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 descending 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
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
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
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
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
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
Matching Awards Program National Forest Foundation

Deadline passed. Most recent deadline: January 16, 2024. The National Forest Foundation is pleased to announce that it is currently soliciting proposals for its Matching Awards Program (MAP). With recent changes to the program, MAP: Connecting People to Forests now 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. Learn more and apply here.

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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
The Community Forest and Open Space Conservation Program Forest Service, Department of Agriculture

Deadline passed. Most recent deadline: January 12, 2024. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Forest Service, State, Private & Tribal Forestry, is requesting applications for the Community Forest and Open Space Conservation Program (Community Forest Program or CFP). CFP is a competitive grant program that provides financial assistance to Indian Tribes, local governments, and qualified conservation non-profit organizations to establish community forests through the fee simple acquisition of private forest land. The purpose of the program is to establish community forests by protecting forestland from conversion to non-forest uses and provide community benefits including public recreation, environmental and economic benefits, and forest-based educational programs. Public access is required for all projects. To apply, interested local government and nonprofit applicants must submit applications to the State Forester where the property is located. Tribal applicants must submit applications to equivalent Tribal government officials. All applications must be received by State Foresters or Tribal governments by January 12th, 2024. https://www.fs.usda.gov/sites/default/files/community-forest-prog-fy24-…

Categories: forest conservation, community, sustainable forestry, management, education, stewardship, recreation, collaboration

Individual grant applications may not exceed $600,000, which does not include technical assistance requests. National Link
Northwest Climate Science Center Funding Opportunity FY 2019 Northwest CSC

Deadline Passed as of 3/13/2019. Deadline for 2020 unknown. This document invites proposals for projects to be initiated by the Northwest Climate Science Center (NW CSC) in Fiscal Year (FY) 2018. Project proposals must relate to elements of the NW CSC Science Agenda for 2018-23. The NW CSC Science Agenda for 2018– 23 charts the overall science direction and research opportunities for the NW CSC over the next 5 years in response to stated regional natural and cultural resource management priorities. The anticipated products build upon an extensive research portfolio funded by the NW CSC from 2011 to 2017.

Categories: management, research, stakeholders, engagement

Individual Projects will not exceed $300,000 Northwest Link
Social and Economic Development Strategies for Native Americans ANA, DHS

Deadline passed as of June 22, 2017. Deadline for 2018 unknown. ANA promotes social and economic self-sufficiency in communities through SEDS grants. These competitive financial assistance grants support locally determined projects designed to reduce or eliminate community problems and achieve community goals. This approach to promoting self-sufficiency encourages communities to shift away from programs that result in dependency on services and move toward projects that increase community and individual productivity through community development. SEDS grants fund social and economic development projects in on- and off-reservation native communities and provide federal support for self-determination and self-governance among Native American people. ANA also provides technical assistance through contractors who will help potential applicants with the planning and program development needed for a successful proposal. See the ANA website for a listing of technical assistance providers in your region.

Categories: Adaptation, Research, social justice, economic, infrastructure, management, sovereignty, self-determination

Individuals awards between $50,000 and $375,000 Northwest, Southwest, Midwest, Northeast, Southeast, National, Alaska, Pacific Islands/Hawaii Link
Tribal Clean Air Act EPA

Deadline passed as of March 3, 2023. EPA Region 9 anticipates awarding approximately 30 grants to federally-recognized tribes within the Region 9 geographic area for funding tribal air pollution control programs, air quality education and assessment projects, and the development of tribal air program capacity.

Categories: clean air, air pollution, education

It is expected that the awards will range from $50,000 to $120,000. Pacific Southwest Link
Land Buy-Back Program for Tribal Nations DOI

Deadline Passed 09/30/2019. Deadline Unknown for 2020. The Secretary of the Interior established the Land Buy-Back Program for Tribal Nations (Buy-Back Program, Program) to implement the land consolidation provisions of the Cobell Settlement Agreement, which provided $1.9 billion to consolidate fractional land interests across Indian country. The Buy-Back Program allows interested individual owners to sell their land for immediate transfer to the recognized tribe that exercises jurisdiction. This effort will strengthen tribal sovereignty and put decision-making in the hands of the tribal government, freeing up resources that have been locked-up as land interests that have fractionated over time. The Buy-Back Program has announced 105 locations where land consolidation activities such as planning, outreach, mapping, mineral evaluations, appraisals or acquisitions are scheduled to take place through the middle of 2021. The Buy-Back Program is interested in partnering with the eligible tribes that have jurisdiction over these 105 locations, as well as any locations that may be added to the implementation schedule, to gain their direct participation in land consolidation efforts given the tribes’ unique qualifications to perform land consolidation activities for their reservations. Consequently, the Program intends to, whenever feasible and practical, enter into single source cooperative agreements with these eligible tribes to not only capitalize on their unique knowledge of their reservations but also to improve the overall effectiveness and efficiency of the Program. Eligible tribes will be given the opportunity to apply for a cooperative agreement, whenever feasible and practical, prior to the implementation of the Buy-Back Program at the location under their jurisdiction.

