Search Through Grants for Land Conservation in Washington in the U.S.

Making community possible

At U.S. Bank, we are dedicated to supporting our communities through responsive and humbled actions focused on addressing racial and economic inequities and creating lasting change in our communities. Through our Community Possible Grant Program, we are partnering with organizations that focus on economic and workforce advancement, safe and affordable housing and communities connected through arts and culture.

The U.S. Bank Foundation is committed to making Community Possible through Work, Home and Play. We advance this work through collaborative grant making to bring equitable and lasting change through our focus on sustainable, high-impact funding with 501c3 nonprofit partners.

How we partner with nonprofits

We focus on collaborative grantmaking and sustainable, high-impact funding with 501(c)(3) nonprofit partners. We partner with organizations that support:

• Economic and workforce advancement
• Safe and affordable housing
• Community arts and culture

Our strategy

Our community affairs and foundation team work closely with U.S. Bank regional leadership, business resource groups and our National Community Advisory Committee to ensure that prevailing needs are addressed in all the communities we serve.

To make the most meaningful impact, we prioritize organizations that:

• Focus on economic development issues related to work, home and play
• Address more than one of the grant pillars (work, home and play)
• Are based in and serve designated U.S. Bank communities
• Advance diversity, equity and inclusion

Charitable Contributions

Costco Wholesale’s primary charitable efforts specifically focus on programs supporting children, education, and health and human services in the communities where we do business. Throughout the year we receive a large number of requests from nonprofit organizations striving to make a positive impact, and we are thankful to be able to provide support to a variety of organizations and causes. While we would like to respond favorably to all requests, understandably, the needs are far greater than our allocated resources and we are unable to accommodate them all.

Warehouse Donations:

Warehouse donations are handled at the warehouse level - please consult your local warehouse for up-to-date information regarding their donations contacts and review process.

Grant Applications

If the request is under consideration, you may be contacted by staff for any additional information needed. Applications are reviewed within 4-6 weeks, and decisions are made based on several factors, including: type of program; identified community need not otherwise available; indication that evidenced based data will establish measurable results of intended outcomes; community collaboration; broad base of financial support; project budget and operating expenses.

Background

Draper Richards Kaplan Foundation seeks to dramatically improve the lives of underserved communities across the globe by supporting scalable, innovative, and impact-first solutions that leverage existing systems and stakeholders. Our goal is to find social entrepreneurs with dynamic products or services that have a proven ability to positively impact the lives of underserved people, and nurture those organizations at the early stages by providing capacity, capital, and community.

Our application process is designed to be open and accessible, and we accept applications year round from across our priority geographies and sectors. Borrowing from our venture capital legacy, we find exceptional entrepreneurs and provide them with: 

Capacity

• The core of DRK’s model is deep and extensive operational and technical support for each portfolio organization, both through dedicated hands-on Board service and specialist capacity-building resources for fundraising, board and organizational development, leadership, financial support, and scaling strategy,

Capital

• DRK provides up to $300,000 USD in either unrestricted grant funding or investment capital over a three-year period, and

Community

• DRK convenes our portfolio and alumni annually, facilitating connections and community. 

What We Fund

DRK Foundation funds early-stage social impact organizations solving the world’s biggest social and environmental problems using bold, scalable approaches.

What stage of growth does DRK Foundation typically fund?

Early stage: Organizations who are early stage, which we define as post-pilot and pre-scale. This typically means: 

• Your program, product or service is already being used in the market or in the field, 
• You have early indication that your model is having its intended impact on the beneficiary populations,
• Your organization is relatively young (ideally between two and five years old, although we will consider both younger and older organizations).

Venture funding: In the case of for profits, we typically support Seed to Series A organizations, and never lead rounds; we also generally but not exclusively refrain from participating in financings exceeding a $15M USD post-money valuation.  

Community Grants

State Farm is committed to helping build safer, stronger and better-educated communities.

• ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​We are committed to auto and home safety programs and activities that help people manage the risks of everyday life.
• We invest in education, economic empowerment and community development projects, programs and services that help people realize their dreams.
• We help maintain the vibrancy of our communities by assisting nonprofits that support community revitalization.

Good Neighbor Citizenship company grants focus on safety, community development and education.

Focus Areas

Safety Grants

We strive to keep our customers and communities safe. That's why our funding is directed toward:

• Auto safety — improving driver, passenger, vehicle or roadway safety
• Home safety — shielding homes from fires, crime or natural disasters
• Disaster preparedness and mitigation
• Disaster recovery

Community Development

We support nonprofits that invest and develop stronger neighborhoods. That's why our funding is directed toward:

• Affordable housing — home construction and repair
• Commercial/small business development
• Job training
• Neighborhood revitalization
• Financial literacy
• Sustainable housing and transportation
• Food insecurity

Education

Our education funding is directed toward initiatives that support the following programs:

• Higher education
• K-12 academic performance
• K-12 STEM
• Pathways for college and career success

PNC Foundation

Strengthening and enriching the lives of our neighbors in communities where we live and work.

