Funding

The Montana Coal Endowment Program (MCEP) is a state-funded program created in 1992. It was established to help solve serious health and safety problems and assist communities with the financing of public facilities projects. The program helps local governments with infrastructure planning as well as constructing or upgrading drinking water systems, wastewater treatment facilities, sanitary or storm sewer systems, solid waste disposal and separation systems, and bridges.

Due to the historic funding for water and wastewater infrastructure made available by the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA), MCEP Planning Grants will be increased for the 2025 Biennium. In addition, the MCEP Planning Grant Program is moving from a “first come, first served” application review and award process to a more competitive process to ensure that the highest need, highest impact infrastructure planning activities are prioritized for funding. Lastly, due to the one-time increase in planning funding made available by ARPA, applicants may apply for up to four applications—one in each planning activity category.

ELIGIBLE PROJECTS

Preliminary Engineering Reports (PER) for:

• Drinking water systems
• Wastewater treatment facilities
• Sanitary or storm sewer systems
• Solid waste disposal & separation systems
• Bridges
• Comprehensive Capital Improvements Plan (CIP)

ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS

• Incorporated Cities or Towns
• Counties
• Consolidated governments
• Tribal governments
• County or multi-county water, sewer, or solid waste districts
• An authority as defined in 75-6-304, MCA.

*The DNRC Renewable Resource Grant and Loan Programs (RRGL) is announcing a Planning Grant Opportunity for MCEP/CDBG Match Only. All applicants to the MCEP or CDBG program are eligible for funding under this grant opportunity. Funding will be provided in the order received up to $500,000 in total awards. *

The Incumbent Worker Training (IWT) program is a grant funding resource, helping to off-set a portion of skills-based training costs for incumbent (existing) workers employed by Montana’s private sector. Businesses must demonstrate that training will increase the worker’s skill-level, result in a promotion or wage gain, or expand their business market/increase business revenue with the intent of preserving existing jobs for Montana residents.

Monitoring Montana Waters (MMW) is a program at FLBS that provides scientific expertise and guidance to citizen-led watershed monitoring groups. MMW offers two different types of financial support to watershed groups that have had SAPs and SOPs approved by MMW or Montana Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ). These funds are available to provide support for sample analyses costs (including shipping of samples), as well as the purchase of sampling gear.

Applications are due annually on March 1st!

The fund is open to:

• Ranchers and agricultural landowners
• Conservation organizations
• Indigenous communities

Successful applicants must demonstrate:

• A clear conservation benefit for land, water, and/or wildlife
• A commitment to monitoring and sharing results
• A sustainable plan for long-term use

Funding and support:

• Grant amounts range from $10,000 to $75,000, with a total of $250,000 available.
• Funds can be applied to support partially funded projects or entirely new initiatives.
• In addition to funding, PERC’s Conservation Innovation Lab will provide guidance and support throughout the project’s implementation. The lab incubates groundbreaking ideas and offers creative solutions in partnership with ranchers and conservation organizations.

Grants will be awarded on a rolling basis.
All applicants will discuss project terms with PERC prior to receiving a grant.

The application deadline is February 1, 2025.

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.

Projects include a variety of ecological improvements along with targeted community outreach, education and stewardship. Ecological improvements may include one or more of the following: wetland, riparian, forest and coastal habitat restoration; wildlife conservation, community tree canopy enhancement, wildlife habitat, urban agriculture and community gardens, wildlife and water quality monitoring and green infrastructure best management practices for managing run-off.

Eligible applicants include non-profit 501(c) organizations, state government agencies, local governments, municipal governments, Tribal Governments and Organizations and educational institutions

Awards range from $30,000 to $60,000 with an average size of $45,000 and 30-40 grants awarded per year. Grants should span 12 to 18 months with a start date in late summer/early fall 2025.

The ratio of matching contributions offered is considered during the review process, and projects are required to meet or exceed a 1:.75 match ratio to be competitive.

