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 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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 | |
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 |
Mutual Self-Help Housing Technical Assistance Grants | USDA | 12/31/2024 | Applications accepted continuously. Provides grants to qualified organizations to help them carry out local self-help housing construction projects. Grant recipients supervise groups of very-low- and low-income individuals and families as they construct their own homes in rural areas. The group members provide most of the construction labor on each other’s homes, with technical assistance from the organization overseeing the project. Funds may be used to:Give technical and supervisory assistance to participating familiesHelp other organizations provide self-help technical and supervisory assistanceRecruit families, help them complete loan applications and carry out other related activities that enable them to participate Categories: housing, rural areas, low-income communities, technical assistance |
varies | Rural Areas | Link |
Intermediary Relending Program | USDA | 12/31/2024 | Applications accepted year round. This program provides 1 percent low-interest loans to local intermediaries that re-lend to businesses to improve economic conditions and create jobs in rural communities. Categories: rural communities, local economy, jobs, development |
$250,000; or 75 % of the total cost of the ultimate recipient's project for which the loan is being made, whichever is less. | Rural Areas | Link |
Biorefinery, Renewable Chemical, and Biobased Product Manufacturing Assistance Program | USDA | Deadline passed. Most recent deadline: April 3, 2023. This program assists in the development, construction, and retrofitting of new and emerging technologies for the development of Advanced Biofuels, Renewable Chemicals, and Biobased Product Manufacturing by providing loan guarantees for up to $250 million. Categories: biofuels, renewable chemicals, biobased products, renewable energy, manufacturing, development |
Varies | National | Link | |
Rural Microentrepreneur Assistance Program | USDA | 12/31/2024 | Applications are accepted year round. Provides loans and grants to Microenterprise Development Organizations (MDOs) to:Provide microloans to help microenterprises startup and growth through a Rural Microloan Revolving FundProvide training and technical assistance to microloan borrowers and micro entrepreneurs Categories: business development, rural areas, microenterprise |
Up to $50,000 | Rural Areas | Link |
Business and Industry Loan Guarantees | USDA | 12/31/2024 | Rolling Deadline. This program bolsters the availability of private credit by guaranteeing loans for rural businesses. Categories: Rural areas, business development, credit, local economy |
Up to $25 million | Rural Areas | Link |
Multi-Family Housing Direct Loans | USDA | Applications accepted year round. This program provides competitive financing for affordable multi-family rental housing for low-income, elderly, or disabled individuals and families in eligible rural areas. This program assists qualified applicants that cannot obtain commercial credit on terms that will allow them to charge rents that are affordable to low-income tenants. Categories: housing, rural communities, multi-family housing, improvement, development |
varies | Rural Areas | Link | |
Risk Management Education Partnership Program | USDA | Deadline passed. Most recent deadline: April 24, 2023. The purpose of this cooperative agreement program is to deliver crop insurance education and risk management training to U.S. agricultural producers to assist them in identifying and managing production, marketing, legal, financial, and human risk. Categories: climate change, human health, sustainability, agriculture, economy, management, planning, policy |
$5,000 - $300,000 | National | Link | |
Grants for Rural and Native Alaskan Villages | USDA | 12/31/2024 | Applications accepted continuously. Meant to fund water and waste disposal systems in rural Alaskan Villages. Funds must be used for development and construction of water and wastewater systems to correct dire health and sanitation conditions in those villages. Many communities in remote rural Alaska, where villages are accessible by plane or boat only, are essentially inaccessible during the long, hard winters. They lag far behind the lower 48 States in having safe and dependable drinking water and suitable waste disposal systems available. Construction costs are extremely high. This is due in part to the severe weather conditions, which makes laying pipe difficult, if not impossible. These conditions also require the use of insulated pipe, or in areas of permafrost, above ground utilidors, often with heat traced insulated pipe. The vast distances from the transportation hub of Anchorage to a village increases costs substantially as the material must be delivered by barge or air. Categories: Adaptation, Emergency Management, Water, Health, Natural Resources |
The maximum grant is 75 percent of the project cost. | Alaska, Coastal | Link |
