Grants and Funding Opportunities

The Institute for Tribal Government at Portland State University is accepting applications for projects up to $50,000 that promote healthy watersheds and waterways and/or increase access to clean drinking water for Tribal communities across Oregon. This opportunity is open to Tribes, Tribal organizations, and community-based organizations. Apply

Tribal Wildlife Grants are administered by the US Fish and Wildlife Service and are used to provide technical and financial assistance to Tribes for the development and implementation of programs that benefit fish and wildlife resources and their habitat. The grants team will host a webinar to discuss this funding opportunity on April 29.

• Register for the webinar
• Apply

The National Tribal Waste Management Peer Matching Program aims to strengthen Tribal capacity and develop sustainable waste management programs. Peer matches are voluntary, structured opportunities for Tribes and Alaska Native Villages working on similar issues to exchange experiences and practical knowledge through a mentoring program. A Tribe with technical expertise mentors a Tribe requesting assistance to complete a specific technical task, such as conducting a waste characterization study, writing an Integrated Waste Management Plan, establishing a fee collection system, establishing enforcement codes, etc. Apply to be a mentor or mentee.

For more funding opportunities, visit Access to Capital, a searchable repository of all federal funding opportunities available to Tribal Nations and Native businesses, the Northwest Environmental Justice Center’s Library of Funding Opportunities, EPA’s Climate Resilience and Adaptation Funding Toolbox, the EJ TCTAC Grants Database, and Grantseeker Resources.

The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) is seeking Pre-Proposals for the 2025 National Coastal Resilience Fund. NFWF will award grants to create and/or restore natural systems in order to increase protection for communities from coastal hazards, such as storms, sea- and lake-level changes, inundation, and coastal erosion, while improving habitats for fish and wildlife species. The fund invests in four kinds of projects: community capacity building and planning, site assessment and preliminary design, final design and permitting, and restoration implementation.

• Submit a pre-proposal

Request the webinar recording.

The current FY 2025 Exchange Network Grant Program Solicitation Notice must be revised in accordance with updated Agency priorities, and the application date has been extended to at least April 28. An updated Solicitation Notice is not yet available but will be posted to the grants.gov listing (and linked on the Exchange Network website) as soon as possible.  

Applicants who have already submitted an application for the FY25 cycle will be able to resubmit their application, with the updated requirements, following the publication of the revised FY25 Solicitation Notice.

With grants up to $20,000, the Community Action Fund (CAF) supports Indigenous-led direct actions and organizing efforts. CAF prioritizes frontline, grassroots, and community-based efforts that defend Indigenous Peoples’ rights, communities and Nations, including responses to climate disasters.  

• Apply 

The Institute for Tribal Environmental Professionals (ITEP) is offering direct, ongoing technical assistance to individual Tribes working on ecological resilience projects designed to help our non-human relatives survive and thrive. Staff members from all Federally recognized, Unrecognized, and State Recognized Tribes and Alaska Native Villages are eligible to apply. Assistance is tailored to each Tribe’s needs and can range from remote support to, in some cases, on-site assistance, depending on the availability of funds. ITEP aims to provide long-term support, often lasting 6+ months, to help Tribes navigate barriers and implement actionable solutions. There is no deadline to apply. 

• Apply 

Woohoo, Alaskans for Littler Prevention and Recycling (ALPAR) Mini Grants have returned! Applications will be accepted for (1) recycling outreach and (2) recycling education until all funds are disbursed. (In other words, it’s first come, first served until all funds are expended.) Grant requests can be for any amount, although those between $500 and $2,500 are standard. Preference will be given to rural communities; larger communities with limited recycling may also qualify.

• Apply

Through this grant, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) will help support community-driven habitat restoration and build the capacity of tribes and underserved communities to meaningfully engage in coastal habitat restoration activities. Awards range from $75,000 to $2 million for projects that will advance the coastal habitat restoration and climate resilience priorities of tribes and underserved communities. 

