Funding

The Tribal Climate Change Funding Guide is intended to provide up-to-date information on grants, programs and plans that may assist tribes in addressing climate change through a broad range of sectors. We will update this guide regularly, so please check back often. If you have questions or updates for this guide, email: kathy@uoregon.edu. Please note that for entries that are accepting applications continuously, the grant deadline column will list "12/31/2024" as the grant deadline. This ensures that those grants will appear immediately after those grants with a set deadline.

Title Organization Grant Deadline Description Funding Amount Geography Website
Patagonia Environmental Grant Patagonia Environmental Grant

Deadline passed as of April 30, 2017. Deadline for 2018 unknown. Patagonia funds only environmental work. We are most interested in making grants to organizations that identify and work on the root causes of problems and that approach issues with a commitment to long-term change. Because we believe that the most direct path to real change is through building grassroots momentum, our funding focuses on organizations that create a strong base of citizen support. We support small, grassroots, activist organizations with provocative direct-action agendas, working on multi-pronged campaigns to preserve and protect our environment. We think the individual battles to protect a specific stand of forest, stretch of river or indigenous wild species are the most effective in raising more complicated issues—particularly those of biodiversity and ecosystem protection—in the public mind. We help local groups working to protect local habitat and frontline communities through bold, original actions. We look for innovative groups that produce measurable results, and we like to support efforts that force the government to abide by its own—our own—laws.

Categories: climate change, adaptation, mitigation, natural resources

$5,000 and $20,000.
National Link
Planning Proposals to Catalyze Innovative and Inclusive Wildland Fire Science through Diverse Collaborations US National Science Foundation (NSF)

Deadline passed. Most recent deadline: May 31, 2023. The NSF is calling for planning proposals for advancing inclusive wildland fire science via diverse knowledge systems. Proposals that aim to develop a deeper understanding of wildland fire as integrated social-cultural-ecological-technological systems and improve education across multiple levels, in informal settings and/or formal settings spanning pre-college through post-secondary levels, are also encouraged. Budget requests may not exceed $100,000 per year, with a duration of up to two years. Prospective investigators must submit a two-page description of the proposal concept to wildlandfire@nsf.gov.

Categories: fire, knowledge systems, education

Up to $100,000 per year National Link
Pollution Prevention Grant: Environmental Justice in Communities EPA

Deadline passed. Most recent deadline: June 6, 2023. The purpose of the Pollution Prevention Grant: Environmental Justice in Communities is to provide technical assistance to businesses (e.g., information, training, expert advice) on source reduction, also known as pollution prevention (P2). Grantees must demonstrate that the project will improve human health and the environment in disadvantaged communities by implementing P2 approaches. This grant is funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

Categories: BIL, pollution, community health, technical assistance, Justice40

$100,000 to $800,000 for the individual grant awards, or up to $1.2 million for multi-state or multi-tribal projects National, 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
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
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
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
Powering Unelectrified Tribal Building(s) - 2022 DOE, Office of Indian Energy

Deadline passed. Most recent deadline: February 23, 2023. The DOE Office of Indian Energy is soliciting applications from Tribes to provide electric power to Tribal buildings that would otherwise be electrified by deploying  integrated energy system(s) or energy infrastructure. Individual awards vary depending on type of project with a range from $250,000 to $4,000,000. This opportunity builds on the important discussions at the 7th biennial Tribal Clean Energy Summit, where U.S Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm held a nation-to-nation roundtable with Tribal leaders to share ideas and explore cost-effective approaches to clean energy that strengthen Tribal energy and economic infrastructure, address climate resilience, and build stronger and safer communities.

Categories: energy, tribal lands, tribal energy development, community resilience, emergency management, BIL

Varies National Link
Prediction of and Resilience against Extreme EVENTS (PREEVENTS) NSF