Federal agencies are using the Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool to help identify disadvantaged communities. The objective of this NOFO is to invite States, Indian Tribes, irrigation districts, water districts, and other organizations with water or power delivery authority to leverage their money and resources by cost sharing with Reclamation on small-scale on-the-ground projects that seek to conserve, better manage, or otherwise make more efficient use of water supplies. Proposed projects that are supported by an existing water management and conservation plan, System Optimization Review, or other planning effort led by the applicant are prioritized. This prioritization will help ensure that projects funded under this NOFO are well thought out, have public support, and have been identified as the best way to address water management concerns.

Eligible Applicants:

Category A Applicants: States, Tribes, irrigation districts, and water districts; State, regional, or local authorities, the members of which include one or more organizations with water or power delivery authority; and Other organizations with water or power delivery authority. 

Category B Applicants: Nonprofit conservation organizations that are acting in partnership with, and with the agreement of an entity described in Category A, with respect to a project involving land or infrastructure owned by the Category A entity. All Category B applicants must be located in the United States, or the specific Territories identified above. Category B applicants should include with their application a letter from the Category A partner stating that the Category A partner: Is acting in partnership with the applicant; Agrees to the submittal and content of the application; and Intends to participate in the project in some way, for example, by providing input, feedback, or other support for the project.

Award Ceiling: $125,000
Award Floor: $0

This competitive grant program provides financial assistance to Indian Tribes, local governments, and qualified conservation non-profit organizations to establish community forests through the fee simple acquisition of private forest land.

The purpose of the program is to establish community forests by protecting forestland from conversion to non-forest uses and provide community benefits including public recreation, environmental and economic benefits, and forest-based educational programs. Public access is required for all projects.

To apply, interested local government and nonprofit applicants must submit applications to the State Forester where the property is located. Tribal applicants must submit applications to equivalent Tribal government officials. All applications must be received by State Foresters or Tribal governments by January 13, 2025.

State Foresters or Tribal government officials must forward applications to the appropriate Forest Service Regional office or International Institute of Tropical Forestry by February 10, 2025.

Eligibility:

• NPS Administered Lands and Waters. Projects that directly benefit one or more NPS-administered Parks, National Trails, and Wild and Scenic Rivers (including Partnership Wild and Scenic Rivers).  
• Applications are submitted only by National Park Service managers; project partners are expected to collaborate fully in the application process, but are not themselves eligible to apply.
• Partner Organizations may be nonprofit organizations, government agencies, Tribes, and educational institutions.
• National Park Service staff must have a significant project role in working with the partnering organization. The project must have the endorsement of the superintendent or program manager, as well as assurance from the local partner(s) that the project’s budget is viable.
• The proposed project should be substantially completed within the calendar year in which it is funded.

The partner organization is required to match the amount of the Challenge Cost Share program funding received with an equal share from the partner(s); any combination of dollars and in-kind services can be counted toward the partner’s cost share requirement, as long as their match comes from non-federal sources.

Max Amount: $25,000

The Advancing Informal STEM Learning (AISL) Program is committed to funding research and practice, with continued focus on investigating a range of informal STEM learning (ISL) experiences and environments that make lifelong learning a reality. This program seeks proposals that center engagement, broadening participation, and belonging, and further the well-being of individuals and communities who have been and continue to be excluded, underserved, or underrepresented in STEM along several dimensions. The current solicitation encourages proposals from institutions and organizations that serve public audiences, and specifically focus on public engagement with and understanding of STEM, including community STEM; public participation in scientific research (PPSR); science communication; intergenerational STEM engagement; and STEM media.

Projects funded by AISL should contribute to research and practice that further illuminates informal STEM learning’s role in engagement, broadening participation, and belonging in STEM; personal and educational success in STEM; advancing public engagement in scientific discovery; fostering interest in STEM careers; creating and enhancing the theoretical and empirical foundations for effective informal STEM learning; improving community vibrancy; and/or enhancing science communication and the public’s engagement in and understanding of STEM and STEM processes.

Limits for funding requests and duration of AISL proposals under this solicitation are as follows:

1. Synthesis projects: $100,000 to $500,000 with a duration up to three years
2. Conference projects: $75,000 to $250,000 with a duration up to two years
3. Partnership Development and Planning projects: $50,000 to $150,000 with a duration of one to one and one-half years
4. Integrating Research and Practice projects: $250,000 to $2,000,000 with a duration of two to five years
5. Research in Support of Wide-reaching Public Engagement with STEM projects: $1,000,000 to $3,500,000 with a duration of two to five years

The  Montana Noxious Weed Trust Fund (NWTF) Grant Program was established by the 1985 Montana Legislature to provide funding for the noxious weed  research projects, state and community education/development projects, and local cooperative – landowner cost share. Applicants may apply for funding up to $75,000 per project.