• Apply   

NOAA will host three webinars about this funding opportunity. A webinar specifically for Tribes will be held on Feb. 24. 

• Register for the Jan. 16 webinar
• Register for the Feb. 24 webinar

Register for the April 10 webinar

The Environmental Justice (EJ) Thriving Communities Technical Assistance Centers (TCTAC) Grants Database includes a wide array of funding opportunities. For application assistance, contact your regional TCTAC. The EJ TCTACS are a collaborative initiative of EPA and the U.S. Department of Energy.

NOAA Fisheries will announce the availability of $20 million in funding for projects that will advance the coastal habitat restoration and climate resilience priorities of tribes and underserved communities, including through capacity building. This funding has been made available through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. This is the third and final round of this funding opportunity under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

Of the $20 million in funding available, 15 percent is specifically available to U.S. federally recognized tribes through direct awards or subawards. The remaining funding will be available to all eligible applicants, to support opportunities for tribes and underserved communities to meaningfully engage in coastal habitat restoration activities.

Through this funding, NOAA will help support community-driven habitat restoration and build the capacity of tribes and underserved communities to more fully participate in restoration activities. Projects selected through this opportunity will span several types of activities, including capacity building and restoration:

●      Capacity building includes activities such as participation in municipal or regional-scale resilience planning, project planning and feasibility studies, community engagement, or developing proposals for future funding.

●      Restoration includes activities such as demonstration projects, engineering and design, permitting, and on-the-ground habitat restoration work.

Across all of these activities, selected projects will work to ensure that the needs and priorities of tribes and underserved communities are at the center of habitat restoration and coastal resilience efforts happening in their communities.

NOAA will accept proposals with a federal funding request of between $75,000 and $2 million for the entire award, with typical funding anticipated to range from $250,000 to $1 million. The application deadline is May 12, 2025. For more information, view the Coastal Habitat Restoration and Resilience Grants for Tribes and Underserved Communitiesfunding opportunity.

NOAA’s Office of Habitat Conservation has a long history conducting habitat restoration efforts by executing large-scale competitive funding opportunities and providing expert technical assistance through its Community-based Restoration Program. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act present a historic opportunity for NOAA to continue making an impact for fisheries, threatened and endangered species, and coastal communities, including tribes. To date, we have funded 214 awards totaling $985 million through two rounds of funding competitions.  This funding opportunity will be posted on Grants.govtomorrow. Please let me know if you have any questions

The new Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Technical Assistance Center, funded by EPA Region 10, has set up an up-to-date library of funding opportunities for communities across Idaho, Oregon, and Washington. The table of funding opportunities, which can be sorted by funding type and state, is available at: https://nwejc.org/find-funding

EPA’s Climate Resilience and Adaptation Funding Toolbox (CRAFT) contains resources to help EPA’s funding applicants and recipients make climate-informed investments. CRAFT includes overviews of EPA funding programs where climate resilience considerations might be incorporated, climate risk tools and resources to evaluate and consider climate change risks, and communication materials to facilitate meaningful discussions about adaptation, resilience and environmental justice.  

• A presentation about the toolbox is attached. 

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Community Power Accelerator connects community-benefiting solar projects and developers (including community-based organizations) with philanthropists, lenders, and investors to drive a more equitable clean energy transition. The Accelerator offers five free services to connect developers and projects with capital providers, training opportunities, technical assistance, a credit-ready checklist, and the DOE Community Power Accelerator Prize.

The Puget Sound Partnership is the state agency leading the region’s collective effort to restore and protect Puget Sound. The Partnership’s Puget Sound Recovery Acceleration Funding Tool (PS RAFT) collects information about national, state, and regional funding opportunities. 

Developed in partnership with the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) and community allies, this program is a direct response to the need for equitable, community-centered transportation solutions. Applicants must serve overburdened communities, vulnerable populations, and people disproportionately impacted by transportation inequities, greenhouse gas emissions, and climate change. Grant funds must be used for low-carbon transportation improvements that benefit environmental justice communities in Washington State.

• Apply