EPA Environmental Education (EE) Grants — Applications due November 8, 2023 — Under the Environmental Education Grants Program, EPA seeks grant applications from eligible applicants to support environmental education projects that promote environmental awareness and stewardship and help provide people with the skills to take responsible actions to protect the environment. This grant program provides financial support for projects that design, demonstrate or disseminate environmental education practices, methods or techniques. Eligible applicants include non-profit organizations. To learn more about eligibility and how to apply, click here.
Commission for Environmental Cooperation EJ4Climate Grant Program — Proposals due November 9, 2023 — The Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC) established the EJ4Climate Grant Program in 2021 to fund projects that target underserved, vulnerable or Indigenous communities in Canada, Mexico and the United States to prepare for climate-related impacts. The CEC is calling for project proposals that will advance community-driven strategies in support of environmental justice and community resilience to the impacts of extreme weather events in urban areas. This cycle of EJ4Climate grants will address the theme “Community empowerment strategies to improve resilience to extreme weather events in urban settings.” To learn more about this grant program, click here.
EPA Brownfield Multipurpose Grants — Proposals due November 13, 2023 — An EPA Multipurpose Grant is appropriate for communities that have identified, through community engagement efforts, a discrete area (such as a neighborhood, a number of neighboring towns, a district, a corridor, a shared planning area, or a census tract) with one or more brownfield sites. Multipurpose Grants provide funding to carry out a range of eligible assessment and cleanup activities, including planning and additional community engagement activities. Applicants can apply for funding up to $1,000,000 per grant under this solicitation. To learn more about eligibility requirements, including ownership of brownfield site, and how to apply, click here.
Metro DNA Funding for Regional Vision Demonstration Projects - Applications due November 15, 2023 - Metro Denver Nature Alliance (Metro DNA) has recently raised funds to support demonstration projects designed strategically to advance their mission to align nature-based efforts to ensure more equitable access to nature and promote healthy people, communities, and natural places. In the first year of funding, they plan to support approximately 3-5 projects at no more than $30,000 each, with the hope to support additional projects in coming years. Click here to apply for the Metro DNA Regional Vision Demonstration Project funding opportunity. It will be a competitive selection process that will prioritize funding projects that advance our ecological, equity, and organizational goals. The deadline for applying for funding is close of business on Wednesday, November 15, 2023.
USDA Announces 2024 Tribal Scholarships and Fellowships. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced two tribal higher education opportunities to train the next generation of agricultural professionals and strengthen ties with tribal higher education institutions. The USDA 1994 Tribal Scholars Program offers a fast-track career path with USDA, and the Terra Preta do Indio Tribal Faculty Fellowship engages tribal college faculty with USDA resources and research. These programs reflect USDA’s commitment to advance equity and remove barriers to service for tribal nations and encourage tribal workforce development. Today’s announcement also marks the 29th anniversary of the day legislation was signed to give tribal colleges land-grant status. Read the full USDA announcement. The application deadline is December 1, 2023.
WaterSMART Cooperative Watershed Management Program Phase I for Fiscal Year 2023 Department of the Interior. The objective of this NOFO is to invite states, Indian Tribes, irrigation districts, water districts, local governmental entities, non-profit organizations, Existing Watershed Groups, and local and special districts (e.g., irrigation and water districts, conservation districts, natural resource districts) to submit proposals for Phase I activities to develop a watershed group, complete watershed restoration planning activities, and design watershed management projects. See Section C.4. Eligible Projects for a more comprehensive description of eligible activities.A “watershed group,” as defined in Section 6001(6) of the Cooperative Watershed Management Act (see Section A.1. Authority for full citation) is a grassroots, non-regulatory entity that addresses water availability and quality issues within the relevant watershed, is capable of promoting the sustainable use of water resources in the watershed, makes decisions on a consensus basis, and represents a diverse group of stakeholders, including hydroelectric producers, livestock grazing, timber production, land development, recreation or tourism, irrigated agriculture, the environment, municipal water supplies, private property owners, Federal, state and local governments, Tribes, and disadvantaged communities. The first application period deadline is December 5th, 2023.
USDA Forest Service Community Forest and Open Space Conservation Program — Applications due January 12, 2024 — The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Forest Service, State, Private and Tribal Forestry, is requesting applications for the Community Forest and Open Space Conservation Program (Community Forest Program or CFP). CFP is a competitive grant program that provides financial assistance to Indian Tribes, local governments and qualified conservation non-profit organizations to establish community forests through the fee simple acquisition of private forest land. To apply, interested local government and nonprofit applicants must submit applications to the State Forester where the property is located. To learn more about how to apply, click here.
