Search Through Grants for Land Conservation in New York in the U.S.

About the Foundation

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's emphasis stems from its founding Directors' beliefs that the conservation of special places in our environment, and providing public accessibility to those conservation areas, is a desirable end in itself; but it is also a means of building public support for future land and river conservation by increasing the direct connection between individuals and their environment, and fostering active participation in the work of conservation.

The Foundation hopes to nurture such efforts by making grants under the following priorities:

• Project grants for trailmaking and other enhancement of public access to conservation lands, rivers, coastlines and other natural resources;
• Land acquisition for conservation;
• Assistance in establishment of stewardship as a component of a land protection project; and
• Directly related education programs and publications as components of a land protection project.

The Foundation is looking for grantmaking opportunities where a modest investment of grant funds can help in a significant way to improve public access to and enjoyment of natural areas, while maintaining the health and integrity of the environment. 

Grant Size and Type

The expected range of grants is $500 to $25,000, with most falling within the range of $2,000 to $15,000.

Whenever possible we seek to expand the impact of limited funds through challenge grants, conditional grants, matching grants, and special initiatives, and by collaborating with other donors in joint funding efforts.

We welcome joint applications by two or more organizations coordinating their efforts on a single project.

Our Mission

The mission of the Syracuse Parks Conservancy is to ensure that all Syracuse parks, public lands and their habitats are sustainably protected, restored, enhanced and developed for the educational, recreational and wellness uses of our citizens and their guests. The SPC will accomplish this by directing and managing these lands and facilities in a public-private partnership with the City of Syracuse. The SPC is a 501(c)(3) non profit organization.

Neighborhood Greening Grants

The Syracuse Parks Conservancy (SPC) believes that well-kept community spaces contribute to the life and vitality of neighborhoods. By taking care of our neighborhood environment, we create places where residents can gather and interact, thus strengthening the neighborhood’s social fabric and improving its quality of life.

In cooperation with the Central New York Community Foundation and the Syracuse Department of Parks, Recreation, and Youth Programs, the Neighborhood Greening Grants Program awards up to $2000 in grants to support small, targeted initiatives that provide resources, training and support to organizations that work to improve their communities through park and recreation center stewardship. SPC especially encourages initiatives that are planned and implemented primarily by neighborhood/community-based groups led by local area residents.

What Are Some Sample Projects:

• Community garden and rain garden development and improvement
• Park clean-up
• Beautification of neighborhood entrances
• Trail development
• Vacant lot cleanup and restoration projects
• Funded items can include plant materials, park signs, maintenance tools, playground mulch, recreational activity equipment, and other needed supplies

Awards

Groups will be notified of a decision by Syracuse Parks Conservancy staff via phone, email and/or mail within ten (10) business days.

Grants are awarded on a rolling basis in amounts not to exceed $2000 per grant. The Syracuse Parks Conservancy reserves the right to consider a second or more grants from the same neighborhood /community on a case-by-case basis. A report on the outcomes of the grant is required within one month after completion.

Lake Champlain Basin Program

Mission

The Lake Champlain Basin Program (LCBP) coordinates and funds efforts that benefit the Lake Champlain Basin’s water quality, fisheries, wetlands, wildlife, recreation, and cultural resources, in partnership with government agencies from New York, Vermont, and Québec, private organizations, local communities, and individuals.

Land Aquisition and Conservation RFP

The Patrick Leahy Lake Champlain Basin Program (“LCBP”) and the New England Interstate Water Pollution Control Commission (“NEIWPCC”) are pleased to announce a Request for Proposals (RFP) for the acquisition of land or conservation easements on land located in the U.S. portion of the Lake Champlain Basin to further LCBP’s goals, as outlined in LCBP’s Management Plan entitled Opportunities for Action: An Evolving Plan for the Future of the Lake Champlain Basin.

Awards from this competition will support projects resulting in the acquisition of fee simple interest or conservation easements with the primary goal of advancing Clean Water and Healthy Ecosystems in alignment with LCBP’s core goals. Priority will be given to projects that protect or improve water quality, enhance aquatic, riparian, or shoreline habitat for native species or provide flood resiliency. Opportunities to increase public access for recreation, along with other benefits consistent with LCBP goals, will be considered as co-benefits but should not be the primary purpose of projects supported through this program.

Requests for funds solely to support stewardship costs associated with existing conserved lands will not be considered

Each applicant may request a minimum of $100,000 up to a maximum of $4,000,000 for an individual proposal. Multiple proposals will be accepted from a single organization in response to this RFP.

New York Pollinator Conservation Fund

U.S. pollinator populations have declined significantly over the past 50 years. For example, the eastern monarch butterfly population has fallen by more than 90 percent since the 1990s. In 2022, the Empire State Native Pollinator Survey found that at least 40 percent of pollinator species native to New York are at risk of disappearing from the State, threatening the future growth of crops and wildflowers. In 2023, the Office of the New York State Attorney General obtained $6.9 million in a settlement with Bayer CropScience LP and Monsanto over alleged false and misleading claims about the safety of certain Roundup® brand consumer herbicides.

The Office of the New York State Attorney General selected The New York Community Trust (The Trust) to administer the New York Pollinator Conservation Fund (the Fund), a $2.5 million program to support projects that benefit pollinator species negatively affected by pesticides across the state through activities including habitat management, restoration, and enhancement, as well as pollinator research, monitoring, education, and outreach. The Fund will make grants that: 

• benefit pollinator species affected by pesticides in New York
• reflect a spectrum of organizational sizes and capacities
• ensure an appropriate geographic distribution of the available funding
• conform to the terms of the settlement agreement

Over the next two years, the Fund will make grants to nonprofits, localities, and Indigenous Nations for projects that will protect pollinators consistent with the recommendations of the 2016 New York State Pollinator Protection Plan and subsequent updates, which is a framework for the state to conserve and grow its pollinator population. Projects must focus on one or more of the following: 