Noxious Weed Trust Fund grant funds may not be used for:

• Application expenditures – developing grant proposals, grant hearing travel expense
• Purchase of biocontrol agents
• Equipment purchases
• Indirect costs
• Capital improvements
• Annual herbicide for cropland/CRP practices
• Re-seeding efforts for alfalfa fields, grain for wildlife habitat, or other cropland situations

All grant projects should complement and enhance the Montana Weed Management Plan and focus on state or county listed noxious weeds. Grant funding is provided as reimbursement for completed project expenditures.

Be sure to attend the Grant Writing Workshop and/or office hours before submitting your application.

AIS grants are intended to increase local capacity and involvement to address AIS issues. Projects that focus on these AIS management components are eligible: prevention, early detection, education and outreach, research, and treatment.

This state funded program awards approximately $250,000 each year. Applicants may request up to $50,000 per project.

Grant applicants can be local, state, tribal, or other government entities within the state; and Montana-based non-governmental entities.

Contact Liz Lodman at 406-444-0547 with any questions on the grant and application process. Questions can be emailed to dnraisgrants@mt.gov 

The Montana Department of Environmental Quality’s Nonpoint Source and Wetlands Program has put out a Request for Information for the next Focus Watershed. The selected watershed will be eligible for up to half the annual (~$500,000) Federal Clean Water Act 319 funds during the 2026-2028 funding cycles. Self nominate your 10-digit HUC watershed on eMACS before January 3, 2025 for consideration. Contact Hannah Riedl with questions or concerns.

The program supports forestry and natural resource educational program assistance to pre-K thorough 12th grade students and their educators, both in classroom and outdoor settings. Supported activities can be part of a structured curriculum, as well as informal learning opportunities.

To receive funding, proposals must contribute to meaningful natural resource education experiences for youth or increase and improve the capacity of natural resource professionals, volunteers, or organizations to deliver quality educational experiences to their clients.

Applications open March 1st, 2024. First review of applications closes on April 15, 2024, with additional review ongoing until December 31, 2024 or until all funds are awarded. 

The private water grant program is in place to support water projects funded by non-government entities such as individuals, associations, and watershed groups.  The grant cycle will be open until funds are expended.

Grants are available for projects that meet the following criteria:
1. The project benefits a water resource;
2. The project is required by a government entity such as a county, conservation district or state agency;
3. Project costs are incurred before a grant agreement is signed;
4. The applicant is not a government entity
5. The applicant has not received a grant from the Private Grant Program in the last five years

B. FUNDING REQUIREMENTS:
1. Private water grants are available up to $5,000 or 25% of the project cost, whichever is least;
2. Reimbursement is based on actual provided receipts;
3. Reimbursement will be done on a one-time only basis;
4. Match funding includes professional services, contracted labor, and materials. Receipts will be requested;
5. The project has not been constructed yet;
6. The project must provide public benefits;
7. The project will be constructed in Montana;
8. The project will be an efficient use of a natural resource including water, energy, land, and air without diminishing the quality;
9. The project cannot be accomplished without the assistance of a loan or grant; cannot be an income property per MCA 85-1-610.

Before applying for a Spark Good Local Grant, organizations must have a Spark Good account on Walmart.com/nonprofits and be verified by Walmart’s third-party verification partner, Deed.

• Spark Good Local Grants are awarded through an open application process to eligible organizations operating locally and directly benefiting the service area of the facility from when they are requesting funding.
• Grant amounts range from a minimum of $250 to a maximum of $5,000.
• Grant applications are accepted and reviewed during three submission periods this year. Adjusted deadlines Grant application timelines are as follows:
  • March 1 – July 15
  • Aug. 6 – Oct. 15
  • Nov. 1 – Dec. 31
• Organizations may only have a combined total number of 25 submitted and/or approved applications at any given one time for the calendar year, regardless of quarterly submission.
• Final decisions on applications submitted within each quarter are made prior to the next quarter’s application opening. If approved, grant funds are distributed through electronic payment.

