Funding

Deadline passed. Most recent deadline: June 10, 2022. The Community Renewable Energy Grant Program is open to Oregon Tribes, public bodies, and consumer-owned utilities. Up to $100,000 for planning and $1M for developing a community renewable energy and/or resilience project. Learn more and apply here.

Categories: Renewable energy, community energy resilience, environmental justice, energy efficiency, solar energy, wind energy, equity

Deadline Passed 02/07/2020. Deadline Unknown for 2020. The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), an agency under the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), is announcing potential availability of grants and agreements for the purpose of leveraging NRCS resources, addressing local natural resource issues, encouraging collaboration and developing state- and community-level conservation leadership for historically underserved agricultural producers.

Categories: natural resources, collaboration, conservation, leadership, community

Deadline passed. Most recent deadline: February 15, 2023. The EPA is seeking applications proposing projects that inform the public about new or existing residential or community recycling programs; provide information about the recycled materials that are accepted as part of a residential or community recycling program that provides for the separate collection of residential solid waste from recycled material; and increases collection rates and decreases contamination in residential and community recycling programs. Projects will improve consumer recycling education with the goal of achieving separate collection of recycled material across the nation, maximizing the efficient reuse of materials, and identifying strategies that otherwise result in an increase in volume of recyclable materials. The EPA also recognizes and encourages applications that demonstrate evidence-based messaging and strategies associated with effective communication campaigns designed to increase prevention, reuse, repair, remanufacture, recycling, anaerobic digestion, and composting in communities and/or decrease contamination in the recycling stream. This approach to community-informed messaging goes beyond education only by emphasizing researching the audience, building trust, and reducing audience barriers while emphasizing benefits for desired action.In addition, the EPA is seeking applications for recycling education and outreach projects that address environmental justice concerns and focus predominantly on addressing the disproportionate and adverse human health, environmental, climate-related and other cumulative impacts, as well as the accompanying economic challenges of such impacts, resulting from industrial, governmental, commercial and/or other actions that have affected and/or currently affect people/communities of color, low income, tribal, and indigenous populations, and if applicable, other vulnerable populations, such as the elderly, children, and those with pre-existing medical conditions. Apply here.

Categories: education, public health, social justice, recycling, waste management, BIL

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

Recognizing that more than half of all species listed as endangered or threatened spend at least part of their life cycle on private land, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service began working with private landowners to foster stewardship on private lands. To encourage this cooperation, the service has four grant programs available through the Cooperative Endangered Species Conservation Fund. These programs include Traditional Conservation Grants, Habitat Conservation Planning Assistance Grants, Habitat Conservation Plan Land Acquisition Grants, and Recovery Land Acquisition Grants.

Categories: Endangered Species, Biodiversity, Habitat Conservation, Land Acquisition & Recovery.

Deadline passed as of january 11, 2017. Deadline for 2018 unknown. This funding opportunity is soliciting applications intended to support coral reef conservation projects in shallow water coral reef ecosystems, including reefs at mesophotic depths, in American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Florida, Guam, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and coral-dominated banks in the U.S. portions of the Gulf of Mexico. Funding opportunity # NOAA-NOS-OCM-2017-2005011.

Categories: climate change, fisheries, marine, management, conservation, reef,

Previous Deadline: 05/31/2020. This emergency funding opportunity is designed to fund federally recognized tribes that contract or compact with the Indian Health Service under Title I and Title V of the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act, or consortia of these tribes, or their bona fide agents. All federally recognized tribes, tribal organizations, consortia of federally recognized tribes, or their bona fide agents should apply for this announcement to be considered for future funding under this announcement. During a national emergency, these organizations are uniquely positioned to provide emergency preparedness and response support for tribal health departments and other components of the tribal public health system.

