Quote from Carol Grayshaw on November 22, 2022, 5:05 pm

A small local fund,  the Grandom Institution,  has grant funding available for low-income clean energy initiatives.  In the past, Grandom provided most of its grants in the form of bill payment assistance.  However,  given the recent increases in funding for the LIHEAP and WAP programs,  Grandom is now focusing on clean energy and decarbonization efforts.  Please circulate this announcement to anyone who might be interested. Here is their FAQ which states while preference is given to Philly orgs, other surrounding counties are eligible, grants average $4500, and are provided up to $10K.

The following is a partial list of examples. Grandom is interested in promoting innovation, so this list is provided for illustrative purposes only. 

• Self-help weatherization workshops
• Direct installation of cost effective measures that are beyond the ability of most residents, such as programmable thermostats
• Energy efficiency improvements, weatherization
• Community solar or other low-income solar program
• Fuel switching from inefficient fuel oil to high efficiency heat pump

Uploaded files:

• Grandom-Institution_Funding-Available_FAQs.pdf

Quote from Carol Grayshaw on January 12, 2023, 12:57 pm

Community Conservation Partnerships Program (C2P2) Grant Application Window Opens Tuesday, January 17

The next round of DCNR Community Conservation Partnerships Program (C2P2) grants will begin accepting applications next week.

The application window opens on Tuesday, Jan. 17. Applications will be accepted through 4:00 PM on Wednesday, April 5.

The annual C2P2 funding round supports hundreds of local recreation and conservation projects each year. In 2022, C2P2 funded over 300 projects totaling about $90 million.

For more information and to apply, please visit the DCNR Grants Customer Service Portal.

Tutorial videos are available on DCNR’s YouTube channel. A walkthrough of the grant application is a good place to start. Also check out the 2023 grant workshop video series, which provides more information on each project type.

Finally, before starting your grant application, you should contact your DCNR Bureau of Recreation and Conservation regional advisor for advice on making your project as competitive as possible for funding.

Quote from Carol Grayshaw on February 23, 2023, 12:21 pm

Chesapeake Watershed Investment Defense (WILD) Grants Program

The Chesapeake Watershed Investments for Landscape Defense (WILD) Grants Program delivered in partnership with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service supports efforts to improve the condition and connectivity of habitats for at risk and federally listed species.

The WILD program pillars are:

• Fish and Wildlife Habitats
• Climate Change
• Community Partnership
• Public Access
• Water Quality

Summary infographic (pdf) available here.

Important dates:
Dates of activities are subject to change and contingent on the availability of funding. Check the program page of the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) website for the most current dates and information:

Starting 23rd Feb, 3-5 PM (ET), running through late march: Virtual Proposal Labs with NFWF Staff Mike Slattery and Faren Wolter. Interested applicants may schedule virtual project consultations here.

Thursday, April 20th, 11:59pm (ET): Proposal Due Date.
April – August 2023: Proposal Review Period.

September 2023 (anticipated): Awards Announced.

Quote from Carol Grayshaw on March 6, 2023, 5:36 pm

Department of Energy Opens $300M for Energy Improvement in Rural or Remote Areas Funding | Applications Due June 28, 2023

Opportunity: Bipartisan Infrastructure Law: Energy Improvement in Rural or Remote Areas Funding Opportunity Announcement

Overview and Eligible Uses: DOE’s Energy Improvements in Rural or Remote Areas (ERA) Program will improve the cost, reliability, environmental impact, and climate and economic resilience of energy systems in rural or remote communities by funding clean energy projects with commercially viable or near-commercially viable technologies. Projects funded through this FOA will de-risk investment in the energy infrastructure of rural or remote communities. Funded projects will provide insights for future investments, such as deployment of similar technologies, use of similar business models, or adoption of similar community engagement best practices and clarify pathways to future good paying union jobs.

Amount: $300M in total funding will be awarded through this NOFO. 28 awards are anticipated, ranging from $5M to $100M.

Award Type: Cooperative Agreement

Eligible Applicants:

• State, county, city, or township governments
• Federally and non-Federally recognized Native American tribal organizations.
• Private, public, and State controlled institutions of higher education
• Nonprofits with or without 501(c)(3) status with the IRS
• Independent school districts
• Public housing authorities/Native American housing authorities
• Special district governments
• For profit organizations

Key Dates: Applications are due June 28, 2023

Key Links:

• Grants.gov opportunity
• Energy.gov Announcement

For a full list of currently available grant programs under the Infrastructure Law and other helpful tools, take a look at our Helpful Resources page.

Quote from Carol Grayshaw on March 9, 2023, 2:58 pm

PA Natural Resources Conservation Service Accepting Applications for People's Garden Initiative

Pennsylvania’s USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is now accepting applications from non-profit community groups within designated urban areas for projects to receive funds under the People’s Garden Initiative (PGI). The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA) allocated funds for the PGI to provide “other assistance to maintain and improve food and agricultural supply chain resiliency” by educating the public about ways that gardening and growing food locally can strengthen food supply chain resiliency.

In the current fiscal year, funding is available in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and the surrounding metropolitan area to support food-producing gardens with an educational component. Applicants must submit their applications via Grants.gov by 11:59 pm Eastern Time on April 21, 2023 and can learn more about this opportunity here.

