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 Sort descending Grant Deadline Description Funding Amount Geography Website
Clean Water Indian Set-Aside Program Environmental Protection Agency, Indian Health Service (IHS) 12/31/2024

Submissions accepted on a rolling basis. The Clean Water Indian Set-Aside Grant Program (CWISA) provides funding to Indian tribes and Alaska Native Villages for wastewater infrastructure. The CWISA program is administered in cooperation with the Indian Health Service (IHS). The CWISA program provides funding for wastewater infrastructure to American Indian Tribes and Alaska Native Villages. Funds may be used for planning, design, and construction of wastewater collection and treatment systems. The CWISA program is administered by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in cooperation with the Indian Health Service (IHS) Sanitation Facilities Construction program. To be considered for CWISA program funding, tribes must identify their wastewater needs to the IHS Sanitation Deficiency System. EPA uses the IHS Sanitation Deficiency System priority lists to identify and select projects for CWISA program funding.

Categories: waste water infrastructure, monitoring, infrastructure

Varies National 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
Columbia River Basin Restoration Funding Assistance Program- Tribal Program Implementation EPA

Deadline passed. Most recent deadline: January 31, 2023. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 10 (EPA), is issuing a Request for Applications (RFA) from eligible Columbia River Basin tribal governments to improve water quality in the Columbia River Basin, through specific actions to reduce toxics, and/or increase public education and outreach. The Columbia River Basin Restoration Program (CRBRP) will assist tribes as they implement the Columbia River Basin Toxics Reduction Action Plan and the Lower Columbia River Estuary Plan - Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan and conduct activities to support EPA national goals for the Columbia River Basin. Learn more here.

Categories: water quality, monitoring, public education, restoration, management, Columbia River Basin, pollution, toxins

$750,000 - $2,000,000 Columbia River Basin 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
Puget Sound Action Agenda – Climate Resilient Riparian Systems Lead EPA

Deadline Passed. Most recent deadline: March 31, 2023. This RFA announces the availability of funds and solicits applications from eligible applicants that are interested in acting as the Puget Sound Climate Resilient Riparian Systems Lead. The overall goal is to establish an innovative and collaborative riparian conservation program that provides financial incentives for landowners to set aside and restore riparian areas important for salmon recovery, while successfully implementing approaches to climate resiliency and riparian conservation that become a robust and sustainable program.

Categories: riparian ecosystem, conservation, climate resiliency, salmon, flooding, erosion

Up to $30,000,000 Puget Sound, Washington 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
The Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Grantmaking Program EPA

Deadline passed. Most recent deadline: June 30, 2023. The new Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Grantmaking (EJ TCGM) Program is a competition to select multiple Grantmakers around the nation to reduce barriers to the federal grants application process communities face and increase the efficiency of the awards process for environmental justice grants. Grantmakers will design competitive application and submission processes, award environmental justice subgrants, implement a tracking and reporting system, provide resources and support to communities, all in collaboration with EPA’s Office of Environmental Justice and External Civil Rights. Apply on Grants.gov: https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=346337

Categories: competition, environmental justice, community, IRA

Up to $50,000,000 National, US territories 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
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
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
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
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
Pollution Prevention Grant: Environmental Justice Through Safer and More Sustainable Products EPA

Deadline passed. Most recent deadline: June 20, 2023. The purpose of the Pollution Prevention Grant: Environmental Justice Through Safer and more Sustainable Products is to provide pollution prevention (P2) technical assistance to businesses (e.g., information, training, expert advice) in order to improve human health and the environment in disadvantaged communities by increasing the supply, demand and use of safer and more sustainable products, such as those that are certified by EPA’s Safer Choice program, or those that conform to EPA’s Recommendations for Specifications, Standards and Ecolabels for Federal Purchasing (Recommendations).

Categories: BIL, pollution, air quality, technical assistance, health

$100,000 to $800,000 for individual projects; up to $1.2 million for multi-state or multi-tribal projects National, 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
Urban Waters Small Grants EPA

EPA’s Urban Waters Program helps local residents and their organizations, particularly those in underserved communities, restore their urban waters in ways that also benefit community and economic revitalization. One of the ways the Urban Waters Program is accomplishing this mission is through the Urban Waters Small Grants Program. This program recognizes that healthy and accessible urban waters can help grow local businesses and enhance educational, recreational, social, and employment opportunities in nearby communities.

Categories: Water, urban communities, community revitalization

Up to $60,000 per award Unknown 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
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
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
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
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
Local Foods, Local Places EPA

Past Deadline: November 13, 2020. The Local Foods, Local Places program will provide selected communities planning assistance that centers around a two-day community workshop. At the workshop, a team of experts will help community members develop an implementable action plan that promotes local food and neighborhood revitalization. Eligible applicants include local governments, Indian tribes, and nonprofit institutions and organizations proposing to work in a neighborhood, town, or city of any size anywhere in the United States. We expect that many of the communities we select will be economically challenged and in the early phases of their efforts to promote local foods and community revitalization.

