Category Archives: Environmental

Trust for Mutual Understanding

The Trust for Mutual Understanding supports direct exchanges in the arts, the environment, and the intersection of the two between professionals in the U.S. and the 28 countries in their region. Exchanges may be in person or virtual.

Initual inquiries are due each year by May 1st or November 1st. If invited, full proposals will be due August 1st or February 1st. There is no minimum or maximum award, but current grantees received $5,000 – $173,000.

Eligibility

This grant is open to 501(c)3 nonprofit organizations working with professionals in Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Mongolia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, or Uzbekistan.

Allowable Expenses

In Person Exchange

Grant funding for in person exchanges may be used for:

International airfare
Local transportation
Travel insurance
Visas and visa processing fees
Accommodations
Per diem
Translation and interpretation
Registration fees for conferences, events, and trainings
Cost of using more environmentally friendly modes of transportation
Carbon offsets for travel

Virtual Exchange

Grant funding for virtual exchanges may be used for:

Staff time for planning and participating in events
Necessary technology, such as hardware, software, licensing fees, etc.
Event registration fees

Grantees in both categories may spend up to 30% of grant funding on indirect costs.

Project Categories

The Arts

https://www.tmuny.org/assets/imported/2015/04/ tmu_2008_annual_fin2print.pdf

Exchanges may take place between professional artists and designers, art managers and curators, primarily in the visual and performing arts. Potential activities include:

Artistic collaborations
Performances in conjunction with lectures or workshops
Curatorial research projects
Historic preservation projects
Arts management programs

The Environment

Exchanges may take place between environmental activists, conservationists, researchers, and scientists, especially those focused on presevation, environmental law, species conservation, and sustainable development.

Potential activities include:

Facilitating better international communication and networking
Joint events, conferences, and workshops
Collaborative research projects
Collaborative actions, projects, and programs

Intersection of Arts and the Environment

Projects that focus on the intersection of arts and the environment will receive priority consideration. Potential activities include:

Collaborations in which artists and environmentalists learn and draw inspiration from each other
Activities led by native communities focused on the interconnection of art and the environment through the lens of Indigenous knowledge

Walmart Spark Good Local Grants

The Walmart Foundation supports projects in the communities where they operate through their Spark Good Local Grants. This program allows them to meet the unique needs of each community.

Applications for $250 – $5,000 are accepted and reviewed by store management on a quarterly basis. In 2024, open submission periods are:

Quarter 1: March 1 – April 15
Quarter 2: May 1 – July 15
Quarter 3: August 1 – October 15
Quarter 4: November 1 – December 31

Eligibility

This grant is open to:

501(c)3 nonprofits
City, county, or state government entities
K-12 public, nonprofit private, or charter schools
Community or junior colleges
State or private colleges and universities
Churches or religious organizations

Eligible applicants must also:

Operate on the local level
Directly benefit the service area of the store to which they are applying
Be verified through Deed

Space Tool

This tool allows organizations to request space outside their local Walmart for fundraisers and community awareness campaigns. Requests must be submitted at least 21 days prior to the proposed date and cannot be for more than 8 consecutive hours on 3 days.

For-profit businesses are not eligible, but non-501(c)3 nonprofits are.

Call for proposals evaluating the impact of AI on Poverty, Health, Energy and Climate SDGs

The Future of Life Institute has issued a Call for proposals evaluating the impact of AI on Poverty, Health, Energy and Climate on the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.

Projects can examine uses of AI to directly impact SDGs or cases when the impacts occur as side effects. Applications for $15,000 are due by April 1, 2024.

Eligibility

This grant is open to nonprofit organizations from anywhere in the world. Individual researchers must be associated with a nonprofit who can accept the funding on their behalf.

Allowable Expenses

Grant funds are unrestricted, with the sole caveat that only 15% may be used for institutional overhead or indirect costs.

Review Criteria

All applications will be reviewed based on:

Researcher’s track record
Quality of the evaluation outline
Likelihood of the research yielding valuable findings
Rigor of the proposed projection method

The Water Research Foundation Unsolicited Research Program

The Water Research Foundation supports innovative research with the potential to significantly propel protection and enhancement of water quality through their Unsolicited Research Program.

