Funding

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

Title Organization Sort descending Grant Deadline Description Funding Amount Geography Website
Healthy Watersheds Consortium Grant (US EPA) US EPA

The purpose of the grant is to accelerate and expand the strategic protection of healthy freshwater ecosystems and their watersheds across the country. EPA expects to issue a cooperative agreement to fund a single grantee to manage the Healthy Watersheds Consortium grant program and issue sub-awards on a competitive basis.

Categories: Restoration, Mitigation, watershed

Anticipated fed.eral funding is approximately $3.75 million over six years for this program. Link
Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration Program Overview US Forest Service

Deadline Passed 11/27/2019. Deadline Unknown for 2020. Congress established the Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration Program (CFLRP) with Title IV of the Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009 (PDF, 40 KB) and reauthorized it in the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 Section 8629 (the Farm Bill). The purpose of the Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration Program is to encourage the collaborative, science-based ecosystem restoration of priority forest landscapes and:encourage ecological, economic, and social sustainability;leverage local resources with national and private resources;facilitate the reduction of wildfire management costs, including through re-establishing natural fire regimes and reducing the risk of uncharacteristic wildfire;demonstrate the degree to which various ecological restoration techniques achieve ecological and watershed health objectives; and,encourage utilization of forest restoration by-products to offset treatment costs, to benefit local rural economies, to and improve forest health.

Categories: collaborative, forest restoration, old growth stands, fire adaptation, watershed health, ecological restoration

up to $4 million 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
Organismal Response to Climate Change US National Science Foundation (NSF)

Deadline passed. Most recent deadline: November 21, 2023. Most climate change studies to date have lacked integration between the study of organismal mechanisms involved in the response to changing climates and eco-evolutionary approaches. This solicitation calls for proposals that integrate the study of genomic, physiological, structural, developmental, neural, or behavioral mechanisms of organismal response to climate change (ORCC) with eco-evolutionary approaches to better manage the effects of a rapidly changing climate on earth’s living systems. Specific areas of emphasis include but are not limited to: integrating physiology and genomics into the next generation of species distribution models; mechanistic understanding of plastic responses to climate change; functional genomics of organismal response to climate change; the role biological interactions play in organismal responses to climate change; and improving our ability to predict how organisms will respond to climate change and the consequences these responses will have across biological scales.

Categories: scientific research, adaptation, evolutionary biology, climate science

Varies. Total Program Funding: $10,000,000 National Link
Building Synthetic Microbial Communities for Biology, Mitigating Climate Change, Sustainability and Biotechnology US National Science Foundation (NSF) 8/1/2024

Deadline: August 1, 2024.  Microbes and communities of microbes have remarkable genetic, physiological and biochemical diversity, allowing them to flourish in environments all over the planet and in a variety of substrates and hosts. The goal of this solicitation is to support research that addresses one or more of the three themes: 1) define the underlying mechanisms or rules that drive the formation, maintenance or evolution of synthetic microbial communities, 2) use synthetic microbial communities to address fundamental biological questions, including questions in molecular biology, cellular/organismal biology, ecology and evolution and/or 3) build synthetic communities with biotechnology, bioeconomy or environmental engineering applications, including but not limited to the production of novel biorenewable chemicals, biodegradation of recalcitrant or “forever chemicals,” enabling a circular bioeconomy, fostering sustainable agriculture and mitigating the impacts of climate change.

Categories: Scientific research, microbiology, forever chemicals, molecular biology, climate mitigation

Total program funding: $9,500,000 National Link
White House Champions of Change Award Nominations US White House

Funding unknown for 2017. President Obama has challenged us all to help win the future by out-educating, out-innovating, and out-building our competitors in the 21st century. Know someone who is doing extraordinary things to make a difference in your community? Nominate them to be a Champion of Change. We’ll consider your nominations as we feature people who are bringing about change in their communities on the White House website to share their ideas on how to win the future.

Categories: Leadership, Award, Climate Initiatives

See Description National Link
Rural Broadband Access Loan and Loan Guarantee USDA

Deadline Passed 09/30/2018. Deadline Unknown for 2019. The Rural Broadband Access Loan and Loan Guarantee Program (Broadband Program) furnishes loans and loan guarantees to provide funds for the costs of construction, improvement, or acquisition of facilities and equipment needed to provide service at the broadband lending speed in eligible rural areas. For more information on other programs administered by RUS Telecommunications please visit : http://www.rd.usda.gov/programs-services/all-programs/telecom-programs. Broadband loans provide funding on a technology-neutral basis for financing:The construction, improvement, and acquisition of facilities required to provide service at the broadband lending speed including facilities required for providing other services through the same facilitiesThe cost of leasing facilities required to provide service at the broadband Lending speed if such lease qualifies as a capital lease under Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP)An acquisition, under certain circumstances and with restrictionsFor additional detail see 7 CFR 1738

Categories: broadband access, internet, implementation, development, rural communities

varies Rural Areas Link
USDA Community Connect Grants USDA

Deadline passed. The next application window expected to open early 2023. The Community Connect program serves rural communities where broadband service is least likely to be available, but where it can make a tremendous difference in the quality of life for citizens. The projects funded by these grants will help rural residents tap into the enormous potential of the Internet.

