Best Climate Change Grants in Alaska

The Alaska Sea Grant Biennial Research Call invites innovative proposals for research projects focused on healthy coastal ecosystems, sustainable fisheries and aquaculture, resilient communities and economies, and environmental literacy and workforce development. Established in 1970, the program aims to enhance understanding and sustainable use of Alaska's marine and coastal resources. Proposals should align with the goals outlined in the Alaska Sea Grant 2024–2027 Strategic Plan, addressing priority information needs across the state.

The Wildfire Resilience Initiative Grant Program, funded by the Gordon E And Betty I Moore Foundation, addresses the urgent need for wildfire resilience in Western North America. With increasing threats from extreme wildfires due to climate change and human activity, this initiative aims to transform fire's role from a destructive force to a beneficial element. By supporting research, early interventions, and community preparedness, the program seeks to foster a collaborative approach to enhancing ecosystem health and community safety.

Department of Natural Resources

The Department of Natural Resources manages all state-owned land, water and natural resources, except for fish and game, on behalf of the people of Alaska. When all land conveyances from the federal government are completed, the people of the state will own land and resources on 104 million acres: Approximately 100 million acres have been conveyed so far. The state owns approximately 60 million acres of tidelands, shorelands, and submerged lands and manages 40,000 miles of coastline. The state also owns the freshwater resources of the state, a resource that equals about 40% of the entire nation's fresh water flow.

Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) Grant

The USDA Forest Service (USFS) and the Alaska Department of Natural Resources, Division of Forestry and Fire Protection, Community Forestry Program (CFP), have Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) grant monies available to local governments, state agencies, tribal organizations, non-profits, public universities, and other non-federal entities for projects in Alaska communities.

Funding is available for: Green Infrastructure Projects; Phytoremediation Projects; Invasive Tree Control Projects; and other projects.

Green Infrastructure Grants Round III

Monies are available to upgrade existing green infrastructure or implement new green infrastructure projects. Project goals include reduced stormwater runoff, improved water quality, and increased community resilience to extreme weather events. These are 100% reimbursable grants and will be awarded on a competitive basis. No match funding is required.

Common Waters: Strengthening Community-based Coastal and Riverine Stewardship

Opportunity Overview

Projects supported by this RFP must be community-based stewardship initiatives (including but not limited to stewardship driven by Indigenous and descendant communities); they should be led by an individual with a strong connection to and/or an existing track record of work in the community(ies) where the project will take place, or by a member of the community themselves, and be designed in response to community needs. Projects can focus on a wide range of specific issues, including (but not limited to) local conservation and ecosystem restoration, climate change adaptation and resilience, or sustainable fishing/agriculture. The RFP will prioritize projects in National Geographic-Lindblad Expeditions destinations, including the Arctic, Asia, Baja California, Costa Rica and Panama, Europe and the Mediterranean, Patagonia, the Peruvian Amazon, the Pacific Northwest, Southeast Alaska and British Columbia, the South Pacific, and the United Kingdom and Ireland. For more detailed information on targeted areas within these regions, please refer to the targeted areas document.

Community Action Fund

A grant for Indigenous frontline organizations, groups, and individuals for direct action initiatives.

The Community Action Fund (CAF) grants support non-violent direct actions and organizing efforts that are often urgent and time sensitive. CAF prioritizes frontline, grassroots and community-based efforts that defend Indigenous peoples rights, communities and Nations.

Community Action Fund Intent

This grant supports Indigenous frontline, grassroots, community-based groups and organizations, Tribes, communities and villages, and individuals leading non-violent direct action or movement-building work in their effort to DEFEND Indigenous People’s rights, and protect their land, air, water, and natural resources.

The ACF: Social Justice Grants support organizations working to eliminate systemic discrimination and promote equal rights in Alaska. This fund prioritizes initiatives that address root causes of social injustice, encourage lasting mindset shifts, and enhance community empowerment. Eligible applicants include small organizations with a focus on social justice, providing both unrestricted operating support and project-specific funding. The foundation emphasizes equity, ensuring no discrimination based on protected statuses, and honors Tribal authority in grant distributions.

RBC Foundation – USA aims to enhance community quality of life by supporting non-profit organizations that promote diversity and positive change. In 2023, it awarded over $2.8 million in grants, prioritizing youth programs for ages 15-29, arts access for diverse populations, and mental well-being initiatives. The foundation encourages sustainable projects that foster economic independence, providing critical support for education, mental health, and cultural enrichment, thereby making a significant impact across various communities.

The Rural Climate Partnership Grant supports innovative, community-led climate solutions in rural America. With funding ranging from $20,000 to $150,000, it empowers organizations focused on rural leadership and equitable climate actions. The grant aims to strengthen rural economies and enhance climate resilience by providing critical resources and support to rural-serving entities. It prioritizes projects that benefit under-resourced communities and actively engage in addressing pressing rural issues, making a meaningful impact on local climate narratives.