Categories: COVID-19, Health

Seven of the eight U.S. Department of the Interior Climate Science Centers (Alaska, North Central, Northeast, Pacific Islands, South Central, Southeast and Southwest) and the National Climate Change and Wildlife Science Center (NCCWSC) are seeking Statements of Interest (SOIs) and Proposals for funding in Fiscal Year 2015. Projects are invited that support CSC/NCCWSC science priorities (see weblink for more information). Note that letters of inquiry are due by 6/17/2014, see weblink for more information about deadlines.

Categories: Conservation, Research

Department of Transportation Grant for Low Carbon Transportation Materials. Most Recent Deadline: November 25, 2024. The U.S. Department of Transportation is making available $800 million in funding under the Low Carbon Transportation Materials (LCTM) Program as part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s Investing in America agenda and ongoing work to tackle the climate crisis. Administered by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), LCTM will support the use of low-carbon materials and products used in transportation that reduce air pollution, specifically greenhouse gas emissions (GHG).  The LCTM program makes this funding available under the Inflation Reduction Act for State Departments of Transportation, cities, Tribes, Metropolitan Planning Organizations, and other agencies to incorporate more materials that create less pollution, including steel, concrete (and cement), glass, and asphalt. Information on the program and grant details can be found below: https://highways.dot.gov/newsroom/fhwa-opens-applications-800-million-funding-reduce-climate-pollution-transportation. Non-State Notice of Funding Opportunity

Categories: transportation, low carbon

This year the National Clean Diesel Campaign will issue a stand alone Diesel Emissions Reduction Act (DERA) Tribal Competition Request for Proposals (RFP) for a total of up to $1 million. Proposals must be submitted electronically via www.grants.gov no later than 4 p.m. ET on July 15, 2015.

Categories: Diesel Emissions Reduction/Control, Carbon footprint

Drinking Water Source Protection Grant Program. Applications Due: December 12, 2024. In June 2023, the Oregon Legislature passed House Bill 2010 which, combined with other legislation, provided $5 million to establish the Drinking Water Source Protection Grant Program at OWEB. Through this grant program, OWEB will award grants to public water suppliers to protect, restore, or enhance sources of drinking water through land conservation. More information is now available here: https://www.oregon.gov/oweb/grants/Pages/DWSP.aspx. Eligible project types include:

• The acquisition of lands from willing sellers;
• Entering into covenants, easements, or similar agreements with willing landowners; or
• Repaying a loan used to finance a project as described in the above bullet points.

Detailed application guidance will be posted on the program’s website by Friday, October 4, 2024. Program direction is provided byORS 448.370-448.380 and Oregon Administrative Rules Chapter 695, Division 48. Please visit our website for more information about this and other grant offerings: https://www.oregon.gov/OWEB/Pages/index.aspx. 

Categories: drinking water, source protection

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

Deadline Passed. Most Recent Deadline: November 6, 2023. EPA is soliciting applications from eligible entities for projects in underserved communities that are disadvantaged or serve a population of less than 10,000 individuals to increase drinking water system resilience to natural hazards as described in Assistance Listing 66.448. For the purposes of this grant program, the term “resilience,” as defined in (SDWA section 1433(h) and incorporated by reference in SDWA section 1459A, means the ability of a community water system or an asset of a community water system, for example the equipment, buildings, land, people, and other components needed to deliver safe and clean water, to adapt to or withstand the effects of a natural hazard without interruption to the corresponding function, or if the function is interrupted, to rapidly return to a normal operating condition. For the purposes of this grant program, the term “natural hazard” means a natural event, such as an earthquake, tornado, flood, hurricane, wildfire, drought, freezing or hydrologic change that threatens the functioning of a community water system, as defined in Section 1433(h) of the SDWA and incorporated by reference in section 1459A. When considering these natural disaster threats, a public water system may take into account risks associated with climate change to ensure that resilience-building activities address future conditions such as increasing or decreasing temperatures, changes in precipitation, and, where applicable, sea-level rise. The goal of the first National Priority Area is to increase drinking water system resilience by implementing smaller-scale resilience projects informed by drinking water system plans. The goal of the second National Priority Area is to improve drinking water system resilience through large-scale infrastructure improvements and/or optimization of mitigation measures at a drinking water system.

