Search Through Grants for Environmental Projects in Connecticut in the U.S.

What does this program do?

This program provides affordable funding to develop essential community facilities in rural areas. An essential community facility is defined as a facility that provides an essential service to the local community for the orderly development of the community in a primarily rural area, and does not include private, commercial or business undertakings.

How may funds be used?

Funds can be used to purchase, construct, and / or improve essential community facilities, purchase equipment and pay related project expenses.

Examples of essential community facilities include:

• Health care facilities such as hospitals, medical clinics, dental clinics, nursing homes or assisted living facilities.
• Public facilities such as town halls, courthouses, airport hangars or street improvements.
• Community support services such as child care centers, community centers, fairgrounds or transitional housing.
• Public safety services such as fire departments, police stations, prisons, police vehicles, fire trucks, public works vehicles or equipment.
• Educational services such as museums, libraries or private schools.
• Utility services such as telemedicine or distance learning equipment.
• Local food systems such as community gardens, food pantries, community kitchens, food banks, food hubs or greenhouses.

What are the funding priorities?

• Priority point system based on population, median household income
• Small communities with a population of 5,500 or less
• Low-income communities having a median household income below 80% of the state nonmetropolitan median household income.

Grant Approval

Applicant must be eligible for grant assistance, which is provided on a graduated scale with smaller communities with the lowest median household income being eligible for projects with a higher proportion of grant funds. Grant assistance is limited to the following percentages of eligible project costs:

Maximum of 75 percent when the proposed project is:

• Located in a rural community having a population of 5,000 or fewer; and
• The median household income of the proposed service area is below the higher of the poverty line or 60 percent of the State nonmetropolitan median household income.

Maximum of 55 percent when the proposed project is:

• Located in a rural community having a population of 12,000 or fewer; and
• The median household income of the proposed service area is below the higher of the poverty line or 70 percent of the State nonmetropolitan median household income.

Maximum of 35 percent when the proposed project is:

• Located in a rural community having a population of 20,000 or fewer; and
• The median household income of the proposed service area is below the higher of the poverty line or 80 percent of the State nonmetropolitan median household income.

Maximum of 15 percent when the proposed project is:

• Located in a rural community having a population of 20,000 or fewer; and
• The median household income of the proposed service area is below the higher of the poverty line or 90 percent of the State nonmetropolitan median household income. The proposed project must meet both percentage criteria. Grants are further limited.

Our Mission

Our Mission is to promote the arts, education, and initiatives that seek to better our world by utilizing nature and the sciences.

General Grants

Our Letter of Inquiry form is the first step in the general grant process. The letter of inquiry should be used for projects that fall outside our three programs' scope. Some additional areas of focus for our Foundation include:

Environmental Ingenuity

We are working with organizations to reduce human environmental impact and increase fresh and saltwater quality.

Medical Research

Focusing on funding initiatives involving high-mortality, under-funded diseases, specifically, but not exclusively, pancreatic and colon cancer.

Visual and Performing Arts

We fund projects that provide students and children in the regions we serve with opportunities to experience quality arts programming, both visual and performing.

Veterans Initiatives

We work with several veterans organizations to provide respite locations, therapeutic programming, and service animals for our wounded, recovering, and returning servicemen, women, and members.

Please see FAQs for additional guidelines.

Mission

CLCC advocates for land conservation, stewardship and funding, and works to ensure the long-term strength and viability of the land conservation community in Connecticut.

Our Values

The Connecticut Land Conservation Council’s vision is to effect a verifiable and quantitative change in the social, political, and economic processes that conserve land. We believe in a future where land conservation is embraced as a community value that provides essential quality of life benefits to all people.

CLCC works with land trusts across the state to strengthen conservation efforts and provide equitable access to open space, and advocates for policies that support natural resources as a vital community asset. What distinguishes land trusts from other non-profits is the fact that they are created for the purpose of upholding their mission in perpetuity. CLCC makes sure that happens.

