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About MDWFP
Mississippi's legislative leadership recognized the need for wildlife conservation in our state and founded the Mississippi Game and Fish Commission in 1932. Since then, the Agency has been the state's premier conservation organization.
In 1989, the Bureau of Parks and Recreation merged with the Mississippi Department of Wildlife Conservation to form the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks (MDWFP). The MDWFP is a large state agency charged by state statute to conserve, develop, and protect Mississippi's natural resources and provide continuing outdoor recreation opportunities.
Land and Water Conservation Fund Program
The Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) program was established by the LWCF Act of 1965. Federal funds are appropriated by Congress through the Department of Interior and administered on the federal level by National Park Service (NPS) and on the state level by the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks, Outdoor Recreational Grants division.
The Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) program was established to stimulate a nationwide action program to assist in preserving, developing, and assuring to all citizens of the United States, of present and future generations, such quality and quantity of outdoor recreation resources as may be available. The program provides matching grants to States, and through the States to local units of government, for the acquisition and development of public outdoor recreation sites and facilities. Funding for the program is provided largely from Outer Continental Shelf mineral receipts, with additional income from the Motorboat Fuels Tax, recreation user fees, and through the sales of federal surplus property. Federal LWCF obligations have been matched by state and local contributions, for a total recreation investment of over $6 billion dollars.
How are projects funded?
What can be funded?
In order for an application to be considered, it must be a viable project (e.g., ballfield, soccer field, splash park, etc.). Applications for support facilities only do not qualify. Projects can be a combination of both.
Okoboji Foundation
The Okoboji Foundation was started in 1988, by a group of dedicated lovers of The Lakes Region who wished to improve the quality of life of those who call this area home.
Originally named the University of Okoboji Foundation, Berkley Bedell served as the first Board Chairman. In 2006, the foundation changed its name to the Okoboji Foundation to establish the organization as a Community Foundation. Over $5.24 million has been granted to more than 80 different nonprofit agencies located around The Lakes since its inception and preserving the stories that make Iowa Great Lakes a place of local legends.
Today, the Okoboji Foundation is the center point of giving for vital capital projects. Current funding priorities focus on arts & culture, economic development, lake quality & environment, and outdoor experiences & recreation. It’s through the generosity of donors that the Okoboji Foundation continues to make a positive, lasting impact in the Lakes community.
Areas of Focus
We fund projects in the Iowa Great Lakes Region that align with one or more of the following:
What We Fund
We fund VITAL CAPITAL PROJECTS, such as buildings, equipment, or physical property that will be available for many years of use in our Lakes communities. We want to help develop communities where people want to live, work, visit, and play
Projects should be visible, available to a large portion of the public, and have a long lasting impact in the Iowa Great Lakes region.
Professional signage must be included on structures or property funded by Foundation grants. The Okoboji Foundation will provide official logos and style guidelines for signage.
Funding Levels
There are two categories of funding: Leadership Grants and Community Needs Grants.
Community Needs Grants
Grant requests under $25,000 will be considered by the Youth In Philanthropy student led committee. Any unfunded grants in this category will then be reviewed by the Okoboji Foundation grant committee. Projects should be completed and request reimbursement with receipts totaling amount of grant award within one year of the award notification.
Okoboji Foundation
The Okoboji Foundation was started in 1988, by a group of dedicated lovers of The Lakes Region who wished to improve the quality of life of those who call this area home.
Originally named the University of Okoboji Foundation, Berkley Bedell served as the first Board Chairman. In 2006, the foundation changed its name to the Okoboji Foundation to establish the organization as a Community Foundation. Over $5.24 million has been granted to more than 80 different nonprofit agencies located around The Lakes since its inception and preserving the stories that make Iowa Great Lakes a place of local legends.
Today, the Okoboji Foundation is the center point of giving for vital capital projects. Current funding priorities focus on arts & culture, economic development, lake quality & environment, and outdoor experiences & recreation. It’s through the generosity of donors that the Okoboji Foundation continues to make a positive, lasting impact in the Lakes community.