Vision & Mission

For decades, we have provided resources to seed ideas, foster development initiatives and encourage leadership in nonprofit organizations where imagination and determination are at work enhancing people's lives everyday.

The PNC Foundation's priority is to form partnerships with community-based nonprofit organizations in order to enhance educational opportunities, with an emphasis on early childhood education, and to promote the growth of communities through economic development initiatives.

Foundation Grant

The PNC Foundation supports a variety of nonprofit organizations with a special emphasis on those that work to achieve sustainability and touch a diverse population, in particular, those that support early childhood education and/or economic development.

Education

The PNC Foundation supports educational programs for children and youth, particularly early childhood education initiatives that meet the criteria established through PNC Grow Up Great. Specifically, PNC Grow Up Great grants must:

• Support early education initiatives that benefit children from birth to age five; and
• Serve a majority of children (>50%) from low- to moderate-income families; and
• Adhere to all other standard PNC Foundation guidelines, as outlined on the PNC Foundation website, applicant eligibility quiz, as well as the Foundation policies and procedures; and
• Include one or a combination of the following:
  • direct services/programs for children in their classroom or community;
  • professional development/workforce development for early childhood educators;
  • family and/or community engagement in children’s early learning
• Additional considerations:
  • The grant focus should include math, science, reading, vocabulary development, the arts, financial education, or social/emotional development.
  • The grant recipient, or collaborative partner, should have early childhood education as an area of focus. If the organization’s focus is beyond birth to age five, the specific grant must be earmarked for birth to age five.
  • Incorporate opportunities for PNC volunteers in classroom or non-classroom-based activities.

Economic Development

Economic development organizations, including those which enhance the quality of life through neighborhood revitalization, cultural enrichment and human services are given support. Priority is given to community development initiatives that strategically promote the growth of low-and moderate-income communities and/or provide services to these communities.

• Affordable Housing
  • The PNC Foundation understands the critical need for affordable housing for low-and moderate-income individuals.
  • We are committed to providing support to nonprofit organizations that:
    • give counseling and services to help these individuals maintain their housing stock;
    • offer transitional housing units and programs; and/or
    • offer credit counseling assistance to individuals, helping them to prepare for homeownership.
• Community Development
  • Because small businesses are often critical components of community growth and help foster business development, the PNC Foundation provides support to nonprofit organizations that
    • offer technical assistance to, or loan programs for, small businesses located in low-and moderate-income areas or
    • support small businesses that employ low-and moderate-income individuals.
• Community Services
  • Support is given to social services organizations that benefit the health, education, quality of life or provide essential services for low-and moderate-income individuals and families.
  • The PNC Foundation supports job training programs and organizations that provide essential services for their families.
• Arts & Culture
  • Support is given for cultural enrichment programs benefitting the community.
• Revitalization & Stabilization of Low-and Moderate-Income Areas
  • The PNC Foundation supports nonprofit organizations that serve low-and moderate-income neighborhoods by improving living and working conditions.
  • Support is given to organizations that help stabilize communities, eliminate blight and attract and retain businesses and residents to the community.

Georgia-Pacific Foundation

Established in 1958, the Georgia-Pacific Foundation sets aside resources to improve life in the communities where we operate. We’ve worked with thousands of outstanding community-based programs, service projects and disaster relief efforts, focusing our investment in four areas we believe make the most impact:

• education
• entrepreneurship
• enrichment of community
• environment

Investment Priorities

• Aligns with GP’s mission and values
• Aligns with GP’s Four Focus Areas of giving: Education, Environment, Enrichment of Community and Entrepreneurship
• Serves communities where GP has manufacturing facilities
• Creates value by contributing to and positively impacting long term well-being and sustainability of GP communities

Mission

Our mission is to promote actions and foster understanding to inspire conservation from the Rhododendron Preserve to the Salish Sea region.

New in 2024, this competitive grant opportunity is focused on conservation, preservation, and restoration projects proposed by conservation-focused non-profit organizations in the states of Alaska, Montana, Oregon, Idaho plus Eastern Washington State.

Norm Winn was a passionate conservationist. His contributions to the Pacific Northwest are legendary from helping pass the 1976 Alpine Lakes Wilderness bill, 1984 Washington Wilderness Act, the Olympic National Park ocean strip additions in 1988. He also worked with Senator Patty Murray on the Plum Creek Land Exchange.