Eligible Organizations:

• An organization holding a current tax-exempt status as a public charity under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, listed on the IRS Master File and conducting activities within the United States, classified as a public charity under Section 509(a)(1), (2) or (3) (Types I or II); and Deed verified.
• A recognized government entity: state, county or city agency, including law enforcement or fire departments, that are requesting funds exclusively for public purposes and Deed verified.
• A K-12 public or nonprofit private school, charter school, community/junior college, state/private college or university; or a church or other faith-based organization with a proposed project that benefits the community at large, such as food pantries, soup kitchens and clothing closets and Deed verified.

AgWest Farm Credit provides grants to non-profit organizations for projects that improve rural communities within Alaska, Arizona, California, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington. This includes efforts such as building or improving facilities; purchasing necessary equipment to facilitate a local program; and funding capital improvements which enhance a community’s infrastructure, viability and/or prosperity.

Maximum grant request is $5000. Due to growing demand, the average amount awarded is between $500 and $2,500. An organization may only be awarded grant funds once per calendar year.

Grants applications must have a letter of written support from a current AgWest employee or an active AgWest customer. Applications are reviewed monthly and you will be notified within six weeks of the successful submission date.

The following individuals, organizations or activities are not eligible to receive funding through the community grant program: 

• AgWest customers 
• Lobbying or political organizations 
• Fraternal or labor organizations 
• Projects that have raised zero funds before applying 
• Projects benefiting individuals, corporations and/or LLCs 
• Operating expenses or advertising 
• Fundraising events, dinners or benefits 
• Travel expenses for individual/groups 
• Sports team or camp sponsorships 
• Deficits already incurred, loans or debt retirement 
• Annual community events 

The Brooks and Joan Fortune Foundation (BJFF) primarily provides funds to support education, art, and outreach programs and projects. In general, the foundation desires to support specific activities that result in a defined outcome rather than general operating funds or fundraising campaigns. While the foundation activities have historically been located in Indiana and Florida, requests from around the country will certainly be considered. All recipients must have a 501(c)(3) designation from the IRS.

The focus of this grant is on communities experiencing harm related to environmental/climate disasters such as drought, flooding, fires, and disruptions that impact air quality, water quality, safe housing, healthy food or water, or quality of life.

Funded projects should address environmental issues and promote healthy communities. Eligible projects include (but not limited to)those focused on:

• Air quality & Asthma
• Water quality & sampling
• Improving food access to reduce vehicle miles traveled
• Education on illegal dumping and small-scale clean-ups
• Emergency preparedness and disaster relief
• Project activities must benefit communities of focus as defined by Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) Disadvantaged Communities Map. However, communities not reflected on this map MAY still be eligible. Check with the MAP EJ Grants Hub.

Eligible Entities:

Must complete work within EPA Region 8: Colorado, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, Wyoming

• Nonprofit organizations
• Community-based and grassroots nonprofit organizations
• Philanthropic and civic organizations with nonprofit status
• Tribal governments (both federally recognized and state-recognized) and intertribal consortia (i.e., a partnership between two or more tribes that work together to achieve a common objective)
• Native American organizations (includes Indian groups, cooperatives, nonprofit corporations, partnerships, and associations that have the authority to enter into legally binding agreements)
• Institutions of higher education (e.g., private and public universities and colleges, including community colleges)
• Local governments (as defined by 2 CFR 200.1 – includes cities, towns, municipalities, and counties, public housing authorities and councils of government)

There are additional eligibility criteria for the non-competitive subgrants.

Grants

Tier 1 Grants: Assessment | up to $150,000 | 1 Year

Examples include:

• Research (that is incidental to the project design)
• Sampling
• Testing
• Monitoring
• Investigations
• Surveys and Studies
• Public Education

Tier 2 Grants: Planning | up to $250,000 | 1-2 Years
Examples include:

• Planning, Partnership-building, Public outreach and education
• Coordination with community stakeholders to address environmental issues
• Training activities for community organizations and community members
• Projects and activities to prompt community involvement (e.g., cleanups of
• vacant lots)
• Smaller land purchases and acquisitions that require less than half of the total amount of subgrant funding.

