Best Sustainability Grants in Missouri

Department of Conservation

Our work began in 1937, when citizen-led efforts created the Department of Conservation to restore, conserve and regulate Missouri's over-stressed fisheries, forests and wildlife populations. During our first 40 years, hunting, fishing, and trapping permits provided most of our funding, but in 1976 an expanded program, the "Design for Conservation," was passed to set aside one-eighth of one percent sales tax directly to the agency. That consistent funding, plus a strong, non-political structure and very supportive public helped make Missouri a national leader in conservation. Today we continue our legacy of protecting our state's wild resources and helping Missourians connect with their natural heritage. Our goal is to sustain diverse, healthy plant and animal communities — well into the future.

Department of Conservation Funding Opportunities

The Department of Conservation offers communities and partners a number of grant and cost-share options to assist with everything from green development to wildlife habitat to enhancing outdoor recreation opportunities.

Community Conservation Cost-Share

MDC’s Community Conservation Cost-Share Program promotes sustainable development practices and the establishment of natural resource conservation practices in municipal and developing areas.

Eligible Practices

Cost-share is authorized for activities such as native grass and pollinator plantings, forest and woodland management, invasive species control, and aquatic resource management. In addition, other practices eligible for cost-share include urban green space planning, engineered drawings, and training of staff on conservation-related programs.

Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC)

Our work began in 1937, when citizen-led efforts created the Department of Conservation to restore, conserve and regulate Missouri's over-stressed fisheries, forests and wildlife populations. During our first 40 years, hunting, fishing, and trapping permits provided most of our funding, but in 1976 an expanded program, the "Design for Conservation," was passed to set aside one-eighth of one percent sales tax directly to the agency. That consistent funding, plus a strong, non-political structure and very supportive public helped make Missouri a national leader in conservation. Today we continue our legacy of protecting our state's wild resources and helping Missourians connect with their natural heritage. Our goal is to sustain diverse, healthy plant and animal communities — well into the future.

We protect and manage the fish, forest, and wildlife of the state. We facilitate and provide opportunity for all citizens to use, enjoy, and learn about these resources.

Community Forestry Cost Share Program

Community Forestry Cost-Share is designed to assist Missouri communities with improving their community forest. This cost-share program encourages communities to have a sustainable, balanced, and comprehensive community forestry program based on a current tree inventory and managed with the guidance of a community forestry professional. Lastly, Community Forestry Cost-Share is designed to promote community forest benefits through the proper management and care of trees.

Cost-share opportunities are available beginning in July. Due to limited funding, applications are funded on a first-come, first-served basis. For more information about the cost-share opportunities, please contact your regional office. 

Missouri sustainability and conservation nonprofits planning historic preservation projects can access funding through Jeffris Family Foundation for Historic Structure Reports. Established 501(c)(3) organizations or government agencies partnered with one can request US $5,000 - US $50,000, covering up to half of report costs for nationally or statewide significant sites in smaller communities.

Missouri educators advancing environmental or sustainability education can access funding through the Missouri Environmental Education Association’s mini-grants. Professional MEEA members, both formal and non-formal educators (excluding board members), may receive US $250 for materials or supplies. Projects engaging groups underrepresented in environmental education across Missouri may be prioritized.

Small, independently owned legacy businesses along Missouri’s Route 66 corridor can apply for US $5,000 - US $10,000 to support historic preservation, capital improvements, planning, and marketing projects. National Trust for Historic Preservation funding especially encourages painting and mural projects that highlight underrepresented Route 66 community stories ahead of the 2026 centennial.

Agriculture professionals partnering with at least three independent farms or ranches in Missouri and other North Central states can apply for North Central Region SARE’s Partnership Grant Program, with awards up to US $50,000 for on-farm sustainable agriculture research, demonstrations, and education. Grants from North Central Region SARE help sustainability-focused groups test cropping or grazing systems, explore new marketing, or add value to farm products.

Organizations and agencies providing homelessness services and housing solutions in Missouri can receive flexible funding for system-level responses through the City of Kansas City’s Zero KC Grant. Grants support activities in Kansas City, Missouri, such as outreach, transportation, treatment, shelter, and permanent housing, with a strong emphasis on collaboration and measurable outcomes reducing homelessness.