Norm served on the Board of Directors of the Keta Legacy Foundation, also known as the Mountaineers Foundation, for many years. His area of focus was the grants the Foundation awarded to conservation organizations throughout the Pacific Northwest. Norm was adamant that both large and small organizations be supported through the Foundation’s extensive granting program.

Norm Winn Memorial Conservation Grant

The Norm Winn Memorial Conservation Grant is a competitive grant for projects that support the environment through conservation, preservation, or restoration.

• Conservation: work to minimize use of finite natural resources and our negative impacts on ecosystem health.
• Preservation: work to protect ecosystem, species, and other irreplaceable elements of the region.
• Restoration: work to re-establish the healthy functions of an ecosystem.

Grants are awarded on a competitive basis and the amount granted may vary based on the project type and scope. The maximum amount that may be requested is $25,000.

Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP)

The Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP) protects the agricultural viability and related conservation values of eligible land by limiting nonagricultural uses which negatively affect agricultural uses and conservation values, protect grazing uses and related conservation values by restoring or conserving eligible grazing land, and protecting and restoring and enhancing wetlands on eligible land.

ACEP has two components:

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

Additionally, through ACEP, USDA offers the Wetland Reserve Enhancement Partnership (WREP), a voluntary program through which NRCS enters into agreements with eligible partners to leverage resources to carry out high priority wetland protection, restoration, and enhancement and to improve wildlife habitat.

Agricultural Land Easements

NRCS provides financial assistance to eligible partners for purchasing perpetual Agricultural Land Easements (ALE) that protect the agricultural use and conservation values of eligible land. In the case of working farms, the program helps farmers and ranchers keep their land in agriculture. The program also protects grazing uses and related conservation values by conserving grassland, including rangeland, pastureland and shrubland. Eligible partners include American Indian tribes, state and local governments and non-governmental organizations that have farmland, rangeland or grassland protection programs.

Under the ALE component, NRCS may contribute up to 50 percent of the fair market value of the agricultural land easement. 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 ALE.

Under ACEP-ALE, provisions were included to provide an increased Federal share for enrollment of Grasslands of Special Environmental Significance (GSS) that protects the long-term grazing uses and related conservation values on eligible private range and pasture lands. The program emphasizes support of grazing operations, maintaining and improving plant and animal biodiversity, and protecting grasslands and shrublands under threat of conversion to cropping, urban development, and other non-grazing uses. Conservation easements can support the Sage Grouse Initiative (SGI) by keeping working lands working as intact range. If you have property that lies within one of the Sage Grouse core areas it may, as a grassland of special environmental significance, qualify for the higher NRCS contribution of up to 75 percent.

Mission

The mission of Burning Foundation is to protect our region’s rivers, forest, native fish and land.

Environmental Programs:

We supply financial assistance to organizations that engage in the preservation of habitat that supports biodiversity and quiet remote recreation in Washington or Oregon. We believe that it is most important to preserve habitat that is part of a larger functioning ecosystem. 

Funding

Grants range from $5,000 to $15,000. Approximately $650,000 is granted each year.

Max and Victoria Dreyfus Foundation Grant

The Foundation will consider requests to support museums, cultural and performing arts programs; schools and hospitals; educational, skills-training and other programs for youth, seniors, and persons with disabilities; environmental and wildlife protection activities; and other community-based organizations and programs.

Community Grant Program

The Community Grant Program is comprised of more than 90 funds established by donors who have given Innovia Foundation the flexibility to make funding decisions that accommodate changing needs and capitalize on timely and compelling opportunities in our 20-county region. This program has one cycle per year and organizations are eligible to submit one application per cycle. The maximum award amount is $15,000, with most grants in the range of $2,500 – $15,000.

Program Areas

Guided by local priorities and engaged residents, Innovia Foundation will invest in programs and initiatives that promote vibrant and sustainable communities where every person has the opportunity to thrive.

Impact Areas

• Education and Youth Development
• Innovia Foundation invests in nonprofit organizations providing access to learning opportunities for all ages – from early childhood reading programs to college campus site visits for first generation college students.
• Arts and Culture
• From rural community theaters to large symphonies, Innovia Foundation partners with nonprofit organizations that support the arts as economic drivers, educational assets, civic catalysts and bridges between cultures.
• Economic Opportunity
• Whether it’s providing job skills training for refugees or developing a commercial kitchen for local entrepreneurs, Innovia Foundation works with nonprofit partners to build prosperity for local families, businesses and communities.
• Health and Wellbeing
• From programs addressing child hunger to those ensuring no senior falls victim to abuse or neglect, Innovia Foundation partners with nonprofit organizations to improve the social determinants of health in our community and meet the basic needs of our most vulnerable populations.
• Quality of Life
• Innovia Foundation recognizes that land conservation, compassion for our furry friends and wellplanned community spaces add so much to the quality of life we enjoy in the Inland Northwest and invests in organizations providing access to these community assets. 