Tier 3 Grants: Development | up to $350,000 | 2 Years
Examples include:

• Project Development
• Blueprints for construction or cleanup projects, schematics, and technical development
• Work to get permits in place directly related to an environmental project
• Smaller land purchases and acquisitions that require less than half of the total amount of subgrant funding
• Implementation of project plans
• Public outreach and education

Non-Competitive Grants: a limited number of $75,000 grants available to severely capacity-constrained organizations for Tier 1 Assessment tasks only.

Tentative Grant Application Timeline:

Cycle 1: Oct 28- Dec 12, 2024
Cycle 2: Spring 2025
Cycle 3: Fall 2025
Applicants can apply to multiple cycles. A single applicant can receive up to 2 awards for a total of up to $600,000

The GEICO Philanthropic Foundation awards contributions to Organizations operated exclusively for charitable, scientific, or educational purposes and 501(c)(3) Charitable nonprofit organizations that submit applications between January 1 and November 30.

Focus Areas:

• Education- The Foundation regularly teams up with nonprofits focused on educational resources and opportunities supporting diverse communities across the country, as well as groups that focus on STEM, early childhood learning, and safety.
• Community Engagement- Part of the Foundation’s vision is improving our communities and supporting local organizations through volunteer and outreach efforts. Topics of focus may include:
  • Financial literacy
  • Food insecurity
  • Environmental conservation
  • Animal welfare and advocacy
  • Health and wellness initiatives
• Equity- The Foundation is committed to building meaningful relationships with community organizations that support equity, justice, diversity, and inclusion.

The U.S. Department of the Interior’s (Department) WaterSMART (Sustain and Manage America’s Resources for Tomorrow) Program provides a framework for Federal leadership and assistance to stretch and secure water supplies for future generations in support of the Department’s priorities. Through WaterSMART, the Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) leverages Federal and non-Federal funding to support stakeholder efforts to stretch scarce water supplies and avoid conflicts over water. Through the Title XVI Water Reclamation and Reuse Program (Title XVI), authorized by P.L. 102-575 in 1992, Reclamation provides financial and technical assistance to local water agencies for the planning, design, and construction of water reclamation and reuse projects. Water recycling is a tool in stretching the limited water supplies in the Western United States. Title XVI projects develop and supplement urban and irrigation water supplies through water reuse, thereby improving efficiency, providing flexibility during water shortages, and diversifying the water supply. These projects provide growing communities with new sources of clean water which increases water management flexibility and makes our water supply more reliable. Through the Large-Scale Water Recycling Program, Reclamation will provide up to 25 percent (%) Federal cost share, with no per-project Federal funding maximum, to water recycling projects that have a total project cost greater than or equal to $500 million. Large-scale water recycling projects will play an important role in helping communities develop local, drought-resistant sources of water supply by turning currently unusable water sources into a new source of water supply that is less vulnerable to drought and climate change. The Large-Scale Water Recycling Projects funding opportunity provides support for priorities identified in Presidential Executive Order (E.O.) 14008: Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad and is aligned with other priorities, such as those identified in E.O. 13985: Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government. 

Funding Opportunity Number: R23AS00433

Eligible Applicants to receive financial assistance to fund activities under this NOFO include: States, Indian Tribes, municipalities, irrigation districts, water districts, wastewater districts; and any state, regional, or other organization with water or power delivery authority, state, regional, or local authorities, the members of which include one or more organizations with water or power delivery authority; and An agency established under State law for the joint exercise of powers, or a combination of entities described above. All applicants must be located in the Western United States; specifically: Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming. 

Award Ceiling: $180,000,000
Award Floor: $0

This Rolling NOFO has three Application Submission Periods:

1) First Application Submission Period due date is November 21, 2023, at 4:00 p.m. Mountain Standard Time (MST).

2) Second Application Submittal Period due date is March 29, 2024, 4:00 p.m. MDT. Applications received after November 21, 2023, 4:00 p.m. MST and before March 29, 2024, 4:00 p.m. MDT, will be considered for the Second Submittal Period.