Pennsylvania NRCS can enter into cooperative agreements from $10,000 up to $75,000 each to fund projects that meet the following criteria:

• Collaborative effort – garden partners with USDA agencies, federal, state, and local partners, community organizations, schools, religious groups, and other such entities.
• Benefits the community – garden produces food for those in need, demonstrates principles of conservation, provides wildlife habitat, and provides a greenspace for gathering. A private garden with no public access or public-facing educational displays would not be eligible.
• Environmentally sustainable practices – garden features pollinator habitat, cover crops, soil health, crop rotation, and irrigation management, etc.
• Educational – garden has signage and/or a web/social media presence explaining how food grows and food production, food systems, sustainable practices, environmental stewardship, garden components; tours, workshops, classes or other educational activities that educate about food production, food systems, food preparation, sustainable practices, environmental stewardship, and other topics as appropriate.

Here is the link to the full news release and more information about the gardens.

Quote from Carol Grayshaw on March 13, 2023, 9:50 am

Request for Applications: The Community Forest and Open Space Conservation Program

Deadline: March 31, 2023

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Forest Service, State and Private Forestry, Cooperative Forestry staff, requests applications for the Community Forest and Open Space Conservation Program (Community Forest Program or CFP). This is a competitive grant program whereby local governments, qualified nonprofit organizations, and Indian tribes are eligible to apply for grants to establish, community forests through the fee simple acquisition of private forest land from a willing seller.

For complete information on the program and application process, see the Final Rule and the Community Forest Road Map. Please reach out with any questions and share this opportunity.

DATES : Interested local government and nonprofit applicants must submit applications to the State Forester. Tribal applicants must submit applications to the appropriate Tribal government officials. All applications, either hard copy or electronic, must be received by State Foresters or Tribal governments by March 31, 2023, State Foresters or Tribal government officials must forward applications to the appropriate Forest Service Regional office or International Institute of Tropical Forestry by April 14, 2023.

ADDRESSES : All local government and qualified nonprofit organization applications must be submitted to the State Forester of the State where the property is located. All Tribal applications must be submitted to the equivalent Tribal government official. Applicants are encouraged to contact and work with the Forest Service Region or International Institute of Tropical Forestry, and State Forester or equivalent Tribal government official when developing their proposal. Applicants must consult with the State Forester and equivalent Tribal government official prior to requesting technical assistance for a project. The
State Forester’s member roster may be found on https://www.stateforesters.org/ who-we-are/our-membership/. All applicants must also send an email to [email protected] to confirm an application has been submitted for funding consideration.

Quote from Carol Grayshaw on March 15, 2023, 11:03 am

Technical Assistance for Canoe and Kayak Access Projects: Up to $5K Available via Western Pennsylvania Conservancy

The Western Pennsylvania Conservancy has funds available to support projects that will improve canoe and kayak access to the region’s waterways. The Conservancy provides technical assistance and grants of up to $5,000 through its Canoe Access Development Fund for the construction and enhancement of canoe and kayak access locations.

Founded in 2008 by WPC donors and outdoor enthusiasts Roy Weil and Mary Shaw, WPC’s Canoe Access Development Fund provides grants to watershed organizations and other community groups to make the region’s rivers and streams more accessible for outdoor recreation by developing and improving access sites for canoeists, kayakers and anglers. Grant funding could be used to stabilize access areas to rivers or streams, add nearby parking areas, purchase riverside access or for other improvements.

The Conservancy can also provide technical guidance to organizations during any phase of their canoe access projects. Eli Long, watershed manager for the Conservancy, says technical guidance could include helping a group with a site drawing or design to show where a ramp, path or trail to the stream would be situated. Another aspect of technical assistance is considering how a canoe access site should function, such as whether the access is a walking path and what the surface should be made of.

Application Process & Deadline:

A downloadable application, including a complete list of requirements, is available at WaterLandLife.org/canoe-access-development-fund-cadf/. Applications must be postmarked by April 21, 2023, and grant recipients will be notified by May 19, 2023.

Quote from Carol Grayshaw on March 21, 2023, 2:10 pm

The Federal Highway Administration has opened the first round of the Charging and Fueling Infrastructure Discretionary Grant Program (CFI) for applications.

You may find more details about this program at https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/cfi/ or via PennDOT’s summary of the program at PennDOT Grant Alert - CFI Program (pa.gov).

A total of $700 million is available nationally for this first round of applications, half of which is for the Community Program and half for the Corridor Program. The deadline to apply for this program is Tuesday, May 30, 2023 at 11:59 p.m. EST. Please note that this federal program is separate from PennDOT’s previously announced Round 1 National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) program.

If you would like to request PennDOT support for a regional CFI grant proposal please do so by emailing [email protected] by May 16, 2023.

Quote from Carol Grayshaw on March 24, 2023, 9:54 am

National Fish and Wildlife Foundation announces American The Beautiful Challenge Grants

The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) recently announced the availability of funding for its America the Beautiful Challenge grants. The federally-funded program is expected to award about $116 million nationwide to conserve, connect, and restore land, water, and wildlife. Match and program requirements vary depending on the applicant and federal funding source. Pre-proposals are due Thursday, April 20. Visit the NFWF website for more information, including how to apply.

Eligible Entities:

• State government agencies, territories of the United States, and Indigenous/Tribal Nations are eligible to apply for all five grant categories.
• Non-profit 501(c) organizations, local governments, municipal governments, and educational institutions are eligible to apply for grants in three of the five grant categories.

Ineligible applicants include U.S. Federal government agencies, businesses, unincorporated individuals, and international organizations.

Eligible Entities:

• State government agencies, territories of the United States, and Indigenous/Tribal Nations are eligible to apply for all five grant categories.
• Non-profit 501(c) organizations, local governments, municipal governments, and educational institutions are eligible to apply for grants in three of the five grant categories.

Ineligible applicants include U.S. Federal government agencies, businesses, unincorporated individuals, and international organizations.