Funding

National Fish and Wildlife Foundation 

America the Beautiful Challenge

America the Beautiful Challenge (ATBC), which was launched in 2022, is dedicated to funding landscape-scale conservation and restoration projects that implement existing conservation plans across the nation. ATBC grant pre-proposals are due April 20, 2023, and the full RFP can be found here. Awards are expected to be announced in November 2023.

ATBC is a partnership between NFWF and the Department of the Interior through the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Department of Agriculture through the U.S. Forest Service and the Natural Resources Conservation Service, the Department of Defense, and Native Americans in Philanthropy. In its first year, the program awarded 55 grants totaling $91 million, leveraging an additional $50 million in grantee match for a total conservation investment of $141 million.

In 2023, ATBC has additional funding available as the program expects to award up to $116 million in grants. NFWF expects to award at least ten percent of ATBC funding to Tribal and Native Nations and three percent to U.S. territories. Competitive grants will conserve, restore and connect habitats for wildlife while improving community resilience and access to nature. Proposals are reviewed by a public-private committee of partners and technical experts, and funding decisions are based on the extent to which they meet the criteria listed in the RFP.

NAFWS will conduct direct outreach, host conversations with potential applicants to develop project ideas, troubleshoot with previous applicants as they consider reapplying for funding, and be a resource hub for Tribes in the process of applying for funding. NAFWS will also host virtual and in-person peer-to-peer learning event(s) throughout the 2023 grant cycle. For more information on webinars, resources, and assistance in applying for funding, visit our America the Beautiful Challenge Member Resource page.

National Fish and Wildlife Foundation 

National Coastal Resilience Fund

The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) is pleased to announce the 2023 National Coastal Resilience Fund (NCRF) Request for Proposals (RFP). NFWF will make investments in planning, design, and implementation of natural and nature-based solutions. The goal is to enhance protections for coastal communities from the impacts of storms, floods, and other natural coastal hazards and to improve habitats for fish and wildlife.

NFWF will award approximately $140 million in grants to create and restore natural systems to increase protection for communities from current and future coastal hazards and improve habitats for fish and wildlife species. The availability of federal funds estimated in this solicitation is contingent upon the federal appropriations process; funding decisions will be made based on level of funding and timing of when it is received by NFWF.

The NCRF is a national program focused on enhancement of resilience for coastal communities. Projects must be located within the coastal areas of U.S. coastal states, including the Great Lakes states, and U.S. territories and tribal lands. For the purpose of this funding opportunity, the eligible project area is defined as all coastal Hydrologic Unit Code (HUC) 8 watersheds that drain to the sea and any adjacent HUC 8 watersheds that are particularly low-lying or tidally influenced (“coastal areas”);²  a map of the NCRF geographic footprint can be found here.

NAFWS was selected as this year’s national field liaisons. As field liaisons, NAFWS will conduct direct outreach, host conversations with potential applicants to develop project ideas, and troubleshoot with previous applicants as they consider reapplying for funding. The Field Liaisons will also host virtual and in-person peer-to-peer learning event(s) throughout 2023. Access resources, webinar recordings, and contact information for NAFWS liaisons via our Member Resources page.

Important Dates:

Pre-Proposal Due Date: Wednesday, April 12, 2023 by 11:59 PM ET

Full Proposal Invitations: Mid to End of May 2023

Full Proposal by Invite only Due Date: Wednesday, June 28, 2023 by 11:59 PM ET

United States Fish & Wildlife Service 

Tribal Wildlife Grants

On February 23, 2023, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) published the FY 2023 Tribal Wildlife Grants (TWG) Program Funding Opportunity Announcement and is available in Grants.gov. In FY 2023, Congress has appropriated $6.2 million to fund TWG. Since its inception in 2003, TWG has awarded more than $111.6 million to Federally recognized Tribes supporting 626 conservations projects throughout Indian Country. These projects have benefited a wide range of fish, wildlife, and habitat, including species of Native American cultural or traditional importance and species that are not hunted or fished.