Guiding Principles

Within our impact areas, we aim to fund proposals that are a strong fit with one or more of the following Guiding Principles:

• Respond compassionately to meet basic human needs
• We know that meeting basic human needs is fundamental to improving the quality of life for everyone. Innovia Foundation will collaborate with community partners to address both systemic issues and immediate needs.
• Bring people together to build inclusive communities
• We believe in bringing people together and building connections that enrich us all. We seek to develop places and spaces where everyone feels they belong and can participate in decisions that affect their lives.
• Expand opportunity and reduce inequity
• We recognize that persistent and systemic disparities diminish opportunities. We will bridge the divide that isolates and prevents members of our community from recognizing and reaching their full potential and will invest in organizations that address the root causes of issues and promote self-sufficiency

Project Types

Organizations may request a Community Grant for any of the following project types:

• Build a new program
• Expand an existing program
• Support for an existing program
• Capital projects/equipment
• This could include, but is not limited to, technology, furnishings, equipment, vehicles or building construction or renovation
• Capacity building
• This could include, but is not limited to:
• Collaborating with other organizations to improve services or eliminate duplication
• Strengthening governance, leadership or staff expertise
• Restructuring business models and accounting practices to improve organizational stability
• Building and diversifying revenue streams
• Developing and implementing long-term strategic plans 
• Refining communications, marketing and outreach 
• Improving volunteer recruitment, training and engagement
• Acquiring or improving impact measurement tools and program evaluation capacity 

Climate change and floodplains

Floodplains by Design (FbD) is an ambitious public-private partnership led by Ecology, the Bonneville Environmental Foundation, and Puget Sound Partnership. FbD works to accelerate integrated efforts to reduce flood risks and restore habitat along Washington's major river corridors. Its goal is to improve the resiliency of floodplains to protect local communities and the health of the environment. FbD also supports important Washington values, such as agriculture, clean water, and outdoor recreation. By working together, organizations can align state and federal investments with locally-driven solutions that address floodplain management challenges and create a more sustainable future.

Floodplains by design grant program

Floodplains by Design (FbD) is our primary grant program for projects that help communities live better in their floodplain. This competitive grant program is a component of a public-private partnership led by Ecology, The Nature Conservancy, Bonneville Environmental Foundation, and the Puget Sound Partnership. It is focused on re-establishing floodplain functions in Washington’s major river corridors, as well as reducing flood risk.

Floodplains provide important habitat for salmon, rich soil for farms, and beautiful backdrops for residents and visitors to Washington. In the past, attempts were made to control rivers, thinking flooding could be stopped by walling off rivers with levees, straightening them, and laying a grid of commercial and residential development across them. Now, salmon runs are disappearing, and more people live in the path of dangerous floodwaters.

Local and Tribal governments, along with nonprofit organizations, are using FbD grants across Washington to complete multi-benefit projects that reduce flood hazards to communities and restore the natural functions of rivers and their floodplains. These FbD projects bring together many different stakeholders in the floodplain to:

• Improve flood protection for communities that live and work in floodplains.
• Conserve and restore habitat for salmon and other important aquatic species.
• Preserve farmland to keep agriculture viable for future generations.
• Improve water quality.
• Enhance outdoor recreation.

Icicle Fund

Our Vision

North Central Washington is a region where nature, the arts, and the area’s natural and human history inspire an appreciation, understanding and stewardship of this special place.

Our Mission

To support the environment, the arts, and history through collaboration in North Central Washington.

Community Grants

Community Grants are one- or two-year unrestricted grants for non-profit organizations that enhance North Central Washington as a region where nature, the arts, and the area’s natural and human history encourage appreciation, understanding and stewardship of this special place. With these unrestricted grants, nonprofits have the flexibility to do their most important work in the community in innovative and impactful ways as they invest in programs, salaries/benefits, technology, capacity-building, communications, and other efforts that strengthen the organization and its long-term mission delivery.

Funding Priorities

The Arts

The Icicle Fund envisions a culture where a diversity of the Arts is accessible and valued as a critical component of vibrant communities in North Central Washington.

We Believe That:

• The Arts nurture the human spirit, transform lives, and connect people to place
• The Arts build strong economies and cohesive communities across social, economic, and racial boundaries
• The Arts are fundamental to a well-rounded education and help all students to succeed in school and life
• Collaboration between community leaders, artists, schools, businesses, and nonprofits ensure sustainable, quality arts programs
• Everyone in NCW deserves access to, and engagement with, the Arts at levels similar to urban areas

Our grant decisions align with the beliefs and vision stated above. We fund art organizations that work towards inspiring an appreciation, understanding and stewardship of NCW.

