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
Supporting Natural Climate Solutions in the Pacific Northwest Paul G. Allen Family Foundation 4/12/2024

Letter of Intent due: April 12, 2024. The objective of the initiative is to deploy rigorous, place-based Natural Climate Solutions projects in the PNW to accelerate climate change mitigation, while also providing biodiversity and human well-being co-benefits. The foundation is particularly interested in projects that are community-driven and done in partnership through collaborations between Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities, non-profit organizations, academic groups, and independent research labs or professional societies. The Foundation recognizes Indigenous Peoples as the original stewards of the land, and encourage projects that are led by, or done in direct partnership with tribes, first nations, villages, state recognized tribes, tribal colleges and universities, and tribal non-profits in the PNW. They also look forward to projects done in partnership with local communities, who are non-Indigenous communities with historical linkages to places and the natural environment.

Categories: natural climate solutions, community-driven, carbon emissions

Total of $5 million, up to 5 projects Oregon, Washington, Idaho, British Columbia, Alaska 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
Climate Action Fund Grant Rainforest Action Network 12/31/2024

Rolling Deadline. The Climate Action Fund (CAF) was established in 2009 to award small grants to frontline community groups that are fighting to prevent fossil fuels from being extracted and/or the construction of large point sources of greenhouse gas emissions. CAF is a grassroots alternative to carbon offset programs. Instead of purchasing carbon credits, funds will be used to empower frontline communities to keep fossil fuels in the ground where they belong. Grants generally do not exceed $2,500. Learn more and apply here. To inquire regarding the possibility of funding for your organization and to request an online version of the application, please contact caf@ran.org.

Categories: Climate action, social justice, community involvement, activism

Up to $2,500 North and South America Link
RNRF Sustained Achievement Award Renewable Natural Resources Foundation (RNRF)

Deadline Passed 5/31/2019. Deadline Unknown for 2020. The Sustained Achievement Award recognizes a long-term contribution and commitment to the protection and conservation of natural resources by an individual.

Categories: Natural Resources, Conservation of Natural Resources, Environmental Protection.

Unknown. National. Link
National Estuary Program Coastal Watersheds Grant Program Restore Americas Estuaries

Deadline: 06/07/2021. The National Estuary Program (NEP) Coastal Watersheds Grant (CWG) Program is a nationally competitive grants program designed to support projects that address urgent and challenging issues threatening the well-being of coastal and estuarine areas within determined estuaries of national significance. Restore America’s Estuaries (RAE) will be administering the NEP CWG Program in cooperation with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as a pass-through entity with funding provided under Cooperative Agreement 83967501. The goals of the CWG Program are to: Address urgent and challenging issues that threaten the ecological and economic well-being of coastal areas and estuaries; Achieve on-the-ground or tangible quantifiable improvements in coastal and estuarine habitats conditions and the health of living resources; Apply new or innovative approaches, practices, methods, or techniques for preventing, treating, and removing pollution entering estuaries; Establish or improve sustainable local capacity to protect and restore coastal watersheds and their living resources; and Support and expand promising approaches for watershed resilience and adaptation.

Categories: coastal watersheds, habitat, flooding

$75,000 - $250,000 special boundaries see link Link
Evidence for Action: Indigenous-Led Solutions to Advance Health Equity and Wellbeing Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

Most Recent Deadline: March 1, 2024. The purpose of this call for proposals (CFP) is to support Indigenous-led systematic inquiry to enhance the health and wellbeing of Indigenous Peoples and generate approaches to improve health equity. This will be achieved by funding community-prioritized investigation, elevating and integrating Indigenous cultures and knowledge-building practices. To support a diverse range of projects tailored to different phases of development and scope, awards will be made through two tracks, as described later in this solicitation. Preference will be given to applicant organizations that are Tribal entities (including those that are state recognized, federally recognized, or have no formal recognition status) or Indigenous-Serving Organizations, including Urban Indian Organizations. Track 1: Initiating and Developing Research Capacity and InfrastructureThere is not an explicit budget cap for awards funded under this track, but we expect that grants will be in the approximate range of $100,000–$400,000 total. We anticipate much of the grant duration to involve relationship-building, trust development, and community feedback processes. Proposals must demonstrate a clear plan for ongoing and sustained collaboration and continued work with newly engaged partners.Track 2: Supporting Later-Stage, Sustained Research Efforts  There is not an explicit budget cap for awards funded under this track, but we expect grants will be in the range of approximately $500,000–$750,000 total. We expect project teams to demonstrate established, equitable partnerships with Indigenous communities who can begin testing a solution or strategy as part of their project.  