The Mayer and Morris Kaplan Foundation Environment Grant aims to support initiatives that combat climate change, prioritizing efforts to reduce fossil fuel consumption and enhance climate education for young adults. The foundation emphasizes innovative solutions and partnerships to address both immediate and long-term environmental challenges. Areas of focus include climate and clean energy policy, as well as providing scientifically accurate climate change education. By leveraging data and research, the foundation seeks to empower organizations dedicated to creating impactful change.

The Earth Rising Foundation Grants provide financial support ranging from $200 to $20,000 for grassroots climate initiatives. The foundation emphasizes empowering Indigenous communities, advocating for sustainable agricultural practices, and addressing social justice issues linked to climate change. By fostering youth involvement and supporting innovative projects, the foundation aims to create a vision for a sustainable future that respects both people and the planet. Applications must be submitted through a US-based nonprofit organization.

The Aerie Real Foundation™ Community Grant aims to enhance confidence, inclusion, and sustainability among young women while supporting non-profit organizations in the US and Canada. Grants of up to $10,000 are available to programs focused on mental well-being, fostering inclusive communities, and environmental protection. Applications are accepted from certified 501c3 nonprofits, with funding allocated for projects that align with the Foundation's mission. The goal is to empower the next generation and create a positive impact in local communities.

The Community Connect Grants Program provides financial assistance to eligible applicants aiming to deliver broadband services in rural areas where access is limited. This initiative fosters economic growth and enhances educational, healthcare, and public safety benefits, improving the quality of life in underserved communities. By supporting projects that create better market opportunities and promote equitable access, the program plays a vital role in advancing rural development and addressing environmental justice.

The MSA Climate Change Research Award, offered by the Mycological Society of America, supports innovative research addressing the impacts of climate change through the lens of fungal studies. Ideal candidates include undergraduates, graduate students, and post-doctoral scientists who are MSA members or have applied for membership. This award encourages collaboration and aims to disseminate research findings to the global scientific community, fostering inclusivity across various demographics.

The Skoll Awards for Social Innovation, presented by the Skoll Foundation, recognize social innovators addressing root societal problems. Each awardee receives $2 million in unrestricted funding and joins a global community of leaders dedicated to significant social change. The foundation focuses on key areas such as health systems, effective governance, inclusive economies, racial justice, and climate action. Nominations are made through a multi-year sourcing process, ensuring that candidates align closely with the foundation's mission.

The Impact100 Global Veterans Awards empower women to make a significant difference by awarding grants up to $100,000 to nonprofits that serve veterans. Focus areas include art and culture, education, health and wellness, environment, and family initiatives, promoting the well-being and support of veterans across the United States. Eligible organizations must meet specific criteria, including tax-exempt status, and are encouraged to submit proposals that utilize funds effectively within two years.

The Pipeline Grants Competition by the Russell Sage Foundation aims to bolster early-career scholars and enhance diversity in the social sciences. It supports innovative research focusing on economic mobility and systemic inequalities in the U.S. Eligible applicants can receive up to $35,000 individually or $50,000 in teams. The foundation emphasizes methodological diversity and interdisciplinary collaboration, encouraging novel data usage. Projects should align with RSF's mission to improve social conditions, prioritizing underrepresented scholars from under-resourced institutions.

The Mike & Sofia Segal Foundation Grant provides vital funding to nonprofit organizations focused on intellectual freedom, medical research for rare diseases, Jewish heritage preservation, elder care, and climate change initiatives. By supporting innovative projects that align with their mission, the foundation aims to uplift communities and foster meaningful societal contributions. Organizations must be 501c-3 compliant and demonstrate a clear plan for engagement with beneficiaries and measurable objectives to be eligible for funding.

The PCA J.P. Gleason Research Fellowship Program, offered by the Portland Cement Association, supports graduate students in engineering and physical sciences. The program aims to enhance public understanding of cement and concrete uses while addressing urgent sustainability challenges. Each fellowship provides a $35,000 grant to cover educational expenses, fostering research that optimizes cement manufacturing and promotes environmental sustainability, particularly in the context of climate change.

The Gloria Barron Wilderness Society Scholarship encourages graduate students to contribute to wilderness protection, honoring Gloria Barron's legacy. The Wilderness Society prioritizes projects addressing climate change and equitable access to public lands. Applicants must be enrolled in a U.S. graduate program, possess strong academic qualifications, and focus on long-term wilderness conservation. Research proposals on biodiversity, climate adaptation, and social-ecological contexts are particularly welcome, aiming for inclusive and impactful conservation efforts.