Environment

Icicle Fund envisions a future where intact North Central Washington landscapes provide opportunities for all people to connect with land and water, fostering a long-term commitment to place.

We Believe That:

• A healthy environment supports plants, animals, and humans while driving a strong economy
• Protecting land and water sustains natural systems and species, and increases our communities’ resilience to climate change
• Environmental education deepens the appreciation, understanding and desire to care for our natural world
• Access to land and water, along with recreational opportunities, can nurture the human spirit, transform lives, and connect people to place
• Equity and inclusion throughout conservation work are critical for healthy human and natural ecosystems
• Collaboration between schools and environmental nonprofits offer a uniquely equitable opportunity to inspire all students to make a lifelong connection with the natural world

Our grant decisions align with the beliefs stated above. We support organizations that foster an appreciation, understanding and stewardship of NCW through conservation, environmental education, and access to lands and water.

History

The Icicle Fund envisions a future where North Central Washington residents and visitors appreciate, understand, and engage with the region’s rich and diverse cultural and natural history. 

We Believe That:

• Understanding and appreciation of our region’s cultural history enhances respect for the diversity of NCW
• Natural history contributes to an understanding of the relationship between the natural world and people
• History preserves our collective memory which helps communities maintain a sense of identity and connection to place
• Collaboration between community leaders, Tribal Governments, and nonprofits ensures rich and diverse cultural and history venues and experiences
• Cultural centers and museums can be places to gather, engage, and learn about the history within our communities
• Learning from cultural history, traditional knowledge, and living practices provides insight into the present and guides the future

We prioritize funding organizations that work towards inspiring an appreciation, understanding, and stewardship of NCW through engagement with the cultural and natural history of the region.

Funding

This is a competitive grant program, awarding grants to an average of 45% of submitted proposals. Grant awards have historically been between $3,000- $35,000, with most between $10,000 $15,000. The minimum grant amount is $3,000.

The Foundation is dedicated to providing financial assistance to organizations committed to improving our world. Solutions to the problems of today's world still lie in the values of innovation, practicality, hard work, and compassion.

The Foundation considers applications for grants in the following areas:

• Education
• Social Service
• Health care
• Civic and cultural
• Environmental

The categories above are not intended to limit the interest of the Foundation from considering other worthwhile projects. In general, the Foundation guidelines are broad to give us flexibility in providing grants.

The majority of our grants are made in the U.S. However, like Dr. Scholl, we recognize the need for a global outlook. Non-U.S. grants are given to organizations where directors have knowledge of the grantee.

Washington Wildlife and Recreation Program (WWRP)

The Washington Wildlife and Recreation Program provides funding for a broad range of land conservation efforts, from conserving natural areas near big cities to protecting the most pristine and unique collections of plants in the state, including some of last remaining plant species in the world.

The Washington Wildlife and Recreation Program was envisioned as a way for the state to accomplish two goals: Acquire valuable recreation and habitat lands before they were lost to other uses and develop recreation areas for a growing population. 

This landmark legislation passed in 1990 and the grant program's continued funding have come about through the support of governors, the Legislature, and groups such as the many organizations comprising the Washington Wildlife and Recreation Coalition.

Grant Limits

Critical Habitat - None

Natural Areas - None

Riparian Protection - Minimum request of $25,000, no cap.

State Lands Restoration and Enhancement - Minimum request of $25,000. Maximum request of $1 million for a single-site project and $500,000 for a multi-site project.

Urban Wildlife Habitat - None

Match Details

Local agencies, special purpose districts, and nonprofits must provide 50 percent match and at least 10 percent of the total project cost must be from a non-state, non-federal contribution.

State agencies do not have to provide match. 

Native American tribes must provide 50 percent match. 

Match may include the following: 

• Applicant’s labor, equipment, and materials 
• Appropriations or cash
• Bonds
• Donations of cash, land, labor, equipment, and materials
• Other grants

Eligible Projects

Land Acquisition

Acquisition includes the purchase of perpetual interest in real property or non-perpetual interests such as leases and easements. Acquisition of non-perpetual interests must be for at least fifty years and may not be revocable at will.

Incidental costs related to acquisition are eligible. The Riparian Protection Category provides funds for acquisition of lease extensions under the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program, which must be for a minimum of twenty-five years.

Development 

• Benches, tables
• Interpretive kiosks, signs
• Paths, roads, parking
• Restrooms
• Viewing shelters

The State Lands Restoration and Enhancement category also allows for habitat creation and enhancement.

The Riparian Protection Category allows for site stewardship plans. 

