Sierra Nevada Conservancy

FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES NEWSLETTER

November-December 2018

Funding Research Memos for fuel reduction, parks and trails, habitat preservation, environmental education, and other program areas are available on the SNC funding opportunities webpage. This is a great way to find funding opportunities for your projects!

Upcoming Grants that Might be of Interest:

• The FEMA Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program (due October 26) provides funding to eligible fire departments, emergency medical service (EMS) organizations, and state fire training academies (SFTAs) to equip and train emergency personnel.
• The Rose Foundation California Wildland Grassroots Fund (due October 28)  supports conservationists advocating for the permanent protection, including restoration and stewardship, of intact wildlands to help preserve California’s wilderness and native biological diversity.
• Annie’s Homegrown Grants for Gardens (due November 1) provide modest grants to support edible school gardens.
• The Institute for Museum and Library Services’ ‘Inspire’ Grants for Small Museums (due November 1) encourage small museums to implement priority projects in the areas of Lifelong Learning, Community Anchors and Catalysts, and Collections Stewardship and Public Access.
• The Corporation for National and Community Service Retired and Senior Volunteer Program Competition (due November 7) funds programs that engage people age 55 and older in a diverse range of volunteer activities, including environmental stewardship, helping them to improve their lives by staying active and civically engaged.
• The CalRecycle Farm and Ranch Solid Waste Clean Up Grants (due November 8) can be used to clean up illegal dumping and waste from illegal activities on public and private agricultural lands, including forest lands.
• California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Environmental Enhancement Fund grants (due November 16) support environmental enhancement projects located within or immediately adjacent to waters of the state.
• The California State Parks Foundation Youth Access Grants (due November 16) focus on increasing youth access to nature and nature-based experiences.
• Youth Outside Grants (Letters of Intent due November 30) support projects that engage youth ages 12 to 24, particularly those who are under-represented in outdoor pursuits, with their surrounding natural resources.
• The State Water Resources Control Board’s Nonpoint Source Grant Program (due December 18) funds projects that address problems in impaired waters and that implement forest management measures to improve water quality.
• CAL FIRE Fire Prevention Grants (due December 19) aim to reduce the risk of wildland fires to habitable structures and communities, while maximizing carbon sequestration in healthy wildland habitat.
• The National Forest Foundation’s Matching Awards Program (due January 23, 2019) provides funding for results-oriented on-the-ground projects that enhance forest health and outdoor experiences on National Forests.
• The CAL FIRE Forest Health Grants (due January 29, 2019) funds projects that proactively restore forest health to reduce greenhouse gases, protect upper watersheds, promote the long-term storage of carbon in forest trees and soils, and minimize the loss of forest carbon from large, intense wildfires.
• The Bureau of Reclamation WaterSMART Cooperative Watershed Management Grant Program (due January 30, 2019) funds restoration projects selected as priorities by watershed groups.
• The Hind Foundation (rolling) supports community-based projects that make visible impacts, including land conservation and plant/wildlife protection.

Be prepared: Upcoming Grants that Should be Active Soon:

• The USFS Wood Innovations Grant NOFA is typically released around Bioenergy Day (October 24). Funding is provided for biomass and bioenergy market development, project pre-development costs, and other related items.
• EPA Brownfields Grants provide funding to assess and clean up contamination on industrial sites such as sawmills. This year the program has been revised to increase the amount of funding available and the options for funded programs. The NOFA is expected late October or early November.
• The draft guidelines for the new CA Natural Resources Agency Cultural, Community, and Natural Resources grant has been released, with comments taken until November 12. If they keep the same schedule, concept proposals for this grant will be due February 13. The grant provides funding for a variety of cultural and recreational amenities, including restoration and preservation of Native American, natural, cultural, and historic resources within the State.

Prop 68 Parks Grant are Coming! Get Ready… Proposition 68, informally known as the ‘Parks-Water Bond’, was passed by the voters in June 2018. It allocates hundreds of millions of dollars for parks throughout the communities of California. Some of these funds are being made available as direct grants to cities and counties, but most of the funding will be in the form of competitive grants.

Sierra Nevada communities are nestled among rolling hills and forested mountains, but many are still ‘park-poor’ – there are few public outdoor places for gatherings, play, and relaxation and events. Some communities would like to develop recreational trails to connect with other recreational opportunities, or interpretive facilities for areas of natural or cultural interest. These grants can help you get funding for this kind of project; if you are ready!

Most of these programs have not released their application guidelines or solicitations yet. However, there are several things that communities can do to make themselves more competitive for all the grants. These are:

1. Maximize Community Engagement in Project Planning and Prioritization
2. Develop Necessary Partnerships and Agreements
3. Move Toward ‘Project Readiness’

A short memo describing these three steps is available on the SNC ‘Other Funding Opportunities’ Webpage.

Your SNC Area Representative can help you set up an individual consultation with the SNC Funding Team to get advice about specific funding opportunities or general fund development strategies. To take advantage of this resource, contact your Area Representative.

Grant Writing Workshops are available to help build the capacity of organizations that serve the Sierra Nevada Region. If you are interested in organizing or attending a workshop, contact your Area Representative. Upcoming workshops are scheduled in Shasta and Amador counties, and additional workshops can be scheduled upon request.