CLCC is committed to understanding and taking action alongside those we serve in addressing and promoting diversity, equity, inclusion, and environmental justice.

Transaction Assistance Grant Program

The Transaction Assistance Grant (TAG) Program seeks to accelerate the pace of land conservation by providing financial assistance to land trusts for transaction-related project costs. TAG responds to immediate conservation needs and is designed to get funding on the ground efficiently and effectively.

Iroquois’ Community Grant Program

We believe that delivering clean natural gas is part of a bigger picture. Since 1991, Iroquois has partnered with our pipeline host communities by providing unique funding programs, which empowers them to take steps to preserve their environmental heritage and increase passive recreational opportunities.

Our first program, the Land Preservation and Enhancement Program (LPEP), provided funding for more than 200 projects including the preservation of more than 12,000 acres of open space, and the creation of 22 new parks. This one-time program's success led to a 10-year successor program, the Land Enhancement and Acquisition Fund (LEAF), launched in 1995. At its conclusion in 2006, LEAF had provided assistance in completing an additional 100 projects within our communities.

Continuing our commitment to being a good corporate neighbor, Iroquois established a Community Grant Program in 2007 that provides lasting benefits to communities where Iroquois’ facilities are located. While remaining focused on environmental and passive recreation initiatives, funding areas have been expanded to include historic preservation and targeted arts & culture.

If your organization is developing a community or environmental initiative designed to provide long-term, lasting benefits, we invite you to contact us for possible funding under Iroquois’ Community Grant Program. This competitive-based program, with grants ranging from $2,500 to $10,000, is reserved exclusively for communities where Iroquois facilities are located. Priority is given to those proposals that meet established criteria and rank high with the program’s intent.

Focus Areas

Primary Focus Areas: Environmental Initiatives (Preservation, Enhancement, Education) and Passive Recreation

Secondary Focus Areas: Historic Preservation, Civic & Community, Targeted Arts & Culture

Annual Environmental Grant Program

The Rockfall Foundation is now accepting applications for its 2026 Annual Environmental Grants Program, available to non-profit organizations, municipalities, and schools. The Environmental Grants are for projects and programs that support the environment through conservation, preservation, restoration, or education in the Lower Connecticut River Valley, which includes Middlesex County as well as Lyme and Old Lyme.

Funding for materials, transportation, program/presenter fees, intern stipends and similar items are eligible.  Funding must be applied to the items/activities described in the application form. Substitutions are not permitted unless prior approval has been obtained.

Applications are rated on the following criteria:

• likelihood of proposal reaching fruition and its target audience;
• clear alignment and benefit to a priority area;
• innovation;
• engagement of youth;
• environmental justice/disadvantaged populations;
• Previous Rockfall support or existing project with proven progress;
• implications beyond the immediate purview of the proposal;
• Potential for broader application beyond the proposed activity;
• Clarity and confirmation of matching funds sources.
• likelihood on continuation without further funding from the Foundation; and
• a budget that is clear and reasonable.

Types of programs, projects and initiatives that are funded include:

• environmental education,
• responsible environmental planning,
• preservation of the Connecticut River Watershed,
• innovative solutions to waste stream management and pollution,
• open space acquisition,
• environmental justice, or
• anything consistent with the priorities listed.

Environmental Education is broadly defined, and not limited to school curricula; environmental education programs can target any age from preschool through adults. Activities that engage young people, provide hands-on experiences, offer internships, or creative approaches to learning are encouraged.

Capital projects that facilitate learning are not prohibited but will be carefully scrutinized for their application to hands-on learning. Planning projects should be approached with consideration for the natural environment and those that support sustainable communities. Preservation of the Connecticut River Watershed includes projects designed to protect and benefit the water quality of the Connecticut River watershed and raise awareness of responsible living in the watershed. 