National Link
Evidence for Action: Innovative Research to Advance Racial Equity Robert Wood Johnson Foundation 12/31/2024

Rolling deadline. Evidence for Action (E4A) prioritizes research to evaluate specific interventions (e.g., policies, programs, practices) that have the potential to counteract the harms of structural and systemic racism and improve health, well-being, and equity outcomes. Our focus on racial equity means we are concerned both with the direct impacts of structural racism on the health and well-being of people and communities of color (e.g., Black, Latina/o/x, Indigenous, Asian, Pacific Islander, and other races and ethnicities), as well as the ways in which racism intersects with other forms of marginalization, such as having low income, being an immigrant, having a disability, or identifying as LGBTQ+ or a gender minority.

This funding is geared toward studies about “upstream” causes of health inequities, such as the systems, structures, laws, policies, norms, and practices that determine the distribution of resources and opportunities, which in turn influence individuals’ options and behaviors. Research should center on the needs and experiences of communities exhibiting the greatest health burdens and be motivated by real-world priorities. It should be able to inform a specific course of action and/or establish beneficial practices, not stop at characterizing or documenting the extent of a problem.

While we will consider research on various aspects of health equity, we prioritize studies of interventions that are designed to reduce race-based disparities (e.g., by confronting a root cause of disparities or targeting benefits to those experiencing the greatest burdens). RWJF is particularly interested in strategies focused on developing healthy and equitable communities; supporting the needs of children, families, and caregivers; and fostering alignment among health care, public health, and social service systems.

There is no explicit range for allowable budget requests. You should request the amount of funding you will need to complete and disseminate findings from your proposed research project—including direct and indirect costs for the entire duration of your grant. The size of the budget will be weighed in relation to the importance and likely contribution of the proposed work. Pilot studies and formative stage research are expected to correspond with lower budgets. As a research funding program, E4A does not fund the costs of program implementation or operations. Visit Evidence for Action's Funded Projects for a sense of the budget range of grants funded by E4A.

Grant periods are flexible up to 36 months; rare exceptions may be made for projects needing up to 48 months if sufficient justification is provided. Our preference is for projects that produce findings in the near term.
Link
Pioneering Ideas: Exploring the Future to Build a Culture of Health Robert Wood Johnson Foundation 12/31/2024

Rolling deadline. This funding opportunity seeks proposals primed to impact health equity moving forward. We are interested in ideas that address any of these four areas of focus: Future of Evidence; Future of Social Interaction; Future of Food; Future of Work. Additionally, we welcome ideas that might fall outside of these four focus areas, but which offer unique approaches to advancing health equity and our progress toward a Culture of Health.

We want to hear from scientists, anthropologists, artists, urban planners, community leaders—anyone, anywhere who has a new or unconventional idea that could alter the trajectory of health and improve health equity and wellbeing for generations to come. The changes we seek require diverse perspectives and cannot be accomplished by any one person, organization, or sector.

