Funding Opportunities in Environmental Education

This is the time of year to apply for the many funding opportunities in environmental education which become available throughout the USA.  Here are some recent ones of which I have been notified.

Natural Resources Foundation of Wisconsin Notice

• The new Go Outside Fund (GO Fund) provides grants for projects that connect students and teachers in Wisconsin with outdoor learning experiences. Funding helps cover the costs of field supplies, transportation, substitute teachers, or assistance from resource professionals and educators. For a limited time, the Go Outside Fund has additional funding available for schoolyard butterfly gardens and school forests. Applications are due March 31, 2018.

NEEF (National Environmental Education Foundation) Notice

• NEEF, with major funding support from US Forest Service (USFS), is offering two new grant opportunities. The first is a Pollinator Grant, where applicants can request up to $1000 to facilitate Pollinator Garden and/Community Garden activities. The second is a BioBlitz Grant, where applicants can request up to $3000 to lead citizen science activities that record the biodiversity of a particular area during a focused “blitz.” Applications are due February 26, 2018.

• NEEF, in partnership with Partners in Resource Education (PRE), has released the request for proposals for the 2018 Hands on the Land (HOL) Mini-Grants. NEEF will award mini-grants to HOL Network sites to support their efforts to provide K-12 place-based learning experiences on our nation’s public lands and waterways. Applications are due March 1, 2018.

• NEEF, in partnership with Toyota, will provide Every Day Capacity Building Grants to Friends Groups with grant funds of up to $5,000 to help build their organizational capacity to serve public lands. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis through November 5, 2018.

Environmental Education (EE) Grant Solicitation Notice

• EPA is making available up to $3 million in funding for locally-focused environmental education grants under the 2018 EE Local Grant Program. Ten RFPs are being issued nationally, one in each of EPA’s ten Regions, for a total funding of up to $3 million nationwide. EPA anticipates awarding three to four grants in each EPA Region, for no less than $50,000 and no more than $100,000 each, for a total of 30-35 grants nationwide. All RFPs are available on www.grants.gov, where applications must be submitted. Proposals are due March 15, 2018. Find the RFP for your Region.

SUMMARY

Go Outside Fund application due March 31, 2018 up to $1,000

BioBlitz Grant application due February 26, 2018 for up to $1,000

Pollinator Garden and/Community Garden activities due February 26, 2018 for up to $3,000

Hands on the Land (HOL) mini-grants due March 1, 2018 for $500 to $5,000

Every Day Capacity Building Grants due on a rolling basis through November 5, 2018 for up to $5,000

EE Local Grant Program for your region due March 15, 2018 for $50,000 to $100,00

Note: If you live in Wisconsin, watch the Natural Resources Foundation of Wisconsin website for  additional grant opportunities as they announce application due dates.