• Preventing, abating, mitigating, or controlling prior or ongoing water, land, or air pollution affecting pollinators and their habitat
• Creating, managing, restoring, or enhancing pollinator habitat, including working with property owners or managers
• Undertaking pollinator-related research, monitoring, education, and outreach
• Working with tribal authorities and local governments to support the development and implementation of pollinator-friendly policies, programs, and activities

Type 1: One-Year Project Grants:

Nonprofits with annual operating budgets of up to $150,000 may apply for one-year grants ranging from $10,000 to $50,000 for smaller-scale projects. Projects could include:

• habitat creation, restoration, or enhancement on a combined 3 acres or less;
• site assessment, planning, and securing relevant professional services such as a landscape architect or horticulturalists;
• procurement of native plants, seeds, and other materials to support pollinator conservation efforts;
• community-based research such as place-based pollinator surveys;
• adoption of sustainable horticultural practices, including obtaining relevant certifications such as Pollinator Partnership’s Pollinator Steward Certification or the National Garden Clubs’ Pollinator Garden Certification; and
• activities to raise public awareness and promote community stewardship of pollinators.

New York Pollinator Conservation Fund

U.S. pollinator populations have declined significantly over the past 50 years. For example, the eastern monarch butterfly population has fallen by more than 90 percent since the 1990s. In 2022, the Empire State Native Pollinator Survey found that at least 40 percent of pollinator species native to New York are at risk of disappearing from the State, threatening the future growth of crops and wildflowers. In 2023, the Office of the New York State Attorney General obtained $6.9 million in a settlement with Bayer CropScience LP and Monsanto over alleged false and misleading claims about the safety of certain Roundup® brand consumer herbicides.

The Office of the New York State Attorney General selected The New York Community Trust (The Trust) to administer the New York Pollinator Conservation Fund (the Fund), a $2.5 million program to support projects that benefit pollinator species negatively affected by pesticides across the state through activities including habitat management, restoration, and enhancement, as well as pollinator research, monitoring, education, and outreach. The Fund will make grants that: 

• benefit pollinator species affected by pesticides in New York
• reflect a spectrum of organizational sizes and capacities
• ensure an appropriate geographic distribution of the available funding
• conform to the terms of the settlement agreement

Over the next two years, the Fund will make grants to nonprofits, localities, and Indigenous Nations for projects that will protect pollinators consistent with the recommendations of the 2016 New York State Pollinator Protection Plan and subsequent updates, which is a framework for the state to conserve and grow its pollinator population. Projects must focus on one or more of the following: 

• Preventing, abating, mitigating, or controlling prior or ongoing water, land, or air pollution affecting pollinators and their habitat
• Creating, managing, restoring, or enhancing pollinator habitat, including working with property owners or managers
• Undertaking pollinator-related research, monitoring, education, and outreach
• Working with tribal authorities and local governments to support the development and implementation of pollinator-friendly policies, programs, and activities

Type 2: Two-Year Project Grants:

Nonprofits with annual operating budgets of up to $4 million may apply for two-year grants from $150,000 to $300,000 total (up to $150,000 per year) for grants to, among other things:

• create, restore, or enhance pollinator habitat on a combined 3 or more acres;
• support sustainable land management practices on larger parcels or properties;
• promote pollinator-friendly policies, practices, and programs in local jurisdictions;
• develop innovative financing strategies to support pollinator conservation; conduct practical research on the effects of agrochemicals, genetically modified plants, and other technologies on pollinator health; and
• establish or advance multijurisdictional pollinator conservation initiatives.

New York Pollinator Conservation Fund

U.S. pollinator populations have declined significantly over the past 50 years. For example, the eastern monarch butterfly population has fallen by more than 90 percent since the 1990s. In 2022, the Empire State Native Pollinator Survey found that at least 40 percent of pollinator species native to New York are at risk of disappearing from the State, threatening the future growth of crops and wildflowers. In 2023, the Office of the New York State Attorney General obtained $6.9 million in a settlement with Bayer CropScience LP and Monsanto over alleged false and misleading claims about the safety of certain Roundup® brand consumer herbicides.

The Office of the New York State Attorney General selected The New York Community Trust (The Trust) to administer the New York Pollinator Conservation Fund (the Fund), a $2.5 million program to support projects that benefit pollinator species negatively affected by pesticides across the state through activities including habitat management, restoration, and enhancement, as well as pollinator research, monitoring, education, and outreach. The Fund will make grants that: 

• benefit pollinator species affected by pesticides in New York
• reflect a spectrum of organizational sizes and capacities
• ensure an appropriate geographic distribution of the available funding
• conform to the terms of the settlement agreement

Over the next two years, the Fund will make grants to nonprofits, localities, and Indigenous Nations for projects that will protect pollinators consistent with the recommendations of the 2016 New York State Pollinator Protection Plan and subsequent updates, which is a framework for the state to conserve and grow its pollinator population. Projects must focus on one or more of the following: 

• Preventing, abating, mitigating, or controlling prior or ongoing water, land, or air pollution affecting pollinators and their habitat
• Creating, managing, restoring, or enhancing pollinator habitat, including working with property owners or managers
• Undertaking pollinator-related research, monitoring, education, and outreach
• Working with tribal authorities and local governments to support the development and implementation of pollinator-friendly policies, programs, and activities

Type 3: Two-Year Government and Large Organization Partnership Grants:

Nonprofits, localities, and Indigenous Nations with annual operating budgets greater than $4 million may apply for matching grants of up to $100,000 for the creation, restoration, or enhancement of large scale pollinator habitat. Grants in this category require the applicant to have secured additional funding for the project at least equivalent to the requested grant amount at the point of application.

Agricultural Land Easements

Agricultural Land Easements (ALE) help private and tribal landowners, land trusts, and other entities such as state and local governments protect croplands and grasslands on working farms and ranches by limiting non-agricultural uses of the land through conservation easements.