The average Pioneering Ideas for an Equitable Future grant in 2019 was $315,031. However, there is not an explicit range for budget requests. Grant periods are flexible, though generally range from 1 to 3 years. Link
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation - Funding Opportunities Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

Most Recent Deadline: March 1, 2024. The purpose of this call for proposals (CFP) is to support Indigenous-led systematic inquiry to enhance the health and wellbeing of Indigenous Peoples and generate approaches to improve health equity. This will be achieved by funding community-prioritized investigation, elevating and integrating Indigenous cultures and knowledge-building practices. To support a diverse range of projects tailored to different phases of development and scope, awards will be made through two tracks, as described later in this solicitation. Number of Awards: The number of grants to be awarded (both by track and in total) will be determined based on the number, size, and scope of the studies proposed, and we expect to award grants in a range of sizes and durations.• Amount of Award: A total of up to $4 million will be awarded through this CFP.  Track 1: Initiating and Developing Research Capacity and Infrastructure● There is not an explicit budget cap for awards funded under this track, but we expect that grants will be in the approximate range of $100,000–$400,000 total. We anticipate much of the grant duration to involve relationship-building, trust development, and community feedback processes. Proposals must demonstrate a clear plan for ongoing and sustained collaboration and continued work with newly engaged partners.Track 2: Supporting Later-Stage, Sustained Research Efforts  There is not an explicit budget cap for awards funded under this track, but we expect grants will be in the range of approximately $500,000–$750,000 total. We expect project teams to demonstrate established, equitable partnerships with Indigenous communities who can begin testing a solution or strategy as part of their project.  Duration of Awards: Preference is for award durations between two and three years (24–36 months), but durations of up to five years (60 months) will be considered with reasonable justification. 

Categories: health, health equity, climate change, climate change impacts, racial equity

National Link
Powering Affordable Clean Energy (PACE) Program Rural Utilities Service, USDA

Letter of Interest Application Window: July 10-September 29, 2023. The goal of the PACE Program is to support clean, affordable energy growth across America. The PACE Program provides loans to eligible entities, with varying levels of loan forgiveness, for Projects that generate and/or store electricity from Renewable Energy Resource. The Agency encourages applicants to consider projects that will advance the following key priorities:• Assisting rural communities to recover economically through more and better market opportunities and through improved infrastructure;• Ensuring all rural residents have equitable access to Rural Development (RD) programs and benefits from RD funded projects; and• Reducing climate pollution and increasing resilience to the impacts of climate change through economic support to rural communities.There are three different categories for application, one of which provides up to 60 percent total loan forgiveness if the project serves areas with Tribal populations of 60 percent or greater, are owned by a Tribal government, or are in a Substantially Underserved Trust Area.

Categories: IRA, renewable energy, pollution, economic support

$1,000,000 - $100,000,000 National Link
Coastal Research Application Funding Opportunity Sea Grant and the U.S. Coastal Research Program (USCRP)

Deadline passed. Most recent deadline: June 15, 2022. Sea Grant and the U.S. Coastal Research Program (USCRP) announced a new funding opportunity for collaborative projects to integrate research, its application, and community engagement in thematic areas of long-term coastal evolution, extreme storms, and human and ecosystem health. Proposals should address the needs or gaps that have been identified by or are evident from USCRP-funded projects, to move research project findings toward application through service delivery and decision support for coastal community decision-makers, planners, and other coastal stakeholders. It is anticipated that approximately $4,000,000 will be available to fund 10-20 projects at up to $150,000 over two years (Tier 1) or up to $500,000 over four years (Tier 2). Matching funds will not be required for this competition. Learn more and apply here.

Categories: Research, community engagement, coastal communities, climate change, ecosystem health

Up to $150,000 over two years (Tier 1) or up to $500,000 over four years (Tier 2) National Link
Fertile Ground Grant Program Seeds of Native Health, AHA, AICAF

Deadline Passed 12/19/2017. Deadline for 2018 Unknown.The new Fertile Ground Grant Program funds tribes, Native advocates, Native youth, and Native-led organizations to create sustainable community health improvements through nutrition and food sovereignty efforts. The grants of up to $35,000 will provide support for:Native-led convenings to identify community health prioritiesAdvocacy and policy strategies that address improving health outcomesAccess to healthy foodFood sovereignty work rooted in tradition, culture, and Indigenous knowledge.The program is funded by $100,000 from the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community through its Seeds of Native Health philanthropic campaign and $100,000 from the AHA through its Voices for Healthy Kids campaign. AICAF will serve as the intermediary partner and administer the program.