Restoration and Enhancement 

• Animal watering stations
• Ecological restoration
• Estuary and shoreline restoration
• Fencing, gates,and signs
• In-stream habitat such as bank stabilization, channel reconfiguration, and woody materials placement
• In-stream passage improvements
• Habitat enhancement such as native plantings and invasive plant removal
• Removal of structures like bulkheads, dikes, levees, tide gates, and impervious surfaces
• Site augmentation to establish restoration elements
• Transplanting and re-vegetation
• Upland stewardship

The Foundation offers a competitive grant program to qualifying conservation-focused non-profit organizations whose programs and activities preserve and protect environments and living organisms of the Salish Sea region. By helping others fulfill their conservation missions, we support the health of the Salish Sea region.

The Salish Sea region is the intricate network of coastal mountains, land, and waterways that include the southwestern portion of the Canadian province of British Columbia and the northwestern portion of the U.S. state of Washington. Its major bodies of water are the Strait of Georgia, the Strait of Juan de Fuca, and Puget Sound.

Our funding criteria for these conservation education grants are based on our by-laws, articles of incorporation, status as an IRS-designated 501(c)(3) organization, and the wishes of Paul Wiseman, founding member of The Foundation.

Level 1: Community Conservation Education Grants

Community Conservation Education Grants are limited to no more than $5000 and are meant to support modest, short-term projects related to conservation education and consistent with our vision and mission. 

Projects may include

• direct educational programs and materials related to environmental conservation
• lectures, conferences, seminars
• written or audiovisual awareness materials
• curriculum or other instructional materials

About Serve Washington

Serve Washington advances national service, volunteerism, and civic engagement to improve lives, expand opportunity to meet the local critical needs of residents of Washington, and strengthen community capacity while creating healthy and resilient communities.

WA AmeriCorps Continuation Grants

AmeriCorps Continuation Grants are currently funded operational grants entering year two or year three of a three-year cycle.

This RFGA is for Continuation Grants only – organizations brand new to Washington AmeriCorps operational grant funding and organizations ending a three-year grant looking to recompete for another grant.

If you are an organization seeking funding for a program not previously funded by Serve Washington or restarting a three-year cycle for an established AmeriCorps program, this is NOT the appropriate RFGA.

AmeriCorps Focus Areas

The National and Community Service Act of 1990, as amended by the Serve America Act, emphasizes measuring the impact of service and focusing on a core set of issue areas. To carry out Congress’s intent, maximize the impact of investment in national service, and achieve the goals laid out in the Strategic Plan (2022-2026), AmeriCorps has the following Focus Areas:

• Disaster Services: Helping individuals and communities prepare for, respond to, recover from, and mitigate the effects of disasters and increase community resiliency.
• Economic Opportunity: Improving the economic well-being and security of underserved individuals.
• Education: Improving educational outcomes for underserved people, especially children. AmeriCorps is particularly interested in program designs that support youth engagement and service learning as strategies to achieve high educational outcomes.
• Environmental Stewardship: Supporting communities to become more resilient through measures that reduce greenhouse gas emissions, conserve land and water, increase renewable energy use and improve at-risk ecosystems, especially in underserved households and communities.
• Healthy Futures: Support for health needs within communities, including mitigating the impacts of COVID-19 and other public health crises, access to care, aging in place, and addressing childhood obesity, especially in underserved communities.
• Veterans and Military Families: Improving the quality of life of veterans, military families, caregivers, and survivors. 

About Serve Washington

Serve Washington advances national service, volunteerism, and civic engagement to improve lives, expand opportunity to meet the local critical needs of residents of Washington, and strengthen community capacity while creating healthy and resilient communities.

WA New & Recompete AmeriCorps Operational Grant

New/Recompete AmeriCorps Operational Grantsare for organizations ready to implement an AmeriCorps program and are not already funded by Serve Washington OR are for organizations that have completed a three-year operational grant and are looking to renew another three-year operational grant.

If you are a Continuation Grant entering year two or three of a current operational cycle, this is not the appropriate RFGA, please return to the Serve Washington website for the RFGA for Continuation Grants.

If you are interested in a Planning Grant to develop systems for successful implementation of an AmeriCorps operational grant application, this is not the appropriate RFGA, please return to the Serve Washington website for the RFGA for Planning Grants.

AmeriCorps Focus Areas

The National and Community Service Act of 1990, as amended by the Serve America Act, emphasizes measuring the impact of service and focusing on a core set of issue areas. To carry out Congress’s intent, maximize the impact of investment in national service, and achieve the goals laid out in the Strategic Plan (2022-2026), AmeriCorps has the following Focus Areas:

• Disaster Services: Helping individuals and communities prepare for, respond to, recover from, and mitigate the effects of disasters and increase community resiliency.
• Economic Opportunity: Improving the economic well-being and security of underserved individuals.
• Education: Improving educational outcomes for underserved people, especially children. AmeriCorps is particularly interested in program designs that support youth engagement and service learning as strategies to achieve high educational outcomes.
• Environmental Stewardship: Supporting communities to become more resilient through measures that reduce greenhouse gas emissions, conserve land and water, increase renewable energy use and improve at-risk ecosystems, especially in underserved households and communities.
• Healthy Futures: Support for health needs within communities, including mitigating the impacts of COVID-19 and other public health crises, access to care, aging in place, and addressing childhood obesity, especially in underserved communities.
• Veterans and Military Families: Improving the quality of life of veterans, military families, caregivers, and survivors. 