Benefits

Agricultural Land Easements protect the long-term viability of the nation’s food supply by preventing conversion of productive working lands to non-agricultural uses. Land protected by agricultural land easements provides additional public benefits, including environmental quality, historic preservation, wildlife habitat and protection of open space. Additionally, ALE easements leverage local partnerships to match NRCS funding and local partners are responsible for the long-term stewardship of the easement.

How does it work?

NRCS provides financial assistance to eligible partners for purchasing Agricultural Land Easements that protect the agricultural use and conservation values of eligible land.

For working farms, the program helps farmers and ranchers keep their land in agriculture. Under the Agricultural Land Easement component, NRCS may contribute up to 50 percent of the fair market value of the agricultural land easement.

The program also protects grazing uses and related conservation values by conserving grassland, including rangeland, pastureland and shrubland. Where NRCS determines that grasslands of special environmental significance will be protected, NRCS may contribute up to 75 percent of the fair market value of the agricultural land easement.

Agricultural Land Easements are permanent or for the maximum term allowed by law.

About PCLB

The Peter and Carmen Lucia Buck Foundation (PCLB) was formed in 1999, by Dr. Peter Buck and his wife Carmen Lucia as a private family foundation to manage their family’s philanthropy in a thoughtful and strategic manner.

PCLB’s work is anchored by its mission statement, “giving motivated people the tools they need to help themselves.” These tools are about more than grants and include guidance, connections, convening, information, and other forms of assistance that the foundation and its grantees can provide. PCLB looks to support the highest‐quality organizations that show initiative, leadership, and innovation in solving issues that are meaningful to the family and the communities where family members live.

Program Areas

PCLB makes grants in five program areas:

• Education
• Outdoors
• Science
• Medicine
• Family Projects

Our choice of work in these program areas is guided by a desire for strategic and systemic change, by our founders’ intent, by our Board members’ interests, and by our staff’s expertise.

Within these program areas, we seek to support the highest-quality, most effective organizations that align with our broad mission of giving motivated people the tools they need to help themselves and that align with our more specific program area goals. Broadly, we provide the following types of financial support:

• General Operating: PCLB prefers to make general operating grants, to give our grantees the greatest ability to do the work they know is most important to meet our shared goals. Generally, we have general operating relationships with organizations that last for an extended period, recognizing that many of the issues on which we work take time to address.
• Restricted Support: PCLB also makes restricted grants, often to focus on areas of particular geographic interest or to support a specific department or area of work within an organization that has a broad scope.
• Big Bets: Philanthropy is uniquely positioned to take risks and try big things. In this spirit, PCLB makes a limited number of grants to fund especially large, time-limited projects that have the potential to change narratives around and trajectories of grantees’ work.
• Program-Related Investments: PCLB makes Program-Related Investments (PRIs) in the form of low-interest loans. PRIs are offered to current PCLB grantees to complete land conservation projects and to meet the facility needs of charter schools. Loans are evaluated on a case-by-case basis, within guidelines established by the Foundation.

The New York State Conservation Partnership Program is an innovative public-private partnership between the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and the Alliance’s New York Program.

New York State Conservation Partnership Program Grants

The Land Trust Alliance (Alliance), with support from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) is pleased to announce the twenty-second round of competitive land trust grants through the New York State Conservation Partnership Program (NYSCPP). This successful public-private partnership is funded through the state Environmental Protection Fund (EPF) and administered by the Alliance, in coordination with the DEC.

Throughout its history, the Conservation Partnership Program has awarded 1,269 grants totaling more than $34 million to over 90 land trusts working across New York and has leveraged at least $34.6 million in local matching funds, helping land trusts conserve tens of thousands of acres of farmland, wildlife habitat, recreational areas and urban open spaces. 

Conservation Partnership Program Grants are available in five categories:

• Capacity & Excellence
  • Grants to develop land trust programs and build organizational capacity to increase impact and sustainability of non-profit conservation organizations.

• Conservation Catalyst
  • Grants to support collaborative projects that “catalyze” new partnerships and community-supported conservation, stewardship and outreach initiatives.

• Professional Development
  • Grants for land trusts looking to professionalize and strengthen programs and services by adding permanent staff.

• Stewardship & Resource Management
  • Grants for land trusts seeking to make a substantial capital investment in public access improvements and on the ground stewardship of conserved properties.

• Transaction
  • Grants that help cover the indirect costs associated with new conservation easements and fee-acquisition projects that result in strategic, permanent protection of environmentally significant lands in New York.

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.

Niagara Power Project Relicensing

Over the course of the 50 year license in support of its operating license for the Niagara Power Project, the New York Power Authority (NYPA) will provide more than $1 billion worth of benefits to Western New York. These benefits include monetary payments to settlement partners consisting of local municipalities, state agencies, an Indian nation, school districts, and committees supporting the development of the Niagara River Greenway. The amount also includes payments by NYPA for the construction of recreational projects and ecological enhancements related to the License. In addition to monetary benefits, 32 MW of low-cost hydropower has been allocated to several settlement partners saving the recipients as much as 75% of the cost of energy.

Greenway Ecological Standing Committee

The Greenway Ecological Standing Committee (GESC) is funded since the issuance of the new FERC license via an annual NYPA contribution to a Greenway Ecological Fund of $1 million until 2057 (i.e., until the end of the new license). It is responsible for the review of ecological projects that are proposed by stakeholders for funding through the Greenway Ecological Fund (GEF), with two submittal and review cycles each year. In order to be considered for GEF funding, all projects must receive a determination of “consistency” with the Niagara River Greenway Plan from the Niagara River Greenway Commission (i.e., Commission review for consistency occurs prior to submittal to the Greenway Ecological Standing Committee.

Funding will be for projects that create and support ecological enhancements within the Niagara Greenway. Projects should support at least one of the following: land acquisition and conservation; habitat research; aquatic and terrestrial land restoration for habitat and species benefits and/or ecosystem services; ecological stewardship activities and education.

Proposals must provide written documentation of consistency with the Niagara River Greenway Plan, as determined by the Niagara River Greenway Commission any time prior to submission to the Greenway Ecological Standing Committee for funding. Other factors to be addressed include engineering and maintenance feasibility, operation, biological effectiveness, and cost effectiveness.