Categories: nutrition, food sovereignty, community health, tradition, culture, indigenous knowledge

$0-$35,000 National Link
Land Defenders and Water Protectors Seventh Generation for Fund for Indigenous Peoples, Inc.

Deadline Passed 10/11/2019. Deadline Unknown for 2020. The Seventh Generation Fund for Indigenous Peoples is inviting proposals for the Land Defenders and Water Protectors Program: supporting Indigenous community-based organizations protecting Earth’s natural systems and ability to nurture and sustain life. Upholding Indigenous territorial sovereignty and self-determination, Native land stewardship practices, and the defense of sacred lands, waters and species. Potential projects may include:Peaceful direct actions and frontline organizingSacred site protectionEnvironmental education and issue advocacyIndigenous appropriate and traditional technologies

Categories: land, water, conservation, indigenous, community-based, sovereignty, stewardship, defense

$500-$10,000 National Link
Seventh Generation Fund for Indigenous Peopes - Flicker - Wildfire Response Seventh Generation Fund for Indigenous Peoples

The Seventh Generation Fund for Indigenous Peoples is offering emergency funding to Native families impacted by the wildfires in the West. These one-time disbursements will be coordinated through our Flicker Fund to provide help during evacuations, loss of homes, escape from heavy smoke events, and other emergencies. Taking applications from September 10 - 25, 2020. Visit: https://7genfund.submittable.com/submit/174434/flicker-wildfire-response.

National Link
2018 Responsive Grants Program Sierra Health Foundation

Deadline passed. Most recent deadline: 3/19/2018. Through the Responsive Grants Program, Sierra Health Foundation will invest in communities and organizations that promote health and racial equity to address health disparities and the social determinants of health. Sierra Health Foundation has a broad definition of health, believing there is much more to health than health care. Health is influenced by many factors, including socioeconomic conditions, environment, education, income, housing, neighborhood safety and other drivers of health outcomes – factors that have come to be known as the Social Determinants of Health. Where we live, work and play has a significant influence on our health. Health equity means achieving the highest possible standard of health for all people and giving special attention to the needs of those at greatest risk of poor health, based on social conditions. Racial equity “is the condition that would be achieved if one’s racial identity no longer predicted, in a statistical sense, how one fares.

Categories: health equity, racial equity, quality of life, education, environment, sustainability

Up to $15,000 Northern California, California, Siskiyou Link
Climate Commitment Act Tribal Consultation Capacity Grant Program State of Washington Department of Ecology

Deadline passed. Most recent deadline: July 18, 2023. This is a non-competitive grant program to support Tribes to engage in the consultation process on spending decisions from accounts created in the Climate Commitment Act (CCA). Funds will be distributed equally among all tribes with accepted applications. The Legislature appropriated $16 million for the 2023-2025 biennium. $4 million will be made available during this application window. The remaining $12 million will be distributed in fall 2023, via a distribution method  being developed by the Governor’s Office of Indian Affairs (GOIA).

Categories: non-competitive, consultation, assistance, Washington Climate Commitment Act

Varies ‎Washington State Link
Climate Commitment Act Tribal Carbon Offset Assistance Grants State of Washington Department of Ecology

Deadline passed. Most recent deadline: July 18, 2023. This is a competitive grant program for Tribes to design, assess the feasibility of, and implement carbon offset projects within Washington State. These funds are intended to increase the number of offset projects developed on tribal land within the state. Up to $5,000,000 is available for the 2023-2025 biennium. Per the CCA, offsets can make up 8% of compliance obligation through 2026. Of that 3% must be on tribal lands. After that it is reduced to 6% and 2%, respectively, through 2030.

