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 ascending Grant Deadline Description Funding Amount Geography Website
NOAA Coastal Ecosystem Resiliency Grants NOAA

Deadline passed as of November 9th, 2018. Deadline for 2019 unknown. NOAA has developed the Coastal Ecosystem Resiliency Grants Program to build resilience of coastal ecosystems, communities and economies in the U.S. The Coastal Ecosystem Resiliency awards will fund projects that develop healthy and sustainable coastal ecosystems through habitat restoration and conservation.

Categories: Sustainability, Ecosystem Health, Coastal Ecosystems, Resiliency, habitat restoration, Habitat Conservation

Accepting proposals requesting $100,000 to $2 million. National, Coastal Ecosystems Link
Hawai‘i Bay Watershed Education and Training (B-WET) Program NOAA

Deadline Passed. Most recent deadline: January 31, 2024. The goal of the Hawaiʻi B-WET program is to support K-12 environmental literacy programs that provide students with Meaningful Watershed Educational Experiences (MWEEs) and related professional development for in-service teachers, administrators, or other educators serving K-12 students in Hawaiʻi. The funding purpose is to support communities by developing well-informed members of society, who are involved in decision-making that positively impacts our coastal, marine, and watershed ecosystems in the Hawaiian Islands. This is a competitive opportunity to assist in the development of new programs, encourage innovative partnerships among environmental education programs, and to promote locally relevant, experiential learning with Priority Content Areas, such as Science with an emphasis on climate and Indigenous Knowledge.

A maximum of $150,000 Hawai'i Link
Coastal Habitat Restoration and Resilience Grants for Underserved Communities NOAA

Most recent deadline was September 30, 2022. The principal objective of this solicitation is to support $10 million of opportunities for underserved communities, tribes, and/or tribal entities to meaningfully engage in coastal habitat restoration activities. Through this funding opportunity, NOAA intends to support capacity building and restoration project activities that have the greatest potential to lead to habitat restoration that enhances resilience of underserved communities in marine, estuarine, coastal, and Great Lakes areas. Learn more and apply here.

Categories: Coastal habitat restoration, capacity building, equity, environmental justice

$75,000 - $1,000,000 National Link
Marine Debris Removal NOAA

Most recent deadline was September 30, 2022. The overall objective of this $28 million funding opportunity is to make tangible, beneficial impacts to coastal and marine habitats and communities across a broad geographic scale, through a variety of marine debris removal methods. While there are a number of effective ways to address the sources and impacts of marine debris, this funding opportunity focuses on two distinct priorities aimed at making the largest measurable impact: 1) the development of large scale and high-value marine debris removal programs (hereafter “partnerships”) that can be responsive to local and regional marine debris removal needs, with a focus on large marine debris; and 2) the implementation of projects that use proven interception technologies that capture marine debris at or close to known marine debris sources or pathways. Learn more and apply here.

Categories: Marine conservation, debris removal, technological solutions, innovation, coastal restoration

$100,000 - $15,000,000 National Link
Pacific Northwest Bay-Watershed Education and Training NOAA

Most recent deadline passed. NOAA’s Office of National Marine Sanctuaries (Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary office) is seeking proposals under the Pacific Northwest B-WET Program. The Pacific Northwest B-WET Program is a competitive, environmental education, grants program that promotes locally relevant, experiential learning in the K-12 environment. Funded projects provide Meaningful Watershed Educational Experiences (MWEEs) for students, related professional development for teachers, and help to support regional education and environmental priorities in the Pacific Northwest. This Federal funding opportunity meets NOAA's Vision of healthy ecosystems, helping to ensure that ocean, estuarine, and related ecosystems and the species that inhabit them are vibrant and sustainable in the face of challenges.