Priority Areas

• Preservation – work to protect ecosystems, species, and other irreplaceable elements of the region’s natural heritage.
• Conservation – work to minimize our use of finite natural resources and our negative impacts on ecosystems and communities.
• Restoration – work to re-establish the healthy functions of an ecosystem or parts of ecosystems.
• Education – work to foster a stronger awareness and understanding of environmental and sustainability issues.

Founded in 1935 by Middletown philanthropist Clarence S. Wadsworth, The Rockfall Foundation is one of Connecticut’s oldest environmental organizations. The Foundation supports environmental education, conservation and planning initiatives in the Lower Connecticut River Valley through public programs and grants. In addition, the Rockfall Foundation operates the historic deKoven House Community Center that offers meeting rooms and office space for non-profit organizations.

Environmental Champions Awards

Through its Environmental Champions Awards, The Rockfall Foundation recognizes individuals and groups to highlight their contributions to the region in the area of natural resource preservation, conservation, restoration, or education. The Tom ODell Distinguished Service Award* is given for outstanding life-long accomplishments. Certificates of Appreciation are awarded to recognize significant programs and projects.

The focus areas include:

• Preservation: work to protect ecosystems, species, and other irreplaceable elements of the region’s natural heritage.
• Conservation: work to minimize our use of finite natural resources and our negative impacts on ecosystems and communities.
• Restoration: work to re-establish the healthy functions of an ecosystem or parts of ecosystems.
• Education: work to foster a stronger awareness and understanding of environmental and sustainability issues.

The nominee’s contributions must impact the Lower Connecticut River Valley, which includes the following towns: Chester, Clinton, Cromwell, Deep River, Durham, East Haddam, East Hampton, Essex, Haddam, Killingworth, Lyme, Middlefield, Middletown, Old Lyme, Old Saybrook, Portland, and Westbrook. Impacts to the Connecticut River corridor or Long Island Sound are also eligible as long as there is a benefit to at least one of the listed towns. What We FundPrograms, projects, or capacity building initiatives within one or more of the Foundation’s priority areas are eligible for funding. Annual grants support both ongoing programs and start-up initiatives. The Foundation’s grants often provide critical seed money and support for groups that do not have large budgets or staff.Ideally, these grants can be leveraged to attract additional funders.Grants typically range from $1,000 to $5,000. The available pool in 2026 for all grant awards is $31,200. The Grants Committee may schedule applicant interviews at their discretion if they believe it will be helpful to their understanding of the proposal.Funding for materials, transportation, program/presenter fees, intern stipends and similar items are eligible. Items such as food, regular operating expenses (e.g. insurance, rent, and other overhead), indirect labor, salaries and benefits are not generally funded, but may be considered for organizations under financial hardship. Funding must be applied to the items/activities described in the application form. Substitutions are not permitted unless prior approval has been obtained.

Mission

The Marjorie Moore Charitable Foundation was established in 1957 to support “charitable projects of a public nature in said Kensington,” and to promote quality educational, cultural, human services, environmental, and health care programming for underserved populations. The Moore Charitable Foundation specifically serves the people of Kensington, Connecticut.

Program Type:

• Arts, Culture, & Humanities;
• Education;
• Environment;
• Health;
• Human Services

Urban Green and Community Gardens Grant Program

The Urban Green and Community Gardens Grant Program (UGCG) is available to Distressed Municipalities, Targeted Investment Communities, and Environmental Justice Communities. It provides funding assistance to enhance urban green spaces for public enjoyment and/or environmental education. This can include green infrastructure (rain gardens/bioswales), community gardens, native plantings, and passive walking paths. Grants are awarded to projects that demonstrate the highest ability to benefit urban communities in close proximity to population centers.

DEEP's CT Recreational Trails Grants Program

Established in 2015, per CGS Section 23-103, as amended by Public Act No. 15-190, to provide funding to any private nonprofit organizations, municipalities, state departments and tribal governments in support of trail projects including:

• Planning, design and construction of new trails (motorized and non-motorized).
• Maintenance and restoration of existing trails (motorized and non-motorized).
• Access to trails by persons with disabilities.
• Purchase and lease of trail construction and maintenance equipment.
• Acquisition of land or easements for a trail, or for trail corridors.
• Operation of educational programs to promote safety and environmental protection as related to recreational trails.