Categories: Washington Climate Commitment Act, assessment, carbon offset

Varies Washington state Link
Funding Opportunity for Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure State of Washington, Department of Ecology

Deadline Passed 02/04/2020. Deadline Unknown for 2021. The Washington Department of Ecology will open a grant opportunity to install or upgrade existing publicly available direct current fast chargers (DCFC) along high-traffic transportation corridors. Preliminary information on eligibility and minimum criteria is available to provide applicants sufficient time to prepare this funding opportunity. Additional detail, including scoring criteria and process, will be available in the grant guidelines when the funding opportunity opens on December 3, 2019.

Categories: Electric vehicles, transportation, installation, charging stations

up to $600,000 Washington state Link
Alaska State's First Lady Volunteer Awards State-funded

Deadline Passed. Most recent deadline: March 13, 2023. First Lady Rose Dunleavy invites Alaskans to recognize their fellow citizens who have performed extraordinary volunteer service by nominating them for the First Lady’s Volunteer of the Year Awards. The annual awards recognize volunteers who engage in unpaid charitable activities, demonstrate personal commitment to long-term volunteer services, and make a significant impact for Alaskans. An executive committee, comprised of Alaskan community members, will select award recipients to be recognized for their outstanding volunteer contributions.

Categories: Volunteer Recognition

unknown Alaska Link
Alaska Sustainble Salmon Fund State-funded

Deadline passed June 15, 2016. Deadline for 2017 unknown. Projects must directly relate to one of the following congressionally authorized uses: Restoring or protecting salmon or steelhead habitat; Maintenance of salmon or steelhead populations necessary for subsistence fishing.

Categories: Conservation, Salmon

$4,000,000 total; funding per project varies Alaska Link
TD Green Streets Program TD Banks and Arbor Day Foundation

Deadline Passes December 11, 2017. Deadline for 2018 unknown. TD Bank and the Arbor Day Foundation are accepting applications to TD Green Streets, an annual program that supports innovative urban forestry initiatives in low-to-moderate-income neighborhoods. Ten $20,000 grants will be awarded for the purchase of trees, tree planting and maintenance, and educational activities. Up to 50 percent of the proposed funding can be used to purchase new trees. To be eligible for a TD Green Streets grant, qualified municipalities must be a current Arbor Day Foundation Tree City USA-designated community within TD Bank's U.S. footprint. In addition, the trees must be planted in neighborhoods identified as low-to-moderate-income. Municipalities are encouraged to apply in partnership with community partners such as nonprofit organizations, schools, businesses, etc.

Categories: urban forestry, tree planting, forestry education

$20,000 National Link
2022 Tepa Native American Scholarship Funds Tepa Companies

Deadline passed. Most recent deadline: June 30, 2022. The Tepa Native American Scholarship Fund was established by the Tepa Companies who are wholly owned subsidiaries of the Paskenta Band of Nomlaki Indians. The scholarship was created to build personal and lasting relationships with students who will become the future leaders in Native American communities and possibly within the Tepa Companies. Two awards of $1,000 will be provided to Native American students majoring in Environmental Science, Earth Science, Computer Science, Engineering, Finance or Business Administration for the 2022 Fall semester. Learn more and apply here.

Categories: Earth science, technology, construction, engineering,

$1000 National Link
Alaska Native Social Justice Fund The Alaska Community Foundation (ACF)

Deadline for 2018 passed 1/5/2018. Deadline for 2019 unknown. The Alaska Community Foundation’s goals for the Alaska Native Social Justice Fund grant cycle are to support strategic collaborations that prioritize leadership development and allow Alaska Native communities to use their own voices to identify and address the social justice issues that are the most important to their communities. These may include, but are not limited to access to and use of traditional resources, overrepresentation in the prison system, under-representation in the political process, and unequal access to education.

