Planning and Design grants. Pursuant to section 11529(d)(1) of BIL, FHWA will provide at least 30% of ATIIP funding to projects that construct active transportation networks, and at least 30% of ATIIP funding to projects that construct active transportation spines. National Link
Potlatch Resiliency Fund Potlatch Fund

Grant Closed on December 31, 2021. In light of the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on Native communities, the Potlatch Resiliency Fund seeks to protect our way of life by funding resiliency actions that create hope, social connection, adaption, flexibility and purpose. This fund will provide grants that support general operating funds, projects, and artists. For more information and to apply, click here.

Categories: Resilience, COVID-19, art, community involvement

Grants will be awarded in two amounts: $10,000 and $15,000, based on funding eligibility. Oregon, Washington, Idaho, or Montana Link
Community Facilities Tribal College Initiative Grants USDA 12/31/2024

Deadline is ongoing. This program provides funding to 1994 Land Grant Institutions (Tribal Colleges) to make capital improvements to their educational facilities and to purchase equipment.

Categories: community facilities, development, educational facilities, infrastructure, renovation and improvements, cultural projects

Grants up to $250,000 per land grant institution
Funds can be used to pay up to 95% of the project cost
National Link
Rural Business Development Grants USDA

Deadline Passed. Most Recent Deadline February 28, 2024. Application deadlines vary by state. Check with your local program staff. RBDG is a competitive grant designed to support targeted technical assistance, training and other activities leading to the development or expansion of small and emerging private businesses in rural areas that have fewer than 50 employees and less than $1 million in gross revenues. Programmatic activities are separated into enterprise or opportunity type grant activities.

Categories: small business, rural business, family-owned, private business, rural communities

Grants range from $10,000 up to $500,000. United States Link
Rural Energy for America Program Renewable Energy Systems & Energy Efficiency Improvement Guaranteed Loans & Grants USDA

Deadline passed. Most recent deadline: March 31, 2022. This program provides guaranteed loan financing and grant funding to agricultural producers and rural small businesses for renewable energy systems or to make energy-efficiency improvements. Agricultural producers may also apply for new energy-efficient equipment and new system loans for agricultural production and processing. Increasing energy efficiency and developing more renewable-energy systems is cost effective and reduces the consumption of fuels that generate greenhouse gases, which contribute to climate change. Applications can be for grants of $20,000 or less or a loan/grant combination of $20,000 or less. Learn more and apply here.

Categories: Rural, agriculture, energy, equipment, emissions

Grants of $20,000 or less or a loan/grant combination of $20,000 or less. National Link
Western Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE), Sabbatical Research and Education Grant Western Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE)

Deadline passed. Most recent deadline: November 18, 2021. These grants provide an opportunity for faculty around the world to partner with farmers, ranchers, agricultural professionals, and researchers of the Western U.S. region for conducting research, education, and extension activities. Projects focused on unexplored topics in underserved communities and understudied geographic locations are of special interest. Learn more and apply here.

Categories: Agriculture, research, education, sustainability

Grants cannot exceed $75,000 Western US Link
United Fresh Start Foundation Community Grants Program USDA

Deadline passed as of April 20, 2017. Deadline for 2018 unknown. The initiative extends the foundation’s work beyond the school day, to provide children with access to fresh fruit and vegetables afterschool, on the weekends, during summer breaks and in other creative venues. The program provides $25,000 in grants to local community organizations and groups that share the United Fresh Start Foundation’s commitment to increasing kids’ access to fresh produce, helping them develop healthy habits to last a lifetime. Grants will support programs, events and/or activities that increase children’s access to fresh produce.

Categories: food justice, distribution, nutrition, education, diet, health, noncommunicable disease,accessibility, local, fresh, economy, school, youth

Grants are available up to a maximum of $2,500. National Link
Community Facilities Direct Loan & Grant Program USDA 12/31/2024

Rolling Deadline. This program provides affordable funding to develop essential community facilities in rural areas. An essential community facility is defined as a facility that provides an essential service to the local community for the orderly development of the community in a primarily rural area, and does not include private, commercial or business undertakings.

Categories: housing, infrastructure, facilities, rural

Grants and Loans available. Award amount varies. United States Link
Specialty Crop Block Grant Program Washington State Department of Agriculture

Deadline passed. Most recent deadline: January 13, 2022. Specialty crops are defined by the USDA as fruits, vegetables, tree nuts, dried fruits, horticulture, and nursery crops, including floriculture. Projects should enhance the competitiveness of Washington’s specialty crops. grant requests can range from $25,000 to $250,000, for a maximum period of three years. Learn more and apply here.

Categories: Agriculture, specialty crops,

Grant requests can range from $25,000 to $250,000. Washington state Link
EPA Building Blocks for Sustainable Communities Program EPA, NGO

Smart Growth America and Global Green USA are soliciting applications for technical assistance, which is available under grants EPA awarded to these two organizations through the Office of Sustainable Communities' Building Blocks for Sustainable Communities grant program. (Listen to the November 6 webinar about both offerings.) Global Green USA's technical assistance is based on the LEED for Neighborhood Development standard, which provides a nationally recognized method for creating neighborhoods that are walkable, bikeable, resource-efficient, and equitable. At the conclusion of the assistance, the team will provide recommendations for both physical and policy changes that can enhance neighborhood sustainability.