Pre-proposals for $25,000–$175,000 are due by March 28, 2024 at 3:00 PM MT. For those invited to submit, full proposals will be due by July 25. A match of at least 33% of awarded funds is required.

Eligibility

This grant is open to:

Nongovernmental organizations
Academics
Consultants
Utilities

Potential Project Focus

Projects may:

Complement the Research Priority Program
Address issues of regional and national significance
Pilot innovative technologies
Conduct research on drinking water, wastewater, recycled water, and stormwater
Build on existing research to create solutions to water quality issues

Evaluation Criteria

All pre-proposals will reviewed based on:

Technical and scientific merit
Project originality
Technical approach
Significance and value of research
Project schedule
Qualifications of key personnel/Organizational capacity

Lush Charity Pot Grants

Lush awards grants funded through sales of their Charity Pot Hand and Body Lotion to grassroots organizations around the world. They support causes that are often overlooked and underfunded in the areas of Animal Protection, Environmental Justice, and Human Rights.

Applications are accepted on a continual basis for requests up to $15,000.

Eligibility

This grant is open to:

Registered and unregistered nonprofit organizations and NGOs
Indigenous groups
Community groups

Applicants must have an annual revenue of $500,000 or less.

Funding Limitations

Grant funds may not be used for:

Air travel
The cost of attending a training, meeting, or other event
Non-vegan or vegetarian food
Scholarships
Event sponsorships
Bail

Biodiversity Conservation Grant: Enhancing Pollinator Habitats

The Biodiversity Conservation Grant: Enhancing Pollinator Habitats is a partnership between the National Environmental Education Foundation (NEEF) and Toyota Motor North America. This program offers awards of $50,000 – $100,000 for one year projects that create or restore habitats for pollinator species. A total of $200,000 in funding is available.

Letters of Intent are due by March 1, 2024 at 11:59 PM PST. After an initial review period, some applicants will be invited to submit a full application due May 1, 2024. Grants will be awarded on June 10th.

Eligibility

Applicant

This funding opportunity is open to:

Federal, state, or local government agencies
Federally recognized Native American Tribes
501(c)3 nonprofit organizations
Educational institutions

Project

Eligible projects must:

Take place on public land (i.e. accessible to everyone)
Cover at least 200 acres
Apply best management practices to the creation and maintenance of pollinator habitats
Incorporate community outreach and education

Application Requirements

Applicants should be prepared to submit the following if their LOI is approved:

A step-by-step plan for the creation or reclamation of the pollinator habitat
A detailed timeline of the grant year including educational and community engagement events
Letters of Support from all project partners
Annual organizational budget
Audit for previous fiscal year or balance sheet and profit/loss statement, if audit unavailable

Projects Near Toyota Sites

One of the final projects selected for funding will be within one hour of the following communities, located near a Toyota manufacturing or corporate sites:

Long Beach, CA
Henderson, NV
Chandler, AZ
San Antonio, TX
Plano, TX
Troy, MO
Tupelo, MS
Huntsville, AL
Alpharetta, GA
Greensboro, NC
Georgetown, KY
Jackson, TN
Buffalo, WV
Evansville, IN
Ann Arbor, MI

Veterans and Nature Grant Program

The Veterans and Nature Grant Program is a joint project of the National Environmental Education Foundation and the U.S. Forest Service. They support projects that expose veterans to the physical and mental health benefits of time spent in nature.

Applications for up to $10,000 are due by March 1, 2024 at 11:59 PM PT.

Eligibility

This grant is open to 501(c)3 nonprofit organizations and groups with a fiscal sponsor who have a partnership with a public lands entity. Public lands staff must be involved in both the preparation of the application and adminstration of the project.

Public Lands – “Any federal, state, local, county, or regional land or waterway held in the public trust and/or spaces that are accessible to the public.”

Allowable Expenses

Grant funds may be used for:

Recreational and educational services
Equipment and supplies
Administrative costs
Billed labor

Funds may not be used to pay for transportation.