Categories: Economic development, accessibility, farmers, infrastructure development

Unknown National Link
National Center for Sustainable Water Infrastructure Modeling Research (USEPA) EPA

The US Environmental Protection Agency, as part of its Science to Achieve Results (STAR) program, is seeking initial applications proposing the creation of a National Center for Sustainable Water Infrastructure Modeling Research that facilitates technology transfer of open source water infrastructure models and shares green infrastructure tools and research advancements with local communities and stakeholders.

Categories: Research, Water, Infrastructure

Up to $4 million Northwest, Southwest, Northeast, Southesat, National, Alaska Link
EPA Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act Grant EPA

RFP closed for 2016. The EPA is seeking applications for a noncompetitive $50 million grant program to establish and enhance state and tribal response programs. Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) 128(a) response program grants are funded with State and Tribal Assistance Grant (STAG) appropriations. Generally, these response programs address the assessment, cleanup, and redevelopment of brownfields sites with actual or perceived contamination.

Categories: Response program, assessment, redevelopment, cleanup

EPA will consider funding requests up to a maximum of $1.0 million per state or tribe for FY2015. National Link
Fiscal Year 2014 Source Reduction Assistance Grant Program (USEPA) EPA

The EPA is funding SRA grants and/or cooperative agreements to fund projects supporting pollution prevention/source reduction and resource conservation. The five goals of the grant program are: 1. Reduce the generation of GHG (Greenhouse Gas) emissions to mitigate climate change; 2. Reduce the manufacture and use of hazardous substances to improve human and ecological health; 3. Reduce the use of water and conserve other natural resources to protect ecosystems; 4. Create business efficiencies that derive economic benefits and improve environmental performance while addressing goals 1, 2, or 3; and 5. Institutionalize and integrate pollution prevention practices by way of technical services, policies, and initiatives while addressing goals 1, 2 or 3.

Categories: GHG Emissions Reduction, Hazardous Waste Reduction, Water Conservation, Business Efficiency, Sustainble Business, Pollution Prevention

$10,000-$147,000 Northwest, Southwest, Northeast, Southesat, National, Alaska Link
EPA Workforce Development and Job Training Grants EPA

Deadline passed on September 22, 2020. This notice announces the availability of funds and solicits applications from eligible entities, including nonprofit organizations, to deliver Environmental Workforce Development and Job Training programs that recruit, train, and place local, unemployed and under-employed residents with the skills needed to secure full-time employment in the environmental field. While Environmental Workforce Development and Job Training Grants require training in brownfield assessment and/or cleanup activities, these grants also require that Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response (HAZWOPER) training be provided to all individuals being trained. EPA encourages applicants to develop their curricula based on local labor market assessments and employers’ hiring needs, while also delivering comprehensive training that results in graduates securing multiple certifications.

Categories: Job program, training and development

up to $200,000 National Link
Environmental Justice Collaborative Problem-Solving Cooperative Agreement Program EPA

Deadline passed. Most recent deadline: April 14, 2023. The Environmental Justice Collaborative Problem-Solving (CPS) 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, using EPA's "Environmental Justice Collaborative Problem-Solving Model." The CPS Program assists recipients in building collaborative partnerships to help them understand and address environmental and public health concerns in their communities. Applications submitted in response to this funding opportunity must address one of the following five broad categories:  community-led air and other pollution monitoring, prevention, and remediation, and investments in low- and zero-emission and resilient technologies and related infrastructure and workforce development that help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and other air pollutants; mitigating climate and health risks from urban heat islands, extreme heat, wood heater emissions, and wildfire events; climate resiliency and adaptation;  reducing indoor toxics and indoor air pollution; or  facilitating engagement of marginalized communities in Local, State and Federal public processes, such as advisory groups, workshops, and rulemakings      

Categories: Environmental Justice, Environmental Health, public health, collaboration, non-profit organizations, air pollution, climate resiliency, adaptation,

up to $500,000 National, Northwest, Northeast, Southwest, Southeast, Midwest, Alaska 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
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
Pollution Prevention Information Network Grant Program (PPIN) EPA

RFP Closed for FY 2016. The PPIN grant program funds grants/cooperative agreements that support a national network of P2 information centers that coordinate training and information resources across the nation to minimize any duplication of effort among state programs. The centers offer training and promote new P2 technologies.

Categories: Pollution, Mitigation

$60,000 - $110,000 National Link
Human and Ecological Health Impacts Associated with Water Reuse and Conservation Practices (USEPA) EPA

The US Environmental Protection Agency, as part of its Science to Achieve Results (STAR) program, is seeking applications to conduct research on and demonstration of human and ecological impacts of treated wastewater applications (reclaimed water and wastewater reuse), and water conservation practices including the use of non-traditional water sources as well as more comprehensive long-term management and availability of water resources.

Categories: Resesarch, Wastewater, water quality, Water Conservation

Up to $750,000 Northwest, Southwest, Northeast, Southeast, National, Alaska Link