Municipalities, counties, public institutions, nonprofits, businesses, and individuals in Mid-Missouri can seek funding to reduce solid waste, expand recycling and composting, or develop markets for recovered materials. Mid-Missouri Solid Waste Management District supports projects in Region H counties with up to US $100,000 for infrastructure, equipment, education, and related sustainability efforts.

Nonprofit organizations with IRS tax-exempt status running education programs in Missouri communities may be eligible for Donaldson Foundation grants of US $5,000 - US $20,000. Focused on education, Donaldson Foundation invites Missouri organizations to propose impactful, sustainable projects that address local needs, especially for those who otherwise would lack educational opportunities.

Missouri nonprofits addressing behavioral health, including mental health and substance use disorders, can seek funding for treatment, prevention, and social isolation reduction programs. Focused on behavioral health, Elevance Health Foundation invites 501(c)(3) organizations to propose scalable, measurable initiatives, with priority for culturally relevant, whole-person approaches that address health-related social needs and can expand beyond Missouri.

Nonprofits, public school districts, and government entities in the Patterson Family Foundation’s Kansas and western Missouri catchment area can seek funding to strengthen rural entrepreneurship through mentorship, technical assistance, and business development programs. Focused on entrepreneurship and business support, Patterson Family Foundation invites Missouri organizations to expand resources and networks that help local entrepreneurs start, sustain, and grow their businesses.

Patterson Family Foundation

The Patterson Family Foundation, based in Kansas City, Missouri, is a family-led foundation that extends the legacy of Neal and Jeanne Patterson. The Foundation’s mission, “Working together to help rural communities thrive,” is carried forward through strategic grantmaking and other collaborative initiatives that serve rural counties across Kansas and western Missouri. 

At the Patterson Family Foundation, we believe that thriving rural communities aren’t just about the numbers—they’re about the people who choose to live there. A strong and engaged community is built on essentials like access to good jobs, quality healthcare, educational opportunities, and a sense of belonging. But keeping rural communities strong doesn’t happen on its own—it takes all of us working together. That’s why we focus on working with local leaders, businesses, and organizations to invest in the areas that matter most, ensuring that rural places don’t just get by but thrive for generations to come.

Community Needs Grant

We continue to invest in community-focused work through dedicated programs and initiatives that strengthen local leadership and support long-term community vitality. Our Community Engagement opportunities for the 2026 cycle are offered through targeted, collaborative efforts rather than an open call application process, allowing us to work closely with communities and organizations on high-impact, locally driven projects.

This opportunity supports projects that strengthen resident retention and encourage former residents to return by enhancing the spaces, services, and community assets that make rural places appealing to live, work, and build a future. Projects should help communities create environments where people feel connected, supported, and inspired to stay or come home. Applicants should plan to report on community participation, improvements to key spaces or assets, and early indicators of resident retention or increased engagement from returning residents. 

The Early College Pathways program by the Patterson Family Foundation aims to empower students to earn both a high school diploma and college credit. This initiative fosters partnerships between school districts and accredited colleges, enhancing educational attainment while reducing costs. By supporting local career transitions and strengthening the workforce pipeline, it promotes sustainable growth in rural communities. Eligible applicants include nonprofits and educational entities serving Kansas and western Missouri, focusing on student success and community engagement.

The Literacy Advancement Grant, offered by the Patterson Family Foundation, aims to enhance foundational literacy skills in rural communities of Kansas and western Missouri. This grant supports public school districts and eligible nonprofits in implementing effective educational initiatives that foster reading comprehension and family engagement. Applicants are encouraged to demonstrate community impact and sustainability in their proposals, ensuring a lasting benefit to local literacy efforts.

Rooted in rural.

Committed to your community

The Patterson Family Foundation, based in Kansas City, Missouri, is a family-led foundation that extends the legacy of Neal and Jeanne Patterson. The Foundation’s mission, “Working together to help rural communities thrive,” is carried forward through strategic grantmaking and other collaborative initiatives that serve rural counties across Kansas and western Missouri. 

Our Mission

Working together to help rural communities thrive.