Categories: Conservation of water or the enhancement of water use efficiency
Modification or relocation of existing drinking water system infrastructure significantly impaired by natural hazards
Design or construction of desalination facilities to serve existing communities
Enhancement of water supply through watershed management and source water protection
Enhancement of energy efficiency or the use and generation of renewable energy in the conveyance or treatment of drinking water
Measures to increase the resilience of the drinking water system to natural hazards, including planning for analytical considerations and climate change

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

Deadline Passed. Most recent deadline: March 15, 2023. The purpose of this document is to advise the public that NOAA/NOS/National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS)/Competitive Research Program (CRP) [formerly Center for Sponsored Coastal Ocean Research/Coastal Ocean Program] is soliciting proposals for the Effects of Sea Level Rise Program (ESLR) Technical Assistance. The ESLR program name was shortened in 2020, and was formerly known as the Ecological Effects of Sea Level Rise Program (EESLR). ESLR is a multidisciplinary research program that emphasizes the use of integrated models and tools of dynamic physical and biological processes capable of evaluating vulnerability and resilience of our coasts under multiple sea level rise (SLR), inundation, and management scenarios to inform coastal restoration, land management, and planning activities.

Categories: coasts, coastal inundation, sea level rise, infrastructure, ecology, adaptation, planning, modeling, evaluation

Deadline passed. Most recent deadline: November 11, 2022. A grant program that supports underserved and vulnerable communities, and Indigenous communities, in Canada, Mexico, and the United States to prepare for climate-related impacts. EJ4Climate: Environmental Justice and Climate Resilience Grant Program. The Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC) is accepting applications for projects to fund under the EJ4Climate Grant Program. Proposals are due by 11 November 2022 and projects will start in March 2023. Initiated by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the CEC established this new grant program to fund grants and cooperative agreements that will work with underserved and vulnerable communities, and Indigenous communities, in Canada, Mexico, and the United States to prepare them for climate-related impacts. This program will provide funding directly to community-based organizations to help them develop community-driven solutions to adapt to the impacts of climate change. For this inaugural grant cycle, the CEC is calling for initiatives that will integrate community-led environmental education in support of environmental justice and community resilience to climate-related impacts to: Support community resilience to climate change and climate-related impacts; Benefit underserved and vulnerable communities, and/or Indigenous communities, and ensure the meaningful participation of local residents; Include a sound implementation plan, that identifies actors, actions, beneficiaries, goals, and tangible, measurable results; Create formal or informal partnerships, collaborations or linkages among relevant stakeholders. Learn more and apply here.

Categories: environmental justice, climate justice

Most Recent Deadline: June 17, 2024. The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) announces the opportunity to apply for $49 million in competitive grants under the Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 Electric or Low-Emitting Ferry Pilot Program (ELEF) (Federal Assistance Listing #20.532). ELEF makes funding available competitively to assist in the financing of capital projects for the purchase of electric or low-emitting ferry vessels that reduce emissions by using alternative fuels or on-board energy storage systems and related charging infrastructure to reduce emissions or produce zero onboard emissions under normal operation. Eligible are capital projects that include the purchase of electric or low-emitting ferry vessels that reduce emissions by using alternative fuels or on-board energy storage systems and related charging infrastructure to reduce emissions or produce zero onboard emissions under normal operation.

