Best Water Grants in Minnesota

Non-governmental nonprofits and tribal governments in Minnesota can seek funding to protect and restore water quality, with awards ranging from US $50,000 - US $250,000. With a mission to safeguard lakes, rivers, streams, groundwater, and drinking water, the Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources supports projects like workshops, rain gardens, shoreline protection, and prescribed grazing.

Minnesota public entities working on water quality or drinking water protection projects in Minnesota can seek funding for on-the-ground implementation efforts. Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources provides more than US $30,000 for projects such as stormwater practices, agricultural conservation, lakeshore and streambank stabilization, stream restoration, SSTS upgrades, and land treatment to protect or improve drinking water sources.

Nonprofit or conservation organizations providing technical assistance for freshwater conservation and water resource management in Minnesota can apply for competitive grants of US $250,000 - US $750,000. National Fish and Wildlife Foundation funding supports regenerative agriculture practices on private lands, helping landowners plan, implement conservation best practices, and participate in Farm Bill programs that benefit soil, water, and wildlife.

Agricultural producers, forest landowners, Tribes, and water management entities in Minnesota can apply for USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service’s Environmental Quality Incentives Program to fund conservation practices on working lands. Support includes technical and financial assistance to improve water quality, manage water resources, enhance soil health, and create or restore wildlife habitat on eligible agricultural and forest lands.

Minnesota freshwater and water policy organizations can access funding through the Joyce Foundation to advance Great Lakes and drinking water priorities. Grants support policy and advocacy work on clean, affordable drinking water, water infrastructure, runoff reduction, and Great Lakes protection, with emphasis on environmental justice and communities of color across the Great Lakes states.

Watershed Based Implementation Funding Grant Program

The Watershed Based Implementation Funding (WBIF) Grant Program is an alternative to the traditional project-by-project competitive process often used to fund water quality improvement projects. This funding allows collaborating local and Tribal governments to pursue timely solutions based on a watershed's highest priority needs.

Overview

BWSR is using watershed based implementation funding to accelerate water management outcomes and improve consistency and efficiency across the state.

• This approach integrates available data with a reliable source of funding that helps local and Tribal governments spend limited resources where they are most needed, reduces time spent on competitive grant applications and enhances science-based decision making.
• The approach depends on comprehensive watershed management plans developed under One Watershed, One Plan program or the Metropolitan Surface or Ground Water Management framework to provide assurance that actions are prioritized, targeted and measurable.
• The primary purpose of activities funded through this program is to implement projects and programs that protect, enhance, and restore surface water quality in lakes, rivers, and streams; protect groundwater from degradation; and protect drinking water sources.

Minnesota 501(c)(3) nonprofits working on freshwater conservation, watershed health, and environmental justice can access funding through the Mortenson Family Foundation to sustain healthy land and water. Grants may support direct services, education, policy, and multi-year efforts that center climate and racial justice, particularly for BIPOC and historically marginalized communities.

Minnesota 501(c)(3) organizations with annual budgets of at least $300,000 can apply for Patrick & Aimee Butler Family Foundation’s two-year community grants, awarding more than US $20,000 for general operating or program support. Eligible projects focus on land and water stewardship, including water quality protection, improvement, and related youth education across Minnesota.

Local governments and communities in Minnesota can seek planning funds to address stormwater resilience, wastewater system resilience, and climate-ready community services and public spaces. Grants from Minnesota Pollution Control Agency support climate planning projects that assess vulnerabilities and prepare infrastructure, ordinances, and public spaces for changing water conditions and related environmental health impacts.

Local government units in Minnesota seeking to improve organizational efficiency and effectiveness can apply for grants supporting water resource management work. Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources provides Minnesota water resource management entities with up to US $25,000 for activities like strategic planning, reorganizations, shared services assessments, and other professional services that strengthen governance and operations.

Local governments, nonprofits, and community entities in Minnesota promoting private well water testing can apply for Minnesota Department of Health’s Private Well Protection Grant, with awards up to Up to US $406,035 for testing and outreach. Funding supports community efforts to increase private drinking water well testing for key contaminants and protect household water quality.

Minnesota organizations managing local environmental or water-quality projects can host a Minnesota GreenCorps member to advance work in stormwater, forestry, water and land quality, and related areas. Focused on environmental stewardship, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency invites Minnesota community groups, governments, and similar entities to apply as host sites for full-time AmeriCorps support on water resource and resilience projects.

Students in Minnesota pursuing junior, senior, or graduate studies in water-related science or engineering programs can receive US $3,500 scholarships to support higher education costs. Focused on water resource management fields, American Water Works Association prioritizes MN AWWA members, utility employees, and students actively involved in water-related professional activities.

Students in Minnesota community or technical college programs related to water operations, science, engineering, or similar fields can receive up to US $2,000 for tuition through scholarships from the American Water Works Association. Preference goes to MN AWWA members, utility employees, and students active in water-related professional activities.

