Five Star and Urban Waters Restoration Grant

Grants to USA Nonprofits, Agencies, and IHEs
to Preserve and Protect Natural Resources

Share it:

Agency Type:

Foundation / Corporation

Funding Source:

Add to My Calendar

National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF)

Deadline Date:

01/28/21 11:59 PM ET

Description:

Request a Grant Writer

Grants of up to $50,000 to USA nonprofit organizations, government agencies, tribes, and educational institutions to build community capacity to protect natural resources. Funding is intended to support a range of local partnerships working to enhance water quality, watersheds, and the species and habitats they support. This program expects that applicants will represent a mixture of urban and rural communities. Grants for this program are available nationwide, but additional funding is available for the geographic priorities listed in the Funding Availability section of the RFP.

Priorities:

On-the-Ground Restoration: Must restore and/or create wetlands, coastal, or riparian areas.
Environmental Outreach, Education and Training: Must integrate meaningful outreach, education and/or training into the proposed on-the-ground activities that advance local watershed and conservation goals.
Community Partnerships: Must involve five or more partners (public and private entities) including the applicant.
Measurable Results: Must result in specific, measurable ecological, educational and community benefits.
Sustainability: Must include a plan for maintenance and care of the project beyond the grant period

There is one application submitted to NFWF for all sources of funding. Funders include:

U.S. EPA Five Star Restoration Training Program: Approximately $225,000 is available nationwide from EPA to fund projects. These funds are available nationwide, in any size community.
Urban Waters Federal Partnership, U.S. EPA and USDA Forest Service: Approximately $360,000 is available from U.S. Forest Service and EPA, through the Urban Waters Federal Partnership, to improve urban water quality, restore riparian habitat and community forests, increase public access to urban waterways and make linkages to municipal flood mitigation and stormwater programs in developed watersheds throughout the United States. Funds are available nationwide for urban areas.
U.S. FWS Urban Programs: Approximately $315,000 is available from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to fund projects that engage urban neighbors and foster a sense of stewardship where there are Service lands or offices nearby (within approximately 25+/- miles).
Southern Company Five Star Restoration Program: Approximately $250,000 is available from Southern Company and its affiliates to support on-the-ground wetland, riparian, in-stream or coastal habitat conservation and restoration projects in key areas served by its subsidiaries.
FedEx: Approximately $300,000 is available from FedEx to support projects in metropolitan areas.
BNSF Railway: Approximately $40,000 is available to support projects in eligible cities.

For additional information about program priorities, see: https://www.nfwf.org/sites/default/files/2020-11/five-star-2021-rfp.pdf#page=2

For more detailed information about available funding and requirements, see: https://www.nfwf.org/sites/default/files/2020-11/five-star-2021-rfp.pdf#page=6

GrantWatch ID#:

GrantWatch ID#: 167420

Estimated Total Program Funding:

$1,500,000

Number of Grants:

40 - 50 grants are awarded per year.

Estimated Size of Grant:

Awards range from $20,000 to $50,000 with an average size of $35,000.

Term of Contract:

Grants should span 12 to 18 months with a start date in late summer/early fall 2021.

Eligibility:

See RFP and/or Grant Guidelines for full eligibility

Additional Eligibility Criteria:

Eligible and Ineligible Entities:
- Eligible applicants include non-profit 501(c) organizations, state government agencies, local governments, municipal governments, Indian tribes and educational institutions.
- Ineligible applicants include: unincorporated individuals, businesses, international organizations and U.S. federal government agencies

Ineligible Uses of Grant Funds:
- Equipment: Applicants are encouraged to rent equipment where possible and cost-effective or use matching funds to make those purchases. NFWF acknowledges, however, that some projects may only be completed using NFWF funds to procure equipment. If this applies to your project, please contact the program staff listed in this RFP to discuss options.
- NFWF funds and matching contributions may not be used to support political advocacy, fundraising, lobbying, litigation, terrorist activities or Foreign Corrupt Practices Act violations.
- NFWF funds may not be used to support ongoing efforts to comply with legal requirements, including permit conditions, mitigation and settlement agreements. However, grant funds may be used to support projects that enhance or improve upon existing baseline compliance efforts.

Pre-Application Information:

Timeline:
- Applicant Webinar: November 18, 2 pm EST (link to recording below)
- Full Proposal Due Date: January 28, 2021, 11:59 pm EST
- Review Period: February to July 2021
- Awards Announced: Late Summer 2021

To view the applicant webinar recording from Nov. 18, click here: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/recording/6944398204356634882

The ratio of matching contributions offered is considered during the review process, and projects are required to meet or exceed a 1:1 match ratio to be competitive. Matching contributions must be non-federal in nature and may include in-kind contributions of staff and volunteer time, work performed, materials and services donated, cash or other tangible contributions to the project objectives and outcomes. The cost of recent land acquisition or easement may also qualify as match for a project involving work at the acquired site.

Additionally, partner contributions can serve as matching contributions and grantees for this grant program commonly use a large amount of in-kind matching contributions to reach this threshold by utilizing their community partnerships to generate match. Applicants are highly encouraged to contact NFWF for assistance in determining what qualifies as in-kind or any other matching contributions. In addition, if not paid with requested grant funding, indirect costs may be applied as match by an applicant with a federally approved indirect rate.

Contact Information:

Before starting your grant application, please review the funding source's website listed below for updates/changes/addendums/conferences/LOIs.

Register and apply online:
https://easygrants.nfwf.org/

For more information or questions about this RFP, please contact:
Chloe Hundelt
Coordinator, Community Stewardship
202-595-2434
Chloe.Hundelt@nfwf.org

NFWF
1133 Fifteenth St., N.W., Suite 1000
Washington, DC 20005
T 202-857-0166
F 202-857-0162
info@nfwf.org

URL for Full Text (RFP):

See the full text of this grant

Geographic Focus:

USA: Alabama; Alaska; Arizona; Arkansas; California; Colorado; Connecticut; Delaware; Florida; Georgia; Hawaii; Idaho; Illinois; Indiana; Iowa; Kansas; Kentucky; Louisiana; Maine; Maryland; Massachusetts; Michigan; Minnesota; Mississippi; Missouri; Montana; Nebraska; Nevada; New Hampshire; New Jersey; New Mexico; New York City; New York; North Carolina; North Dakota; Ohio; Oklahoma; Oregon; Pennsylvania; Rhode Island; South Carolina; South Dakota; Tennessee; Texas; Utah; Vermont; Virginia; Washington, DC; Washington; West Virginia; Wisconsin; Wyoming

Categories:

View Full Grant »

We have grants for

GrantNews - The Premier Newspaper for Nonprofits

Grant Writers For Hire - Grant Writer Team