Categories: environmental education, watersheds, professional development, healthy ecosystems, ocean health

$30,000-$60,000 Pacific Northwest 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
NOAA National Sea Grant College Program 2018 NOAA

Deadline Passed as of 3/2/2018. Deadline for 2019 Unknown. As part of the NAI, this competition is designed to foster the expansion of a sustainable U.S. ocean, coastal and Great Lakes aquaculture sector by addressing one or more of the following priorities: (a) supporting the development of emerging systems or technologies that will advance aquaculture in the U.S., including projects that will help stimulate aquaculture production by nascent industries; (b) developing and implementing actionable methods of communicating accurate, science based messages and information about the benefits and risks of U.S. marine and Great Lakes aquaculture to the public; and (c) increasing the resiliency of aquaculture systems to natural hazards and changing conditions. Successful applications must describe projects that clearly address major constraints, barriers or hurdles limiting aquaculture production in the U.S.

Categories: coasts, great lakes, aquaculture, sustainability, resiliency, technology

Up to $75,000 West Coast, East Coast, Great Lakes area Link
Inflation Reduction Act: NOAA Climate Resilience Regional Challenge NOAA

Most Recent Deadline: February 13, 2024. The NOAA Climate Resilience Regional Challenge (Challenge) will support collaborative approaches to achieving resilience in coastal regions with an emphasis on risk reduction, regional collaboration, equity, and building enduring capacity. The Challenge is a $575 million competition with a Letter of Intent phase and two exclusive funding tracks designed to meet the needs of coastal communities wherever they are in the resilience and adaptation process. Regional Collaborative Building and Strategy Development (Track One) supports building capacity for, development of, and collaboration on transformational resilience and adaptation strategies for coastal communities. Successful applicants will receive $500,000 to $2,000,000 to support regional scale coordination, engagement, planning, advancement of equitable outcomes, and capacity building for resilience and adaptation. Total funding for all Track One awards may be up to $25 million. Implementation of Resilience and Adaptation Actions (Track Two) supports implementation of transformational resilience and adaptation strategies and associated actions for coastal communities anchored in previous planning efforts. Applicants must propose a suite of complementary adaptation actions that together build the resilience of multiple communities within a coastal region, including those that have been marginalized, underserved, or underrepresented. Applicants can apply for not less than $15,000,000 and not more than $75,000,000, with most awards being between $25,000,000 and $50,000,000. Total funding available for all Track Two awards is up to $550,000,000.

Categories: IRA, Inflation Reduction Act, extreme weather events, chronic climate hazards, risk reduction; regional coordination and collaboration; equity and inclusion; and enduring capacity

$500,000 to $2,000,000 National Link
Community-based Restoration Program Coastal and Marine Habitat Restoration Grants NOAA

Past deadline: May 15, 2019. The principal objective of the NMFS Community-based Restoration Program Coastal and Marine Habitat Restoration solicitation is to support habitat restoration projects that use an ecosystem-based approach to foster species recovery and increase populations under NOAA’s jurisdiction. Successful proposals will: 1) identify a habitat-based issue/concern limiting the recovery or sustainability of one or more species targeted by the proposed restoration action; 2) describe in detail the actions and on-the-ground habitat restoration project(s) to be undertaken to resolve the issue/concern and; 3) describe the project(s)’ expected outcomes and measurable impact on the project’s target species and their ecosystem. Proposals may include: restoration feasibility and/or design; implementation; or a combination.

Categories: restoration, coastal and marine habitat, ecosystems, species recovery, endangered species, sustainability, fisheries

$75,0000-$150,000 Coasts Link
Alfalfa and Forage Research Program NIFA

Deadline passed. Most recent deadline: May 25, 2023. Alfalfa and Forage Research Program (AFRP) will support the development of improved alfalfa forage and seed production systems. Proposals submitted to AFRP should address one or more of the following priorities: (1) Improving alfalfa forage and seed yield through better nutrient, water and/or pest management; (2) Improving persistence of alfalfa stands by lessening biotic or abiotic stresses; (3) Improving alfalfa forage and seed harvesting and storage systems to optimize economic returns; (4) Improving estimates of alfalfa forage quality as an animal feed to increase forage usage in animal feeds; and/or (5) Breeding to address biotic and abiotic stresses that impact forage yield and persistence and the production of seed for propagation.