Minnesota Department of Health

Mission: Protecting, maintaining and improving the health of all Minnesotans. The vision of MDH is for health equity in Minnesota, where all communities are thriving and all people have what they need to be healthy.

Groundwater Protection Initiative: Accelerated Implementation Grant

The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) received funding from the Clean Water Fund to advance Groundwater Restoration and Protection Strategies (GRAPS). A portion of this funding is being offered as grants to build capacity to accelerate implementation of groundwater projects across the state. Each applicant will have the opportunity to apply for up to $50,000 to conduct pre- project identification, planning and design work that is required before on-theground projects can be implemented. Whether it is conducting inventories of potential pollutant sites, utilizing existing targeting tools and datasets, supplying private well testing kits, providing technical assistance, or increasing citizen interactions, these grants equip local governments with the capacity to increase the installation and/or management of groundwater projects and practices that protect groundwater. This grant cannot be used for project implementation or mitigation purposes. 

Nonprofit organizations working on water access, quality, safety, or STEM education programs, including those in Minnesota, can seek support from the Pentair Foundation. Focus areas include reducing water stress, improving drinking water, promoting swim safety, and building engineering and manufacturing career pathways for youth and young adults in priority U.S. and international communities.

Minnesota local governments planning water infrastructure projects can access funding through the Minnesota Public Facilities Authority to meet Clean Water Act and state water quality limits. Grants support point source projects that reduce phosphorus and nitrogen discharges or achieve TMDL-based effluent limits, with awards up to US $12,000,000 for construction-ready projects in 2025.

Cities, counties, townships, sanitary districts, and other Minnesota governmental units responsible for wastewater treatment can access below-market-rate loans to build or upgrade treatment plants and related infrastructure. Minnesota Public Facilities Authority financing covers eligible costs like site preparation, construction, engineering, equipment, and certain fees for projects on the state Project Priority List and Intended Use Plan.

Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources

BWSR is the state soil and water conservation agency charged with helping meet the state's goals for clean water, clean air, and abundant fish and wildlife. The 78% of state land that is held in private ownership—farms, forests, and urban areas—contribute greatly to the production of environmental goods and benefits including cleaner air and water, fish and wildlife habitat, and preservation of open spaces. The local-state conservation delivery system ensures that state policy is implemented with local issues and problems in mind—and our work together has improved and protected Minnesota’s water and soil resources in spite of intensified agriculture, greater demands for forest products, and rapid urbanization in many parts of the state.

BWSR's mission is to work with partners to improve and protect Minnesota's land and water resources. Core functions include implementing the state's soil and water conservation policy, comprehensive local water management, and the Wetland Conservation Act as it relates to the 41.7 million acres of private land in Minnesota.

Multipurpose Drainage Management

The purpose of this program is to facilitate multipurpose drainage management practices to reduce erosion and sedimentation, reduce peak flows and flooding, and improve water quality, while protecting drainage system efficiency and reducing drainage system maintenance for priority Chapter 103E drainage systems.

Eligible activities can consist of structural practices and projects; non-structural practices and measures, project support, grant management and reporting. Technical and engineering assistance necessary to implement these activities are considered essential and are to be included in the total project or practice cost.   

Minnesota Department of Natural Resources

The mission of the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is to work with Minnesotans to conserve and manage the state's natural resources, to provide outdoor recreation opportunities, and to provide for commercial uses of natural resources in a way that creates a sustainable quality of life.

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources works to integrate and sustain the interdependent values of a healthy environment, a sustainable economy, and livable communities. DNR’s integrated resource management strategy shares stewardship responsibility with Minnesotans and partners to manage for multiple interests. DNR protects the state’s natural heritage by conserving the diversity of natural lands, waters, and fish and wildlife that provide the foundation for Minnesota’s recreational and natural resource-based economy (M.S. 84, M.S. 97A).

Lake Superior Coastal Program Small Grants: Capacity

The mission of Minnesota’s Lake Superior Coastal Program (MLSCP; Coastal Program) is to empower and support leaders and professionals in the work they do to manage Lake Superior’s coastal areas. We strive to ensure the state's coastal places and spaces are healthy, resilient, and sustainable so that everyone can use and enjoy them. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) manages the Coastal Program. These grants are small, short-term, and limited in scope. In general, funded activities build capacity, seed or feed bigger opportunities, and make coastal management more effective. With these funds, the Coastal Program can support the following activities:

• Planning – develop engineering and design plans; create comprehensive plans or facilitate an update to; integrate data into plans or projects; and/or model existing data.
• Outreach – outreach or provide general education to key audiences. This includes such things as replacing “trunk” pieces (e.g., books, displays, posters); producing brochures or videos; translating print media to digital; or hosting a booth at a community event.
• Conference and training – host or send people to a conference or training focused on coastal management. The primary purpose of these events must be providing technical information; participants will enhance their skills and knowledge for managing coastal resources.
• Technology – advance the technology needed to do coastal management, such as supplies (e.g., software, survey-grade GPS) and upgrades to databases and modeling tools.
• Youth education – support and/or develop Lake Superior focused educational opportunities for youth (ages 0-18); includes (but is not limited to) curriculums, field trips, content experts, substitute teachers, bussing, and supplies such as water sampling kits, fish identification guides, and weather monitoring stations. 