The Greenway Ecological Standing Committee includes the New York Power Authority, the US Fish and Wildlife Service, the Tuscarora Nation, the Tonawanda Seneca Nation, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, and the Niagara Relicensing Environmental Coalition. The Committee has one million dollars per year through 2057 available from the Greenway Ecological Fund.

The John Ben Snow Foundation is a private foundation that focuses funding for tax-exempt organizations primarily serving Central New York defined as Onondaga County and its four surrounding counties of Cayuga, Cortland, Madison, and Oswego. The Board and Program Staff seek to collaboratively create proposals within specific Grant Programs while responding to the changing needs of targeted populations. We especially seek to close the opportunity gap for individuals who are under-resourced. 

Dating back to the inception of the Foundation in 1948, the primary and overarching grant making priority has been and continues to be programs that focus on education.

• Education: Primary and secondary education, literacy, and vocational training are essential ingredients to improving life outcomes. To reduce barriers that limit equitable opportunities and expand equal access to quality education. Supporting early childhood education, academic tutoring, literacy, college access, internships, scholarships, fellowships, and journalism focused on underrepresented populations and first generation students

Secondarily, the Foundation considers proposals within the areas of Arts and Culture, Community Initiatives, and Youth Programs. The Board’s objective is to extend the primary educational focus by providing funding support within these additional program areas.

• Arts and Culture: Engagement in the arts creates a stronger and more vibrant community and culture.To foster arts education and appreciation. Through educational curriculum, instruction, and engagement of young adults via visiting artists or performances
• Community Initiatives: A resilient social infrastructure is essential to a healthy local community. To directly enhance the lives of residents within our core geographic regions by expanding services that bridge the poverty gap. Investing in community centers, safe and affordable housing, human services delivered by shelters and food pantries, and veterans services.
• Youth Programs: Encouraging young adults to dream and equipping them to succeed can change the trajectory of their lives. To empower young adults in their personal development and to equip them in their professional aspirations. Developing sustained relationships that offer one-on-one mentoring, character education, skills training, and violence prevention.

As a third priority, the Foundation does consider proposals in the areas of Disabilities and Universal Access, Environmental, and Historic Preservation. As these are not core focus areas, funding is often limited. Priority will be given to proposals with an educational focus.

• Disabilities and Universal Access: A person with a physical, mental, or emotional disability should have equal access to opportunity within the community. To support services for individuals with a disability as well as provide universal access to facilities for these individuals. Supporting programs for people with disabilities as well as required facility renovations to enable universal access.
• Environmental: Stewardship of the local environment is a fundamental responsibility. To support environmental education and conservation initiatives. Through educational instruction and materials (e.g., curriculum, brochures, signs) coupled with protection of strategic parcels of land and water.
• Historic Preservation: Preservation of our history is important in order to educate the broader population on past events to inform current events. To preserve historical accounts and artifacts to benefit future generations. Through educational instruction and materials (e.g., curriculum, brochures, signs) coupled with protection of sites, structures, objects, and events.

There are no minimums or maximum grant amounts; however, most grants range from $5,000 to $10,000.

About The Memorial Trust

In 1975, two years after his death, The John Ben Snow Memorial Trust was established in New York. The four original trustees were a member of the Snow family, a lawyer, a publishing associate and a corporate trustee, the Irving Trust Company, now BNY Mellow N.A.. The current Trustees continue this legacy being well aware of the donor and his beliefs, values and ideals. The John Ben Snow Memorial Trust strategically focuses funding within specific geographic regions of the United States across a range of program areas. They meet once a year, usually in June.

The John Ben Snow Memorial Trust

The Memorial Trust strategically focuses funding within specific geographic regions of the United States across a range of program areas (prioritized below and visually depicted here) while responding to the ever-changing needs of various segments of the population, especially to the needs of youth and people who are disadvantaged economically, emotionally, or physically.

Dating back to the inception of the Trust in 1973, the primary and overarching grant making priority has been and continues to be programs that focus on education.

• Education: Targets funds to organizations that provide educational opportunities or academic assistance to individuals who demonstrate an intellectual aptitude and a financial need. Examples include scholarships, fellowships, academic tutoring or counseling, literacy, and journalism.

Secondarily, the Trust considers proposals within the areas of Arts and Culture, Community Initiatives, and Youth Programs. The Board’s objective is to extend the primary educational focus by providing funding support within these additional program areas.

• Community Initiatives: Provides funding for programs or services that directly improve the quality of life within the geographic focus areas that we serve. Examples include support for libraries, food pantries and shelters, and neighborhood revitalization. Generally, the Trust does not seek proposals for health care initiatives or animal welfare programs.
• Arts and Culture: Offers grants that promote arts education and appreciation, particularly for young adults, via the development of educational curriculum and professional instruction including visiting artists and performance support for targeted populations.
• Youth Initiatives: Offers grants that provide character education or enrichment opportunities via mentoring or after-school programming

As a third priority, the Trust does consider proposals in the areas of Disabilities and Universal Access, Environmental, and Historic Preservation. As these are not core focus areas, funding is often limited. Priority will be given to proposals with an educational focus.

• Disabilities and Universal Access: Offers grants to organizations in complying with ADA requirements within their facilities (e.g. elevator, handrails, automatic doors, and ramps) or offering services targeted for individuals with physical, mental, or emotional disabilities.
• Environmental: Provides funds for organizations that strive to protect strategic parcels of land and bodies of water as well as programs that educate the general public on key environmental issues such as conservation and water management.
• Historic Preservation: Provides funding for organizations that preserve historical artifacts (e.g. sites, structures, objects) and accounts (e.g. events), and educate the greater community on their significance. Examples include museums, historical societies and educational programming.