Categories: cattle, livestock, sustainability, management, infrastructure, food supplies, feed supplies, wild foods, foraging

$0 - $900,000 National Link
Higher Education Challenge Grants Program NIFA

Deadline passed as of May 30, 2017. Deadline for 2018 unknown. Projects supported by the Higher Education Challenge Grants Program will: (1) address a state, regional, national, or international educational need; (2) involve a creative or non-traditional approach toward addressing that need that can serve as a model to others; (3) encourage and facilitate better working relationships in the university science and education community, as well as between universities and the private sector, to enhance program quality and supplement available resources; and (4) result in benefits that will likely transcend the project duration and USDA support.

Categories: education, higher education, graduate school, collaboration, curriculum,

Varies. National Link
Agriculture and Food Research Initiative - Water for Food Production Systems Challenge Area NIFA

Deadline passed as of August 2, 2017 Deadline for 2018 unknown. This AFRI Challenge Area focuses on multidisciplinary systems approaches, which integrate new technologies and strategic management that solve water availability and quality challenges in food production systems. The long-term goal of this program is to sustainably increase agricultural productivity and availability of safe and nutritious food while significantly reducing water use and preserving water quality. The projects are expected to transform how abundant, safe, and nutritious food is produced, processed, distributed, and consumed within the limits of available water from traditional and non-traditional sources. Applications are invited from eligible entities to submit integrated Research, Education and/or Extension projects in two specific grant types: Coordinated Agricultural Projects (CAP) and Strengthening (Food and Agricultural Science Enhancement) CAP grants — see Water for Food Production Systems RFA for details.

Categories: food security, water, irrigation, resources, conservation, sustainability, infrastructure, management, planning, policy, farm, food, local economy, accessibility

$0 - $5,200,000 National Link
Strategies for Responsibly Reporting Back Environmental Health and Non-Genomic Research Results NIEHS, NIH, NHGRI

Deadline passed. Most recent deadline: June 15, 2023. The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), the NIH Office of Science Policy (OSP), the All of Us Research Program, and the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI), have announced this new funding opportunity. Desirable applications will identify, develop and/or adapt, as well as test strategies for responsibly reporting back environmental health, non-genomic research, and gene-environment interaction (GxE) results to research participants and/or key partners.Key objectives include:Advance the science of responsible report-back of environmental health research and other non-genomic research results to establish best practices/guidelines through research and evaluation.Identify preferences, perceived risks and benefits, barriers and facilitators related to responsibly reporting back research results. Use these new insights to inform the evolving practice of Report-back of Research Results.Recognize the role of Report-back of Research Results in reducing health disparities and advancing health equity.

Categories: #EnvironmentalHealth, #ClimateResilience, environmental health, climate resilience, research, community health

Application budgets are limited to $250K direct costs per year. The maximum project period is 4 years. National 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
Environmental Solutions for Communities Grants Program NGO

RFP closed. Expect Announcement before Winter 2016. Wells Fargo and the National Fish & Wildlife Foundation seek to promote sustainable communities through Environmental Solutions for Communities by supporting highly-visible projects that link economic development and community well-being to the stewardship and health of the environment. Funding priorities include 'greening' traditional infrastructure and public projects such as storm water management and flood control, urban forestry, and education and training of community leaders on sustainable practices.

Categories: Economic development, Sustainable Development

Varies National, Northwest, Southwest, Northeast, Southeast, Alaska, Midwest, Please see website for more details as within regions priority is given to projects from certain areas Link
Honor the Earth Grant Programs NGO

Honor the Earth programs focus on nurturing resilience in indigenous communities who are faced with daunting environmental and social realities. Resilience theory is a discussion in academic and environmenal arenas about how communities and societies will adapt to climate change. Our Building Resilience in Indigenous Communities Initiative focuses on two areas: Food Sovereignty and Energy Justice. In specific, Honor the Earth will fund restoration of indigenous food systems in Native communities, and Energy efficiency and renewable energy projects in Native communities. We work to support and forward the development of culturally-based, indigenous solutions to climate change and peak oil based on re-localizing food and energy economies. We also hope to foster restoration of traditional knowledge as a key adaptation and mitigation strategy to ensure a safe and healthy future for our children and the next seven generations. Honor the Earth is currently accepting applications on an ongoing basis.  Please check their site to ensure you the have the most up-to-date information. 