Deadline Passed 01/05/2020. Deadline Unknown for 2021. Natural disasters cause thousands of deaths annually, and in 2013 alone caused over $130 billion in damage worldwide. There is clear societal need to better understand and mitigate the risks posed to the US by natural hazards, consistent with the mandate of the National Science Foundation (NSF) “…to promote the progress of science [and] advance the national health, prosperity, and welfare....” NSF and the Directorate for Geosciences (GEO) have long supported basic research in scientific and engineering disciplines necessary to understand natural hazards and extreme events, including through the Interdisciplinary Research in Hazards and Disasters (Hazards SEES) program and multiple core programs in the GEO Directorate. PREEVENTS is designed as a logical successor to Hazards SEES and is one element of the NSF-wide Risk and Resilience activity, which has the overarching goal of improving predictability and risk assessment, and increasing resilience, in order to reduce the impact of extreme events on our life, society, and economy. PREEVENTS will provide an additional mechanism to support research and related activities that will improve our understanding of the fundamental processes underlying natural hazards and extreme events in the geosciences. PREEVENTS is focused on natural hazards and extreme events, and not on technological or deliberately human-caused hazards. The PREEVENTS portfolio will include the potential for disciplinary and multidisciplinary research at all scales, particularly aimed at areas ripe for significant near- or medium-term advances. PREEVENTS seeks projects that will (1) enhance understanding of the fundamental processes underlying natural hazards and extreme events on various spatial and temporal scales, as well as the variability inherent in such hazards and events, and (2) improve our capability to model and forecast such hazards and events. All projects requesting PREEVENTS support must be primarily focused on these two targets. In addition, PREEVENTS projects will improve our understanding of the effects of natural hazards and extreme events and will enable development, with support by other programs and organizations, of new tools to enhance societal preparedness and resilience against such impacts.

Categories: natural disaster, hazard, mitigate, human health, prediction, planning, infrastructure

Amount varies. National Link
Predictive Multiscale Models for Biomedical, Biological, Behavioral, Environmental and Clinical Research (U01) DOE

Deadline passed as of 9/29/2017. Deadline for 2018 unknown. The goal of this interagency funding opportunity announcement (FOA) is to support the development of multiscale models to accelerate biological, biomedical, behavioral, environmental and clinical research. The NIH, ARO, DOE, FDA, NASA, NSF, and ONR recognize that in order to efficiently and effectively address the challenges of understanding multiscale biological and behavioral systems, researchers will need predictive, computational models that encompass multiple biological and behavioral scales.This FOA supports the development of non-standard modeling methods and experimental approaches to facilitate multiscale modeling, and active participation in community-driven activities through the Multiscale Modeling (MSM) Consortium

Categories: climate change, climate science, social science, community-based projects, community, predictions, projections, future models, research

Varies. National Link
Preservation Technology and Training Grants National Parks Service, National Center for Preservation Technology and Training

Deadline passed as of November 3, 2016. Deadline for 2017 unknown. 2017 Preservation Technology and Training Grants (PTT Grants) are intended to create better tools, better materials, and better approaches to conserving buildings, landscapes, sites, and collections. PTT Grants will support the following activities: Innovative research that develops new technologies or adapts existing technologies to preserve cultural resources (typically $25,000 to $40,000). Specialized workshops or symposia that identify and address national preservation needs (typically $15,000 to $25,000). How-to videos, mobile applications, podcasts, best practices publications, or webinars that disseminate practical preservation methods or provide better tools for preservation practice (typically $5,000 to $15,000).

Categories: historic preservation, cultural preservation, curator, conservation

$40,000 National 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
Promoting Resilient Operations for Transformative, Efficient, and Cost-Saving Transportation Department of Transportation

Most Recent Deadline: August 18, 2023. The purpose of the PROTECT Formula and Discretionary Grant programs is to plan for and strengthen surface transportation to be more resilient to natural hazards, including climate change, sea level rise, flooding, extreme weather events, and other natural disasters through formula and competitive discretionary grants. Funding areas include: planning grants, resilience improvement grants, community resilience and evacuation route grants, and at-risk coastal infrastructure grants.

Categories: roads, infrastructure, transportation, BIL

Varies National Link
Protecting Bering Sea Marine Resources Grant First Nations

Deadline passed. Most recent deadline: May 25, 2022. First Nations is now accepting applications under our Stewarding Native Lands (SNL) program for Native communities that are working to protect marine resources in the Bering Sea ecoregion. Through this grant opportunity, First Nations will provide grant resources to Bering Sea Native communities to address the depletion of marine resources needed to sustain their communities and people. First Nations expects to award approximately 10 grants of $50,000 each to eligible organizations. Organizations that have not been formalized as a nonprofit are encouraged to apply through a fiscal sponsor. Learn more and apply here.

