Funding Opportunities

The Environmental Justice Small Grants Program (EJSG), supports and empowers communities working on solutions to local environmental and public health issues. The Program assists recipients in building collaborative partnerships to help them understand and address environmental and public health issues in their communities. Successful collaborative partnerships involve not only well-designed strategic plans to build, maintain and sustain the partnerships, but also to work towards addressing the local environmental and public health issues.

Heinz Wholesome Memories Intergenerational Garden Award will help families grow memories together. Recognizing the power of gardens to connect individuals of all ages socially, culturally, and emotionally, the H. J. Heinz Company is proud to sponsor the Heinz Wholesome Memories Intergenerational Garden Award, designed to foster family-focused garden efforts in communities across the country. The award will provide 57 families with the tools needed to embark on a successful gardening adventure that will foster lasting intergenerational memories while growing wholesome food.

The Grass-Based Livestock Working Group (GBLWG) has $21,000 from the Leopold Center for Research and Demonstration (R&D) grants in 2009. Proposals should have direct relevance to at least one of our four focus areas: 1) profitable grazing management; 2) grazing, wildlife, and the environment; 3) grass-based branding and supply chains; and 4) grazing policy and education.

The Grants Program sponsored by EPA's Environmental Education Division (EED), Office of Children's Health Protection and Environmental Education, supports environmental education projects that enhance the public's awareness, knowledge, and skills to help people make informed decisions that affect environmental quality.

Iowa State University seeks ideas and proposals for a unique program pairing farmers with Iowa State University researchers to work on topics related to conservation and sustainability. The program is a partnership of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and Practical Farmers of Iowa. Its goals are to address the opportunities and challenges facing agriculture through collaborative, on-farm research. A total of $25,000 will be awarded in 2010. Annual, one time grants up to $5,000 maximum will be awarded. Awards to three or more producers proposing to work together may be up to $7,000 each.

The Natural Resources Conservation Service in Louisiana is requesting applications to provide planning, design and implementation of restoration activities on eligible Wetlands Reserve Program and Emergency Watershed Protection – Floodplain Easement properties. The objective of WRP/EWP-FPE is to provide technical and financial assistance to landowners in planning, designing and implementing wetland and associated upland restoration plans that maximize wildlife habitat in wetland systems, as well as provide water quality improvements, reduced soil erosion, reduced impacts of flooding and provide wildlife habitat opportunities for threatened and endangered species. Applicants will be responsible for assisting landowners by providing technical assistance necessary to develop and implement WRP/EWP-FPE restoration plans, while at the same time improving and protecting wetland habitat for environmental benefits.

The Council seeks to establish sustainable urban and community forests, by encouraging communities of all sizes to manage and protect their natural resources, which can, if well managed, improve the public’s health, well being, and economic vitality, and create resilient ecosystems for present and future generations. Through the U.S. Forest Service’s competitive Urban and Community Forestry Challenge Cost-Share Grant Program, the Council only supports urban and community forestry projects that have national or widespread application and impact.

The Northeastern Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Center requests proposals for projects that support new IPM partnerships and further our mission, which is to foster the development and adoption of integrated pest management, a science-based approach to managing pests in ways that generate economic, environmental, and human health benefits. We work in partnership with stakeholders from agricultural, urban, and rural settings to identify and address regional priorities for research, education, and outreach.

Grants, up to $2,500, are now available to registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations, public schools or tax-exempt public service agencies in the U.S. who are using the power of volunteers to improve the physical health of their community. Grants are for community improvement projects that include activities such as construction or refurbishment of affordable or transitional housing, building, rebuilding, painting, refurbishing, increasing energy efficiency or sustainability, landscaping, planting of native trees, community facility improvements and the development and/or improvement of green spaces.

The Healthy Foods, Healthy Lives Institute has released a request for interdisciplinary research projects related to food and health. The Institute will award up to one research grant of $50,000-100,000 in each of the following areas: food policy, prevention of obesity and chronic disease, and food safety. Criteria for funding are interdisciplinarity, innovation, potential impact, utilization of new collaborations, quality of the research proposal, and potential for future external funding.

The mission of the fund is to address the difficulty that some New England farmers have in obtaining credit for projects that improve their operations and increase their income, as well as for emergency needs. Loan applications for amounts ranging from $1,000 to $10,000, for terms of up to five years, will be accepted. In 2009, applicants will be limited to farms located in Vermont or in Western Massachusetts (Berkshire, Hampshire, Hampden, and Franklin counties), with a primary focus on loans to small- and midsized farms that use sustainable or organic methods (or are moving toward them), and that are marketing at least a portion of their products to local markets.

This grant for North Dakota farmers can be used for a variety of projects or expenses, but should be directly related to the farming operation, including but not limited to: fencing, computers, seed, irrigation, equipment, etc. The program is available to farms that are certified organic or actively transitioning into organic production; Non-certified projects on the organic farm – for example a free range poultry operation that isn’t certified; Growers whose gross sales are under $5000 who meet the NOP organic rule but do not need to be certified.