Minnesota Department of Natural Resources

The mission of the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is to work with Minnesotans to conserve and manage the state's natural resources, to provide outdoor recreation opportunities, and to provide for commercial uses of natural resources in a way that creates a sustainable quality of life.

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources works to integrate and sustain the interdependent values of a healthy environment, a sustainable economy, and livable communities. DNR’s integrated resource management strategy shares stewardship responsibility with Minnesotans and partners to manage for multiple interests. DNR protects the state’s natural heritage by conserving the diversity of natural lands, waters, and fish and wildlife that provide the foundation for Minnesota’s recreational and natural resource-based economy (M.S. 84, M.S. 97A).

Lake Superior Coastal Program Small Grants: STAR

The mission of Minnesota’s Lake Superior Coastal Program (MLSCP; Coastal Program) is to empower and support leaders and professionals in the work they do to manage Lake Superior’s coastal areas. We strive to ensure the state's coastal places and spaces are healthy, resilient, and sustainable so that everyone can use and enjoy them. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) manages the Coastal Program. This Notice of Grant Opportunity (Notice) provides the information to apply for Coastal Program 2026 Small Grants: STAR. These grants are small ($4,501 to $10,000), short-term (~six months), and limited in scope. In general, funded activities build capacity, seed or feed bigger opportunities, and make coastal management more effective. With these funds, the Coastal Program can support the following activities:

• Planning – develop engineering and design plans; create comprehensive plans or facilitate an update to; integrate data into plans or projects; and/or model existing data.
• Outreach – provide general education or outreach to key audiences. This includes such things as replacing “trunk” pieces (e.g., books, displays, posters); producing brochures or videos; translating print media to digital; or providing information at a community event.
• Conference and training – host or send people to a conference or training focused on coastal management. The primary purpose of these events must be providing technical information; participants will enhance their skills and knowledge for managing coastal resources.
• Technology – advance the technology needed to do coastal management, such as supplies (e.g., software, survey-grade GPS) and upgrades to databases and modeling tools.
• Youth education – support and/or develop Lake Superior focused educational opportunities for youth (ages 0-18); includes (but is not limited to) curriculums, field trips, content experts, substitute teachers, bussing, and supplies such as water sampling kits, fish identification guides, and weather monitoring stations.

State and local governments, private nonprofits, and federally recognized tribes in rural Minnesota can apply for USDA: Rural Development’s Water & Waste Disposal funding to build or improve drinking water, sewage, solid waste, and stormwater systems. Support may also cover related legal, engineering, land, equipment, and start-up costs for eligible water projects.

The Cleveland-Cliffs Foundation, established in 1962, focuses on enhancing educational opportunities, environmental protection, and community health in the regions it operates. As a leading steel manufacturer, Cleveland-Cliffs is committed to sustainability and responsible corporate citizenship. The foundation supports 501(c)(3) organizations that address key challenges in education, the environment, and community well-being, ensuring impactful investments that help communities thrive across North America.

The Development Partnership Grants, offered by the Minnesota Department of Iron Range Resources and Rehabilitation, fund initiatives aimed at fostering long-term economic growth in northeastern Minnesota. Applications are open from July 1, 2025, until May 29, 2026, or until funds are allocated. These grants support research, planning, and education projects that align with community development goals, helping to strengthen the region's economy and enhance local resources.

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is providing a funding opportunity for research aimed at restoring cisco populations in Lakes Huron and Erie. This involves hiring a structured decision-making expert and facilitating a workshop for fisheries managers to create a restoration plan. Additionally, a scientist will be engaged to conduct experiments to identify optimal environmental conditions for producing high-quality cisco in hatcheries, enhancing reintroduction efforts.

This project aims to develop a robust method for correcting solution chemistry interferences in electrochemical sensor measurements of complex environmental water matrices. By employing a ratiometric comparison approach, it seeks to enhance the detection of harmful contaminants like PFAS in drinking water. This initiative aligns with the priority of safeguarding public health through early detection and informed decision-making, ultimately ensuring access to safe, clean drinking water for communities.

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) offers a funding opportunity for CESU partners to conduct research on national-scale biogeographic information for aquatic organisms. This project aims to enhance species distribution models and habitat assessments using advanced analytical methods and artificial intelligence. By aligning with Department of the Interior priorities, it supports informed conservation decisions for aquatic ecosystems and species management, benefiting local communities and scientific collaboration.