In 1984, the Washington State Legislature created this grant program to ensure that money generated from aquatic lands was used to protect and enhance those lands.

Grants may be used for the acquisition, improvement, or protection of aquatic lands for public purposes. They also may be used to provide or improve public access to the waterfront.

Aquatic lands are all tidelands, shore lands, harbor areas, and the beds of navigable waters.

Typical Projects

• Removing bulkheads to restore natural beach functions
• Restoring an estuary
• Replacing a waterfront boardwalk
• Restoring shoreline for salmon habitat
• Developing a waterfront park

Funding

Funding generally is awarded every 2 years.

ALEA is funded almost entirely by revenue generated from aquatic lands and is used to improve those lands or access to them. The Washington State Department of Natural Resources manages the state-owned aquatic lands and generates revenue from activities such as leasing waterfront sites to marinas and selling harvest rights for geoduck clams.

Combination (acquisition and development or restoration)  up to $1 million. Not more than $500,000 may be for development or restoration.

Forestland Preservation Grant Program

The forestland preservation grant program provides funding to lease or buy voluntary land preservation agreements (also called conservation easements) for forests to ensure the lands remain available for timber production in the future.The program is part of the larger Washington Wildlife and Recreation Program, which was created in 1990 to buy land for outdoor recreation and wildlife conservation. In 2016, the state Legislature expanded the Washington Wildlife and Recreation Program to include preservation of forestland with the goal of supporting working forests that also provide connectivity, habitat enhancement, sustainable ecological benefits, and public access.Typical Projects

• Buying a conservation easement or lease for a forest threatened with development
• In conjunction with a conservation easement or lease, restoring stream corridors to support clean water and fish habitat

Funding

Grant applicants may request any amount up to $500,000.

Community Forests Program

The Community Forests Program gives communities a way to preserve their working forest heritage. The grant program balances the many benefits forests provide – from providing money from use of the land, to safeguarding against climate and other environmental changes, to providing opportunities for recreation, education, and cultural enrichment. As Washington's population continues to grow and forestlands are increasingly threatened by development, the Community Forests Program is a valuable tool for preserving working lands for the benefit of Washingtonians now and into the future.

Typical Projects

• Buying land to conserve working forests (required for all projects).
• On purchased land, projects also may restore forest and habitat health and develop recreational facilities.

Farmland Preservation Grants

The farmland preservation grant program provides funding to buy development rights on farmlands to ensure they remain available for farming in the future. Grant recipients also may use some of the funding to restore natural functions to improve the land's viability for farming.

The program is part of the larger Washington Wildlife and Recreation Program, which was created in 1990 to buy land for outdoor recreation and wildlife conservation, to keep pace with a growing population. In 2005, the state Legislature expanded the Washington Wildlife and Recreation Program to include preservation of significant farmland.

Our Core Principles:

• Relevance: We continually seek information regarding significant opportunities in our region and in our focus areas to ensure that we are responding to current needs and opportunities.
• Community Engagement: We seek to foster community engagement in protecting wildlife and habitat and in engaging youth skills to build directly on community needs and strengths.
• Focus on Place: Grounded in the Northwest, we fund in urban, rural and tribal communities in Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Washington where people work to improve the places that they live.
• Expand Opportunity: We give special consideration in our grant making to benefit and expand opportunities for underserved populations in our region.

Wildlife and Habitat Programs: Promoting Biodiversity in a Changing Climate

Conservation efforts that utilize the impacts of climate change when selecting areas for protection.

Engaging a community of citizens, scientists, and conservationists in educating the public about biodiversity and climate change.

Restoring important lands for biodiversity, focal species, and landscape connectivity. Including but not limited to:

• Assessments to identify species and communities at risk, including strategies to work toward ecosystem resilience.
• Identification of barriers to migration and mitigation measures to enhance landscape connectivity.
• Adaptive restoration strategies based on predicted species range expansion and contraction.
• Promoting the biodiversity of the marine and freshwater environments.