Categories: Sustainable Development, infrastructure, planning, policy, climate change

Grant provides assistance as opposed to cash National, Northwest, Northeast, Southwest, Southeast, Midwest, Alaska Link
Rural Innovation Stronger Economy (RISE) USDA

Deadline passed. Most recent deadline: April 19, 2022. The USDA has opened up grant applications to the RISE program, which seeks to increase equity in rural America by offering grants of up to $2 million to consortiums of local governments, investors, industry, institutions of higher education, and other public and private entities that create projects in distressed communities. Communities that have traditionally had high concentrations of employment in fossil fueled energy production and are transitioning away from this are encouraged to apply. Learn more and apply here.

Categories: Job creation, business development, rural areas, worker training, local economies

Grant amounts are awarded competitively with a minimum of $500,000 and a maximum grant amount of $2,000,000. National Link
Individual Water & Wastewater Grants USDA

Applications accepted continuously. The purpose of this grant is to provide water and waste disposal facilities and services to low income rural communities whose residents face significant health risks. Every effort is made to identify and fund the neediest projects. This program is only eligible in states with Colonias, and those are Arizona, California, New Mexico, and Texas.

Categories: Adaptation, Water, Health, Natural Resources

Generally, applicants are expected to borrow as much as they can afford to repay, as in the regular loan program. However, water and waste disposal systems can obtain up to 100 percent grants to construct basic drinking water, sanitary sewer, solid waste disposal and storm drainage to serve the residents. Arizona, California, New Mexico, Texas Link
Bureau of Indian Affairs Invasive Species (IS) Program Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA)

Most recent deadline: January 13, 2023. Successful applications will focus on the management/control of invasive species on tribal trust lands, individual Indian allotment lands, or in areas managed by tribes through treaties or agreements. Instead of focusing on the definition of “Invasive Species,” this program will focus on the damage caused to Tribal Trust Resources and leave it to the discretion of the applicant to describe whether the species is “invasive” or represents an instance in which a native species is behaving as an invasive species due to altered environmental conditions. This funding can cover all invasive species (plants/animals) outside of noxious weeds in agricultural settings. BIA Northwest region: https://www.bia.gov/regional-offices/northwest

Categories: Invasive Species, planning, prevention, implementation, tribal trust resources

Funding requests can range from $2,500 - $250,000 per application. Proposals addressing more than one focus area may be combined into one proposal. Northwest, National Link
Western Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE), Professional Development Grant Western Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE)

Deadline passed. Most recent deadline: November 10, 2021. This grant program focuses on training agricultural professionals to help them spread knowledge about sustainable agriculture concepts and practices. Learn more and apply here.

Funding limit is $100,000 per project. Western US Link
Western Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE), Research to Grassroots Grant Western Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE)

Deadline passed. Most recent deadline: November 17, 2021. These projects take research results from previously funded SARE projects and bring those results into the field through education to agricultural professionals and producers. Learn more and apply here.

Categories: Agriculture, research, education, sustainability, outreach

Funding limit is $100,000 per project. Western US Link
WaterSMART Planning and Project Design Grants U.S. Bureau of Reclamation

Reclamation may reduce or waive the non-Federal cost share requirement upon request by the applicant if an overwhelming Federal interest and a significant financial need are identified.

Funding Available: Water Strategy and Project Design Grants: Maximum Award: $400,000.00 Minimum Award: $100,000.00 Drought Contingency Planning: Maximum Award: $400,000.00 Minimum Award: $25,000.00 

Types of Projects: Technical Analyses to Identify Problems, Needs and Opportunities; Water Marketing and Water Rights Analyses; Research of Legal and Institutional Requirements; Decision Support Tools; Development and Comparison of Project Alternatives

Categories: Technical Analyses to Identify Problems, Needs and Opportunities; Water Marketing and Water Rights Analyses; Research of Legal and Institutional Requirements; Decision Support Tools; Development and Comparison of Project Alternatives

Funding Available: Water Strategy and Project Design Grants:
Maximum Award: $400,000.00
Minimum Award: $100,000.00
Drought Contingency Planning:
Maximum Award: $400,000.00
Minimum Award: $25,000.00
National Link
Directorate Resource Assistant Fellows Program USFWS

Deadline passed. Previous deadline: January 2, 2023. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) will partner with the Student Conservation Association (SCA) to administer the 2019 FWS Directorate Resource Assistant Fellows Program (DFP) for undergraduate and recently accepted graduate students who are in interested in a conservation career. Expected fellowship dates: May 20, 2019 to August 16, 2019. 

Categories: Conservation, Fellowship, Natural Resources Management

Fellowship National Link
Great Lakes Fisheries and Wildlife Restoration Act (GLFWRA) USFWS

The USFWS requests interested entities to submit restoration, research and regional project proposals for the restoration of the Great Lakes Basin fish and wildlife resources, as authorized by the GLFWRA. The purpose of the act is to provide assistance to States, Indian Tribes, and other interested entities to encourage cooperative conservation, restoration and management of the fish and wildlife resources and their habitats in the Great Lakes Basin.

Categories: Habitat restoration, Conservation, Restoration, Species management.

Estimated Total Program Funding: $1,700,000 National Link