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

New York Climate Resilience Grant Program

The Nature Conservancy is pleased to announce a fifth round of funding available in New York through our Climate Resilience Grant Program. The program supports conservation and climate adaptation projects, including land protection, led by local organizations, with the goal of increasing resilience to climate change for people and nature. Program grants will help local organizations with fee and easement acquisitions of lands that connect with important floodplains and shorelines that mitigate flooding and erosion. The grants will also provide funding for organizational capacity building, planning and strategy development.

Resilient Floodplains and Shorelines

Natural infrastructure, like floodplains, streams, wetlands, tidal marshes, beaches, dunes and bluffs, help mitigate flooding and erosion. We refer to these features as resilient floodplains and shorelines. They also benefit people and nature by filtering water, recharging groundwater, offering recreational opportunities, providing habitat and enhancing human wellbeing. 

New York is experiencing more intense rainfall, erosion and sea level rise.  To ensure our communities are resilient to climate change impacts like flooding and erosion, we must plan for future conditions, engage with people affected by flooding, and collaborate with nature to keep people safe and allow nature to adapt. By conserving undeveloped lands along rivers, streams and coasts, we mitigate flooding, preserve migration pathways and habitats, maintain water quality, facilitate the movement of sediment, and protect drinking water and aquifers.

The Climate Resilience Grant Program offers grants for projects and initiatives that support conservation and resiliency planning, build organizational capacity and help develop climate focused strategies. The program also supports land acquisition projects that:

• Maintain natural buffers between people and flooding or erosion, particularly in areas where natural lands are threatened by development,
• help lessen harmful impacts to communities from floods,
• and make floodplain and shoreline habitats more resilient.

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. 

Climate Resilience Grant 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 Types

The Climate Resilience Grant Program invites applications for two types of projects:

• Projects that strengthen an organization’s planning, capacity or strategy initiatives that will ultimately lead to actions that will help make species, habitats and communities more resilient to climate change. 
• Projects that result in the permanent fee or easement acquisition of lands that contain or intersect with floodplains; coastal sediment sources and natural, protective infrastructure like beaches and dunes; or tidal marshes and marsh migration corridors. These Resilient Floodplains and Shorelines features are shown on the program’s online map viewer.

Project Evaluation

Planning, capacity and strategy projects will be evaluated according to the following criteria:

• Planning:
  • The project develops or updates an existing plan to advance climate resilience and landscape connectivity and/or climate adaptation initiatives in your work.
• Capacity:
  • The project increases your capacity for engaging in land protection projects, conservation planning, climate-focused strategy development and community engagement (e.g., staff professional development, skills enrichment, technology access or skills, grant or financial resources).
• Strategy:
  • The project advances strategies to incorporate or expand equitable climate resilience and connectivity or climate adaptation principles into your work.
    • This may include expanding, innovating or developing new kinds of work for your organization related to climate resilient land protection and equitable conservation, as well as funding for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Justice training, support for community engagement, development of communication or media campaigns, or convening non-traditional or historically excluded partners.

Resilient Floodplains and Shorelines land acquisition projects will be evaluated on the following criteria:

• Size:
  • Total acres of Resilient Floodplains and Shorelines features within the project area (the context of the property to its surroundings will be considered).
• Connectivity:
  • The property adjoins or is near other protected lands or waters and/or is part of a floodplain complex (see online map viewer)
• Timeline:
  • The anticipated closing is before deadline on website.
• Collaboration: 
  • Evidence of engagement with other organizations, community groups or local governments.
• Community:
  • Project elements that directly engage or help people, especially vulnerable or marginalized groups.

All projects will also be evaluated for:

• Clarity of project goal(s) and how the project increases organizational capacity to achieve climate resilience and connectivity and/or climate adaptation outcomes
• Degree of collaboration with or support from other conservation organizations, community groups, local governments or Tribal Nations
• Feasibility of project and reasonable costs.

Funding

The total amount of funding available is $500,000. Applicants may apply for up to $50,000 for a project. Grant awards may be less than the amount requested. Projects must be completed within twelve months of the start of the grant term.

Planning, capacity and strategy grant recipients will receive an initial payment followed by two additional payments tied to interim and final reporting requirements.

Land acquisition project awards are disbursed up front, except for any portion of the grant allocated for stewardship and legal defense, which will be provided after closing.

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.

Grant Information

Jonathan Schor (1946-2004), a resident of Red Rock for thirty years, established the Quailwood Fund before he died to create an endowment to generate annual grants “to provide community support in the Red Rock, Columbia County, New York area for public services and improvement of the quality of life, for conservation work, public recreation facilities, fire and rescue facilities and educational scholarships.”

According to Jon’s wishes, the Quailwood Fund has an advisory committee that consists of the presidents of the Red Rock Volunteer Fire Company, the Red Rock Historical Society, the Canaan Conservation Club, Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation and the executive director of the Columbia Land Conservancy.

The Quailwood Fund and its Advisory Committee looks to the long term needs of the Red Rock community. It remains open to new ideas and possibilities to improve and enrich the quality of life for the residents of Red Rock.

Through its grantmaking programs, the Quailwood Fund works to help retain a strong sense of community in Red Rock by bolstering community gatherings, encouraging a diversity of participation in the life of the community and supporting a wide range of social and economic opportunities for residents.

Funding

Awards will generally range between $500 and $10,000. There may be a larger amount allocated (up to $20,000) for a project of particular significance or urgency for the community.

All Quailwood General Fund grants will require a 1:1 match. For grants of $7,500 and under, a minimum of 50% of the match must be in cash. For grants over $7,500, a minimum of 25% of the match must be in cash. In both cases, the balance may be in donated goods and/or services.

Funding Priorities

The Foundation manages several funds that allow discretion to make grants that fund projects and programs that are responsive to changing community needs. These funds, our “Community Impact Funds,” are either Discretionary Funds, which allow the Foundation the flexibility to use its extensive knowledge of community issues and organizations to make grants that address emerging issues; or Field-of-Interest Funds, which give the Foundation grantmaking discretion within given areas of interest. With these funds, the Foundation utilizes the expertise of its staff and Board of Directors to identify opportunities to make grants that will have the most impact in the community.