Categories: Transporation, Electric Vehilces

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) administers the Emergency Watershed Protection Program (EWPP) which responds to emergencies created by natural disasters. It is not necessary for a national emergency to be declared for an area to be eligible for assistance. The EWP Program is a recovery effort aimed at relieving imminent hazards to life and property caused by floods, fires, windstorms, and other natural disasters. All projects must have a project sponsor. NRCS may bear up to 75 percent of the eligible construction cost of emergency measures (90 percent within limited-resource areas as identified by the U.S. Census data). The remaining costs must come from local sources and can be in the form of cash or in-kind services

Categories: Watershed, Emergency Management

The Emerging Contaminants in Small or Disadvantaged Communities grant program will provide states and territories with grants to public water systems in small or disadvantaged communities to address emerging contaminants, including PFAS. Grants will be awarded non‐competitively to states and territories. 

Categories: drinking water (1100), contaminants (784)

Deadline passed. Most recent deadline: May 24, 2023. The $15 million Energizing Rural Communities Prize challenges individuals and organizations to develop partnership plans or innovative financing strategies to help rural or remote communities improve their energy systems and advance clean energy demonstration projects. This prize is part of the $1 billion Energy Improvements in Rural or Remote Areas (ERA) Program, created by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations (OCED). The ERA Program supports projects that improve the resilience, reliability, safety, availability, and environmental performance of energy systems in rural or remote areas of the U.S. with populations of no more than 10,000 people.

Categories: BIL, innovation challenge, rural energy, infrastructure

Deadline Passed 05/30/2018. Deadline Unknown for 2019.  FOA#: P18AS00074. The principal purpose of the resulting agreements is to educate youth, promote community engagement, and cultivate the next generation of conservation professionals to promote a stewardship legacy at Rocky Mountain National Park. The project will provide opportunities for under-represented youth to learn about the environment by spending time working on conservation projects such as trail rehabilitation, historic rock wall repairs, conducting invasive plant removal, designing visitor wayside exhibits and trailhead information kiosks in the National Parks. The National Park Service will promote the public purpose of the agreement by engaging young adults in community-based work and offering internships and training, all of which provide exposure to the importance of parks and the conservation of our public lands. In the process, participants will add value to NPS by helping our staff and partners cultivate strong relationships with the youth and emerging adult demographics as project participants in our community-based projects. This agreement serves a public purpose by promoting and stimulating education, job training, development of responsible citizenship, productive community involvement, and furthering the understanding, appreciation, and conservation of our National natural and cultural resources. The projects awarded under this cooperative agreement will motivate youth and young adults to be involved with the natural, cultural and historical resource protection of their communities and would restore trust with the local communities.

Categories: youth, engagement, conservation, stewardship, education, community

Deadline for Full Applications passed. Most recent deadline: June 16, 2023. Deadline for Letters of Intent passed March 8, 2023. The Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Geothermal Technologies Office’s (GTO) 2022 Enhanced Geothermal ShotTM analysis, building on the 2019 GeoVision report, concludes that with aggressive technology improvements, in areas relevant to enhanced geothermal systems (EGS), geothermal power generation could provide 90 gigawatts-electric (GWe) firm, flexible power to the U.S. grid by 2050. The objective of this funding opportunity announcement is to identify and develop EGS pilot demonstration projects in a variety of geologic formations and subsurface conditions. As such, this FOA has three topic areas that are addressed:Topic 1-EGS Proximal Demonstrations: EGS demonstrations utilizing existing infrastructure proximal to existing geothermal / hydrothermal development with immediate potential for electrical power production.Topic Area 2: EGS Green Field Demonstrations: Sites with no existing geothermal development and potential for shallow sedimentary, igneous and/or mixed metamorphic rock EGS with near-term electrical power production potential.Topic Area 3: Super-hot / Supercritical EGS Demonstrations: Super-hot/ supercritical EGS demonstrations located at well-characterized sites with existing well(s) in place and with near-term electrical power production potential.Topic Area 4 (not being accepted for this round of applications): Eastern-US EGS Demonstrations: EGS stimulation demonstration located at a well-characterized Eastern U.S. site, with existing well(s) in place and near-term electrical power and heat production potential.