Categories: Bering Sea, marine resources, sustainability, climate change

$50,000 Bering Sea Link
Public Health Disaster Research in U.S. Territories, Tribal Areas, and Rural Communities Natural Hazards Center, CDC, National Science Foundation

Deadline passed. Most recent deadline: October 7, 2022. The Natural Hazards Center, with support from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Science Foundation, is calling for proposals focused on studying public health preparedness, response, and resilience to disasters in inhabited U.S. territories of American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, tribal areas, and rural communities across the United States. Proposals can focus on one location or offer comparisons across regions. Learn more including the steps to apply here.

Categories: public health, resilience, disaster preparedness, research

$15,000 to $50,000 National, International (US Territories) Link
Public Transportation on Indian Reservations Program Department of Transportation

Most Recent Deadline: June 26, 2023. The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) announces the opportunity to apply for $8.9 million in competitive grants for the Fiscal Year (FY) 2023 Public Transportation on Indian Reservations (Tribal Transit) Program. As required by Federal public transportation law, funds will be awarded competitively for any purpose eligible under FTA’s Formula Grants for Rural Areas Program, including planning, capital, and operating assistance for tribal public transit services in rural areas.  FTA may award additional funding that is made available to the program prior to the announcement of project selections. Applicants must provide transit service in a rural area with a population of less than 50,000.  A service area can include some portions of urban areas, as long as rural areas are also served.

Categories: public transit, BIL, infrastructure, rural

Varies National Link
Public Transportation on Indian Reservations Program (Tribal Transit Program) Department of Transportation, Fedeal Transit Association

Deadline Passed 07/09/2019. Deadline Unknown 2020. The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) announces the availability of approximately $5 million in funding provided by the Public Transportation on Indian Reservations Program (Tribal Transit Program (TTP)), as authorized by 49 U.S.C. 5311(c)(1)(A), as amended by the Fixing America's Surface Transportation Act (FAST), Public Law 114-94 (December 4, 2015). This is a national solicitation for project proposals and includes the selection criteria and program eligibility information for Fiscal Year 2018 projects. The primary purpose of these competitively selected grants is to support planning, capital, and, in limited circumstances, operating assistance for tribal public transit services. Funds distributed to Indian tribes under the TTP should not replace or reduce funds that Indian tribes receive from states through FTA’s Section 5311 program.

Categories: transportation, roads and highways, accessability

up to $300,000 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
RAISE Discretionary Grants DOT

Deadline Passed. Most recent deadline: February 28, 2023.  RAISE Discretionary Grants replace the pre-existing BUILD Transportation grants program. RAISE discretionary grants help project sponsors at the State and local levels, including municipalities, Tribal governments, counties, and others complete critical freight and passenger transportation infrastructure projects. The eligibility requirements of RAISE allow project sponsors to obtain funding for projects that are harder to support through other U.S. DOT grant programs.

Categories: Transportation, Infrastructure, Development

$1,000,000 - $25,000,000 National Link
ReConnect Loan and Grant Program

Deadline Passed 07/12/2019. Deadline Unknown for 2020. The ReConnect Program is an innovative new pilot program that offers unique federal financing and funding options in the form of loans, grants, and loan/grant combinations to facilitate broadband deployment in areas of rural America that don’t currently have sufficient access to broadband. This pilot program will generate private sector investment to deploy broadband infrastructure to provide high-speed internet e-Connectivity to as many rural premises as possible, including homes, community facilities for healthcare and public safety, schools, libraries, farms, ranches, factories, and other production sites. For those who are applying for 100% loan, the deadline is July 12, 2019. 

Categories: broadband, rural areas, infrastructure, high-speed internet, capacity building

Up to $200,000,000 is available for loan/grant combinations. The maximum amount that can be requested in an application is $25,000,000 for the loan and $25,000,000 for the grant. Loan and grant amounts will always be equal. Rural Areas Link
Recovery Challenge DOI, FWS

Deadline Passed 04/26/2019. Deadline Unknown for 2020. The Recovery challenge funding opportunity is to enhance and increase partnerships with agencies and organizations implementing highest priority recovery actions for federally listed endangered and threatened species, and in particular for genetically-sound breeding, rearing and reintroduction programs. Section 2(a)(5) of the Endangered Species Act of 1973, 16 U.S.C. 1535, as amended, authorizes the use of Federal financial assistance to encourage the States and other interested parties to develop and maintain conservation programs to safeguard the Nation's heritage in fish, wildlife and plants for the benefit of all citizens. In addition, the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2019 (H.J. Res. 31, 116th Cong. Div. E, Title I (2019)) authorized specific funding for the Recovery Challenge funding opportunity.