Categories: Environmental Justice, Energy, Adaptation, Agriculture, Mitigation, Health

$1,000-$5,000 Northwest, Southwest, Midwest, Northeast, Southeast, National, Alaska, International (Canada) Link
LOUISIANA SEA GRANT COLLEGE PROGRAM NGO

SoI is required and due by 5 pm on Friday, March 3, 2017. Full Proposals: Full Proposals will only be accepted on May 22, 2017 if a SoI was submitted. For this funding opportunity, Louisiana Sea Grant seeks responsive research that provides scientific and socioeconomic information, design innovation, as well as policy guidance, for fisheries management, climate change adaptation, resilient communities, and ecosystem restoration in coastal systems and communities in Louisiana. Coastal Louisiana offers a laboratory of restoration, protection, and adaptation projects that together with laboratory studies, field investigations, models, and/or socioeconomic tools and synthesis products, offer innovative opportunities for research projects that should improve understanding of coastal ecosystem function and help predict the responses of ecosystems and communities to a changing climate and/or planning activities. SoIs must include an outreach plan that demonstrates a connection with user groups, such as resource managers, communities, and/or informal and formal learners. Proposed projects should be for a 24-month maximum duration (but may be less than 24 months). PIs should focus on outcomes that can be achieved during this timeframe.

Categories: climate change, marine, fisheries, aquaculture, commercial, industrial, ocean, health, adaptation, mitigation, estuary

Varies. Louisiana, Delta Link
Mary A. Crocker Trust NGO

The Mary A Crocker Trust is a charitable foundation located in San Francisco, CA. The Trust’s Environment program area focuses support on the areas of waste management and recycling, water quality, land use management, and sustainable agriculture and forestry. The Trust is primarily interested in Bay Area programs, with an annual award budget of approximately $500K. Typical award amounts range between $10K and $25K.

Categories: Conservation, Waste management

$10,000-$25,000 Northwest, San Francisco area Link
Alaska Community Foundation: Strengthening Organizations NGO

Deadline Passed. Most Recent Deadline: November 14, 2023. Grant is on a rolling deadline. Grant awards will support professional staff and board of directors in their efforts to access tools, develop practical skills, and cultivate support systems needed to effectively achieve the organization’s mission in the areas of leadership development, organizational development, program development, collaboration and community engagement, and evaluation of effectiveness. The guidelines state applicants can request up to $10,000, but awards typically range from $4,000 to $6,000. Call anytime to talk with an ACF Program Officer about your project.

Categories: Non-profit Infrastructure, Administrative Support

Varies Alaska 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
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
Grants for Gardens NGO

Annie's offers Grants for Gardens donations to schools and other educational programs that help build school gardens. Since 2008, we've helped fund to more than 270 gardens.

Categories: Development, Food Security, Gardens

Varies Northwest, Southwest, Northeast, Southeast, National, Alaska, Midwest Link
Alfred P. Sloan Foundation NGO

Applications accepted continuously. This foundation offers grant assistance in 6 major program areas. Two such areas are the “Public Understanding of Science,” and the “Basic Research” areas. Through these programs, the foundation offers grants for high-quality, original STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) research that benefits the scientific community, as well as increases the public understanding of relevant and complex scientific issues. A grant applicant must first submit a letter of inquiry that outlines the idea of the grant, since the foundation does not accept unsolicited grant proposals. If accepted, the applicant will receive notice to submit a full proposal for evaluation.

Categories: Research

Varies Northwest, Southwest, Midwest, Northeast, Southeast, National, Alaska Link
Best Climate Practices- Local Resilience to Climate Disaster Risk NGO

Deadline passed as of May 21, 2017. Deadline for 2018 unknown. Floods, drought, heat waves and other extreme weather events pose potential losses to persons and communities: losses in life and health, economic damages, displacement, and reduced access to basic needs and services, such as water, food, energy, and education. Disaster risk reduction (DRR) entails systematic efforts to reduce those factors in our societies that amplify the impacts of natural hazards. It includes such actions as building more resilient infrastructures, investing in disaster preparedness and in early warning systems, developing new tools such as micro insurances and nature-based solutions, among many others. Disaster risk reduction, with its aim to strengthen the resilience of communities to all hazards, is an essential piece of the sustainable development agenda.