Grant amounts vary and will depend upon the availability of currently uncommitted state funds. Requests should be less than 1 million dollars. Grants can pay up to 80% of total project costs, a 20% match is required.

The Peter Grayson Letz Fund for Animals and the Environment was established in 2014 to benefit environmental education and conservation, as well as domestic animals and wildlife, in New London County. The Mary Janvrin & Natalie Janvrin Wiggins Fund for Birds, Other Animals & Nature was established in 2017 and emphasizes the preservation of the natural environment and habitat for birds and other animals.

Programs that promote environmental justice, contribute to movement building, and seek to change inequitable systems through advocacy will be a priority.

Areas of Interest

Preserve the Environment

• Foster understanding of and promote action on the relationship between the health of the natural world and the health and well-being of our residents. 
• Priority given to programs that: 
• preserve and protect environmentally significant lands, waterways and wildlife habitats – for the benefit not only of the ecosystem, but for the health, livelihood and enjoyment of local residents;
• Engage youth in environmental education and activities in natural settings as they learn to become good stewards of their environment.
• Focus on environmental justice: the fair distribution of environmental benefits and burdens and meaningful participation of all communities in environmental decision-making.
• Grants between $10,000 and $50,000.

Advance Animal Welfare

• Ensure adequate protection, care and humane treatment of animals and wildlife. 
• Priority given to programs that:
• provide support of veterinary care for domestic animals, including spay and neuter services, for low-income families and abandoned pets.
• Grants between $5,000 and $35,000.

About the Fund

The Quinnipiac River Fund was established in 1990 as part of a court settlement between the Connecticut Fund for the Environment, the Natural Resources Defense Council and the Upjohn Company, concerning wastewater discharges from the Upjohn Company's plant in North Haven. Each year the Fund distributes more than $100,000 to organizations that work toward improving the environmental quality of the Quinnipiac River, New Haven Harbor and the surrounding watersheds.

Quinnipiac River Fund Grants

The mission of the Quinnipiac River Fund is to improve the environmental quality of the Quinnipiac River and New Haven Harbor and their watersheds. The committee considers projects for grant funding that work toward this goal.

Examples include:

• Studying the pollution of the waterbodies.
• Studying the ecology of the waterbodies.
• Researching methods of reducing pollution, or otherwise improving the environmental health of the waterbodies.
• Addressing means of reducing both non-point and point sources of pollution to the waterbodies.
• Researching the permitting process, researching particular permits, and making recommendations as to findings.
• Providing public education about the waterbodies.
• Purchasing land in the watersheds for conservation, pollution reduction, and/or improving public access.
• Environmental advocacy (note: funding cannot be used for litigation).
• Habitat restoration.

Overview

The Long Island Sound Stewardship Fund (LISSF) is a competitive grant program seeking proposals to restore and protect the health and living resources of Long Island Sound. We are interested in empowering communities of all kinds (including communities typically underrepresented in environmental programs and projects) to access, improve and benefit from Long Island Sound, its waterways, and surrounding lands. Up to $400,000 is expected to be available for grants in 2025. The most competitive proposals will incorporate multiple values including sustainability, resilience, and diversity, equity, and inclusion. 

The LISSF aims to:

• support non-profit 501(c)(3) public charities working on issues and projects that address the strategies and Implementation Actions of the Long Island Sound Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan (CCMP) and support communities and organizations in advancing environmental justice and diversity, equity and inclusion. 

The Long Island Sound Funders Collaborative

The Long Island Sound Funders Collaborative (the Collaborative) is a group of funders with missions that include clean waters, thriving habitats, and sustainable communities in the Long Island Sound region. While most of the funders are not solely focused on this goal, we aim to build our effectiveness through collaboration. Since its inception, the Collaborative has worked together to learn about the myriad issues facing the Sound and possible solutions.