Categories: sovereignty, jurisdiction, reclamation, administration, management, self-determination

Land-based. United States Link
Earth Science Applications in Equity & Environmental Justice NASA

Deadline passed. Most recent deadline: March 18, 2022. The NASA Earth Science Division is soliciting proposals to advance progress on equity and environmental justice domestically through the application of Earth science, geospatial, and socioeconomic information. ROSES-2021 Amendment 52 releases a new opportunity in ROSES: A.49 Earth Science Applications: Equity and Environmental Justice (EEJ). With this program element, NASA is especially interested in proposals from or partnered with non-federal domestic organizations, community-based non-profit institutions, Tribal governments, local governments, and academic institutions active in addressing EEJ issues that would benefit from the insights offered by NASA Earth science information. This solicitation includes three elements: 1) Landscape analyses, 2) Community-based feasibility projects, and 3) Data integration projects that combine Earth science information and socioeconomic datasets. Two pre-proposal teleconferences are planned, the first to be held on January 7, 2022, and second on February 17, 2022, on a no-advance-reservation, first-to-dial-in basis. Learn more and apply here.

Categories: Earth science, environmental justice, geospatial information, community-based research, socioeconomic data

Landscape Analyses: $100K; Feasibility Studies: $150K; Data Integration Projects: $250K National Link
American Indian and Alaskan Native STEM Engagement (MAIANSE) NASA

Deadline passed. Most recent deadline: March 8, 2022. MAIANSE CONNECT fosters STEM Ecosystems that focus on building connections between indigenous culture and NASA through community collaborations. Eligible institutions include Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs), Native American Serving Non-Tribal Institutions (NASNTIs), and Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions (ANNHs), as identified by the U.S. Department of Education. MAIANSE CONNECT seeks proposals which include curriculum development, research activities, and student engagement with an overall goal to broaden participation in STEM. Learn more and apply here.

Categories: Tribal Colleges and Universities, STEM, community collaboration, curriculum development, research

Level 1 Awards will be funded up to $75K per year for a period of performance of two (2) years.

Level 2 Awards will be funded between $200-250K per year for a minimum period of performance of three (3) years, with the opportunity to extend performance for a maximum of five (5) years (subject to program approval and available funding).
United States Link
Cultural and Community Resilience NEH

Deadline passed. Most recent deadline: May 16, 2023. The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) Division of Preservation and Access is accepting applications for the Cultural and Community Resilience program. This program supports community-based efforts to mitigate climate change and COVID-19 pandemic impacts, safeguard cultural resources, and foster cultural resilience through identifying, documenting, and/or collecting cultural heritage and community experience. The program prioritizes projects from disadvantaged communities in the United States or its jurisdictions, and NEH encourages applications that employ inclusive methodologies. The deadline has been extended. Apply here.

Categories: cultural heritage, community, resilience

Maximum $150,000 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
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
Water & Waste Disposal Predevelopment Planning Grants USDA 12/31/2024

Applications accepted year round. This program assists low-income communities with initial planning and development of applications for USDA Rural Development Water and Waste Disposal direct loan/grant and loan guarantee programs. The area must also have a median household income below the poverty line or less than 80 percent of the statewide non-metropolitan median household income

Categories: water, waste disposal, planning, development, infrastructure, rural communities

Maximum of $30,000 or 75 percent of the predevelopment planning costs. Rural Areas, Tribal Lands Link
Indigenous Biocultural Exchange Fund Indigenous Biocultural Exchange Fund

Deadline Passed 08/15/2019. Deadline Unknown for 2020. The Indigenous Biocultural Exchange Fund (IBEX) offers opportunities to attend a global biocultural event/exchange or a meeting of international significance which impacts the applicants' home territory or region. This fund supports indigenous peoples and local communities to have a voice in the policies and forums that concern biocultural diversity at a global level. 

Categories: environmentalism, biodiversity, biocultural, social justice, community activism, environmental justice, global networks, international, indigenous

Maximum of $5000 awarded funding (flexibility on budget submission). Global, United Stated, International, National Link