Categories: social justice, use of traditional resources

rant awards through this program will range from $5,000 to $20,000 and may be eligible for renewal for an additional year. ACF anticipates awarding 8 to 12 grants. The total 2018 funding available for this program is $140,000. Alaska Link
Wildhorse Foundation The Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR)

Deadline Passed 10/01/2019. Deadline Unknown for 2020. Today, the Wildhorse Foundation donates over $1,000,000 every year to local programs and services that benefit our giving area. We fund projects in the areas of: Arts; Cultural Activities; Education; Environmental Protection; Gambling Addiction Prevention; Education and Treatment; Historic Preservation; Public Health; Public Safety; Salmon Restoration

Categories: environmental protection, education, historic preservation, public health, salmon restoration

up to $20,000 Oregon, Washington Link
Equator Prize 2019 Call for Nominations The Equator Initiative

Deadline Passed 02/26/2019. Deadline Unknown for 2020. The Equator Prize 2019 will be awarded to outstanding community and indigenous initiatives that are advancing nature-based solutions for climate change and local sustainable development. The Equator Prize winners will join a prestigious network of 223 community-based organizations from 78 countries that have been awarded the Equator Prize since 2002. Each winning group will receive USD 10,000 and will be invited to participate in a series of policy dialogues and special events during the United Nations General Assembly in New York in September 2019, culminating in an award ceremony at the beginning of Climate Week.

Categories: community, indigenous, climate change, adaptation, innovation, sustainable development

$10,000 National, International Link
Mini Grant Application for Partners for Places – Round 2. The Funders Network (TFN) and The Urban Sustainability Directors Network (USDN)

Most Recent Deadline: 7/30/2020. The Funders Network (TFN) and The Urban Sustainability Directors Network (USDN) offer the Partners for Places (P4P) fund to create or improve collaborative partnerships between local government leaders, place-based funders , and frontline community-led group(s). This grant opportunity intends to build these partnerships, so that the these groups can connect and align to produce work that advances an equitable sustainability project. The purpose is to address frontline community priorities and apply a racial equity approach to both collaboration and project planning / implementation. Review the most recent P4P invitation to apply here. Follow-on funding to awarded mini grants is competitive and not guaranteed. Mini grants strengthen the relationship between the applying partners in order to aid in the joint development of a full P4P application. Mini grant requests can be up to $10,000. For more information and to apply, visit: https://www.fundersnetwork.org/partners-for-places/.

Up to $10,000 National Link
Gulf Sea Level Variation and Rise Grants The Gulf Research Program

Most recent deadline: 8/18/2021. The Gulf Research Program announced the availability of the full Request for Applications (RFA) on June 17, 2021. This funding opportunity focuses on advancing the understanding of the regional components of sea level variation and rise and then incorporating this understanding into more reliable forecast models and projections of relative sea level rise. 

Categories: sea level rise, ocean,

Up to $5 million Gulf of Mexico Link
Strengthening Partnerships and Engaging Networks The Gulf Research Program

Deadline passed. Most recent deadline: 7/20/2021. The Gulf Research Program (GRP) is seeking projects from Communities of Practice (CoP) that work in the area of climate adaptation or disaster resilience to build the knowledge base and capacity of their members to apply an equity lens to their activities in order to address the needs and challenges of communities that are disproportionately at risk from climate hazards or other disasters.

Categories: climate hazards, communities

Up to $1.0 million Link
ITC Native American Natural Resource Research Scholarship The Intertribal Timber Council (ITC), USDA

Deadline passed. Most recent deadline: varies by scholarship. The ITC Education Scholarship is designed to support tribally relevant, natural resource based, research being conducted by Native American scholars enrolled in a graduate program.

Categories: scholarship, natural resources

Varies, not to exceed $5,000 National Link
Community Water Justice Awards The Joint Futures Initiative

Deadline passed. Most recent deadline: February 1, 2024. The Joint Futures Initiative is thrilled to announce the first-ever call for Community Water Justice Awards funded by a state budget allocation. Apply now! Awards up to $50,000.00. For questions, please contact Dr. Alai Reyes-Santos at alai@uoregon.edu. For more information, visit: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeMKE7Rw9udzBuDQyDR6Z3y47AoGy0….