The Nature Conservancy

The Nature Conservancy is a global environmental nonprofit working to create a world where people and nature can thrive.

Our Mission

To conserve the lands and waters on which all life depends.

Connectivity, Climate, Communities Fund

To make the highest possible impact on the climate and biodiversity crises, The Nature Conservancy (TNC) is committed to advancing solutions and supporting partners throughout the Appalachians to connect and conserve vital wildlife habitat, build resilience to the impacts of climate change, and generate new job and recreation opportunities for communities.

Approximately one-third of the U.S. population lives in or within 100 miles of the Appalachians, including an estimated 36 million people that rely on the region for sources of drinking water. The landscape contains the world's largest remaining expanses of temperate broadleaf mixed forest and provides habitat to a wide diversity of plants of animals, many of which are listed as rare, threatened, or endangered. Conserving this landscape is critical for nature and for the people that live and work there.

However as climate change drives ecosystem instability, plants and animals are shifting their ranges northward, and people are having to find ways to adapt to complex and intertwined challenges. TNC and many others have been working to conserve vital Appalachian habitats for decades. Now we must ramp up our efforts and coordinate with partners across the Appalachians for maximum impact.

To succeed in these efforts, TNC’s Connectivity, Climate, Communities Fund offers two grant programs for conservation and community organizations, municipalities, Federally Recognized Tribal Nations, and local and state agencies in the Appalachians who are working to protect and conserve this region:

• The Resilient and Connected Appalachians Grant Program
• The New York Climate Resilience Grant Program

Resilient and Connected Appalachians Grant Program

The Resilient and Connected Appalachians Grant Program provides grants of up to $100,000 for fee and easement acquisition projects throughout the Appalachians.

Equitable Conservation and Community Benefits

Conservation organizations are increasingly acknowledging the importance of incorporating social equity in their missions, partnerships, and projects and evolving how they work to have better outcomes for people and nature.

TNC defines community benefits as the positive outcomes that directly result from or are included within conservation projects as experienced by local communities and people. This is particularly important for historically marginalized communities, communities with limited access to nature, communities experiencing heightened impacts of climate change due to systemic underinvestment and poor infrastructure, and Indigenous communities. 

RCA program funding will support projects that demonstrate meaningful community engagement, work with those historically excluded from conservation, and lead to a fairer distribution of benefits for people and communities.

Some examples of community benefits include improved and greater access to nature, protection of drinking water sources, recreational and resource-based economic opportunities, flood mitigation, engagement in cross-cultural initiatives, or protection of lands that will meet community-defined conservation needs. We encourage projects with meaningful community benefits that are integrated with the land protection goals.

Project Evaluation

Projects will be evaluated  according to their capacity to deliver land protection outcomes aligned with the program goals, including:

• Location:
  • the project is located within TNC’s Appalachians Program boundary and is in or near a mapped focal area.  Projects outside of focal areas will also be considered.
• Resilience:
  • the percentage of the total project area that is part of the Resilient and Connected Network.
• Connectivity:
  • adjacency to protected lands or other attributes that will lead to landscape connectivity over time (e.g., the project is a necessary acquisition for advancing a local or regional plan that aims to protect a critical conservation corridor).
• Collaboration:
  • evidence of engagement with other organizations, community groups, or local governments (including, but not limited to, shared funding).
• Community:
  • project elements that directly engage and or benefit people, especially vulnerable or marginalized communities.
• Timeline:
  • the project will close within 12 months from the start of the grant agreement term.
• Feasibility:
  • likelihood that the project will close and the costs seem reasonable.

Background

As of November 7, 2024, the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) is accepting proposals for the Federal Fiscal Year 2025 (FY25) Clean Water Act Section 319 Nonpoint Source (NPS) Grant Program. Section 319 of the Federal Clean Water Act is a grant program to address NPS water pollution. DEEP receives these funds from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that can be passed onto municipalities, communities, local conservation groups, and many other organizations for NPS implementation projects, plans, and statewide NPS management efforts within Connecticut. Proposals may be submitted by any interested public or private organization (award recipients must be registered with the CT Secretary of State).

