Grants Galore: Navigating the Deluge of Federal Funding
At Wetlands Watch, we know a thing or two about grant funding. It keeps our lights on, our staff paid, and our project work completed. We experience annual seasons of intense grant writing and reporting, with periods of respites spent actually doing the work we committed to do. Since Congress passed the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) and the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), it’s been all work and no play for everyone in the grants business, which seems to be an ever growing percentage of the public and nonprofit workforce. No one can keep pace with the deluge of federal funding barreling down from the federal government, but many of us are trying our best to match projects with grant programs so money isn’t left on the table, or worse — spent on bad projects or in places without the greatest need.
Luckily, organizations and institutions are witness to the grant fatigue and are developing resources to help cut through the convoluted RPFs and grant manuals, saving everyone’s precious time and energy. We’d like to share some of these resources that have been helpful to our organization and many others, to help ensure these critical federal resources go towards smart projects that build equity and resilience to climate stressors. With $500 billion in resilience and climate change related funding, we can make a tangible difference in communities struggling with the impacts of sea level rise and increased rainfall. When planning your projects, please prioritize work that helps those communities with the greatest needs. Each federal grant program must comply with the Justice40 initiative, bringing a significant portion of investment in disadvantaged communities that are marginalized, underserved, and overburdened by environmental impacts. If you don’t have experience working in a disadvantaged community or engaging in equity-driven projects, please reach out to us - we’re happy to share our approach and connect you with others doing this important work.
Here are some time-saving resources to help you navigate the federal grant programs:
Wetlands Watch created an online grants database that includes twenty-one tailor made fact sheets and important sortable info like matching requirements, eligibility, due dates, maximum/minimum funding levels, and more.
The Campbell Foundation’s “An Overview of Recent Federal Funding & Opportunities for the Chesapeake Region”
Columbia Law School’s Sabine Center for Climate Change Law and Environmental Defense Fund IRA grant tracker
Department of the Interior BIL interactive map: shows approved projects to date
Good luck grant seekers!