Posted on January 11, 2013
Deadline: February 14, 2013 (Pre-proposals)

Sustain Our Great Lakes Offers Funding for On-the-Ground Habitat Restoration and Enhancement

Sustain Our Great Lakes is a public-private partnership that works to sustain, restore, and protect fish, wildlife, and habitat in the Great Lakes basin by leveraging funding, building conservation capacity, and directing 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.

Administered by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, the program is accepting applications for competitive funding to be awarded through the 2013 funding cycle.

In 2013, grant funding will be awarded in three categories — habitat restoration, delisting of beneficial use impairments within Great Lakes areas of concern, and private landowner technical assistance. Applicants must indicate which of these categories are pertinent to their proposed projects. A single proposal may address more than one of these categories, but proposals need not address multiple categories to be competitive.

In past years, Sustain Our Great Lakes offered funding through two grants programs, Stewardship Grants and Community Grants, which differed primarily in terms of dollar amount. This year the program is offering funding through a single funding opportunity, and all applicants are asked to submit applications to the comprehensive program regardless of the size of the funding request. Full consideration will be given to all applications irrespective of the amount requested.

Eligible applicants include nonprofit 501(c) organizations; state, tribal, and local governments; and educational institutions. Individuals, federal agencies, and private for-profit firms are not eligible. Projects must occur within the Great Lakes basin and fall into one or more of the program's funding categories.

For the 2013 funding cycle, the program will not provide funding for land protection (e.g., acquisition and easement), rain barrels, rain gardens, green roofs, or research. Projects that seek funding for political advocacy, lobbying, litigation, fundraising, or legally mandated mitigation projects are not eligible.

Approximately $5 million to $9 million is expected to be available in grants ranging from $25,000 to $1.5 million. Projects that meet or exceed a 1:1 ratio in matching funds will be more competitive. (Please note, a minimum 1:1 non-federal match is required for private landowner technical assistance projects.) Anticipated completion time for funded projects will typically be two years.

Visit the NFWF Web site for the complete Request for Proposals, specific guidelines for each funding category, and application requirements.

Contact:
Link to Complete RFP

Primary Subject: Environment
Geographic Funding Area: National

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