Categories: Development, Internet

varies National, Northwest, Southwest, Southeast, Northeast, Midwest, Alaska Link
Rural Innovation Stronger Economy (RISE) USDA

Deadline passed. Most recent deadline: April 19, 2022. The USDA has opened up grant applications to the RISE program, which seeks to increase equity in rural America by offering grants of up to $2 million to consortiums of local governments, investors, industry, institutions of higher education, and other public and private entities that create projects in distressed communities. Communities that have traditionally had high concentrations of employment in fossil fueled energy production and are transitioning away from this are encouraged to apply. Learn more and apply here.

Categories: Job creation, business development, rural areas, worker training, local economies

Grant amounts are awarded competitively with a minimum of $500,000 and a maximum grant amount of $2,000,000. National Link
United Fresh Start Foundation Community Grants Program USDA

Deadline passed as of April 20, 2017. Deadline for 2018 unknown. The initiative extends the foundation’s work beyond the school day, to provide children with access to fresh fruit and vegetables afterschool, on the weekends, during summer breaks and in other creative venues. The program provides $25,000 in grants to local community organizations and groups that share the United Fresh Start Foundation’s commitment to increasing kids’ access to fresh produce, helping them develop healthy habits to last a lifetime. Grants will support programs, events and/or activities that increase children’s access to fresh produce.

Categories: food justice, distribution, nutrition, education, diet, health, noncommunicable disease,accessibility, local, fresh, economy, school, youth

Grants are available up to a maximum of $2,500. National Link
Broadband Technical Assistance USDA

Deadline passed. Most recent deadline: June 20, 2023. The Rural Utilities Service (RUS or the Agency), a Rural Development (RD) agency of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), announces the acceptance of applications for Broadband Technical Assistance (BTA) for Fiscal Year (FY) 2023. Broadband Technical Assistance provides competitive cooperative agreement funding to eligible entities to receive or deliver broadband technical assistance and training that promotes the expansion of broadband into rural areas. Examples of broadband technical assistance projects may include conducting feasibility studies, completing network designs, and developing broadband financial assistance applications.The Agency encourages applicants to consider projects that will advance the following key priorities:Assisting rural communities recover economically through more and better market opportunities and through improved infrastructure;Ensuring all rural residents have equitable access to RD programs and benefits from RD funded projects; andReducing climate pollution and increasing resilience to the impacts of climate change through economic support to rural communities.In addition, the Agency encourages applicants to work with the Rural Partners Network. The Rural Partners Network is an all-of-government program that demonstrates to rural America that the federal government can work differently to serve their unique needs in a way this is community-centered and locally-driven. RPN is a recognition by the Biden Administration that it is time to do more for rural communities. Applicants to this funding opportunity are encouraged to include RPN Community Networks in their proposals by identifying Community Networks as collaborative partners or recipients of service.

Categories: rural, broadband, pollution, internet, technical assistance, training

$50,000 - $1,000,000 National Link
Telecommunications Infrastructure Loans & Loan Guarantees USDA 12/31/2024

Applications accepted year round. This program provides financing for the construction, maintenance, improvement and expansion of telephone service and broadband in rural areas. For more information on other programs administered by RUS Telecommunications please visit : http://www.rd.usda.gov/programs-services/all-programs/telecom-programs

Categories: telecommunications, infrastructure, development, broadband, construction, rural communities

varies Rural Areas Link
USDA Local Foods, Local Places Program (Obama Admin Archives) USDA

Grant deadline unknown for 2016. Communities are invited to apply for assistance from Local Foods, Local Places, a new program supported by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC), and the Delta Regional Authority (DRA) to help create more livable places by promoting local foods. Priorities given to communities within Appalachia and surrounding regions, see application for more details.

Categories: public health, Agriculture, food justice, sustainability, human health, disease, local, economy

Varies Northwest, Southwest, Northeast, Southeast, National, Alaska, Midwest Link
Rural Energy Pilot Program (REPP) USDA

Deadline passed. Most recent deadline: April 19, 2022. USDA has opened up grant applications for communities to further develop renewable energy through REPP. Funds can be used to support community energy planning, community efficiency and weatherization, installing and equipping community scale renewable energy. Learn more and apply here.