To fulfill Executive Order 14008 and meet Department of the Interior and Service priorities and commensurate with available appropriations, the Service is implementing a Third-Tier funding process. Third Tier grants target Tribes that have not received TWG Program funds in the past. The purpose is to increase Tribal fish and wildlife management capacity to address threats to tribally identified species, including threats associated with climate change.

Additionally, the Service has implemented an electronic performance reporting system called TRACS (Tracking and Reporting Actions for the Conservation of Species (https://tracs.fws.gov) in order to document recipient performance and for reporting on national program accomplishments that deliver meaningful results consistent with the TWG Program’s authorizing legislation. TRACS data entry facilitates development of a complete Project Narrative that you may use as part of your application in GrantSolutions, if you choose to use TRACS prior to submission of your application. Please note that Tribes are encouraged but not required to use Standard Objectives or enter data in TRACS. If you elect to use Standard Objectives and the TRACS system, you may wish to review the TRACS Performance Matrix for examples of typical project objectives used in other WSFR programs. We encourage you to work with your Tribal Liaison or WSFR Regional Office if you have questions about selecting and articulating objectives in your Project Narrative, or you may review WSFR’s TRACS Training Options.

The Fiscal Year 2023 Tribal Wildlife Grant Funding Opportunity Announcement closing date is June 23, 2023.

USDA Natural Resources Conservation Science

 Equity in Conservation Outreach Cooperative Agreements

This is the second year that Equity in Conservation Outreach funding has been available. In 2022, seventeen proposals submitted by Tribal Nations and tribal organizations were funded for a total of 7.5 million dollars. The funding for 2023 is pretty robust, (up to 70 million dollars) for this round. It might be a while until we see this productive an opportunity to increase our market penetration for NRCS programs with tribal producers and tribal community agriculture in general.

Projects should support outreach activities that encourage diverse and inclusive participation in NRCS programs and introduce conservation planning and climate smart practices to protect farmland ecosystems, watersheds, and wildlife habitat in geographical areas of underserved communities ranging from rural agriculture to urban and small acreage producers. Projects which provide opportunities for students to pursue careers in agriculture, natural resources, and related sciences are also strongly encouraged.

Federally recognized Tribal Nations, State recognized Tribal Nations, and tribal organizations are all eligible entities.

The link above has more information, including links to a prerecorded webinar and links to four live webinars for applicants coming up in March.

The proposal submission deadline is April 27, 2023. Specific questions from applicants should be submitted to FPAC.BC.GAD@USDA.GOV.

United States Fish & Wildlife Service

 Zoonotic Disease Initiative Grants 

The Zoonotic Disease Initiative is a grant program focused on wildlife disease prevention and preparedness. Authorized under the American Rescue Plan (2021, H.R. 1319, Section 6003.3), the Initiative will provide up to $9 million in available funding to states, Tribes and territories to strengthen early detection, rapid response and science-based management research to address wildlife disease outbreaks before they cross the barrier from animals to humans and become pandemics.

The highest priority for the funding is to increase organizational readiness and ensure a network of state, Tribal and territorial wildlife managers across the nation are prepared for zoonotic disease outbreaks. Strengthening partner capacity for wildlife health monitoring will allow for the early detection of diseases.

The 2023 Zoonotic Disease Initiative Notice of Funding Opportunity is now available. Proposals will be accepted until 11:59 p.m. EST on April 20, 2023. Please reach out to Anna-Marie York (Anna-Marie_York@fws.gov) with questions.  Read the complete press release here

Submit Tribal Applications here

National Science Foundation

Planning Proposals to Catalyze Innovative and Inclusive Wildland Fire Science through Diverse Collaborations

This funding invests in programs, initiatives and projects aimed at,

• Conserving Wildlife and Habitat
• Connecting New Audiences to the Outdoors
• Advocating for Access and Sportsmen’s Rights
• Supporting Military and Veterans
• Strengthening Communities in the Missouri Ozarks

Apply all year round!