WaterSMART Aquatic Ecosystem Restoration Projects
Applications Due: January 24, 2024
Funding for projects to study, design and construct aquatic ecosystem restoration projects that are collaboratively developed, have widespread regional benefits, and result in the improvement of the health of fisheries, wildlife, and aquatic habitat through restoration and improved fish passage.
Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) Environmental Justice Community Innovator Challenge — Applications due January 30, 2024 — HHS is creating a national competition to identify innovative and effective approaches to enhance community-driven efforts to address the health consequences of communities burdened by environmental and climate change-related hazards. Desired outcomes include the development of community-driven strategies and application of data-driven tools to advance health equity and address environmental hazards including those related to climate change, and the cumulative impacts of environmental and other stressors. Participants will have access to a technical assistance opportunity in each phase of the Challenge. Total cash prizes equal $1 million. To learn more about the Challenge and apply, click here.
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Flood Mitigation Assistance Grant Program — Applications due February 29, 2024 — Each year, FEMA publishes a funding opportunity for the Flood Mitigation Assistance grant program. Awards made under this funding opportunity will be funded, in whole or in part, with funds appropriated by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The funding priorities for this application cycle are Capacity and Capability Building Activities, Localized Flood Risk Reduction Projects and Individual Flood Mitigation Projects. To learn more about eligibility and apply, click here.
FEMA Building Resilient Infrastructures and Communities (BRIC) Grant Program — Applications due February 29, 2024 — The BRIC grant program makes federal funds available to states, U.S. territories, federally recognized Tribal governments and local governments for hazard mitigation activities. It does so with a recognition of the growing hazards associated with climate change and of the need for natural hazard risk mitigation activities that promote climate adaptation and resilience with respect to those hazards. These include both acute extreme weather events and chronic stressors which have been observed and are expected to increase in intensity and frequency in the future. For FY23, FEMA will distribute up to $1 billion for the BRIC program. To learn more about BRIC, click here.
The Department of Local Affairs in Colorado has launched the Nonprofit Infrastructure Grant Program for small, community-based nonprofits serving underrepresented communities. The program aims to support infrastructure and capacity-building by providing funds for strategic planning, professional development and technology. Eligible nonprofits with budgets between $150,000 and $2,000,000 can apply from July 5 to August 31, 2023. Grants totaling $33,100,000 will be awarded, with selected organizations receiving up to $100,000. Interested applicants should contact their Regional Access Partner for assistance and submit applications through them. Grant recipients will be notified by January 31, 2024, and the program seeks to help nonprofits enhance their impact on historically marginalized communities.
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Emergency Community Water Assistance Grants — Rolling application window open — The USDA Emergency Community Water Assistance Grants program supports eligible communities prepare, or recover from, an emergency that threatens the availability of safe, reliable drinking water. Eligible applicants must show a decline in quantity or quality of water that occurred within two years of the date of the application or that a significant decline in quality or quantity of water is imminent.
Click here to access the funding opportunity on grants.gov and download the complete Notice of Funding Opportunity (also searchable using the opportunity number R23AS00089).
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is allocating $550 million from the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) to expedite investments to reduce pollution in disproportionately impacted communities. Grant funding will be available through the EPA’s new Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Grantmaking (EJ TCGM) program. This new program will fund up to 11 entities to serve as grantmakers to community-based projects that reduce pollution. Grantmakers will work collaboratively with the EPA’s Office of Environmental Justice and External Civil Rights. Grantees will develop an efficient, simplified process so that organizations that historically have faced barriers to receiving funding can more seamlessly apply for subgrants and address environmental harms and risks. The following types of organizations can apply:
A community-based nonprofit organization;
A partnership of community-based nonprofit organizations;
A partnership between a Tribal Nation and a community-based nonprofit organization; or,
A partnership between an institution of higher education and a community-based nonprofit organization.
Federal Technical Assistance Grants. As part of the American Rescue Plan Act, a total of $5 million in federal funding has been allocated for technical assistance grants that will enable eligible entities to work with the Colorado Water Conservation Board (CWCB) contractors or to hire contractors to expand their capacity and expertise, in pursuit of federal funding opportunities that directly support the Colorado Water Plan objectives. The allowable uses of this grant funding are broad in scope, to allow for the wide range of federal opportunities available. Funding can be used for: preliminary project planning and design, preliminary permitting, development of estimated project costs, navigation of available federal opportunities, grant writing, and federal grant application submittal. Rolling application deadline.