EPA defines NPS pollution as pollution that is “caused by diffuse sources that are not regulated as point sources and are normally associated with land use and runoff from the land.” Common NPS pollutants include: bacteria, nutrients, sediment, salt, petroleum products, heavy metals, pesticides, and debris. These pollutants are typically carried by stormwater runoff into streams, lakes, and estuaries from diffuse land use and other activities that are not regulated as point source discharges (“end of pipe”). Projects intended to meet mandated requirements of stormwater permits are not eligible for Section 319 grants. However, proposals that provide stormwater mitigation above and beyond permit requirements may be considered.

Demonstrating match from non-federal sources is an important component for the Section 319 NPS Grant program and EPA requires a 40% match for each award. Applicants should demonstrate a goal of 40% match from non-federal sources in their application.

Project Priorities for FY25

Environmental Justice and Environmental Equity

The Section 319 NPS Grant program is committed to DEEP’s NPS efforts and awareness of NPS environmental problems in environmental justice communities. In Connecticut, an environmental justice community is defined as a census block group with 30% or more of a low-income population OR a distressed municipality (https://cga.ct.gov/). Additional information can be found on DEEP’s website for Environmental Justice AND the federal census website. 

Applications for proposed work within a designated environmental justice community or which will have direct benefits to an environmental justice community will be considered a priority during the competitive review process. Applicants can determine where the environmental justice communities are in Connecticut by viewing the map.

Applicants should use the map to identify percentages for minority, poverty level and/or limited English proficiency within the environmental justice community.

DAIRY FOOD SAFETY & CERTIFICATION GRANT

The Northeast Dairy Business Innovation Center (NE-DBIC) announces the availability of funds through the Dairy Food Safety & Certification Grant program, which will provide grants for dairy farmers, processors, and/or producer associations to take actionable steps to improve the safety of dairy products. Projects funded through this program will support increased production safety standards with the goal of accessing new markets. Projects that increase marketability of dairy products will be prioritized. Activities covered by this grant include accessing technical assistance, audits, food safety plan development, training, testing fees, and certain infrastructure upgrades. 

Projects funded by this grant will allow dairy farmers, processors, and/or producer associations to take actionable steps to improve the safety of dairy products and improve marketability. Technical assistance providers or supply chain partners including distributors, co-packers and cross-dockers that would also benefit from grant activities should be listed as partners. Projects that demonstrate that grant activities will increase or expand access to market channels will be prioritized. Food safety activities under this grant should build upon baseline state and federal compliance requirements to further improve product consistency, safety, and quality of dairy products.

Grants are available to applicants in all Northeast states: Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Vermont.

Funding

Grants will range from $10,000 - $40,000 with a 25% (cash or in-kind) match commitment required. Total funds available: $250,000. 

Required Project Criteria

The following criteria must be addressed:

• Must build upon dairy business’ existing baseline compliance with food safety requirements.
• Project increases the safety of dairy products produced in the Northeast.
• Business/organization can sustain the changes/improvements past the grant period.

Health and Environmental Justice

This new grant area combines two of the Foundation’s old grant areas including Healthy Communities and Environment. Within Health and Environmental Justice, we recognize that your health is influenced by where you are born, live, learn, work, play, worship and age. We know that improving health outcomes requires an approach that supports a whole person within their community. Data shows us that there are differences in the environments within which residents live across our region. 

