Funding Opportunities for Early September

Eldorado Canyon, Fall colors off Streamside Trail and footbridge, 2005 Best in Show Photography Contest Winner, Jerry Bargar

Eldorado Canyon, Fall colors off Streamside Trail and footbridge, 2005 Best in Show Photography Contest Winner, Jerry Bargar

The Clif Bar Family Foundation is accepting applications for its fall 2017 Small Grants program. Grants of up to $7,000 will be awarded in support of projects that address the foundation's priorities from a holistic perspective. Priority will be given to projects that aim to protect the earth's beauty and bounty; create robust, healthy food systems; increase opportunities for outdoor activity; reduce environmental health hazards; and/or build stronger communities. Projects must operate with clearly defined objectives and viable plans to achieve them; demonstrate strong community ties and operate at the community level; and promote positive change through both the project and the implementation process. To be eligible, applicants must be considered tax exempt under Section 501(c)(3) of the United States Internal Revenue Code. See the Clif Bar Family Foundation website for complete program guidelines, an eligibility quiz, and application instructions. Small grants deadline is Sunday, October 1, 2017.

EPA 2017 Campus RainWorks Challenge – Registration September 1-30: EPA is pleased to announce the rules for the 6th annual Campus RainWorks Challenge, a design competition open to U.S. colleges and universities. EPA seeks to engage undergraduate and graduate students in designing innovative green infrastructure for stormwater management to showcase the environmental, economic, and social benefits of green infrastructure practices. The Campus RainWorks Challenge invites the current generation of scholars to lend their creativity, knowledge, and energy to become part of the solution. Registration opens on September 1st. Click HERE for more information.

NOAA Climate Program Office 2018 – Due September 11, 2017: The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA) announced funding for climate research programs. Eligible programs can include research to improve observations and monitoring of the climate system, advance understanding of the climate, improvements in modeling and prediction, community engagement related to climate change, and research on interactions between climate and society. Applicants are encouraged to support the principles of diversity and inclusion when writing their proposals and performing their work. Learn more HERE.

Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO) and the Colorado Youth Corps Association (CYCA) are pleased to announce a $500,000 grant opportunity for open space, local government, and land trusts to hire conservation corps. In addition to public parks and open spaces, corps projects can occur on private lands protected by a conservation easement. The RFP can be found at www.cyca.org.  The application deadline is Sept. 21, 2017.  Successful projects will be announced in December 2017 and crews will complete the proposed work in 2018.  Matching funds/support not required but encouraged.  Applicants can apply for youth corps crews (ages 16-25) to complete a variety of stewardship projects. To find the youth corps that serves your area, go to www.cyca.org/joinfind-a-youth-corps/  or contact Scott Segerstrom at or 303-863-0604 with questions.

The Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Program has released a new funding opportunity announcement. Past projects funded by the program have typically involved converting unlined canals and ditches to pipelines located in the Upper Basin States to reduce seepage that picks up salt and carries it into the Colorado River system. The Colorado River and its tributaries provide municipal and industrial water to about 27 million people and irrigation water to nearly four million acres of land in the United States. The river also serves about 2.3 million people and 500,000 acres in Mexico. The threat of salinity is a major concern in both the Unites States and Mexico. Salinity affects agricultural, municipal, and industrial water users. Click HERE for more information. 

EPA Wetland Program Development Grants – Due date varies by region. Wetland Program Development Grants (WPDGs) provide eligible applicants an opportunity to conduct projects that promote the coordination and acceleration of research, investigations, experiments, training, demonstrations, surveys, and studies relating to the reduction and elimination of water pollution. WPDGs assist building programs to protect, manage, and restore wetlands. States, tribes, local governments, interstate associations, and intertribal consortia are eligible to apply for the Regional WPDG Request for Proposals. Click HERE for more information.

Research to Action: Assessing and Addressing Community Exposures to Environmental Contaminants - Due October 5, 2017: Applications using community-engaged research methods to investigate the potential health risks of environmental exposures of concern to the community and to implement an environmental public health action plan based on research findings are encouraged. Learn more HERE.

National Science Foundation Environmental Sustainability Grants - Due October 20. The National Science Foundation’s Environmental Sustainability program promotes sustainable engineered systems that support human well-being while also being compatible with sustaining environmental systems. For full proposals submitted via FastLane: standard NSF Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide proposal preparation guidelines apply. For full proposals submitted via Grants.gov: the NSF Grants.gov Application Guide: A Guide for the Preparation and Submission of NSF Applications via Grants.gov Guidelines applies. (Note: The NSF Grants.gov Application Guide is available on the Grants.gov website and on the NSF website. To apply for this grant click HERE

Conservation Alliance Invites Nominations for Conservation Projects – Nominations Due November 1st, 2017. The Conservation Alliance seeks to protect threatened wild places throughout North America for their habitat and recreational values. Grants are awarded to registered 501(c)(3) organizations in support of projects designed to secure permanent and quantifiable protection of a specific wild land or waterway with clear habitat and recreational benefits. Click HERE for more information.