Guidelines for Wildlife and Habitat Programs

As development pressures increase, the stewardship of vital ecosystems is critical for protecting wildlife populations and habitat. The effort must be based on solid conservation biology, recognizing the resilience, complexity and interdependence of all life. Conservation of critical habitat and species requires comprehensive strategies and collaboration among partners working in the region, recognizing the limitation of funds available. Stewardship is the shared responsibility of empowered citizens, engaged scientists, collaborating foundations, informed business and property owners, and an accountable government. Healthy and diverse wildlife populations and habitat must be preserved through sound government policies and a range of creative conservation approaches. The principle of sustainability requires that environment, economics and equity are considered together to protect the quality of life at every level.

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.

Gupta Family Foundation is a private, nonprofit foundation headquartered in Herndon, Virginia, USA. Our mission is to support organizations that provide focused intervention in the lives of people who have been disadvantaged in some way to help them become self-reliant. We take a very broad view of “disadvantage” to include anything that holds a person back from realizing their potential, such as poverty, physical or mental disability, social alienation, etc. The foundation also supports relief agencies that serve people affected by emergencies such as natural disasters.

The foundation evaluates and awards annual and multi-year grants ranging from $5,000 to over $250,000 (USD). Our focus is on funding smaller organizations all around the world that are led by individuals with a deep personal commitment to their missions. 

Our selection criteria include:

• Mission alignment
• The organization is run by the founder or, if not, by a successor who embodies the original inspiration, passion and commitment of the founder.
• At least 90% of grant monies reaches the intended beneficiaries.
• The organization is non-sectarian, i.e.,
  • It does not, directly or indirectly, support or condone the proselytization of any religion,
  • It is not supported by or affiliated to a religious organization.

Under the Farm Bill, WSDA receives grant funding from USDA to enhance the competitiveness of Washington's specialty crops. WSDA conducts an annual competitive application process to award grant funds.

Specialty crops are defined as fruits, vegetables, tree nuts, dried fruits, horticulture, and nursery crops. Eligible plants must be intensively cultivated and used by people for food, medicinal purposes, and/or aesthetic gratification to be considered specialty crops.

Funding Categories

Environmental Stewardship, Conservation, and Climate Smart Agriculture

In this Review Category, WSDA will consider projects that enhance soil health, conservation of agricultural land and water, and address specialty crops contribution to adaptation and/or mitigation of climate change, as well as any other projects that demonstrate environmental stewardship.

Pest Management

In this Review Category, WSDA will consider projects that address pests that affect the production of Washington’s specialty crops. Projects submitted to the Pest Management category should include applied research related to the probability and impact of invasive pests, and threats to specialty crops, and research to develop tools to detect, eradicate, and control pests.

Plant Health

In this Review Category, WSDA will consider projects that address plant diseases that affect the production of Washington’s specialty crops. Projects submitted to the Plant Health category should include applied research related to the probability and impact of invasive disease, and weed threats to specialty crops, and research to develop tools to detect, and control plant diseases.

Food Safety Research

In this Review Category, WSDA will consider projects that address food safety for specialty crops. Such projects might include applied research projects that address "real world" food safety issues related to food and agricultural practices in the specialty crop industry, the impact of agricultural practices on subsequent specialty crop food processing; sciencebased practical and transferrable research projects that focus on food safety issues related to food-borne pathogen detection

Innovative Technologies

In this Review Category, WSDA will consider projects that address any innovative technology that will increase the competitiveness of specialty crops.

Training and Education

In this Review Category, WSDA will consider projects that address training and/or education that will increase the competitiveness for Washington’s specialty crop industry. Projects might include food safety education and outreach projects to help compliance with the new Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA).

Domestic Marketing

In this Review Category, WSDA will consider projects that address domestic marketing for Washington’s specialty crops. Projects submitted can pertain to any type of domestic marketing project. 

International Marketing

In this Review Category, WSDA will consider projects that will enhance or increase the opportunity for the exports of Washington’s specialty crops to foreign markets, increasing the competitiveness of specialty crops. 

Small Farm/Regional Marketing

In this Review Category, WSDA will consider projects that enhance and develop small farm/regional markets for Washington’s specialty crop industry. 

KLF offers a competitive grant program to qualifying conservation-focused non-profit organizations whose programs and activities preserve and protect environments and living organisms of the Salish Sea region. By helping others fulfill their conservation missions, we support the health of the Salish Sea region.

The Salish Sea region is the intricate network of coastal mountains, land, and waterways that include the southwestern portion of the Canadian province of British Columbia and the northwestern portion of the U.S. state of Washington. Its major bodies of water are the Strait of Georgia, the Strait of Juan de Fuca, and Puget Sound.

Level 2: The Paul Wiseman Conservation Education Grant

We will offer two grants during this round with a $15,000 limit for each.

We welcome substantial conservation education projects with carefully articulated goals and outcomes. We also welcome restoration projects with a strong educational component.