Due to restrictions placed on some of our funds by our donors, preference may be given to organizations and/or programs that address the following issues:

• Homelessness: Organizations/programs that serve the needs of a homeless population;
• Disabilities: Organizations/programs that serve the needs of the intellectually and/or physically disabled, including the hearing and sight impaired;
• Land Conservation and Preservation: Organizations/programs that focus on the preservation/conservation of land for the protection of wildlife;
• New Americans: Organizations/programs that focus on supporting new Americans;
• Programs that benefit the residents of Amsterdam, NY: Organizations/programs that focus on the provision of services to the residents of Amsterdam, NY.

Funding Amount

Community Foundation Impact Grants usually range from $1,000 to $15,000. Grant period will not exceed one year.

Program goal

To mitigate climate change, make communities more resilient to climate change, protect public health from the hazards of toxic chemicals and pollutants, and preserve biological diversity.

Grants are made to

Promote more environmentally sustainable, resilient, and just communities that mitigate climate change by:

• Promoting energy efficiency and alternative sources of energy for buildings.
• Shifting to electric or low-emission vehicles and greater use of mass transit.
• Promoting a smarter, more resilient grid and distributed (on-site) generation.
• Reducing emissions from existing fossil fuel-powered facilities and extraction activities.
• Establishing regional programs, performance standards, and regulations that help reduce emissions.

Make communities, especially the most disadvantaged, more resilient to a changing climate by:

• Creating infrastructure that reduces stormwater runoff and absorbs storm surges.
• Protecting shoreline communities by conserving or enhancing natural barriers.
• Encouraging more sustainable building design and land use through policy reforms.
• Better planning and preparation for weather-related emergencies, especially for low-income and other vulnerable residents.

Protect public health from the hazards of toxic pollutants by:

• Supporting targeted scientific research that can be used to develop policy.
• Promoting safer chemical and heavy metal policies and practices, especially for infants, children, and other vulnerable people.
• Eliminating toxic chemicals from products through market campaigns focused on retailers and manufacturers.
• Enhancing protections for low-income communities near polluting facilities.
• Minimizing the hazards of new and expanded fossil fuel extraction on nearby communities.

Preserve biological diversity through habitat conservation by:

• Establishing, enhancing, and monitoring wildlife migration corridors; and
• Supporting functional connectivity between fragmented habitat that enables species to move and live safely

We encourage initiatives that cut across these program areas, especially those focused on smart growth, sustainable agriculture and regional food systems, and sustainable production.

Community Partnerships

Con Edison supports organizations and causes that champion a clean and equitable energy future for all New Yorkers.

Priority will be given to organizations with programs/projects centered-in historically marginalized and disadvantaged communities.

Focus Areas

Con Edison proudly funds organizations that share our vision to combat the effects of climate change, advance social justice, and create green jobs. Our philanthropic initiatives power the vitality of our communities in New York City and Westchester to advocate for equity and support the gaps that exist in state-designated disadvantaged communities.

Con Edison feels an urgency to confront the threat that climate change poses to our communities and help New Yorkers adapt to a changing world.

Our efforts focus on:

Climate Change and Environmental Stewardship

We will accelerate access to clean energy by prioritizing place-based investments, resilient infrastructure, and environmental stewardship.

Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation: Projects focused on addressing the accelerated risks of climate change and promote nature-based solutions. Special attention will be given to initiatives that address extreme weather events, sea level rise, biodiversity loss, and the restoration or conservation of natural habitats and ecosystems.

Environmental Stewardship: Initiatives that focus on equitable land use and greenway enhancement—specifically green corridors, pocket parks, community gardens, and local farms.

• Program support may include stewardship of public lands, promotion of environmental education, coalition building focused on climate and energy policy, and leadership development for climate and environmental advocates.

Social Justice

We are applying our resources to help organizations and social movements that address systemic social justice issues—through skill building, action, and advocacy.

Human Rights and Democracy: Fund social justice organizations that are providing the building blocks to address discrimination, bias, and opportunity inequities for marginalized and disadvantaged communities.

Economic Empowerment and Opportunity: Fund social justice organizations whose goals are to reduce the racial, ethnic, and gender wealth gap and expanding access to resources for nonprofits that serve disadvantaged populations.

Community Resilience Fund social justice organizations and projects that support initiatives to ensure that marginalized and disadvantaged communities have the capacity, leadership, and agency to address environmental, social, and political change.

• This focus includes support for climate justice implementation programs focused on areas such as emergency preparedness, extreme weather, and similar areas of impact.

Program support may include funding to assist with skill building, leadership development, capacity building, civic engagement, and community organizing and outreach.

Clean Energy and Technology Careers

We will foster a new generation of workers by supporting access to education, skills training, economic supports, and hiring and/or career advancement opportunities they will need for well-paying jobs in emerging and in-demand clean energy, technology, and environmental science careers.

Skills Training: Training programs that equip new and existing workers with the skills and credentials needed for sustainable, well-paying careers, in high-demand clean energy and technology fields—with prioritization for individuals from disadvantaged communities.

Career Exploration & Pathways: Programs, workshops, and initiatives that build awareness of career paths and further educational and career goals in clean energy and technology fields for young adults (grade 9 and above) and adults.

Energy Ecosystems: Foster innovations, partnerships, movements, and coalitions that bring together business, training providers, and community organizations to develop clean energy and workforce strategies to help workers access quality careers and address specific challenges.

Program support may include skills-based training, barrier reduction and retention services, on-the-job training, apprenticeships, paid internships, career coaching, curriculum development, and coalition and network-building.

In his will, William E. Pritchard made provisions to establish the Trust in memory of himself and his wife. Upon Mr. Pritchard’s death in 1982, the fund was established.

Funding Interests

• Community development (affordable housing, economic development)
• Community-based health care (primary care access and delivery)
• Education (early education, K-12 public schools)
• The environment (land and water conservation, parks and gardens)
• Social services (hunger, immigration, seniors, youth development)

Types of Support:

• Primarily project and capacity building support.
• Operating support proposals from organizations with budgets of less than $1 million are considered on a case-by-case basis.