FEMA FY17 Flood Mitigation Assistance Application Cycle – Due November 14: FEMA has posted the Fiscal Year 2017 Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) announcements for the Flood Mitigation Assistance (FMA) grant program on www.grants.gov. The NOFO provides an overview of the grant program and details about the agency's funding priorities and review process. FMA grants are available to implement measures to reduce or eliminate risk of severe repetitive and repetitive flood damage to buildings insured by the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). New in this application cycle is a set-aside of $70 million for community advance assistance and flood mitigation projects. The remainder of the FY17 FMA grants will continue to focus on reducing or eliminating the risk of repetitive flood damage to buildings and structures. FEMA will also fund flood hazard mitigation planning as well as technical assistance for applicants who were awarded FMA grant program funds totaling at least $1 million in FY16. Further information is in the NOFO: DHS-17-MT-029-00-99.

FEMA FY17 Pre-Disaster Mitigation Application Cycle - Due November 14, 2017: FEMA has posted the Fiscal Year 2017 Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) announcements for the Pre-Disaster Mitigation (PDM) grant program on www.grants.gov. The goal of the PDM grant program is to reduce overall risk to the population and structures, while at the same time reducing reliance on federal funding from Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (Stafford Act) disaster declarations. FEMA’s highest priority for FY17 competitive sub-applications is multi-state/tribal mitigation initiatives. FEMA will select eligible planning and project sub-applications that limit duplication of other HMA programs by prioritizing funding in areas without post-disaster funding available through the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP); and projects that cannot be funded by the FMA grant program. Further information is in the NOFO: DHS-17-MT-047-00-99.

Applications are being accepted for Colorado Corn Future Farmers of America (FFA) Grant Program. For a fifth year, the Colorado Corn Administrative Committee (CCAC) is accepting applications from FFA chapters around the state as part of its Colorado Corn FFA Grant Program. The deadline to apply is November15th. Be sure to let your local FFA chapters know about this opportunity. The Colorado Corn FFA Grant Program assists FFA chapters in Colorado on projects that lack funding in their school's budget. Adding to its support of other youth-focused projects, Colorado Corn began its FFA grants in 2013, awarding a $5,000 grant to the winner during the first year, and all together has contributed nearly $30,000 to FFA chapters through this program. Click HERE for more information.

The National Water Quality Initiative will work in priority watersheds to help farmers, ranchers and forest landowners improve water quality and aquatic habitats in impaired streams. NRCS will help producers implement conservation and management practices through a systems approach to control and trap nutrient and manure runoff. Qualified producers will receive assistance for installing conservation practices such as cover crops, filter strips and terraces. More Details here.

The Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), provided through the Natural Resource Conservation Service, is a voluntary conservation program that helps agricultural producers in a manner that promotes agricultural production and environmental quality as compatible goals. Through EQIP, agricultural producers receive financial and technical assistance to implement structural and management conservation practices that optimize environmental benefits on working agricultural land. EQIP applications are accepted on a continuous basis, however, NRCS establishes application "cut-off" or submission deadline dates for evaluation, ranking and approval of eligible applications. EQIP is open to all eligible agricultural producers and submitted applications may be considered or evaluated in multiple funding pool opportunities. To learn more CLICK HERE.

The Colorado Water Conservation Board Water Supply Reserve Account (WSRA) Program provides grants and loans to assist Colorado water users in addressing their critical water supply issues and interests. The funds help eligible entities complete water activities, which may include competitive grants for: Technical assistance regarding permitting, feasibility studies and environmental compliance; Studies or analysis of structural, nonstructural consumptive and nonconsumptive water needs, projects or activities; and structural and nonstructural water projects or activities. For more information click HERE.

The Colorado Water Conservation Board has a new category of grants available to support implementation of the Colorado Water Plan. The purpose of the Water Plan Grant funding is to make progress on the critical actions identified in the Colorado’s Water Plan (CWP) and its Measurable Objectives. The Colorado Water Conservation Board will select projects, programs and activities to fund from applications that have the best opportunity to make progress on the Colorado’s Water Plan Measurable Objectives or critical actions. Categories for funding include: supply and demand gap projects; water storage; conservation, land use and planning; engagement and innovation activities; agricultural; and environmental and recreation. Click HERE for details on October 1, 2017 submittal deadline. There will be multiple opportunities to submit applications – in October, February and August 2018 and February 2019.All applications will be assessed based on funds available for a particular CWP Measurable Objective category. Click HERE for more information. 

Colorado Water Conservation Board Water Efficiency Grant Program. The Water Efficiency Grant Program provides financial assistance to communities, water providers and eligible agencies for water conservation-related activities and projects. Eligible entities as well as state and local governments and agencies can receive funding to develop water conservation and drought plans, implement water conservation goals outlined in a water conservation plan and educate the public about water conservation.
Types of Water Efficiency Grants available - Click on programs below for more information about each and how to apply:

Tamarisk Coalition has a list of riparian restoration funding opportunities maintained by the Tamarisk Coalition.  For list click restoration funding opportunities.