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 Sort descending Organization Grant Deadline Description Funding Amount Geography Website
Environmental Quality Incentives Program USDA, NRCS 12/31/2024

Deadline is ongoing. The Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) is a voluntary program that provides financial and technical assistance to agricultural producers to address natural resource concerns and deliver environmental benefits such as improved water and air quality, conserved ground and surface water, increased soil health and reduced soil erosion and sedimentation, improved or created wildlife habitat, and mitigation against drought and increasing weather volatility. EQIP may also help producers meet Federal, State, Tribal, and local environmental regulations.

Categories: agriculture, production, conservation, climate adaptation, private forestland, non-industrial, natural resource management, IRA

NRCS provides financial assistance for selected conservation activities. The availability and amount of financial assistance can vary between states. United States 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
Environmental Sustainability NSF

Proposals accepted anytime. The goal of the Environmental Sustainability program is to promote sustainable engineered systems that support human well-being and that are also compatible with sustaining natural (environmental) systems. These systems provide ecological services vital for human survival. Research efforts supported by the program typically consider long time horizons and may incorporate contributions from the social sciences and ethics. The program supports engineering research that seeks to balance society's need to provide ecological protection and maintain stable economic conditions.

Categories: Environmental Sustainability, Social Sciences Research, Environmental Ethics, Economic Sustainability, Engineering.

The duration of unsolicited awards is generally one to three years. The typical award size for the program is around $100,000 per year. Proposals requesting a substantially higher amount than this, without prior consultation with the Program Director, may be returned without review. United States, National Link
EPA 2022 Tribal EJ Small Grants Opportunity EPA

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

Applicants may request up to $100,000. National Link
EPA Brownfields Technical Assistance, Training, and Research EPA

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

up to $200,000 per applicant National Link
EPA Building Blocks for Sustainable Communities Program EPA, NGO

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

Grant provides assistance as opposed to cash National, Northwest, Northeast, Southwest, Southeast, Midwest, Alaska Link
EPA Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act Grant EPA

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

Categories: Response program, assessment, redevelopment, cleanup

EPA will consider funding requests up to a maximum of $1.0 million per state or tribe for FY2015. National Link
EPA Healthy Communities Grant Program--Northeast EPA

The Healthy Communities Grant Program is EPA New England’s main competitive grant program to work directly with communities to reduce environmental risks, protect and improve human health and improve the quality of life. The Healthy Communities Grant Program will achieve this through identifying and funding projects that: 1) Target resources to benefit communities at risk [areas at risk from climate change impacts, areas impacted by stormwater run-off, environmental justice areas of potential concern, urban areas and sensitive populations (e.g. children, elderly, tribes, and others at increased risk)]; 2) Assess, understand, and reduce environmental and human health risks; 3) Increase collaboration through community-based projects; 4) Build institutional and community capacity to understand and solve environmental and human health problems; 5) Advance emergency preparedness and resilience; 6) Achieve measurable environmental and human health benefits. In order to qualify as eligible projects under the Healthy Communities Grant Program, proposted projects must take place within New England states and must meet several criteria including: (1) Be located in and/or directly benefit one or more of the Target Investment Areas; and (2) Identify how the proposed project will achieve measurable environmental and/or public health results in one or more of the Target Program Areas

Categories: Human Health, Risk Mitigation

$25,000 ceiling Northeast Link
EPA Indoor Air and Climate Change Funding Opportunity EPA

This RFA seeks to understand the health effects from climate change mediated by indoor environments. A specific interest is the evaluation of adaptation guidelines, such as energy-saving building modifications, from a health perspective. Additional optional goals are 1) the understanding of behavioral adaptations, e. g. time spent outdoors, or use of natural ventilation and 2) extension of building ventilation models to newer energy-efficient buildings and evaluation of existing models against independent data sets.

