Funding

2025 Competitive State Wildlife Grant- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Applications Due: February 25, 2025. The Competitive State Wildlife Grant (C-SWG) Program provides Federal cost sharing awards to help the State, Territory, and District of Columbia fish and wildlife agencies and their associations design and implement proactive conservation programs benefiting wildlife and their habitats. Eligible activities include conservation planning and implementation. Planning activities include strategic enhancements to a State or Territory Wildlife Action Plan (Plan) that address best practices identified in this announcement. https://www.grants.gov/search-results-detail/357128

DOE’s Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations - Energy Improvements in Rural of Remote Areas. Concept Papers Due: February 27, 2025. This Energy Improvements in Rural or Remote Areas (ERA) funding opportunity provides support for rural and remote communities to build clean energy projects that benefit their communities. The goals of the program are to: 1) Deliver measurable and sustained benefits to people who live in rural or remote areas; 2) Demonstrate effective rural or remote energy system approaches; 3) Build clean energy knowledge, experience, capacity, and self-reliance in rural and remote parts of America. 

Categories: BIL, energy, infrastructure, community engagement, clean energy, rural

Restoring Tribal Priority Fish Passage through Barrier Removal Grants. Applications Due: February 27, 2025.  Funding availability: Up to $20 million. Funding range/proposal: Between $300,000 and $6 million for the entire award; typical funding anticipated to range from $500,000 to $4 million.  Eligible applicants: Indian tribes and organizations that represent Indian tribes through formal legal agreements. Funding purpose/priorities statement: Selected partners will use these funds to build tribal organizational capacity and implement projects that reopen migratory pathways and restore access to healthy habitat for tribally-important species. Selected projects may also provide community and economic benefits, such as enhancing climate resilience by removing or improving aging infrastructure. https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/grant/restoring-tribal-priority-fish-passage-through-barrier-removal-grants

Categories: BIL, IRA, Dam removals, sustainable fisheries, endangered species, conservation, watershed health

Deadline: February 28, 2025. Community Wildfire Defense Grant. Deadline: February 28, 2025. USDA Forest Service announced the Community Wildfire Defense Grant to assist at-risk local communities and Tribal Nations with planning and mitigating against the risk created by wildfire. There are two primary project types for which the grant provides funding: 1) The development and revising of Community Wildfire Protection Plans (CWPP), and 2) The implementation of projects described in a CWPP that is less than ten years old. Example project activities may include developing CWPPs, planning projects, hazardous fuels reduction and restoration projects, and wildfire prevention, education, and outreach. There is a $250,000 maximum cap for the creation or updating of a CWPP and a $10 million maximum cap for implementing a project described within a CWPP less than 10 years old. Projects must be completed within 5 years. Communities meeting the definition of underserved, Tribal Nation, ANCs, and Pacific Islands may request a waiver of match.  https://www.fs.usda.gov/managing-land/fire/grants/cwdg

Categories: disaster prevention and relief, natural resources, fire adaptation

Philanthropy Northwest & the EPA Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Grantmaking Program. 2nd round deadline: February 28, 2025. The Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Grantmaking Program aims to make it easier for community-based organizations to access federal environmental justice funding. The Pacific Northwest Grant ($40 million) is an opportunity for nonprofit organizations, Native American organizations & Tribal governments, local governments, and institutions of higher education. This grant opportunity is to distribute federal resources to chronically underinvested communities to ensure all people are protected from disproportionate and adverse environmental and health effects. The program was created to respond to feedback from communities about the need to reduce barriers to federal funds and improve the efficiency of the awards process to ensure underinvested communities can access the grants.For more information and to apply, visit: https://philanthropynw.org/epa-environmental-justice-thriving-communities-grantmaking-program

Climate Smart Communities Initiative. Application deadline: March 3, 2025. The grants can help communities at any step in the planning process, and include funding, as well as training and technical support. The funding, anticipated at $100,000 per award, can be used over a twelve-month period to advance activities ranging from risk assessments and community engagement to project prioritization and initial implementation. To be eligible for consideration, the community must be located in the United States and facing significant climate-related challenges, based on environmental as well as socioeconomic considerations. The application and the work must also be done as a collaboration between a community-based organization; a local, regional or Tribal government partner; and a climate adaptation professional. https://climatesmartcommunity.org/funding

2025 Coastal Resilience Program. Letters of Intent Due: March 5, 2025, by 5 p.m. CST. The National Sea Grant Law Center’s funding opportunities seek to promote the growth and development of Sea Grant legal programming and build the capacity of individual Sea Grant programs to address legal issues in their states.* Eligible applicants, including Sea Grant Programs, universities, government agencies, and non-profits, are invited to apply for funding to research the effectiveness of laws and policies related to coastal resilience. Details about the program and the full RFP are available on our Funding Opportunities webpage.