• Waterbury has the highest live birth rate and highest infant mortality rate in Connecticut.
• Access to prenatal care varies by community. In Waterbury over 18% of pregnant women received late or no prenatal care, this number increases for Black and Latina mothers.
• Children in Waterbury are disproportionately affected by asthma. Slightly more than 21% have been diagnosed with asthma compared to the 15% in Connecticut and 13.4% in the nation.
• In 2016, out of cities with at least, 100,000 residents, Waterbury had the highest eviction rate in the Northeast and it is the 22nd highest in the nation.
• 43% of residents in the Foundation’s region who make $15,000 or less report not having enough money to buy food for their families

Our approach focuses on:

• Supporting programs, advocacy and system change efforts that address health disparity
• Increasing access to safe and affordable housing
• Improving food systems to ensure access and affordability
• Improving health systems to ensure access, culturally responsive practices, and affordability
• Applying an Environmental Justice lens to projects that seek to clean up land, air and neighborhoods in order to positively impact health

Efforts we support include:

• Collaborations that improve access to basic needs (such as food and housing) and to preventative health care especially for BIPOC residents
• Evidence-based prevention and chronic disease management programs for diabetes, obesity, tobacco use, asthma, mental health first aid, and falls
• Housing advocacy efforts that address high eviction rates, safe housing (lead abatement) and affordability in Waterbury
• Expanding access to behavioral health and substance abuse interventions, especially in multi-lingual and rural communities
• System improvements that support increased access to medical and behavioral health services (such as transportation and telehealth)
• Efforts to advocate for environmental justice in Waterbury and work toward reducing environmental disparities across communities.

Dominion Energy Charitable Foundation

Grants from the Dominion Energy Charitable Foundation are distributed in four focus areas (human needs, environmental stewardship, education, community vitality) and are limited to organizations defined as tax-exempt under Section 501(c)(3) of the IRS code.

Grant applications will be accepted online during two annual grant cycles, one in the spring and one in the fall.

Funding

Most grant awards range from $1,000 to $15,000, while higher amounts may be awarded when a program is an exceptional fit. We often receive funding requests far in excess of our Foundation budget. Regrettably we must often decline support for otherwise worthy proposals. Such a response does not reflect on Dominion Energy's view of the value of the organization or its services.

Anne S. Richardson Fund

The Fund was created in the mid-1960s under the will of Anne S. Richardson to support charitable purposes.

Funding Interests

• Eight organizations recommended by Miss Richardson;
• In Ridgefield, Connecticut: programs that assist lower-income people or are of broad interest to the community; and
• In Connecticut (particularly Fairfield County): programs that promote the independence of women, support the lesbian and gay community, encourage youth development, or promote environmental conservation. See grant page for this opportunity here.

Type of Support

Project, capital and, in limited circumstances, operating.

The Claire C. Bennitt Watershed Fund, Inc. partners with local land trusts, municipalities, state agencies and others to protect threatened watershed lands. It is proud of its efforts to protect water quality while adding value to a community’s quality of life by protecting open spaces.

Purpose of Grants

• To award grants for the acquisition of title, conservation easements, and/or development rights to watershed land for the purpose of protecting, preserving, and enhancing water quality now and for future generations throughout the region.
• To award grants to organizations providing education in the appreciation of and preservation of our environment, with particular emphasis on the understanding of our water resources, the negative impacts of development and other activities on water quality, and the benefits to water quality and the environment of preserving watershed land as open space.

Funding

Such grants typically do not exceed $10,000.

The EPOC Grant Program provides non-profit and not-for-profit environmental advocacy groups, community based groups and environmental education organizations funding for local projects that benefit the environment.

The applications will be judged against the environmental benefits of the project and compared to the other grant submittals. Environmental benefits can vary widely and successful applications may include projects within Connecticut that improve the environment, such as:

• property and watershed clean-ups,
• reforestation efforts,
• biodiversity projects,
• streamside buffer restoration projects,
• monitoring environmental conditions of watersheds or ecosystems and
• hazardous waste collection efforts.

Also, proposals that promote environmental education and development of youth for careers in the environmental field will be considered.

NRCS Conservation Innovation Grants

Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG) is a competitive program that supports the development of new tools, approaches, practices, and technologies to further natural resource conservation on private lands. Through creative problem solving and innovation, CIG partners work to address our nation's water quality, air quality, soil health and wildlife habitat challenges, all while improving agricultural operations.