Categories: climate change, management, planning, policy, conservation

Varies. National Link
Bullitt Foundation NGO

Most Recent Deadline: 9/15/2021. Grant inquiries are accepted twice a year on March 15th and September 15th and full proposals invited for final submission by May 1st and November 1st, the next deadline for the Spring Docket is September 15, 2019. See website for more details. Note that individual grants offered by the foundation may have differing deadlines. The mission of the Bullitt Foundation is to protect the natural environment through promotion of responsible human activities and sustainable development in the Pacific Northeast. The foundations program areas include Ecosystem Services; Energy, Industry, and Technology; Urban Ecology; and Leadership and Civic Engagement. Grant applicants must submit a letter of inquiry online. If accepted, the applicant will be invited to submit a full proposal for evaluation. Please note that letters of inquiry are due 9/15/2019, with full applications being due 11/1/201.

Categories: Development, Conservation, Regional Ecosystem Health, Deep Green Buildings, Resilient Cities, Healthy Communities, Energy, Climate and Materials

Past grants have ranged from $2,000-$75,000 Northwest, Oregon, Idaho, British Colombia, western Montana, and Alaska (from the Cook Inlet to the Canadian border) Link
Climate Solutions University NGO

Applications accepted throughout the year. CSU aids local rural communities, connected through a peer learning network, by offering training, expertise, and support in climate adaptation planning. Through this training, expertise, and support, CSU strengthens local leadership, public engagement, and ecosystem protection efforts in rural communities.

Categories: Adaptation

Each participating community receives $100K in training, mentoring, and access to tools/resources Northwest, Southwest, Midwest, Northeast, Southeast, National, Alaska Link
Hewlett Foundation Grants NGO

Applications Accepted Continuously. The Hewlett Foundation’s Environment Program is committed to reducing these emissions to avoid the most severe effects of climate change. We pursue our goal with strategies in the following areas: Clean Power--Increase renewable energy and energy efficiency while reducing fossil fuel development and use for electricity generation.Clean transportation--Increase fuel efficiency and access to transit, biking and walking options, while constraining the growth of high-carbon fossil fuels for transportation. Building broad support--Engage diverse members of the public. The Hewlett Foundation also has a grant program dedicated to conserving land in the US West.

Categories: Conservation, Energy efficiency, Sustainable Development

Varies Northwest, Southwest, Northeast, Southeast, National, Alaska, Midwest Link
Indigenous Voices Fund NGO 12/31/2024

Rolling Deadline. Alaska Conservation Foundation’s Indigenous Fund (previously called the Travel Fund) supports conservation organizations on the ground addressing critical conservation issues. The current focus of the Indigenous Voices Fund is protecting the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, Bristol Bay, the Tongass National Forest, and efforts to prevent hardrock mining across Alaska. The Indigenous Fund enables key staff to travel to hearings, testify in front of decision-makers, and reach important audiences that require travel to/from Alaska, including rural Alaska, as well as Washington DC.

Categories: Environmental Justice, travel

Varies Alaska Link
Russell Family Foundation NGO

The Russell Family Foundation aims to protect and restore Puget Sound by supporting an environmental education program. They support organizations that provide opportunities for outdoor environmental education experiences throughout Puget Sound. These organizations deliver outdoor experiential learning to students in 5th through 12th grade who live in urbanized areas.

Categories: Restoration, Conservation

Previous round of awards were ~$43,000 Puget Sound, Washington, Northwest Link
Doris Duke Charitable Foundation NGO

This foundation supports environmental action according to a four part main strategy (see weblink for more).The foundation’s Environmental Program strives to meet its main strategies through grant awards. The Environment Program awards grants through invited proposals and the occasional funding competition. Funding opportunities may also be available through organizations administering re-granting programs supported by the foundation.

Categories: Conservation, Clean Energy

Varies Tri-State Area, Northeast Link