The SeaDoc Society - Open Request for Scientific Proposals (2025). Letters of Inquiry Due: March 10, 2025. The SeaDoc Society works to ensure the health of marine wildlife and their ecosystems through science and education. We do not take policy positions nor serve in an advocacy role. We are pleased to launch our annual competitive grants program with the goal of supporting science where more information is needed and expected to directly improve the health of the Salish Sea ecosystem and its marine and coastal flora and fauna. We anticipate funding at least $200,000 for Open Call projects. Funding for individual projects will be limited to $50,000. With the intent of receiving proposals from a wide variety of conservation topics for the Open Call, we are requesting Letters of Inquiry (LOIs) from investigators proposing science projects that address pressing wildlife and ecosystem health issues in the Salish Sea. Based on the information provided in the LOI, PIs from selected proposed projects will be invited to submit full proposals in a second phase. SeaDoc’s Goal: to fund research that will result in positive conservation outcomes. Analysis of past SeaDoc- funded work showed that successful projects (1) defined the conservation need apriori, (2) collaborated with personnel from government agencies, and (3) researchers built and maintained relationships with natural resource managers and policy makers before, during and after the research. Accordingly, in addition to funding credible science, SeaDoc wants all projects to incorporate these three components. Only PIs that propose projects where more science will benefit conservation and demonstrate plans for including these components will be requested to submit a full proposal. https://www.seadocsociety.org/proposals2025

Categories: Salish Sea, conservation, environmental issues

The United States Department of the Interior’s (DOI’s) WaterSMART (Sustain and Manage America’s Resources for Tomorrow) Program provides a framework for Federal leadership and assistance to stretch and secure water supplies for future generations in support of DOI’s priorities. Through WaterSMART, Reclamation leverages Federal and non-Federal funding to work cooperatively with States, Tribes, and local entities as they plan for and implement actions to increase water supply reliability through investments in existing infrastructure and attention to local water conflicts. This Environmental Water Resources Projects NOFO provides funding for water conservation and efficiency projects, water management and infrastructure improvements, and river and watershed restoration projects and nature-based solutions that provide significant ecological benefits, have been developed as part of a collaborative process, and help carry out an established strategy to increase the reliability of water resources.Reclamation’s WaterSMART Environmental Water Resources Projects provide support for priorities identified in Presidential Executive Order (E.O.) 14008: Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad and is aligned with other priorities such as those identified in E.O. 13985: Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government. The Environmental Water Resources Projects also support the goals of the Interagency Drought Relief Working Group established in March 2021 and the National Drought Resiliency Partnership.11 For more information, see E.O. 14008, Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad (January 27, 2023), https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2021/02/01/2021-02177/tacklin…; Justice40 Initiative, https://www.whitehouse.gov/environmentaljustice/justice40/; Addendum to the Interim Implementation Guidance for the Justice 40 Initiative, M-21-28, on using the Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool (CEJST), M-23-09, (January 27, 2023), https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/M-23-09_Signed_CE….

Categories: water supply, nature-based solutions, drought

NASA released a new solicitation—”A.60 Earth Action: Ecological Conservation”—to help accelerate biodiversity conservation, fueled with NASA information about the Earth as a system. The resulting awards will support two priorities surfaced through the engagement referenced above. Namely, for Feasibility Activities to support new collaboration and engagement, and Decisional Activities to help scale efforts that show promise. To access the solicitation, click here: https://www.catalyst4conservation.org/

Categories: biodiversity, conservation

Glacier National Park Conservancy – Jerry O'Neal Research Fellowship for work in Glacier National Park. Applications Due: March 19, 2025.  The fellowship aims to provide educational assistance for students seeking to understand natural and cultural resource issues and how these interact with human values. Special consideration will be given to proposals that address the following: natural resource issues such as aquatic ecology, terrestrial ecology, fire ecology, invasive plants, and climate change; cultural resource issues, such as history and architectural studies, cultural landscape reports, ethnographic research, and archeology; social science that informs resource management about a natural or cultural topic and/or that addresses visitor impacts to park resources. Competition is open to graduate students or superior upper division undergraduate students at universities and colleges in the CESU Network.  Applicants may request up to $7500. https://www.umt.edu/cooperative-ecosystem-studies/files/announcements/2025-gnpc_oneal_announcement.pdf

Oregon Sea Grant offers modest grants for project opportunities or special circumstances when resources are available. These funds generally are not intended to supplement an existing project, but to provide seed money for exploratory or high-risk efforts, or to respond to urgent needs or unforeseen opportunities that require a timely effort. 