There are three annual Conservation Innovation Grants funding opportunities:

National CIG Classic

National competition for projects that support the early-stage development and piloting of new tools, practices and technologies to further natural resource conservation on private lands.

State CIG Classic

State-level competitions for projects that support early-stage development and piloting of new tools, practices and technologies to further natural resource conservation on private lands. While the overall goal and approach match those of CIG Classic, CIG state competitions fund projects that target state-identified conservation priorities. Each year, NRCS state offices may elect to administer their own CIG competitions. State CIG competitions are announced separately from national competitions.

CIG On-Farm Conservation Innovation Trials (On-Farm Trials)

National competition for projects that support more widespread adoption and evaluation of innovative conservation approaches in partnership with agricultural producers. On-Farm Trials Awardees provide technical assistance and incentive payments to producers to help compensate for risks associated with implementation of new conservation practices, systems and approaches. Awardees also evaluate the environmental, financial and social (to the extent possible) impacts of implementing innovative approaches. The Soil Health Demo Trial is a priority within the On-Farm Trials competition which focuses exclusively on implementation of conservation practices and systems that improve soil health.

The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection partners with the US Forest Service to implement the Connecticut Forest Legacy Program (FLP). The FLP helps to identify and conserve environmentally important forests. The program protects working forests, those forests that protect water quality and provide habitat, forest products, opportunities for recreation and other public benefits.

The program encourages and supports acquisition of conservation easements. Conservation easements are legally binding agreements transferring a negotiated set of property rights from one party to another, without transferring property ownership. Most FLP conservation easements restrict development, require sustainable forestry practices, and protect various environmental values. There are also limited instances under the program where properties are purchased outright for their conservation values. 

In Connecticut, the Forest Legacy Program is jointly run by the Division of Forestry and the Land Acquisition and Management Division within the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. The Forest Legacy Program Coordinator's position resides in the Division of Forestry.

1. Introduction

The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) is dedicated to conserving, improving, and protecting our natural resources and the environment, and increasing the availability of affordable, cleaner, and more reliable energy. DEEP’s Urban and Community Forestry Program achieves these goals by supporting healthy urban forests that provide multiple benefits to residents of Connecticut. Urban forests reduce elevated urban temperatures, mitigate air pollution, contribute to stormwater management and filtration, and provide multiple health benefits for residents. These collective impacts provide economic benefits by reducing energy and healthcare costs. Urban trees have also been found to boost local businesses and support economic development. Finally, trees contribute to livable communities and support community cohesion, hence the name of this grant, “Trees for Communities.”

Through financial support provided by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service, DEEP’s Urban and Community Forestry (UCF) Program requests proposals for the Trees for Communities Grant Program. Awards are for up to $200,000; no match is required. 

2. Goals of the Program

The Trees for Communities Grant Program addresses the uneven distribution of tree canopy across Connecticut by providing financial support for urban forestry projects in communities of need. Projects must increase tree cover or contribute to other urban forestry objectives such as improvement of forest health or utilization of urban wood. Projects must be rooted in community support and demonstrate efforts to meaningfully incorporate community needs into the project design. 

Trees for Communities Grant Program

The Trees for Communities Grant Program addresses the uneven distribution of tree canopy across Connecticut by providing financial support for urban forestry projects in communities of need. Projects must increase tree cover or contribute to other urban forestry objectives such as improvement of forest health or utilization of urban wood. Projects must be rooted in community support and demonstrate efforts to meaningfully incorporate community needs into project design.

The Trees for Communities Grant Program supports a variety of urban and community forestry projects including but not limited to:

• Tree planting on private lands with permission of landowner
• Engaging groups in urban forest planning and planting 
• Work force development 
• Invasive species management 
• Urban wood utilization
• Impervious surface removal to create space for tree planting 

Projects must demonstrate direct benefit to communities indicated in DEEP’s Urban Forestry Grant Screening Tool.