Multi-Family Housing Loan Guarantees | USDA | 12/31/2024 | This program accepts applications on a continuous basis. The program works with qualified private-sector lenders to provide financing to qualified borrowers to increase the supply of affordable rental housing for low- and moderate-income individuals and families in eligible rural areas and towns. Construction, improvement and purchase of multi-family rental housing for low to moderate income families and individuals is the primary objective for this program. Funding may also be available for:Buying and improving landProviding necessary infrastructureFor a complete list see Code of Federal Regulations, 7CFR Part 3565.205 Categories: housing, rural communities, development, infrastructure |
varies | Rural Areas | 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 | |
Rural Housing Site Loans | USDA | 12/31/2024 | Applications accepted year round. Rural Housing site loans provide two types of loans to purchase and develop housing sites for low- and moderate-income families:Section 523 loans are used to acquire and develop sites only for housing to be constructed by the Self-Help method. Refer to RD Instruction 1944-I for more information about the Self-Help programSection 524 loans are made to acquire and develop sites for low- or moderate-income families, with no restriction as to the method of construction. Low-income is defined as between 50-80% of the area median income (AMI); the upper limit for moderate income is $5,500 above the low-income limit Categories: housing, rural communities, development |
Varies | Rural Areas | Link |
Farmers Market Promotion Program | USDA | Deadline Passed for 2018. Deadline Unknown for 2019. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), AMS, requests applications for the fiscal year (FY) 2016 Farmers Market Promotion Program (FMPP) to competitively award grants to eligible applicants for projects that establish, expand, and promote direct producer-to-consumer marketing. Categories: Farmers Market, Local Foods, Sustainability, Bioregionalism, Sustainable Agriculture, Community Development. |
Capacity Building: Minimum grant award is $50,000. Maximum award is $250,000. Community Development, Training, and Technical Assistance: Minimum grant award is $250,000. Maximum award $500,000. |
United States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the United States Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. | Link | |
Agriculture and Food Research Initiative Competitive Grants Program | USDA | Deadline passed as of June 28, 2017. Deadline for 2018 unknown. The Agriculture and Natural Resources Science for Climate Variability and Change Challenge Area RFA focuses on the societal challenge to adapt agroecosystems and natural resource systems to climate variability and change and implement mitigation strategies in those systems. In the Agriculture and Natural Resources Science for Climate Variability and Change Challenge Area RFA, specific program areas are designed to achieve the long-term outcome of reducing the use of energy, nitrogen, reducing GHG emissions from practices, and water in the production of food, feed, fiber, and fuel; reduce GHG emissions from these agroecosystems; and increase carbon sequestration. Project types supported by AFRI within this RFA include multi-function integrated research, education, and/or extension projects and Food and Agricultural Science Enhancement (FASE) Grants. Categories: Education, Natural Resources, Research, Adaptation, Mitigation, Land, Health, Energy, Water |
Varies | Northwest, Southwest, Northeast, Southeast, National, Alaska, Midwest | Link | |
Rural Broadband Access Loan and Loan Guarantee | USDA | Deadline Passed 09/30/2018. Deadline Unknown for 2019. The Rural Broadband Access Loan and Loan Guarantee Program (Broadband Program) furnishes loans and loan guarantees to provide funds for the costs of construction, improvement, or acquisition of facilities and equipment needed to provide service at the broadband lending speed in eligible rural areas. For more information on other programs administered by RUS Telecommunications please visit : http://www.rd.usda.gov/programs-services/all-programs/telecom-programs. Broadband loans provide funding on a technology-neutral basis for financing:The construction, improvement, and acquisition of facilities required to provide service at the broadband lending speed including facilities required for providing other services through the same facilitiesThe cost of leasing facilities required to provide service at the broadband Lending speed if such lease qualifies as a capital lease under Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP)An acquisition, under certain circumstances and with restrictionsFor additional detail see 7 CFR 1738 Categories: broadband access, internet, implementation, development, rural communities |
varies | Rural Areas | Link | |
Conservation Stewardship Program | USDA | 12/31/2024 | Applications accepted continuously. The Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) helps agricultural producers maintain and improve their existing conservation systems and adopt additional conservation activities to address priority resources concerns. Participants earn CSP payments for conservation performance—the higher the performance, the higher the payment. Categories: Stewardship, Conservation, IRA |
Varies | All 50 states, the District of Columbia, the Caribbean and Pacific Island areas. | Link |