Areas of Focus
We fund projects in the Iowa Great Lakes Region that align with one or more of the following:
What We Fund
We fund VITAL CAPITAL PROJECTS, such as buildings, equipment, or physical property that will be available for many years of use in our Lakes communities. We want to help develop communities where people want to live, work, visit, and play
Projects should be visible, available to a large portion of the public, and have a long lasting impact in the Iowa Great Lakes region.
Professional signage must be included on structures or property funded by Foundation grants. The Okoboji Foundation will provide official logos and style guidelines for signage.
Funding Levels
There are two categories of funding: Leadership Grants and Community Needs Grants.
Leadership Grants
Grant requests of $25,000 or more will be reviewed by the Okoboji Foundation grants committee. The committee may request an in person follow-up presentation by the nonprofit. Projects should be completed and request reimbursement with receipts totaling amount of grant award within three years of the award notification.
The Department of Natural Resources’ Watershed and Climate Services Grants Gateway
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources, Watershed & Climate Services (WCS) is committed to providing technical and financial assistance to Maryland’s communities that are challenged by intense storms, changing sea levels and increasing flooding, while balancing growing populations, economic growth, and increased tourism and recreation. These trends make the already challenging task of restoring the Chesapeake Bay, safeguarding people and infrastructure and managing natural resources even more complex.
Grants Gateway provides a resource for partners seeking technical and financial support for projects that foster healthy and resilient ecosystems, communities, and economies. Grants Gateway provides a centralized hub to streamline the grant application process for governments, academic institutions, and non-governmental organizations.
Eligible projects across six programs (as above) will improve water quality, restore local waterways, increase community flood planning, develop the next generation of environmental stewards, improve shorelines, and plan for beneficial reuse.
Beneficial Use (Outcome 5)
Assessment, planning, design, and permitting for projects that treat dredged sediment as a resource
What kinds of projects are supported by this funding?
Assessment, planning, design, and permitting for projects using dredged material (e.g., thin-layer placement) to restore wetlands.
Projects can be located throughout Maryland. Public and private lands are eligible, but projects on private lands must demonstrate a community-wide benefit. Projects must be located within Maryland’s Coastal Zone.
Coachella Valley Mountains Conservancy
Our mission is to protect the natural and cultural resources of the Coachella Valley: the scenic, wildlife, cultural, geologic, and recreational resources that make this such a splendid place for people and all the other life forms with which we share this special place.
The Coachella Valley Mountains Conservancy is a state agency established in 1991 to pursue this mission, and is directed by a 20-member governing board. The Conservancy is an exceptional example of local communities, state elected officials, non-profit organizations, and business and environmental interests working together for the good of all. Since its inception, the Conservancy and its partners have conserved over 106,000 acres.
Proposition 4 Grant Program
The objectives of the Safe Drinking Water, Wildfire Prevention, Drought Preparedness, and Clean Air Bond of 2024 (“Proposition 4”) are to target the most urgent climate needs by investing in preventing devastating wildfires, providing clean, safe drinking water, and boosting water supplies, and protecting California’s iconic landscapes. Proposition 4 project investments aim to assist communities that have been historically underserved by allocating a minimum of 10 percent of available funds to severely disadvantaged communities and a minimum of 40 percent of available funds to disadvantaged communities.
The Conservancy has approximately $11 million available for local assistance grants over the life of its Proposition 4 Grant Program. The minimum local assistance grant amount is $50,000 for implementation projects.
Utah Division of Outdoor Recreation
Recognizing the growing importance of outdoor recreation to Utah’s economy and quality of life, the Utah State Legislature established the Utah Division of Outdoor Recreation in 2022. As part of the Utah Department of Natural Resources, the division unites the nation’s first Office of Outdoor Recreation with key state programs, including Utah’s Boating Program, Off-Highway Vehicle (OHV) Program, and outdoor recreation grants and planning. We also work collaboratively with DNR's Division of Law Enforcement Rangers.
Dedicated to fostering a healthy and active lifestyle for all Utahns, the Utah Division of Outdoor Recreation focuses on four key areas: expanding recreational access, promoting safety and education, ensuring responsible stewardship and sustainable visitation, and driving economic growth through outdoor recreation.