3) Third and Final Application Submittal Period due date is no longer September 30, it is now been pushed to November 26, 2024, 4:00 p.m. MDT.

EPA’s new Environmental and Climate Justice Community Change Grants program (Community Change Grants) has announced a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for approximately $2 billion dollars in Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) funds in environmental and climate justice activities to benefit disadvantaged communities through projects that reduce pollution, increase community climate resilience, and build community capacity to address environmental and climate justice challenges. These place-based investments will be focused on community-driven initiatives to be responsive to community and stakeholder input. They are designed to deliver on the transformative potential of the IRA for communities most adversely and disproportionately impacted by climate change, legacy pollution, and historical disinvestments.

The entities eligible to apply under this NOFO are:

• A partnership between two community-based non-profit organizations (CBOs). 
• A partnership between a CBO and one of the following:
  • a Federally-Recognized Tribe
  • a local government
  • an institution of higher education.

Other organizations and entities may be able to participate and be involved in the Community Change Grants projects as collaborating subrecipients and/or procurement contractors selected in compliance with competition requirements. 

The goal of Fish, Wildlife & Park’s FFIP is to restore rivers, streams and lakes to improve Montana’s wild fish habitat. Entities can receive funding for qualifying projects that benefit Montana’s wild fish. Projects can be located on private or public property, but must benefit a public fishery.

Approximately $400,000 is available for the winter grant cycle.

For this grant cycle, the Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC) is calling for project proposals that will integrate community-led education programs in support of environmental justice and climate adaptation. Education, whether formal or informal, is crucial to advance environmental justice, especially in cases where community members are not aware of the injustices (or the causes and impacts of the injustices) they face and how to address them, because they lack access to information and knowledge.

Potential projects supported under this grant program could promote the acquisition of climate adaptation knowledge related to the following themes: extreme weather impacts, transition to clean energy sources, conservation or restoration initiatives, traditional ecological knowledge to address climate change impacts and/or food sovereignty.

Eligible applicants include nonprofit and nongovernmental organizations, civil society groups, environmental groups, community-based associations, faith-based organizations, tribal nations, and Indigenous Peoples and communities.

Projects are funded for a duration of 12 (twelve) to 24 (twenty-four) months. The CEC encourages applicants to submit proposals up to C$175,000. The CEC recognizes that a project
can have a great impact at a low cost; therefore, no minimum grant amount has been established.

The Local Education and Demonstration grant program is founded on the understanding that adopting sustainable agricultural practice(s) entails change and managing potential financial, environmental, and social risks. The implementation of demonstration and/or education events can address local issues related to the adoption of sustainable agricultural practices, bolstering confidence in adoption, and reducing risks. Successful proposals are required to integrate findings from previously-funded SARE research projects, translate those results into practical demonstrations of application, and bring those results into the field through demonstration and/or educational activities for agricultural professionals and producers.

Strategies to conduct education and/or demonstration for adopting sustainable agricultural practices include, but are not limited to:

• local demonstrations
• trainings
• focus groups
• providing technical assistance
• developing educational materials
• the application of research results

by farmers, ranchers, Extension agents, governmental agencies, or non-governmental agencies.

Successful projects incorporate the environmental, economic, and social dimensions of sustainable agriculture. Projects can be up to 3 years (36 months) in length and funded up to $60,000.

This Water and Energy Efficiency Grants Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) provides funding for projects that result in quantifiable water savings, implement renewable energy components, and support broader sustainability benefits. These projects conserve and use water more efficiently; increase the production of renewable energy; mitigate conflict risk in areas at a high risk of future water conflict; and accomplish other benefits that contribute to sustainability in the Western United States. 

Eligible Applicants:

Category A- States, Tribes, irrigation districts, or water districts; State, regional, or local authorities, the members of which include one or more organizations with water or power delivery authority; and Other organizations with water or power delivery authority.

Category B- Nonprofit conservation organizations that are acting in partnership with, and with the agreement of an entity described in Category A. Category B applicants should include with their application a letter from the Category A partner stating that the Category A partner: Is acting in partnership with the applicant; Agrees to the submittal and content of the application; and Intends to participate in the project in some way, for example, by providing input, feedback, or other support for the project.