Telecommunications Infrastructure Loans & Loan Guarantees | USDA | 12/31/2024 | Applications accepted year round. This program provides financing for the construction, maintenance, improvement and expansion of telephone service and broadband in rural areas. For more information on other programs administered by RUS Telecommunications please visit : http://www.rd.usda.gov/programs-services/all-programs/telecom-programs Categories: telecommunications, infrastructure, development, broadband, construction, rural communities |
varies | Rural Areas | Link |
Value Added Producer Grant (VAPG) | USDA | Deadline passed as of June 24, 2016. Deadline for 2017 unknown.The VAPG program helps agricultural producers enter into value-added activities related to the processing and/or marketing of bio-based, value-added products. Generating new products, creating and expanding marketing opportunities, and increasing producer income are the goals of this program. You may receive priority if you are a beginning farmer or rancher, a socially-disadvantaged farmer or rancher, a small or medium-sized farm or ranch structured as a family farm, a farmer or rancher cooperative, or are proposing a mid-tier value chain. Grants are awarded through a national competition. Each fiscal year, applications are requested through a notice published in the Federal Register and through an announcement posted on Grants.gov. Categories: Small Farmers and Ranchers, Sustainable Agriculture, Family Farms, Marketing Opportunities. |
Maximum Grant Amount: $75,000 for planning grants; $250,000 for working capital grants |
National. | Link | |
USDA Renewable Energy Systems and Energy Efficiency Improvement Guaranteed Loans | USDA | The USDA Rural Business Cooperative-Service Agency is accepting applications for Renewable Energy Systems and Energy Efficiency Improvement Guaranteed Loans to assist agricultural producers and rural small businesses with evaluating energy efficiency and the potential to incorporate renewable energy technologies into their operations. Categories: Renewable energy, Agriculture, small businesses |
Unknown | National, agriculture & small rural business | Link | |
Emergency Forest Restoration Program (EFRP) | USDA | he Emergency Forest Restoration Program (EFRP) helps the owners of non-industrial private forests restore forest health damaged by natural disasters. The EFRP does this by authorizing payments to owners of private forests to restore disaster damaged forests. The local FSA County Committee implements EFRP for all disasters with the exceptions of drought and insect infestations. In the case of drought or an insect infestation, the national FSA office authorizes EFRP implementation. Categories: forest restoration, forest management, private forests, non-industrial forests, natural disasters, forest health |
National | Link | ||
Household Water Well System Grants | USDA | Deadline Passed July 31, 2022. This program helps qualified non-profits and Tribes create a revolving loan fund (RLF) to extend access to clean, reliable water to households in eligible rural areas. Categories: Food/Water Security, Water Systems Development, Community Development, Infrastructure Development. |
Unknown. | National. Rural areas and towns with 50, 000 or fewer people - check eligible addresses. Tribal Lands in rural areas. Colonias | Link | |
Federally Recognized Tribes Extension Program (FRTEP) | USDA | Deadline passed. Most recent deadline: Feburary 25, 2022. The purpose of this program is to establish an Extension presence and support Extension outreach on Federally Recognized Indian Reservations and Tribal jurisdictions of Federally-Recognized Tribes. This program seeks to continue the Land Grants mission of inclusion - providing education and research-based knowledge to those who might not otherwise receive it. Learn more and apply here. Categories: Land Grant, education, outreach, research, Tribal youth development, economic and workforce development, food sovereignty, Native language and culture preservation |
Up to $360,000 | National | Link | |
Rural Cooperative Development Grant Program | USDA | Deadline passed. Modt recent deadline: June 6, 2022. The Rural Cooperative Development Grant program helps improve the economic condition of rural areas by helping non-profit corporations or higher education institutions in the startup, expansion or operational improvement of rural cooperatives and other mutually-owned businesses through cooperative development. Categories: Rural Development, Economic development, Business Development, Community Development, management, infrastructure, local economy, |
Maximum Grant Amount up to $200,000 | National | Link | |