The Request for Concept Papers for AIM Grant Funding has been posted! Download the instructions and the concept paper from COCO's AIM Grant Page under How To Apply HERE.
FEMA's Hazard Mitigation Assistance grant programs are provided to eligible applicant states/tribes/territories that, in turn, provide sub-grants to local governments. The applicant selects and prioritizes applications developed and submitted to them by local jurisdictions to submit to FEMA for grant funds. Prospective sub-applicants should consult the official designated point of contact for their applicant state/tribe/territory for further information regarding specific program and application requirements.
The Colorado Strategic Wildfire Action Program (COSWAP) was created after the devastating 2020 fire season by the Colorado legislature through the bi-partisan supported SB21-258 in the summer of 2021. COSWAP is designed to quickly move $17.5 million state stimulus dollars to start on-the-ground work on fuels reduction projects and increase Colorado's capacity to conduct critical forest restoration and wildfire mitigation work that will increase community resilience and protect life, property and infrastructure.
Applications are NOW OPEN for Nature in the City planning grants! Have an idea for a nature play area, outdoor gathering space, or pollinator restorations? The Dream it Up Project Planning grants can help you and your community plan out your dream project. Anyone from HOA's, faith-based organizations, affordable housing communities, and even schools are welcome and encouraged to apply. Get started!
Colorado Environmental Justice Grants Program - Community Solutions to Improve Environmental Health. This grant opportunity was created by the Environmental Justice Act to provide funding to communities disproportionately impacted by pollution and climate change. The Environmental Justice Advisory Board oversees the EJ Grants Program and will serve as the selection committee for the grants. You can apply for this grant if you are part of a: non-profit organization, local government, federally-recognized Tribal government, university, other educational institution, for-profit corporation, or grassroots organization.
Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) - Programs include the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP), Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP), Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP), and the Watershed Operations PL-566 Program.
Source Water Assessment and Protection (SWAP) - CDPHE’s SWAP program's main objective is to minimize potential contaminant threats to public drinking water supplies. To engage in this effort, public water systems and governmental entities can apply for a $5,000 protection planning grant through the SWAP program. The SWAP program also supports Wildland Fire Decision Support System work and post-wildfire recovery efforts. SWAP program staff assisted in the development of the Post Fire Playbook to assist local recovery groups in navigating the complexities surrounding post-wildfire recovery. For more information visit the SWAP page.
Water Quality Grants and Loans Unit - CDPHE’s Grants and Loans Unit offers small community grants and water quality improvement fund grants to protect public health and water quality. They also administer the State Revolving Fund (SRF) Loan Program to finance the design and construction of public drinking water and wastewater infrastructure projects. More information on eligible drinking water, wastewater, and stormwater projects is available on the water quality grants and loans page.
The Colorado River District’s Community Funding Partnership was created in 2021 to fund multi-purpose water projects on the Western Slope in five project categories: productive agriculture, infrastructure, healthy rivers, watershed health and water quality, and conservation and efficiency. Funding for the program was approved by Western Colorado voters as part of ballot question 7A in November 2020. These funds provide a catalyst for projects that are priorities for residents in the District to receive matching funds from state, federal and private sources. Click here for more information and to apply.
The Colorado Strategic Wildfire Action Program (COSWAP) was created after the devastating 2020 fire season by the Colorado legislature through the bi-partisan supported SB21-258 in the summer of 2021. COSWAP is designed to quickly move $17.5 million state stimulus dollars to start on-the-ground work on fuels reduction projects and increase Colorado's capacity to conduct critical forest restoration and wildfire mitigation work that will increase community resilience and protect life, property and infrastructure. Learn more about these opportunities here.
HUD: Authority to Accept Unsolicited Proposals for Research Partnerships Notice. HUD’s Office of Policy Development and Research (PD&R) has the authority to accept unsolicited research proposals that address current research priorities. HUD is making up to $2 million available for Lead and Healthy Homes Research Partnerships and approximately $1 million available for Research Partnerships for other topics. HUD is interested in increasing participation of Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs) of higher education and Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) in all program areas. To learn more, click here.
In response to the impacts of COVID-19, Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO) has launched the Resilient Communities Program (RCP). The $15 million program aims to fund one-time, immediate needs or opportunities that have emerged in direct response to the pandemic. It will help partners advance outdoor recreation, stewardship, and land protection projects in a manner that best reflects community needs and priorities at this moment in time. Capacity and operations support, stewardship efforts, projects that support community vitality, and urgent and emergent land acquisition opportunities will be considered. For more information, including eligibility criteria and application forms, click HERE.
