National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF)

The Five Star and Urban Waters Restoration grant program seeks to develop community capacity to sustain local natural resources for future generations by providing modest financial assistance to diverse local partnerships focused on improving water quality, watersheds and the species and habitats they support. Grants for this program are available nationwide, but additional funding is available for the geographic priorities listed in the Funding Availability section of the RFP.

Note: There is one application submitted to NFWF for all sources of funding. Applicants are strongly encouraged to contact NFWF for assistance in determining what qualifies as in-kind or any other type of matching contribution. Please click on the link below to the NFWF website for more information, including a proposal tip sheet, application instructions, and one-on-one guidance available in virtual proposal labs.

Eligible Entities: Nonprofit 501(c) organizations, state government agencies, local and municipal governments, Tribal governments and organizations, and educational institutions
Award Amount: $2.5 million is available nationwide for projects meeting program priorities; 30-40 grants ranging from $30,000 to $60,000 are awarded each year
Required Match: Projects are required to meet or exceed a 1:0.75 match ratio to be competitive. For example, a $60,000 grant request should be matched by contributions totaling $45,000. Projects applying for the USDA People’s Garden Initiative funding do not require a match.
Applications Due: January 30, 2025, by 11:59 PM