Categories: Health, Infrastructure, Research

$500,000-$1,000,000 Northwest, Southwest, Northeast, Southeast, National, Alaska, Midwest Link
EPA Pollution Prevention Grant Program EPA

Pollution Prevention (P2) Grants provide technical assistance to businesses in order to help them develop and adopt source reduction practices (also known as “pollution prevention” or “P2”). P2 means reducing or eliminating pollutants from entering any waste stream or otherwise released into the environment prior to recycling, treatment, or disposal. In keeping with the Pollution Prevention Act of 1990, EPA is encouraging P2 because implementing these approaches can result in reductions in toxic pollutants, the use of water, energy and other raw materials, while also lowering business costs. P2 grants are awarded to States, colleges and universities (recognized as instrumentalities of the state), and federally-recognized tribes and intertribal consortia.

Categories: Pollution Prevention, Conservation, Efficiency, Greenhouse Gas Reduction

$40,000-$500,000 Northwest, Southwest, Northeast, Southeast, National, Alaska, Midwest Link
EPA Region 3 Wetlands Program Development Grants EPA

Deadline unknown for 2017. Wetland Program Development Grants (WPDGs) provide eligible applicants an opportunity to conduct and promote the coordination and acceleration of research, investigations, experiments, training, demonstrations, surveys, and studies relating to the causes, effects, extent, prevention, reduction, and elimination of water pollution. All proposals submitted under this RFP must be for projects that build or refine state/tribal/local government wetland programs. Implementation of wetland protection programs is not an eligible project under this announcement

Categories: Conservation, Wetlands

$200,000-900,000 Northeast, Southeast Link
EPA Region 4 Wetlands Program Development Grants EPA

Deadline unknown for 2017. Wetland Program Development Grants (WPDGs) provide eligible applicants an opportunity to conduct and promote the coordination and acceleration of research, investigations, experiments, training, demonstrations, surveys, and studies relating to the causes, effects, extent, prevention, reduction, and elimination of water pollution. All proposals submitted under this RFP must be for projects that build or refine state/tribal/local government wetland programs. Implementation of wetland protection programs is not an eligible project under this announcement

Categories: Conservation, Wetlands, Scientific Data

$100,000-$250,000 EPA region 4; South; Southeast Link
EPA Region 7 Wetland Program Development Grants EPA

Wetland Program Development Grants provide eligible applicants an opportunity to conduct and promote the coordination and acceleration of research, investigations, experiments, training, demonstrations, surveys, and studies relating to the causes, effects, extent, prevention, reduction, and elimination of water pollution. All proposals submitted under this RFP must be for projects that build or refine state/tribal/local government wetland programs.

Categories: Wetland Conservation, Water Pollution

Varies Midwest Link
EPA Source Reduction Assistance Grant Program EPA

Source Reduction Assistance (SRA) grants fund innovative source reduction approaches (also known as “pollution prevention” or “P2”). P2 means reducing or eliminating pollutants from entering any waste stream or otherwise released into the environment prior to recycling, treatment, or disposal. In keeping with the statutory authorities under this program, SRA grant projects must use one or more of the following technical assistance methods to carry out source reduction/P2 activities: a) research, b) investigation, c) experiments, d) education, e) training, f) studies and/or g) demonstration of innovative techniques.

Categories: pollution prevention, waste prevention, research, education, training, hazardous materials

$20,000-$260,000 issued over a two-year funding period National Link
EPA Workforce Development and Job Training Grants EPA

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

Categories: Job program, training and development

up to $200,000 National Link
EPA's Office of Water supports the National Tribal Water Council (NTWC) EPA

Deadline passed as of August 11, 2016. Deadline for 2017 unknown. EPA's Office of Water supports the National Tribal Water Council (NTWC), composed of tribal governmental representatives, to increase communications, promote sharing of technical information and best management practices for Indian country, raise awareness of tribes on priority water issues, and facilitate tribal input on actions to protect water quality and provide safe drinking water in tribal communities. EPA supports the efforts of the National Tribal Water Council through a multi-year cooperative agreement to a recipient who manages and supports the operations of the Council, and assists in developing and completing products in coordination with the NTWC. Eligible recipients interested in managing the NTWC under this cooperative agreement may apply by submitting applications to EPA for this competitive process.