Categories: Renewable energy, rural areas, efficiency, weatherization, community development

Awards to successful applicants will be in the form of cost-share grants for up to 80 percent of total eligible project costs, not to exceed $2 million. National Link
SEARCH - Special Evaluation Assistance for Rural Communities and Households Grant USDA 12/31/2024

Rolling deadline. This program helps very small, financially distressed rural communities with predevelopment feasibility studies, design and technical assistance on proposed water and waste disposal projects.

Categories: water, waste disposal, rural

Varies Rural areas with a population of 2500 or less Link
Emergency Forest Restoration Program (EFRP) USDA

he Emergency Forest Restoration Program (EFRP) helps the owners of non-industrial private forests restore forest health damaged by natural disasters. The EFRP does this by authorizing payments to owners of private forests to restore disaster damaged forests.

The local FSA County Committee implements EFRP for all disasters with the exceptions of drought and insect infestations. In the case of drought or an insect infestation, the national FSA office authorizes EFRP implementation.

Categories: forest restoration, forest management, private forests, non-industrial forests, natural disasters, forest health

National Link
REAP Energy Audit and Renewable Energy Development Assistance Program USDA 12/31/2024

Rolling Deadlines. REAP Energy Audit and Renewable Energy Development Assistance Program.Refer to Application Package AND Application Instruction links to obtain all necessary forms for a complete application

Categories: Renewable energy, Infrastructure, Development, IRA

Varies Northwest, Southwest, Midwest, Northeast, Southeast, National, Alaska Link
USDA Energy Audit and Renewable Energy Development Assistance Grants USDA

The USDA Rural Business Cooperative-Service Agency is accepting applications for Energy Audit and Renewable Energy Development Assistance grants to establish programs to assist agricultural producers and rural small businesses with evaluating energy efficiency and the potential to incorporate renewable energy technologies into their operations.

Categories: Renewable energy, Agriculture, small businesses

Unspecified National Link
Rural Energy for America Program Energy Audit & Renewable Energy Development Assistance Grants USDA

Rolling deadline. Provides guaranteed loan financing and grant funding to agricultural producers and rural small businesses for renewable energy systems or to make energy efficiency improvements. This program helps increase American energy independence by increasing the private sector supply of renewable energy and decreasing the demand for energy through energy efficiency improvements. Over time, these investments can also help lower the cost of energy for small businesses and agricultural producers.

Categories: rural development, infrastructure, renewable energy, sustainable

Unrestricted Grants (up to $500,000) 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
Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities: First Funding Pool USDA

Deadline passed. Most recent deadline: April 8, 2022. Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities pilot projects must focus on the on-farm, on-ranch or forest production of climate-smart commodities and associated reductions of greenhouse gas emissions and/or carbon sequestration. Proposals from $5 million to $100 million are in the first funding pool and should include large-scale pilot projects that emphasize the greenhouse gas benefits of climate-smart commodity production and include direct, meaningful benefits to a representative cross-section of production agriculture, including small and/or historically underserved producers. Learn more and apply here.

Categories: Rural communities, agriculture, forestry, farmers, ranchers, emissions reduction, climate solutions, resilience

$5 million to $100 million National Link
Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP) USDA 12/31/2024

Deadline: Year round with periodic ranking cycles announced. The Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP) protects the agricultural viability and related conservation values of eligible land by limiting nonagricultural uses which negatively affect agricultural uses and conservation values, protect grazing uses and related conservation values by restoring or conserving eligible grazing land, and protecting and restoring and enhancing wetlands on eligible land. ACEP has two components:Agricultural Land Easements (ALE) help private and tribal landowners, land trusts, and other entities such as state and local governments protect croplands and grasslands on working farms and ranches by limiting non-agricultural uses of the land through conservation easements.Wetland Reserve Easements (WRE) help private and tribal landowners protect, restore and enhance wetlands which have been previously degraded due to agricultural uses. 

Categories: IRA, farmland, conservation, wetlands

Varies National Link
Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities: Second Funding Pool. USDA

Deadline passed. Most recent deadline: June 10, 2022. Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities pilot projects must focus on the on-farm, on-ranch or forest production of climate-smart commodities and associated reductions of greenhouse gas emissions and/or carbon sequestration. Proposals from $250,000 to $4,999,999 are in the second funding pool and are limited to particularly innovative pilot projects. These projects should place an emphasis on: enrollment of small and/or underserved producers; and/or monitoring, reporting and verification activities developed at minority-serving institutions. Learn more and apply here.