Categories: geothermal energy, BIL, infrastructure,

Deadline Passed. Most Recent Deadline: November 8, 2023. Under the Environmental Education Grants Program, EPA seeks grant applications from eligible applicants to support environmental education projects that promote environmental awareness and stewardship and help provide people with the skills to take responsible actions to protect the environment. This grant program provides financial support for projects that design, demonstrate, and/or disseminate environmental education practices, methods, or techniques. Since 1992, EPA has distributed between $2 and $3.5 million in grant funding per year, supporting more than 3,920 grants.

Categories: Environmental education, stewardship, awareness

Deadline Passed 01/06/2020. Deadline Unknown for 2020.  The purpose of the Environmental Education Local Grants Program in Region 10 is to support locally-focused environmental education projects that increase public awareness and knowledge about environmental and conservation issues and provide the skills that participants in its funded projects need to make informed decisions and take responsible actions toward the environment.

Categories: Environmental Education, stewardship, public awareness, conservation

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,

Deadline passed. Most recent deadline: April 14, 2023. The Environmental Justice Government-to-Government (EJG2G) program provides funding at the state, local, territorial, and Tribal level to support  government activities that lead to measurable environmental or public health impacts in communities disproportionately burdened by environmental harms. Model EJG2G programs should leverage existing resources to develop processes or tools that integrate environmental justice considerations into governmental decision-making at all levels. Applications submitted in response to this funding opportunity that will receive 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. Apply here: https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=345311 

Categories: public health, air pollution, climate mitigation, adaptation, toxins, community

Deadline extended: 6/1/2021. The EJSG program awards grants that support community-driven projects designed to engage, educate, and empower communities to better understand local environmental and public health issues and develop strategies for addressing those issues, building consensus in the community, and setting community priorities.  The EJSG program will award approximately $2.8 million nationwide for this competitive opportunity. EPA anticipates awarding approximately 56 grants ( about 5 per EPA region) of up to $50,000 each.  These grants are for one-year projects. This opportunity places special emphasis on projects focusing on COVID-19 impacts, as well as climate and disaster resiliency.  Additionally, EPA is emphasizing projects addressing diesel pollution in underserved communities living near ports and railyards as part of EPA’s Ports Initiative.  Finally, to promote equitable accessibility to EPA grant funding and to assist small entities, approximately half of the total available funding under this announcement is intended to be reserved for small non-profit organizations as defined in the announcement.

Categories: community-based organizations, underserved communities, environmental issues, health issues, environmental justice

Deadline passed. Most recent deadline: May 19, 2022. EPA has announced the availability of up to $1.6 million in American Rescue Plan (ARP) funding to support Tribal government efforts to establish or modify programs on environmental justice, water and air quality issues. Congress made up to $1.6 million in ARP funding available to Tribes, recognizing the importance of supporting Tribal public engagement programs and related priorities that have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. EPA anticipates awarding 16 to 20 grants nationwide in amounts of up to $100,000 per award. Applicants should plan for projects to begin on 1 October 2022. Learn more and apply here.

Categories: Environmental justice, water quality, air quality, public engagement, COVID-19

Applications Accecpted Year-Round. The Technical Assistance to Brownfields (TAB) Communities Program helps communities, states, tribes and others understand risks associated with contaminated or potentially contaminated properties, called brownfields, and learn how to assess, safely clean up and sustainably reuse them. EPA funds three organizations—Kansas State University (KSU), the New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) and the Center for Creative Land Recycling (CCLR)—to serve as independent sources of technical assistance. Each of these TABs has an extensive network of partners, contractors and other contacts that provides services across the country. They help communities tackle a variety of challenges related to identifying, assessing, cleaning up and redeveloping brownfields. The technical assistance comes at no cost to communities. This makes the TAB program a great resource for small, underserved, rural and other communities that might otherwise struggle to address their brownfields.

Categories: Planning, Brownfields, Environmental Pollutants, Human Health, Infrastructure, Cleanup, Assessment, Urban Restoration

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

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