Categories: intertribal, water health, water rights, water management

Total award $1,100,000. National 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
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
Explore Fund--The North Face Annual Grant The North Face (Corporation)

Deadline unknown for FY 2017. The North Face Explore Fund provides $500,000 annually in grants to nonprofit organizations working in powerful and creative ways to encourage participants to experience outdoor activities and develop an enduring appreciation of the outdoors. Since its founding in 2010, the Explore Fund has provided more than 400 grants to nonprofit organizations that serve thousands of people in communities around the country. The Explore Fund reflects a significant commitment by The North Face to introduce more people to the joy of exploring the outdoors and the natural world.

Categories: Environmental Education

$5,000-$25,000 National Link
Expressions of Interest (RFEI) to Determine B.C. Local Governments and First Nations Interest in a Potential Call for Applications Under the New Community Energy Leadership Program (CELP) Community Energy Leadership Program (CELP), The Ministry of Energy and Mines

Communities will be eligible for funding if they undertake either: One of a range of renewable energy capital projects that the local government or First Nation has part (e.g., IPP equity stake) or full ownership of; or a major energy efficiency initiative applied specifically to the local government's or First Nation's own infrastructure. Interested communities are invited to respond to this RFEI by no later than Monday, May 4th 2015 by email referring to RFEI Number "CELP2015".

Categories: Renewable energy, Energy efficiency, Local Government, First Nations, Infrastructure

The objective of the Ministry’s Community Energy Leadership Program (CELP) is to provide local
governments and First Nations with pivotal funding ranging from $20,000 to $80,000 per Application.
National Link
Farm Business Management and Benchmarking Competitive Grants Program USDA

Deadline passed. Most recent deadline: April 8, 2022. The Farm Business Management and Benchmarking (FBMB) Competitive Grants Program provides funds for improving the farm management knowledge and skills of agricultural producers by maintaining and expanding a national, publicly available farm financial management database to support improved farm management. Learn more and apply here.

Categories: Farm business, agriculture, financial management

Up to $500,000 National Link
Farm to School Grant USDA - FNS (Food and Nutrition Service)

Deadline passed as of December 8, 2016. Deadline for 2017 unknown. The USDA Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) is charged with implementing the Farm to School Program. In this funding cycle, USDA anticipates awarding approximately $6 million in grant funding to support efforts that improve access to local foods in schools. Beyond the $5 million in funding provided in the HHFKA, in fiscal year (FY) 2016 USDA anticipates the availability of an additional $1 million, subject to appropriation, in grant funding to support placement of volunteer service members (e.g. AmeriCorps, VISTA, local service corps programs, etc.) in schools throughout the country to build or maintain school gardens, incorporate nutrition education into the schools’ culture, and support school food service personnel in procuring or promoting local and regional products for the school meal program - See link for more.

Categories: Food, nutrition, Agriculture, Education, Schools, Development

$15,000 to $100,000 National Link
Farmers Market Promotion Program USDA

Deadline Passed for 2018. Deadline Unknown for 2019.  The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), AMS, requests applications for the fiscal year (FY) 2016 Farmers Market Promotion Program (FMPP) to competitively award grants to eligible applicants for projects that establish, expand, and promote direct producer-to-consumer marketing.

Categories: Farmers Market, Local Foods, Sustainability, Bioregionalism, Sustainable Agriculture, Community Development.

Capacity Building: Minimum grant award is $50,000. Maximum award is $250,000.
Community Development, Training, and Technical Assistance: Minimum grant award is $250,000. Maximum award $500,000.
United States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the United States Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. Link
Farmers' Market SNAP Support Grants USDA, Food Nutrition and Consumer Services

Food, Nutrition and Consumer Services Under Secretary Kevin Concannonannounced the availability of up to $3.3 million in competitive funding to support the ability of farmers markets to accept Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits provided through the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) as a form of payment.