Youth Engagement Grants
The Utah Children’s Outdoor Recreation and Education (UCORE), UCORE Educator, and Nature-Based Learning Infrastructure Grants provide outdoor recreation and learning experiences to youth in Utah. This funding aims to teach youth the physical skills that can make outdoor recreation part of a healthy and active lifestyle.
UCORE Educator
Utah Children’s Outdoor Recreation and Education Grant – For Educators
The UCORE Educator Grant was created to provide a more equitable opportunity for educators to apply. With teachers up against time restraints, funding shortages and limited resources, the UCORE Educator Grant is a streamlined application. The application, although streamlined, does provide educators plenty of opportunity to share the details of their programming, how they plan to work with school administrators, track student participation and progress, while demonstrating competency in program development.
Applicants must hold a current educator license or certification.
Age Range of Youth Served: 6-18 yo
About National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF)
The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) works with partners to foster sustainable and impactful conservation solutions so that people and nature thrive together. Chartered by Congress in 1984, NFWF has grown to become the nation’s largest conservation foundation. Since its founding, NFWF has funded more than 23,900 projects that have generated a total conservation impact of more than $12 billion.About Sustain Our Great Lakes Program
Sustain Our Great Lakes is a public–private partnership designed to sustain, restore and protect fish, wildlife and habitat in the basin by leveraging funding, building conservation capacity, and focusing partners and resources toward key ecological issues. The program achieves this mission, in part, by awarding grants for on-the-ground habitat restoration and enhancement.Funding priorities for this program include:
Volunteer Stream Monitoring Program
A total of $75,000 is available across three grant types for volunteer benthic macroinvertebrate monitoring and habitat assessment in wadeable streams and rivers. Benthic invertebrates are small, bottom-dwelling aquatic animals such as larval insects, snails, worms, and beetles. Local units of government, nonprofit organizations, and federally recognized tribes are eligible to apply for the following:
Maintenance Grants
These grants are for groups who are already monitoring with MiCorps procedures. Funds can pay for staff time, equipment, and travel to MiCorps trainings and conferences, are a maximum of $3,000, and last for eight months.
Water grants provide funding to support clean water access, conservation projects, and infrastructure improvements. The following grants help nonprofits address water scarcity, promote sustainability, and enhance community well-being through innovative water solutions.
Explore 400+ funding opportunities for water-related initiatives, with $179.4M in resources. Instrumentl helps organizations secure funding with deadline tracking, customized grant searches, and insights to improve water access and conservation efforts.
How common are grants in this category?
Common — grants in this category appear regularly across funding sources.
Over the past year, when are grant deadlines typically due for Water grants?
Most grants are due in the third quarter.
Nonprofits that help people get clean water, save water, or keep water clean might get these water-supporting grants. Groups that stop pollution, use water wisely or build water systems can also apply.
Water grants typically have the highest concentration of deadlines in Q3, with 28.3% of grant deadlines falling in this period. If you're planning to apply, consider prioritizing your applications around this time to maximize opportunities. Conversely, the least active period for grants in this category is Q2.
These grants help make sure water stays clean and safe to drink. They also protect rivers, lakes, and other water sources. The people giving the money care about nature, keeping people healthy, and fixing water problems caused by climate change.
Funding for water grants varies widely, with award amounts ranging from a minimum of $250 to a maximum of $18,000,000. Based on Instrumentl’s data, the median grant amount for this category is $65,000, while the average grant awarded is $850,368. Understanding these funding trends can help nonprofits set realistic expectations when applying.
Water grants are majorly funded by the Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
State and local governments also provide funding through health departments and community service grants. Private foundations like Water.org focus on saving and providing drinkable water. Additionally, corporate initiatives, such as Coca-Cola and Nestlé, offer grants for projects that help the environment.
To improve grant success, nonprofits should:
Struggling to manage multiple grants? Learn how to stay organized with our comprehensive grant tracking spreadsheet guide.
Instrumentl streamlines the search for water grants by identifying relevant funding opportunities. You can track deadlines, and organize applications as well. It also provides insights into funder priorities to help nonprofits refine their grant-seeking strategies. Optimize your grant-seeking process with these research strategies.