Categories: endangered species, species recovery, reintroduction, conservation

$100-$3,000,000 National Link
Recovery Implementation Fund DOI, FWS

The Notification of Funding Availability is released in annually. The Recovery Implementation Program coordinates with federal, state, Tribal and private partners to restore habitat and recover species listed under the Endangered Species Act throughout Washington.  The Recovery Program funds high priority recovery actions that achieve species recovery, actions that may preclude the need to list candidate species and actions that conserve the ecosystems upon which these species depend.

Categories: habitat restoration, education, outreach, research, assessment, endangered species

Awards typically range from $10,000-$80,000 National Link
Region 10 Indian Environmental General Assistance Program EPA

Recent Deadline: 1/29/2021 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 - $125,000 per year. Tribes with large reservations may request a higher level of funding. Northwest, Alaska Link
Region 6 Indian General Assistance Program Environmental Protection Agency

Deadline: 2/5/2021. EPA provides Indian Environmental General Assistance Program (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. EPA administers this program in accordance with the statute, applicable federal regulations, including 40 CFR part 35, subpart B, and national guidance, including the Indian Environmental General Assistance Program Guidance on the Award and Management of General Assistance Agreements for Tribes and Intertribal Consortia (2013; hereafter GAP Guidance).

Categories: administrative, financial management, information management, environmental baseline needs assessment, public education/communication, legal, ambient air quality, water quality, managing waste

No more than $115,000 Southwest 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
Region 9: Water Pollution Control Program U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Recent Deadline: 2/01/2021. The Clean Water Act (CWA) Section 106 – Water Pollution Control Program assists federally-recognized Indian tribes with achieving environmental results by developing institutional capacity for administering water quality programs to protect, improve and enhance natural resources.

Categories: Water Pollution, Clean Water

$40,000-$200,000. First-time eligible applicants may receive grants for $40,000. Pacific Southwest Link
Regional Catastrophic Preparedness Grant Program Region 10 FEMA

Deadline passed. Most recent deadline: July 29, 2022. The purpose of the RCPGP is to build regional capacity to manage catastrophic incidents by improving and expanding collaboration for catastrophic incident preparedness. The strategic priorities for the FY 2022 RCPGP are equity, climate resilience, and readiness. Learn more and apply here.

Categories: Climate resilience, disaster response, equity, hazards

Up to $1,200,000 Oregon, Washington, Idaho Link
Regional Climate Collaboratives Program Grant California Strategic Growth Council

Most recent deadline: December 6, 2023. The California Strategic Growth Council recently released the Notice of Funding Availability for Round 2 of the Regional Climate Collaboratives (RCC) Program. RCC is a capacity building grant program that funds community-rooted and cross-sectoral partners to develop the processes, plans, and projects that will drive and sustain climate action in their communities. RCC invests in projects that advance the following key Program Objectives: Develop Actionable Plans and Projects, Build Social Infrastructure, Center Community Engagement and Decision Making, and Develop Equity-Centered Processes.

Categories: Energy, climate, resilience, environmental justice, underserved communities

Small grants between $500,000 and $999,999. Large grants between $1M and $1.75M California Link
Regional Initiative to Accelerate CCUS Deployment DOE

Deadline Passed 06/03/2019. Deadline Unknown for 2020. The primary objective of this Funding Opportunity Announcement is to award projects that identify and address onshore regional storage and transport challenges facing commercial deployment of Carbon Capture Utilization and Storage (CCUS). Projects will focus on Addressing Key Technical Challenges; Facilitate Data Collection, Sharing, and Analysis; Evaluate Regional Infrastructure; and Promote Regional Technology Transfer.

Categories: carbon storage, utilization, energy, storage, data collection, infrastructure, technology

up to $7,000,000 Link
Regional Vulnerability Assessments for Ocean Acidification NOAA

The purpose of this document is to advise the public that NOAA/OAR/Ocean Acidification Program (OAP) is soliciting proposals for collaborative projects of up to 3 years in duration that synthesize ocean acidification information at a regional scale (e.g. Large Marine Ecosystem, large estuary or collection of small estuaries, and state or collection of states in US waters) to determine where societal vulnerabilities to ocean acidification exist or are emerging, in order to provide actionable information for marine resource decision makers and/or bolster the resilience of the nation's Blue Economy. This funding opportunity will not support the collection of new chemical or ecological observations or species response data.

Categories: ocean acidification, marine ecosystems, estuaries, resilience, data collection

$100,000-$350,000. National, Coastal communities Link