Categories: Agriculture, Food, nutrition, farmers

$15,000 to $250,000 National Link
FDPIR Program Nutrition Education Grants FDPIR, USDA

Deadline Passed April 30, 2019. Deadline Unknown for 2020. Since 2008, FNS awards funding for nutrition education projects through Food Distribution Program Nutrition Education (FDPNE) grants each fiscal year. Indian Tribal Organizations (ITOs) and State agencies (SAs) that are current FDPIR allowance holders (have a direct agreement with FNS to administer FDPIR) are eligible to apply for funds to conduct projects that provide nutrition information and services to FDPIR participants. The Fiscal Year (FY) 2019 SNAP Education Plan Guidance is the basis for FDPNE nutrition, gardening, and physical activities

Categories: food, nutrition, distribution. gardening

Ceiling $220,000
Floor $2,000
National Link
Federally Recognized Tribes Extension Program (FRTEP) USDA

Deadline passed. Most recent deadline: Feburary 25, 2022. The purpose of this program is to establish an Extension presence and support Extension outreach on Federally Recognized Indian Reservations and Tribal jurisdictions of Federally-Recognized Tribes. This program seeks to continue the Land Grants mission of inclusion - providing education and research-based knowledge to those who might not otherwise receive it. Learn more and apply here.

Categories: Land Grant, education, outreach, research, Tribal youth development, economic and workforce development, food sovereignty, Native language and culture preservation

Up to $360,000 National Link
FEMA Emergency Management Performance Grants (EMPG) Program FEMA

The purpose of FEMA’s Emergency Management Performance Grant (EMPG) program is to make grants to States, to assist State, local, tribal, and territorial governments in preparing for all hazards. The EMPG program supports efforts to build and sustain core capabilities across the nation. Past outcomes have included strengthening governance integration, approved emergency plans, trainings, and whole community approaches to emergency management. FEMA anticipates awarding approximately 58 grants with an available funding amount of $332 million. Periods of performance will last 24 months.

Categories: Emergency Response

Varies Northwest, Southwest, Midwest, Northeast, Southeast, National, Alaska, International (US Territories) 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
First Steps toward Developing Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency on Tribal Lands – 2016 DOE

Deadline passed as of October 20, 2016. Deadline for 2017 unknown. Under the planned FOA, the Office of Indian Energy intends to solicit applications from Indian Tribes (including Alaska Native regional corporations and village corporations) and Tribal Energy Resource Development Organizations under the following topic areas: (1) Conduct energy options analyses (Topic Area 1); (2) Establish baseline energy use (Topic Area 2); (3) Develop energy organizations (Topic Area 3); (4) Conduct climate resiliency planning (Topic Area 4); (5) Establish policy, regulations, and codes to reduce energy use or promote energy develop (Topic Area 5); and, (6) Obtain skills and training related to energy use and development (Topic Area 6). It is expected that proposed activities will result in specific measurable results or end-products that will lead to the development and deployment of energy solutions, and/or build knowledge or skills necessary to implement successful strategic energy solutions.

Categories: climate change, carbon emissions, clean energy, sustainable energy, energy planning

DOE currently anticipates making eight to twenty grant awards in amounts ranging from $50,000 to $250,000. The actual level of funding, if any, depends on Congressional appropriations. National Link
Fiscal Year 14 Funding Opportunity:Select LCCs and CSCs CSC

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 as described in the guidance document below. PLEASE NOTE: 6/17/2014 is the deadline for statements of interest, while 8/1/2014 is the deadline for proposals.

Categories: Research, Education, Vulnerability Assessment, Ecosystem Function

Varies Northeast, Southeast, Southwest, Alaska, Pacific Islands, Midwest Link