Rolling deadline. REAP (formerly known as the "006" program) offers grants and/or loan guarantees for the purchase and installation of renewable energy generating systems. Assistance is limited to small businesses, farmers and ranchers. Projects must be located in a rural area. REAP grants and guarantees may be used individually or in combination. Together, they may finance up to 75 percent of a project's total cost. Grants can never finance more than 25 percent if a project or $500,000 -- whichever is less. While applications are accepted continuously, funding is not always available. Please see website for opportunity to sign up to be notified about funding availability.

Categories: Renewable energy, Rural Development, IRA

Applications are accepted year round. Provides loans and grants to Microenterprise Development Organizations (MDOs) to:Provide microloans to help microenterprises startup and growth through a Rural Microloan Revolving FundProvide training and technical assistance to microloan borrowers and micro entrepreneurs

Categories: business development, rural areas, microenterprise

FY 2025 AmeriCorps State and National Native Nations Grants. Applications Due: April 9, 2025. The FY 2025 AmeriCorps State and National Native Nations Grants competition, AmeriCorps seeks to prioritize the investment of national service resources in: Prioritizing civic engagement/social cohesion, and youth mental health; Education – improving student academic performance in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM), serving students who attend Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) schools, Tribal Colleges and Universities and Indigenous Urban Centers, Indigenous Teacher Preparation, and GED support programs, and programming focused on Indigenous or Tribal Data Sovereignty; Promoting the preservation and teaching of traditional Native languages and cultural practices; Promoting Environmental Stewardship and climate change including renewable energy and energy efficiency, building community resilience, sustainable food systems and agriculture, water/wastewater; conservation and habitat preservation; Indigenous environmental practices; Traditional Ecological Knowledge, and Indigenous food sovereignty (seed saving, foraging, etc.); and Promoting Economic Opportunity - including digital skills and increased access to broadband; infrastructure/transportation assistance; financial readiness; training and access to financial resources for home buying; or college; and college access program. For more information, visit: https://americorps.gov/funding-opportunity/fy-2025-americorps-state-nat….

Categories: disaster response, education, TEK, language, health, economy, community, Veterans

The BRIC program priorities are to Enhance climate resilience and adaptation, Promote equity and prioritize disadvantaged communities, Incorporate nature-based solutions, Incentivize natural hazard risk reduction activities, and Encourage the adoption and enforcement of updated building codes. For those interested in Direct Technical Assistance (DTA) for BRIC, they can help design holistic, equitable hazard mitigation solutions. https://www.fema.gov/grants/mitigation/building-resilient-infrastructur…. BRIC Direct Technical Assistance Request: https://www.fema.gov/grants/mitigation/building-resilient-infrastructur…

Categories: Emergency, management, mitigation, pre-disaster, risk reduction

The Flood Mitigation Assistance Program is a competitive grant program that provides funding to states, local communities, federally recognized tribes and territories. Funds can be used for projects that reduce or eliminate the risk of repetitive flood damage to buildings insured by the National Flood Insurance Program. FEMA chooses recipients based on the applicant’s ranking of the project and the eligibility and cost-effectiveness of the project. FEMA requires state, local, tribal and territorial governments to develop and adopt hazard mitigation plans as a condition for receiving certain types of non-emergency disaster assistance, including funding for hazard mitigation assistance projects. For more information, go to the Hazard Mitigation Assistance Guidance.

Categories: Flood mitigation, disaster mitigation, infrastructure, development, community

The Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) Program is a $550 million grant program funded through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. It is designed to assist states, local governments, and Tribes in implementing strategies to reduce energy use, to reduce fossil fuel emissions, and to improve energy efficiency. Tribal allocations can be viewed here: https://www.energy.gov/sites/default/files/2023-01/IIJA%20%2840552%29%20EECBG%20Program_Attachment%201c.%20_Tribal%20Allocations_FINAL.pdf

Categories: energy, greenhouse gas, carbon emissions, energy efficiency

Funding Available: Natural Resources Conservation Service offers technical & financial assistance to help farmers, ranchers and forest landowners. Land eligible includes privately held wetlands that were previously degraded due to agricultural uses and can be restored. 

Types of Projects: To enroll land through wetland reserve easements, NRCS enters into purchase agreements with eligible private landowners or Indian tribes that include the right for NRCS to develop and implement a Wetland Reserve Plan of Operations (WRPO).

Wetland Reserve enrollment options include:

• Permanent Easements – Permanent easements are conservation easements in perpetuity. NRCS pays 100 percent of the easement value for the purchase of the easement. Additionally, NRCS pays between 75 to 100 percent of the restoration costs.
• 30-year Easements – 30-year easements expire after 30 years. Under 30-year easements, NRCS pays 50 to 75 percent of the easement value for the purchase of the easement. Additionally, NRCS pays between 50 to 75 percent of the restoration costs.  
• Term Easements - Term easements are easements that are for the maximum duration allowed under applicable State laws. NRCS pays 50 to 75 percent of the easement value for the purchase of the term easement. Additionally, NRCS pays between 50 to 75 percent of the restoration costs.
• 30-year Contracts – 30-year contracts are only available to enroll acreage owned by Indian tribes and program payment rates are commensurate with 30-year easements.