The FY 2024 - 2026 Broad Agency Announcement by NOAA seeks innovative research and outreach projects that enhance marine and coastal ecosystem viability. This funding opportunity is contingent on appropriations and does not guarantee specific awards or project funding. NOAA emphasizes collaboration with federal, state, and local partners to remain adaptive in addressing climate change and providing vital weather and water services, ensuring ongoing improvement in their information and services.

The Climate Smart Communities Initiative (CSCI) Grant supports US-based projects aimed at enhancing community resilience against climate change. With a budget of $1.5-2 million, grants typically range from $75,000 to $115,000. CSCI prioritizes projects that focus on historically disinvested populations facing climate vulnerabilities, emphasizing equity, nature-based solutions, and community capacity building. The initiative encourages collaboration between climate adaptation practitioners and local government entities to address climate impacts effectively.

The Stray Dog Institute Grants aim to transform food systems by providing funding and support to nonprofits focused on animal welfare, environmental advocacy, and food justice. With grant amounts typically ranging from $2,500 to $10,000, the Institute prioritizes pragmatic solutions that foster dignity, justice, and sustainability. By addressing systemic issues in food production, they promote a compassionate approach that respects both people and animals. This initiative seeks to create a sustainable future for all stakeholders in the food system.

Asia-Pacific Network for Global Change Research

The Asia-Pacific region, home to over half the world's population, faces challenges due to its development goals, which strain natural resources, communities, and cultural heritage. These issues are exacerbated by adverse environmental changes. While research has shed light on these problems, it's clear that more challenges lie ahead. The Asia-Pacific Network for Global Change Research (APN) is well-positioned to generate new knowledge and solutions for these evolving global change and sustainability issues by supporting collaborative research and scientific capacity development activities, particularly those aimed at training the next generation of early career professionals.

APN 2025 Call for Proposals: CRRP 

Through the competitive Collaborative Regional Research Programme (CRRP), we promote regional research that has potential to improve our understanding of global change and its implications while contributing to a sound scientific basis for policymaking in areas affected by global change. Under this pillar, APN supports collaborative research that contributes to the evolving science-policy arena, including the UNFCCC Paris Agreement, IPCC, IPBES, post-2015 Sustainable Development Goals, Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction and the UN Decade of Ocean Science as well as ongoing and new global change and sustainability research programmes.

Activities of interest under the CRRP Programme

APN promotes regional collaborative research that improves understanding of the physical, biological and human dimensions of change in the Earth system and advances actionable science that informs decision-making. APN accepts proposals that engage at least 3 member/approved countries in the region, and prioritise collaboratively designed, actionable research with non-academic stakeholders. Proposals must address one or more of the following activities:

• Collaborative research on global change and sustainability that particularly addresses GAPS, ANALYSIS, SYNTHESIS and ASSESSMENT work.
• Collaborative research that develops PATHWAYS and MECHANISMS to achieve sustainable development, and develop adaptation strategies.
• Collaborative PLACE-BASED INTEGRATIVE RESEARCH, particularly from developing countries.
• Collaborative research that is CO-DESIGNED to contribute to the Paris Agreeemnt, Sustainable Development Goals, Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework, UN Decade of Ocean Science (2021-2030), and the accumulation of scientific knowledge at IPCC, IPBES, etc.

Nearly a decade ago, HCLTech Grant was launched by the HCLFoundation to enable cross-sector collaboration and empower non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to play a decisive role in building a stronger, future-ready India. Today, HCLTech Grant has invested nearly $18 million in groundbreaking projects and is recognized as one of the largest grant programs in India—impacting over 27,000+ villages across 22 states and 2 UT's

HCLTech Grant for Climate Action in Americas Edition III

The future of cross-sector climate collaboration

We’re proud to bring our learnings and innovations from India to the Americas. As part of our global CSR strategy, we’ll start by investing $5 million over five years to impact-focused, Americas-based NGOs to supercharge their replicable, scalable and sustainable climate action projects. As a $13.7 billion technology company with over 218,000 people worldwide, our mission is to bring together the best of technology and people to supercharge progress for our clients, our people, our communities and our planet.

We’re looking to supercharge innovative, replicable, scalable and sustainable climate solutions. If the work you do fits the following criteria, our mission is to amplify your impact:

Prerequisites

• The organization’s bylaws should expressly permit engagement in purpose-driven projects and, where relevant, climate action initiatives, in accordance with the legal regulations of the country of registration.
• The proposed project must be designed for direct implementation by the applicant organization. Sub-granting of HCLTech funds is not allowed.
• The grant amount must not be used solely for infrastructure development / purchase of fixed assets like land, buildings, and vehicles, among others. Further, proposed infrastructure development costs must be spent in line with project objectives and activities defined.
• The applicant organization, including its governing body members, must not have any pending litigations.
• The applicant organization must not be blacklisted by any government agency, department, ministry, donor or international agency.
• The organization must not have faced cancellation of its license, registration or membership from the country-specific regulatory or statutory body.
• The applicant organization or its board members or employees must not have any political or religious affiliations.