Categories: Rural communities, innovation, underserved communities, agriculture, forestry, farmers, ranchers, emissions reduction, climate solutions, resilience

$250,000 - $4,999,999 National Link
Tribal Colleges Extension Program USDA

Deadline passed. Most recent deadline: June 14, 2022. The purpose of the Tribal Colleges Extension Program (TCEP) is to enable 1994 institutions to deliver science-based, culturally relevant extension education programs designed to address public needs and improve quality of life. The TCEP is intended to be a component of the applicant 1994 institution's land-grant roadmap or strategic planning process. To the extent practicable, priorities should reflect NIFA's national critical needs areas: 1) Development of sustainable energy; 2) Increased global food security; 3) Adaptation of agriculture and natural resources to global climate change; 4) Reduction of childhood and adolescent obesity; and 5) Improved food safety. Learn more and apply here. Download the RFA here.

Categories: Education, agriculture, training, development, research, technology, development, tribal youth, food security, community

$60,000 - $200,000 National Link
Value Added Producer Grant (VAPG) USDA

Deadline passed as of June 24, 2016. Deadline for 2017 unknown.The VAPG program helps agricultural producers enter into value-added activities related to the processing and/or marketing of bio-based, value-added products. Generating new products, creating and expanding marketing opportunities, and increasing producer income are the goals of this program. You may receive priority if you are a beginning farmer or rancher, a socially-disadvantaged farmer or rancher, a small or medium-sized farm or ranch structured as a family farm, a farmer or rancher cooperative, or are proposing a mid-tier value chain. Grants are awarded through a national competition. Each fiscal year, applications are requested through a notice published in the Federal Register and through an announcement posted on Grants.gov.

Categories: Small Farmers and Ranchers, Sustainable Agriculture, Family Farms, Marketing Opportunities.

Maximum Grant Amount: $75,000 for planning grants; $250,000 for working capital grants


National. Link
Alaska Native-Service and Native Hawaiian-Serving Institutions Education Competitive Grants Program USDA

Deadline Passed. Latest deadline: March 28, 2023. The purpose of this program is to promote and strengthen the ability of Alaska Native-Serving Institutions and Native Hawaiian-Serving Institutions to carry out education, applied research, and related community development programs in food and agricultural sciences-related disciplines. Priority will be given to those projects that enhance educational equity for underrepresented students; strengthen institutional educational capacities; prepare students for careers related to the food, agricultural, and natural resource systems of the United States; and maximize the development and use of resources to improve food and agricultural sciences teaching programs. Learn more here.

Categories: Alaska Native-serving institutions, Native Hawaiian-serving institutions, agricultural sciences, career development, equity, youth

$150,000 - 1,000,000 Alaska, Hawaii Link
Risk Management Education Partnership Program USDA

Deadline passed. Most recent deadline: April 24, 2023. The purpose of this cooperative agreement program is to deliver crop insurance education and risk management training to U.S. agricultural producers to assist them in identifying and managing production, marketing, legal, financial, and human risk.

Categories: climate change, human health, sustainability, agriculture, economy, management, planning, policy

$5,000 - $300,000 National Link
Indigenous Animals Harvesting and Meat Processing Grant (IAG) Program USDA

Deadline passed. Most recent deadline: July 19, 2023. The Indigenous Animals Harvesting and Meat Processing Grant (IAG) Program will provide up to $50 million to improve tribal nations’ food and agricultural supply chain resiliency by developing and expanding value-added infrastructure related to meat from indigenous animals like bison, reindeer or salmon. The program will fund projects that focus on expanding local capacity for the harvesting, processing, manufacturing, storing, transporting, wholesaling or distribution of indigenous meats.

Categories: food sovereignty, capacity building, infrastructure

Varies National Link
Household Water Well System Grants USDA

Deadline Passed July 31, 2022. This program helps qualified non-profits and Tribes create a revolving loan fund (RLF) to extend access to clean, reliable water to households in eligible rural areas.

Categories: Food/Water Security, Water Systems Development, Community Development, Infrastructure Development.

Unknown. National. Rural areas and towns with 50, 000 or fewer people - check eligible addresses. Tribal Lands in rural areas. Colonias Link
Local Food Purchase Assistance Program USDA

Deadline passed. Most recent deadline: April 5, 2022. The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) will establish cooperative agreements with state and tribal governments for the purpose of supporting local, regional, and socially disadvantaged farmers/producers through food purchasing under the Build Back Better Initiative. These cooperative agreements will allow for entities to procure local, domestic foods that are unique to their geographic area and meet the needs of the populations. In addition to increasing local food consumption, funds are expected to help build and expand economic opportunity for local and socially disadvantaged farmers/producers. Learn more and apply here.

Categories: Food assistance, economic opportunity, food storage, food distribution

National Link