Potential Activities

Potential activities under this grant include:

Outdoor recreation (hiking, biking, fishing, etc.)
Community science programming
Environmental service projects
Adaptive programming
Conservation

Priority Consideration

Priority consideration will be given to projects that:

Work with an organization that serves veterans and include a letter of support from them
Discuss how they will address accessibility issues
Work with veterans who are BIPOC, LGBTQ+, and/or have disabilities
Involve Forest Service staff

Dr. Scholl Foundation

The Dr. Scholl Foundation has invested over $312 million since 1980 in organizations improving the world through Innovation, Practicality, Hard Work, and Compassion. These were core values for Dr. William M. Scholl, MD, founder of the foot care company, and they inspired him to establish his foundation.

Letters of Inquiry are accepted on a continual basis and applicants should expect a response within five business days. Full applications, for those invited to submit, are due by March 1, 2024 at 4:00 PM CT. There is no limit to the request amount, but the average award is $5,000 to $25,000.

Eligibility

This grant is open to 501(c)3 nonprofit organizations who can provide at least three years of financial documents. Publicly supported government entities are rarely approved.

Applicants from outside the United States may be considered if a board member has direct knowledge of their activities.

Primary Focus Areas

The Foundation is primarily interested in funding projects in:

Education
Social service
Healthcare
Civic and Cultural
Environmental

This list should not, however, dissuade applicants from submitting worthwhile projects in other categories. Grant guidelines are intentionally broad to allow for flexibility.

Allowable Expenses

Use of grant funds is also flexible. However, they cannot be used for:

General support
Capital campaigns
Endowments
Loans
Event sponsorships
Political activities

Robert F. Schumann Foundation

The Robert F. Schumann Foundation supports projects in the United States focused on Arts, culture, and humanities, Education, the Environment, and Animals. The Foundation is administered through Wells Fargo Philanthropic Trust Services.

Applications are accepted year round, but must be submitted by February 28th to be considered at that year’s annual grant meeting.

Eligibility

This grant is open to 501(c)3 nonprofit organizations in the United States. Special consideration will be given to organizations in the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic and on the East Coast.

Focus Areas

The Schumann Foundation supports projects focused on:

Arts, culture, and humanities
Education
The Environment (especially open space habitats)
Animals (especially ornithology)

The 2024 Ashden Awards

The Ashden Awards support climate innovation in the United Kingdom and countries in the Global South receiving Official Development Assistance. Winners receive up to £25,000, access to funders, and a promotional film made about their work.

Applications are due by January 25, 2024 and may be submitted in Arabic, English, French, Spanish, or Portuguese.

Eligibility

Applicant

This award program is open to:

For-profit businesses
Charities/NGOs
Government/public sector entities
Social enterprises
Community groups

Applicants must be able to demonstrate good governance and management

Project

To qualify, projects must:

Be based in work that is already available to clients, customers, or beneficiaries
Have an innovative approach
Have the potential to make a significant impact through either expansion or replication

Award Categories

Photo by Nitin Sharma: https://www.pexels.com/photo/windmills-in-mountain-viewing-lake-under-orange-skies-2861857/

The categories for the 2024 Ashden Awards are:

Ashden Award for People’s Energy – UK
Ashden Award for Energy Innovation – UK
Ashden Award for Energy Innovation – Countries receiving ODA
Ashden Award for Natural Climate Solutions – UK
Ashden Award for Natural Climate Solutions – Countries receiving ODA
Ashden Award for Powering Refugees and Displaced People – Countries receiving ODA
Ashden Award for Powering Futures in Clean Energy – Countries receiving ODA

Application Process

Submit application and all requested information by January 25
Applicants who are shortlisted will be contacted in early February and asked to provide more information about their project and financial viability
Finalists will receive a request for a virtual assessment which will include meetings with the chief executive, financial officer, project head, and other employees

Review Critera

All applications will be reviewed based on:

Decarbonization, material use reduction, and environmental protection
Resilience and adaptation
Boosting green skills and work
Reducing inequality
Participation and democratization
Communications potential