Park & Trail Partnership Grants

The Park and Trail Partnership Grants is a $2 million capacity-building matching grants program funded through the NYS Environmental Protection Fund. The program is designed to:

• Enhance the preservation, stewardship, interpretation, maintenance and promotion of New York State parks, trails, state historic sites and public lands.
• Increase the sustainability, effectiveness, productivity, and volunteer and fundraising capabilities of not-for-profit organizations that promote, maintain, and support New York State parks, trails, state historic sites and public lands.
• Promote the tourism and economic development benefits of outdoor recreation through the growth and expansion of a connected statewide network of parks, trails, greenways and public lands.

Stewardship and Public Access Grants

Stewardship and Public Access Grants may be used to assist organizations with the stewardship, interpretation, promotion, education, and public access of a New York State Park, trail, historic site or DEC public land, or a partnership involving more than one such organization, which significantly enhances the organization’s visibility and capacity.

Examples of projects include, but are not limited to:

• Public access or engagement improvements, such as interpretive kiosks, exhibits, signage, new trails with signage, and other activities that enhance public enjoyment and access to the public resource.
• Community and constituency-building initiatives and programs that promote outreach and public education and recreation resulting in greater public support and broader public involvement, especially from new and presently underserved audiences, and those which enhance age-friendly recreational opportunities.
• Shared consultant services between more than one eligible organization.
• Development and implementation of a community outreach plan to enhance community access to and enjoyment of the public resource and awareness of the organization’s role in its preservation, stewardship, interpretation, maintenance and/or promotion.
• Development and implementation of public resource marketing plans, especially if undertaken in partnership with local tourism promotion efforts.

Examples of projects that are considered construction or rehabilitation are:

• Building rehabilitation.
• Any change to historic structure: adding or removing anything, painting, remodeling or reconstructing.
• Improvements, such as interpretive kiosks, exhibits, signage, new trails with signage, trailwork and other activities that enhance public enjoyment and access to the park, trail, site, or public land.
• Activities whose costs are part of a larger construction project.
• Activities that involve any ground disturbance or shovel in the ground.
• Activities that require engineering plans and specifications.
• Activities that require State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) review.

Grants up to $150,000. A 10 percent match of the total project budget is required, up to 50 percent of which may be in-kind. Fifty percent of award is disbursed at contract signing; remainder disbursed after submission of satisfactory six-month progress report.

Park & Trail Partnership Grants

The program is administered jointly by Parks & Trails New York and the NYS Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (OPRHP) and is designed to:

• Enhance the preservation, stewardship, interpretation, maintenance and promotion of New York State parks, trails, state historic sites and public lands.
• Increase the sustainability, effectiveness, productivity, and volunteer and fundraising capabilities of not-for-profit organizations that promote, maintain, and support New York State parks, trails, state historic sites and public lands.
• Promote the tourism and economic development benefits of outdoor recreation through the growth and expansion of a connected statewide network of parks, trails, greenways and public lands.

Professional Development Grants

Professional Development Grants support the hiring of permanent staff in order to advance Friends organizations to a higher and sustainable level of professionalism, fiscal and administrative stability, and community outreach that in the future they will be able to sustain on their own. Professional Development Grants may be used to support:

• First Staff Hire: hiring the organization’s first permanent employee, full- or part-time.
• Additional Staff: hiring an additional full- or part-time permanent staff member to fill a critical administrative, outreach or development need, or other key function.
• Upgrade to Full-time Staff: increasing a part-time executive director, or other key staff position to full time.
• Shared Staff: hiring a staff person to be shared by two or more eligible organizations.
• Professional Development Grants are meant to support permanent increases in staffing capacity. If an organization is interested in hiring temporary contractors or staff to support the organization’s work, this request would fall under a Capacity and Organizational Effectiveness Grant or a Stewardship and Public Access grant.

Grants up to $100,000 encompassing a period of two years; a 20 percent cash match is required. Fifty percent of award is disbursed at contract signing; remainder disbursed after submission of satisfactory one-year progress report.

Community Partnership Award

The Mutual of America Foundation Community Partnership Award recognizes outstanding nonprofit organizations in the United States that have shown exemplary leadership by facilitating partnerships with public, private or social sector leaders who are working together as equal partners, not as donors and recipients, to build a cohesive community that serves as a model for collaborating with others for the greater good.

Each year, the Mutual of America Foundation sponsors a national competition in which hundreds of organizations demonstrate the value of their partnership to the communities they serve, their ability to be replicated by others and their capacity to stimulate new approaches to addressing significant social issues.

Six organizations are selected by an independent committee to receive the Community Partnership Award.

• The Thomas J. Moran Award is given to the national award-winning program and includes $100,000 and a documentary video about the program.
• The Frances R. Hesselbein Award is given to a partnership that is addressing social challenges in more than one community, or which demonstrates the potential to be replicated in other communities. This recipient receives $75,000.
• Four other organizations are named Honorable Mention recipients for their programs, and each receives $50,000.

Since its inception in 1996, the Community Partnership Award has recognized 262 partnerships from cities and towns across America. Like so many of our clients working in the nonprofit community, Mutual of America is dedicated to having a direct, positive impact on society.

Environmental Protection Fund Grant Program for Parks, Preservation and Heritage (EPF)

Title 9 NYCRR (sections 439.1 – 443.4) implements the Environmental Protection Fund (EPF) Act of 1993 (Title 9 of Article 54 of the Environmental Conservation Law), which created OPRHP's program for Parks, Preservation and Heritage Grants. The EPF is a matching grant program for the acquisition, planning, development, and improvement of parks, historic properties, and heritage areas located within the physical boundaries of the State of New York. Funds may be awarded to municipalities or not-for-profits with an ownership interest. To ensure the public benefit from the investment of state funds, all properties acquired or developed with grant funds will receive long-term protections. The method and term of the protection is dependent upon the type of applicant and project undertaken (see sample documents on the Consolidated Funding Application tab). Municipal parkland acquired or improved with EPF funding must remain parkland in perpetuity (see the Handbook on the Alienation and Conversions of Municipal Parkland). All applicants must use the online Consolidated Funding Application to apply. Parks Program

A matching grant program for the acquisition, development and planning of parks and recreational facilities to preserve, rehabilitate or restore lands, waters or structures for park, recreation or conservation purposes and for structural assessments and/or planning for such projects. Funds may be awarded for indoor or outdoor projects and must reflect the priorities established in NY Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan (SCORP) found here.