The Missouri Department of Natural Resources is accepting applications for project funding that will protect Missouri's waters from nonpoint source pollution. These nonpoint source grants, often referred to as 319 grants, are provided through section 319 of the federal Clean Water Act. Educational institutions, local governments and not-for-profit organizations are eligible for the funding. Grant awards will range from $5,000 to $1 million and projects can last up to four years.

The Livestock Investment Grant is a grant, to a person or entity who raises livestock in Minnesota, for the purposes of improving or expanding livestock production in Minnesota. It will award 10% of a project with a minimum expense of $4,000 and a maximum expense of $500,000.

The North Central Region Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program (NCR-SARE) has issued a call for proposals for farmers and ranchers to carry out Sustainable Agriculture research, demonstration, and education projects on their farms. A total of approximately $400,000 is available for this program.

The primary objective of this grant program is to help eligible independent producers of agricultural commodities, agricultural producer groups, farmer and rancher cooperatives, and majority-controlled producer-based business ventures develop strategies to create marketing opportunities and to help develop business plans for viable marketing opportunities. Eligible agricultural producer groups, farmer and rancher cooperatives, and majority controlled producer-based business ventures must limit their proposals to emerging markets. These grants will facilitate greater participation in emerging markets and new markets for value-added products.

These one- or two-year grants are similar in concept to the Farmer/Rancher grants with a few key differences. Instead of a producer serving as the project coordinator, an agricultural professional – Cooperative Extension educator or Natural Resources Conservation Service professional – coordinates the project. A farmer or rancher serves as the technical adviser. Applicants can seek up to $50,000 and must have a minimum of five producers involved.

Michigan State University is developing a pasture-based dairy research and outreach center at the Kellogg Biological Station (KBS) in southwest Michigan. To support the research and outreach activities being conducted at KBS, a Cooperator Farmer Contract program (PDF/77KB) has been established to fund on-farm, farmer driven research, demonstration, and outreach activities. Michigan dairy producers utilizing pasture as part of their dairy management are eligible to apply to this program. An individual may submit multiple proposals.

Sustainable Community Grants make a direct connection between community revitalization and farming. Projects must address specific key issues such as farm finance, marketing, land use, water use, enterprise development, value-added product development, or other delineated topic areas. To apply, you must be affiliated with Cooperative Extension, NRCS, a municipality, a state department of agriculture, a college or university, a community organization, or other institutional entity.

The primary mission of Fields Pond Foundation is to provide financial assistance to nature and land conservation organizations that are community-based and that serve to increase environmental awareness by involving local residents in conservation issues. The Foundation primarily supports nonprofit organizations in the six New England states and New York. The Foundation's grantmaking priorities include: project grants for trailmaking and other enhancement of public access to conservation lands, rivers, and coastlines; land acquisition for conservation; the establishment of endowments as a means of funding stewardship of conservation areas; and related education programs and publications. Requests may be submitted throughout the year.

The Coca-Cola Company has a grant program that focuses on water stewardship. The goal of this program is to support access to clean water and sanitation, watershed protection in water-stressed regions, and education and awareness programs that promote water conservation within communities.

Farmer Grants are for commercial producers who have an innovative idea they want to test using a field trial, on-farm demonstration, or other technique. A technical advisor--often an extension agent, crop consultant, or other service professional--is required as a project participant. Projects should seek results other farmers can use, and all projects must have the potential to add to our knowledge about effective sustainable practices.

These one- or two-years grants are conducted by agricultural producers with support and guidance from a technical advisor. Individual farmers or ranchers may apply for up to $15,000, and a group of three or more producers may apply for up to $30,000. Producers typically use their grants to conduct on-site experiments that can improve their operations and the environment and can be shared with other producers. Grant recipients may also focus on marketing and organic production.

The NY Center for Dairy Excellence is offering the first program to bring Dairy Profit Teams to farms throughout the state. Dairy Profit Teams are advisors that help a farm identify issues and opportunities on the farm, develop strategies for change, and offer suggestions. Under this program, Dairy Profit Teams may receive cost share assistance of $2,400, approximately 80 percent of the costs to run a team for one year. The NYCDE has funding to launch approximately 45 teams from June-December 2009. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis, until funding is exhausted.

The Administrative Council of the Western Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education program announces the Request for Sustainable Agricultural Tours Grant Applications for 2009. With a Sustainable Agricultural Tour Grant, farmers and ranchers will be able to network with other producers, researchers and other sustainable agricultural professionals in seeing and learning about sustainable agricultural production systems. These grants are targeted for producers to attend specific on-farm demonstration and/or educational outreach tours in an area of sustainable agriculture. The maximum allowed per grant application is $2,000. These funds are awarded on a first come basis.

The Yes To Carrots™ Seed Fund, a U.S. 501(c)3 non-profit organization, is on a mission to make a difference in people's lives by providing under-served communities with the resources to develop and sustain an organic food source and access to healthy nutrition. The Yes To Carrots™ Seed Fund assists these communities by providing donations to help with seeds, plants, equipment, irrigation support and technical know-how. Contact them to receive a Grant Request Application form. Applications are reviewed throughout the year.