Award Ceiling: $5,000,000
Award Floor: $0

The Small Grants Program is a competitive, matching grants program that supports public-private partnerships carrying out projects in the United States that further the goals of the North American Wetlands Conservation Act. These projects must involve long-term protection, restoration, and/or enhancement of wetlands and associated uplands habitats for the benefit of all wetlands-associated migratory birds.

Grant request may not exceed $250,000. Partners must match their grant request at no less than a 1-to-1 ratio. 

Drought conditions across the Western United States (West) impact a wide range of communities and sectors, including agriculture, cities, Tribes, the environment, recreation, hydropower producers, and others. The WaterSMART Drought Response Program supports a proactive approach to drought by providing financial assistance to develop and update comprehensive drought plans (Drought Contingency Planning) and implement projects that will build long-term resilience to drought (Drought Resiliency Projects). Collaboration with a multitude of customers, partners, and stakeholders is essential to identifying successful strategies to address complex water management issues such as drought. Collaborations are central to Reclamation’s approach to addressing drought in the West, and WaterSMART’s Drought Response Program supports the goals of the Interagency Drought Relief Working Group established in March 2021 and the National Drought Resiliency Partnership formed in 2016 to enhance Federal coordination of drought activities.

With the passage of the IRA, through the Drought Resiliency NOFO, Reclamation now offers an opportunity that provides up to 95 percent of the cost for the planning, design, and construction of domestic water supply projects that benefit disadvantaged communities or households that do not have reliable access to domestic water supplies.

Eligible Applicants :

Drought Resiliency Projects: Tasks A-C

• Category A: States, Tribes, irrigation districts, and water districts; state, regional, or local authorities whose members include one or more organizations with water or power delivery authority; and other organizations with water or power delivery authority. Category A applicants must be located in the Western United States or United States Territories, including Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Washington, Wyoming, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, the Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico.
• Category B: Nonprofit conservation organizations that are acting in partnership and with the agreement of an entity described in Category A. Category B applicants must be in the United States or one of the Territories identified above.

Domestic Water Supply Projects: Task D States, Tribes, irrigation districts, and water districts; state, regional, or local authorities whose members include one or more organizations with water or power delivery authority; and other organizations with water or power delivery authority. Task D applicants must be located in one of the following states or territories: Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Washington, Wyoming, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, or the Virgin Islands.

Award Ceiling: $10,000,000
Award Floor: $25,000

Montana DNRC’s Watershed Management Grants (WMG) program has opened a simplified, mini round of funding just for Big Sky Watershed Corps host site cost share support. (Funding for other WMG project types will open later this fall.) Up to $8,000 is available to offset the $16,000 cost of hosting a member in 2025.

Celebrating environmental education, the purpose of the Get ‘Em Outside Mini-Grant program is to support educators in their efforts to take students outside for learning opportunities. With this funding, MEEA would like to be able to provide valuable resources possibly not available otherwise to both formal classroom and nonformal educators across Montana, fostering excellence in environmental education.

Deadline Extended: This year, 3 grants of up to $500 are available for programs occurring in 2024 or spring 2025. Get ‘Em Outside Mini-Grants proposals are due July 31, 2024.  Grant recipients will be notified by August 26th, 2024. Mini-grant programs must be implemented and funds spent by April  30th, 2025, at which time final reports will be due. Applications accepted on a rolling basis

Eligible Applicants: Montana schools, homeschools, tribal entities, nonprofit organizations, and tax-exempt government agencies are eligible to apply. Educators are encouraged to apply, either individually or with a team.

Questions?  Email meeasecretary@gmail.com

Through the Hometown Grants Program, T-Mobile is investing $25 million over five years, through 2026, to fund community projects in small towns across the United States. Each quarter, 25 grants of up to $50,000 are provided for shovel-ready projects to build, rebuild, or refresh community spaces that help foster local connections in small towns. Examples of eligible projects include, but are not limited to, adaptive uses of older and historic buildings into community gathering spaces, improvements to outdoor parks or trails, and technology projects for public libraries. Applications are accepted from elected officials, town managers and employees, tribal leaders, and nonprofit community leaders from small towns with a population of less than 50,000.