Historic Preservation Program

A matching grant program to improve, protect, preserve, rehabilitate, restore or acquire properties listed on the State or National Registers of Historic Places and for structural assessments and/or planning for such projects.

Heritage Areas Program

A matching grant program for projects to acquire, preserve, rehabilitate or restore lands, waters or structures, identified in the approved management plans for Heritage Areas designated under section 35.03 of the Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation Law and for structural assessments or planning for such projects. Projects must fall within a New York State Designated Heritage Area.

Park & Trail Partnership Grants

The Park and Trail Partnership Grants is a $2 million capacity-building matching grants program funded through the NYS Environmental Protection Fund. The program is designed to:

• Enhance the preservation, stewardship, interpretation, maintenance and promotion of New York State parks, trails, state historic sites and public lands.
• Increase the sustainability, effectiveness, productivity, and volunteer and fundraising capabilities of not-for-profit organizations that promote, maintain, and support New York State parks, trails, state historic sites and public lands.
• Promote the tourism and economic development benefits of outdoor recreation through the growth and expansion of a connected statewide network of parks, trails, greenways and public lands.

Capacity and Organizational Effectiveness Grants

Capacity and Organizational Effectiveness Grants strengthen the capacity and expertise of organizations that support New York State parks, trails, historic sites, and public lands, or a partnership involving more than one such organization, in order to aid them in fulfilling their mission and to improve their reach, effectiveness, and impact.

Examples of projects include, but are not limited to:

• Development of a multi-year strategic plan or major fundraising/capital or marketing campaign plan.
• Board/staff training and development, including facilitated retreats.
• Website and email newsletter design and development, graphic design, and printing and distribution of digital or print brochures, newsletters and other promotional materials.
• Efforts to expand the organization’s membership and broaden the diversity of support for the organization.
• Software to improve fundraising/development/donor relations, bookkeeping, or recordkeeping. Grant funds may cover initial software purchase or licensing, not license renewal.
• Development and implementation of activities that will provide a future ongoing revenue source.
• Development and implementation of a volunteer program.
• Development of partnerships to promote new or strengthen existing collaboration with more than one organization and/or local government to increase public support for and/or participation in the planning, development, promotion or stewardship of the public resource.
• Hiring of temporary contractors, staff or interns to support the organization’s capacity-building work.
• Hiring of a consultant or implementing a training program to enhance staff, board, and/or programmatic diversity within the organization
• Shared consultant services between more than one eligible organization.

One-year grants up to $100,000; a 10 percent match of the total project budget is required, up to 50 percent of which may be in-kind. Fifty percent of award is disbursed at contract signing; remainder disbursed after submission of satisfactory six-month progress report.

Park & Trail Partnership Grants

The Park and Trail Partnership Grants is a $2 million capacity-building matching grants program funded through the NYS Environmental Protection Fund. The program is designed to:

• Enhance the preservation, stewardship, interpretation, maintenance and promotion of New York State parks, trails, state historic sites and public lands.
• Increase the sustainability, effectiveness, productivity, and volunteer and fundraising capabilities of not-for-profit organizations that promote, maintain, and support New York State parks, trails, state historic sites and public lands.
• Promote the tourism and economic development benefits of outdoor recreation through the growth and expansion of a connected statewide network of parks, trails, greenways and public lands.

Step-Up Grants

Step-up Grants assist organizations with the administrative and legal fees needed to secure 501(c)(3) status, along with the costs associated with completing a consultant-facilitated organizational assessment and resulting plan(s).

Grants up to $20,000; a $500 match is required. Cash or in-kind. Award disbursed at contract signing.

Wetland Reserve Easements

Wetlands Reserve Easements (WRE) help private and tribal landowners protect, restore and enhance wetlands which have been previously degraded due to agricultural uses.

Benefits

Wetland Reserve Easements provide habitat for fish and wildlife, including threatened and endangered species, improve water quality by filtering sediments and chemicals, reduce flooding, recharge groundwater, protect biological diversity, provide resilience to climate change and provide opportunities for educational, scientific and limited recreational activities.

How does it work?

To enroll land through wetland reserve easements, NRCS enters into purchase agreements with eligible private landowners or Indian tribes that include the right for NRCS to develop and implement a Wetland Reserve Plan of Operations (WRPO). This plan will detail practices to help restore, protect and enhance the wetlands functions and values.

Wetland Reserve enrollment options include:

• Permanent Easements – Permanent easements are conservation easements in perpetuity. NRCS pays 100 percent of the easement value for the purchase of the easement. Additionally, NRCS pays between 75 to 100 percent of the restoration costs.
• 30-year Easements – 30-year easements expire after 30 years. Under 30-year easements, NRCS pays 50 to 75 percent of the easement value for the purchase of the easement. Additionally, NRCS pays between 50 to 75 percent of the restoration costs.
• Term Easements - Term easements are easements that are for the maximum duration allowed under applicable State laws. NRCS pays 50 to 75 percent of the easement value for the purchase of the term easement. Additionally, NRCS pays between 50 to 75 percent of the restoration costs.
• 30-year Contracts – 30-year contracts are only available to enroll acreage owned by Indian tribes and program payment rates are commensurate with 30-year easements.

For all Wetland Reserve Easements options, NRCS pays all costs associated with recording the easement in the local land records office, including recording fees, charges for abstracts, survey and appraisal fees and title insurance.