Grant Types

Open Call Grants

Patterson Family Foundation’s Open Call Grants are publicly announced and submitted through the Grants Portal. Applications are reviewed using criteria aligned with the Foundation’s priorities, including community impact, feasibility, sustainability, and readiness to implement the proposed work in the Kansas or western Missouri rural community. 

This opportunity increases access to mental health support by expanding services, strengthening local care networks, and promoting prevention, harm reduction, and behavioral health education. Projects should create supportive environments that reduce stigma, increase awareness, and help residents access appropriate care. Applicants should plan to report on services delivered, residents served, improvements in access or awareness, and partnerships that enhance local mental health support.

Individual artists and small artist groups in Missouri’s Kansas City metro can seek project funding for ambitious visual, performing, literary, film, fashion, or interdisciplinary arts work that benefits the community. Grants from ArtsKC Regional Arts Council help support creative projects, workshops, certifications, and other continuing education for eligible artists in the five-county service area.

Community-led, community-driven nonprofit organizations in Missouri expanding proven economic mobility initiatives may be eligible for $200,000 grants to scale their impact. Upward Momentum supports economic rights and mobility work that bridges rural and urban communities, fosters collaboration, and creates catalytic, long-term change that can be replicated across the state.

Nonprofit 501(c)(3) organizations, state or municipal entities, and public schools in Missouri can seek funding to expand STEM education and workforce readiness programs. With a mission to strengthen communities, Toyota provides Missouri sustainability-focused groups with support for long-term, inclusive initiatives serving under-resourced residents in Lincoln, St. Charles, and St. Louis City counties.

Nonprofit 501(c)(3) organizations running food-as-medicine or nutrition programs in Missouri and across the U.S. can apply for Elevance Health Foundation’s Food as Medicine Grant to improve clinical outcomes and expand access to nutritious food. Funding supports program implementation plus measurement, evaluation, and long-term outcome tracking, with priority for scalable, culturally relevant, whole-person health interventions.

Nonprofit 501(c)(3) public charities running anti-poverty programs in Missouri can seek support for food security, youth and family development, and education projects in St. Louis City or North St. Louis County. With a mission to relieve poverty, Light a Single Candle Foundation provides program, operational, and capacity-building funding to eligible partners.

Nonprofit organizations improving maternal and infant health outcomes in Missouri can access funding through Elevance Health Foundation to reduce disparities and remove barriers to care. The Maternal and Child Health Grant supports community-based programs, including local and national initiatives, that deliver measurable improvements across the pregnancy journey and may benefit sustainability-focused organizations addressing health-related social needs.

Non-C-suite full-time employees at 501(c)(3) public charities advancing economic mobility in the Kansas City region of Missouri may be eligible for the Uncommon Leader Impact Award, which provides US $50,000 - US $100,000. Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation supports nonprofit growth and development, recognizing innovative, collaborative leaders creating equitable, sustainable community impact.

With a mission to strengthen small agribusinesses, Missouri Department of Agriculture provides Missouri urban agriculture projects with cost-share support for production infrastructure, distribution, training, and community gardens. Individuals, businesses, organizations, and groups in designated Missouri urban areas may receive up to US $10,000 for eligible project supplies that advance sustainable, local food systems.

Nonprofit 501(c)(3) organizations, public agencies, and similar charitable entities in Missouri’s Clay and Platte counties can apply for the Northland Community Foundation Grant, awarding US $10,000 - US $31,800 to sustain programs supporting children’s well-being. Projects may address mental and behavioral health, seniors’ needs, childcare, or transportation in the Northland community.

St. Louis City nonprofits serving older adults through home repairs, modifications, weatherization, preservation, or food pantries can access funding from the St Louis Community Foundation’s Charless Foundation, with awards of US $10,000 - US $50,000. Eligible 501(c)(3) organizations must use funds within designated South St. Louis City neighborhoods and may support sustainability-focused housing stability for seniors.

School districts in Missouri can seek funding to operate high-quality, school-based afterschool programs for children ages 5–12, including those with disabilities and court-supervised youth up to 19. Focused on afterschool and enrichment, the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education invites programs offering academic support, youth development, STEM, literacy, and healthy lifestyle activities to apply for US $80,000 - US $100,000 over up to three years.