Broadband Technical Assistance | USDA | Deadline passed. Most recent deadline: June 20, 2023. The Rural Utilities Service (RUS or the Agency), a Rural Development (RD) agency of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), announces the acceptance of applications for Broadband Technical Assistance (BTA) for Fiscal Year (FY) 2023. Broadband Technical Assistance provides competitive cooperative agreement funding to eligible entities to receive or deliver broadband technical assistance and training that promotes the expansion of broadband into rural areas. Examples of broadband technical assistance projects may include conducting feasibility studies, completing network designs, and developing broadband financial assistance applications.The Agency encourages applicants to consider projects that will advance the following key priorities:Assisting rural communities recover economically through more and better market opportunities and through improved infrastructure;Ensuring all rural residents have equitable access to RD programs and benefits from RD funded projects; andReducing climate pollution and increasing resilience to the impacts of climate change through economic support to rural communities.In addition, the Agency encourages applicants to work with the Rural Partners Network. The Rural Partners Network is an all-of-government program that demonstrates to rural America that the federal government can work differently to serve their unique needs in a way this is community-centered and locally-driven. RPN is a recognition by the Biden Administration that it is time to do more for rural communities. Applicants to this funding opportunity are encouraged to include RPN Community Networks in their proposals by identifying Community Networks as collaborative partners or recipients of service. Categories: rural, broadband, pollution, internet, technical assistance, training |
$50,000 - $1,000,000 | National | Link | |
Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP) | USDA | 12/31/2024 | Deadline: Year round with periodic ranking cycles announced. The Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP) protects the agricultural viability and related conservation values of eligible land by limiting nonagricultural uses which negatively affect agricultural uses and conservation values, protect grazing uses and related conservation values by restoring or conserving eligible grazing land, and protecting and restoring and enhancing wetlands on eligible land. ACEP has two components:Agricultural Land Easements (ALE) help private and tribal landowners, land trusts, and other entities such as state and local governments protect croplands and grasslands on working farms and ranches by limiting non-agricultural uses of the land through conservation easements.Wetland Reserve Easements (WRE) help private and tribal landowners protect, restore and enhance wetlands which have been previously degraded due to agricultural uses. Categories: IRA, farmland, conservation, wetlands |
Varies | National | Link |
Community Facilities Technical Assistance and Training Grant | USDA | Deadline passed. Most recent deadline: May 23, 2022. The Agency will make grants to public bodies and private nonprofit corporations, (such as States, counties, cities, townships, and incorporated towns and villages, boroughs, authorities, districts, and Indian tribes on Federal and State reservations) to provide associations Technical Assistance and/or training with respect to essential community facilities programs. The Technical Assistance and/or training will assist communities, Indian Tribes, and Nonprofit Corporations to identify and plan for community facility needs that exist in their area. Once those needs have been identified, the Grantee can assist in identifying public and private resources to finance those identified community facility needs. Categories: community facilities, infrastructure, planning, training, technical assistance |
up to $150,000 | National | Link | |
Strategic Economic and Community Development (SECD) | USDA | 12/31/2024 | Applications accepted year-round. To advance projects which support long-term community and economic growth strategies that reflect both multi-jurisdictional stakeholder collaboration and capitalize upon the unique strengths of the rural area. Through this provision, USDA Rural Development is empowered to work further with rural communities to align resources with long-range and multi-jurisdictional challenges and needs by leveraging federal, state, local, or private funding. Applicants to any of several existing Rural Development programs whose projects support the implementation of multi-jurisdictional strategic economic and community development plans may apply for priority consideration through SECD. Consideration will be based on: (1) How well the project supports a multijurisdictional plan and (2) How well the plan addresses collaboration, regionalism, and investments from other federal and philanthropic agencies. Interested participants are encouraged to have their plans reviewed by their State's staff early in the process for feedback and possible modification prior to submitting with the formal application. Categories: Rural Development |
see website | National | Link |
USDA Community Connect Grants | USDA | Deadline passed. The next application window expected to open early 2023. The Community Connect program serves rural communities where broadband service is least likely to be available, but where it can make a tremendous difference in the quality of life for citizens. The projects funded by these grants will help rural residents tap into the enormous potential of the Internet. Categories: Development, Internet |
varies | National, Northwest, Southwest, Southeast, Northeast, Midwest, Alaska | 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 |
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