Categories: Easement

Rolling Deadline. The Rural Economic Development Loan and Grant program provides funding for rural projects through local utility organizations. USDA provides zero-interest loans to local utilities which they, in turn, pass through to local businesses (ultimate recipients) for projects that will create and retain employment in rural areas. The ultimate recipients repay the lending utility directly. The utility is responsible for repayment to USDA.

Categories: Economic Development, Rural Development, Grants and Loans

Rolling Deadline. This program bolsters the availability of private credit by guaranteeing loans for rural businesses.

Categories: Rural areas, business development, credit, local economy

Submissions accepted on a rolling basis. The Clean Water Indian Set-Aside Grant Program (CWISA) provides funding to Indian tribes and Alaska Native Villages for wastewater infrastructure. The CWISA program is administered in cooperation with the Indian Health Service (IHS). The CWISA program provides funding for wastewater infrastructure to American Indian Tribes and Alaska Native Villages. Funds may be used for planning, design, and construction of wastewater collection and treatment systems. The CWISA program is administered by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in cooperation with the Indian Health Service (IHS) Sanitation Facilities Construction program. To be considered for CWISA program funding, tribes must identify their wastewater needs to the IHS Sanitation Deficiency System. EPA uses the IHS Sanitation Deficiency System priority lists to identify and select projects for CWISA program funding.

Categories: waste water infrastructure, monitoring, infrastructure

Rolling Deadline. The Climate Action Fund (CAF) was established in 2009 to award small grants to frontline community groups that are fighting to prevent fossil fuels from being extracted and/or the construction of large point sources of greenhouse gas emissions. CAF is a grassroots alternative to carbon offset programs. Instead of purchasing carbon credits, funds will be used to empower frontline communities to keep fossil fuels in the ground where they belong. Grants generally do not exceed $2,500. Learn more and apply here. To inquire regarding the possibility of funding for your organization and to request an online version of the application, please contact caf@ran.org.

Categories: Climate action, social justice, community involvement, activism

Rolling Deadline. This program provides affordable funding to develop essential community facilities in rural areas. An essential community facility is defined as a facility that provides an essential service to the local community for the orderly development of the community in a primarily rural area, and does not include private, commercial or business undertakings.

Categories: housing, infrastructure, facilities, rural

Deadline is ongoing. This program provides funding to 1994 Land Grant Institutions (Tribal Colleges) to make capital improvements to their educational facilities and to purchase equipment.

Categories: community facilities, development, educational facilities, infrastructure, renovation and improvements, cultural projects

Applications accepted continuously. The Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) helps agricultural producers maintain and improve their existing conservation systems and adopt additional conservation activities to address priority resources concerns. Participants earn CSP payments for conservation performance—the higher the performance, the higher the payment.

Categories: Stewardship, Conservation, IRA

Rolling Deadline. Indian tribes and Alaska Native villages can apply annually to receive on-request technical assistance with energy planning; housing, building energy efficiency, and resilience; project development; village power; and policy and regulation. Assistance is provided by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Indian Energy and its national laboratories, along with other partnering organizations, at no cost.

Categories: sustainability, climate change, energy, emissions, infrastructure, development, planning, policy, technical assistance

Applications accepted continuously. This program provides grants to assist rural communities that have had a significant decline in quantity or quality of drinking water. Grant may fund waterline extensions from existing systems, construction of new water lines; repairs to existing systems, construction of new wells, reservoirs, transmission lines, treatment plants, and other water sources. Priority is given to areas with less than 10,000 people, low-income areas, and communities facing imminent decline and shortage of water.

Categories: Water, Natural Resources, Health, Emergency

Applications accepted continuously. Meant to fund water and waste disposal systems in rural Alaskan Villages. Funds must be used for development and construction of water and wastewater systems to correct dire health and sanitation conditions in those villages. Many communities in remote rural Alaska, where villages are accessible by plane or boat only, are essentially inaccessible during the long, hard winters. They lag far behind the lower 48 States in having safe and dependable drinking water and suitable waste disposal systems available. Construction costs are extremely high. This is due in part to the severe weather conditions, which makes laying pipe difficult, if not impossible. These conditions also require the use of insulated pipe, or in areas of permafrost, above ground utilidors, often with heat traced insulated pipe. The vast distances from the transportation hub of Anchorage to a village increases costs substantially as the material must be delivered by barge or air.

Categories: Adaptation, Emergency Management, Water, Health, Natural Resources

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