Three organizations will be selected each year—first place will receive $500,000 and two runners-up will receive $250,000 each for a two-year project.

About

The Portland Cement Association (PCA), founded in 1916, is the premier policy, research, education, and market intelligence organization serving America’s cement manufacturers. PCA supports sustainability, innovation, and safety while fostering continuous improvement in cement manufacturing, distribution, infrastructure, and economic growth.

ACA Education Foundation Fellowship

The American Cement Association Education Foundation funds a wide variety of educational activities that will increase public knowledge regarding appropriate uses of cement and concrete. Within that global goal is a specific purpose to:

Advance general scientific understanding of cement and concrete by providing scholarships, fellowships, grants, and other support for the study of engineering and the physical sciences relating to the production and use of cement and concrete.

The support provided by the Education Foundation is used to identify and attract outstanding candidates in the field of engineering and the physical sciences and provide them with the necessary support to complete their studies. Additionally, this support is intended to provide candidates an opportunity for productive work in the cement and concrete industries.

Sustainability and Resilience

• Estimating the impact of optimized use of recycled materials, including alternative fuels and raw materials in clinker manufacture, in hydraulic cements, and in concretes, to improve the CO2 footprint, improve life-cycle performance, reduce the burden on landfills, and improve the circular economy.
• Improving recognition of concrete system performance through better use of life cycle assessments (LCAs) and environmental product declarations (EPDs) to account for both service impacts and embodied impacts of construction.
• Other research investigating the optimization of cement and concrete for sustainable and resilient concrete construction, including use of novel approaches to optimize the clinker-to-cement ratio of cement blends, or to optimize design of structural concrete.

Cement Manufacturing

• Improving raw mix burnability using mineralizers, alternative raw materials, or other means.
• Advanced grinding technology for raw materials or cements.
• Optimizing performance by separate grinding and blending of cement ingredients.
• Advancement of carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) technology, including novel approaches to capture CO2 from cement kiln emissions, beneficially utilize the captured carbon, or transport and store it.

Testing and Tools

• Quantitative method to characterize the reduction in CO2 footprint of cement manufacture using alternative fuels.
• Method or method(s) for quantitative determination of CO2 uptake in fresh and/or hardened concrete, mortar, or paste, in either laboratory or field exposures or both.
• Updated software tools with consideration of blended cements for mass concrete, crack prediction, and service life prediction of transportation structures.
• Novel non-destructive test (NDT) techniques to assess finishing timing of flatwork, especially when using concrete mixtures containing newer cementitious materials or other ingredients that may affect concrete performance.
• New or novel test methods for assessing the finishability, pumpability, bleed rate, set time, and sensitivity to early age curing that may be different for blended cements compared to traditional portland cements.

About NABT

Since its establishment in 1938, the National Association of Biology Teachers (NABT) has been the recognized "leader in life science education." Thousands of educators have joined NABT to share experiences and expertise with colleagues from around the globe; keep up with trends and developments in the field; and grow professionally.

NABT Mission

The National Association of Biology Teachers empowers educators to provide the best possible biology and life science education for all students.

Climate Education Action Award

Sponsored by NCSE, this award recognizes excellence in classroom/community education that specifically supports and promotes the accurate and robust teaching of climate science and the impact of the changing climate on society beyond the classroom. This award is presented to K-12 teachers in odd-numbered years and undergraduate and/or informal educators in even-numbered years. NCSE’s sponsorship of this award includes a $1,000 honorarium. The recipient also receives a recognition plaque to be presented at the NABT Professional Development Conference and one year of complimentary membership to NABT.

About Us

The Youth Climate Justice Fund aims to support climate justice young leaders with trust-based funding, resources, and capacity strengthening, enabling them to amplify their voices and to keep their vision and influence alive.

Collectively, we have the power to ignite meaningful change and build equitable and sustainable futures. Despite the challenges posed by the current crisis, youth climate justice organizers remain determined to address current issues and explore new approaches.

Mission & Purpose

We work to strengthen existing organizing efforts and support emerging youth-led initiatives with a focus on bridging funders and organizers to enable flexible and impactful support. Through capacity strengthening and resource sharing, we empower and support young people to drive change and build a just and sustainable future.

How To Apply

The Youth Climate Justice Fund provides funding to emerging youth-led climate justice and socio-environmental groups through a participatory decision-making process.