Toxics, Sustainable Communities Funding

The Jessie Smith Noyes Foundation is "committed to protecting and restoring Earth's natural systems and promoting a sustainable society by strengthening individuals, institutions and communities pledged to pursuing those goals." It awards grants for environmental and reproductive rights projects. The areas in which grantsare made include toxics, sustainable agriculture, sustainable communities, reproductive rights, Metro New York environment, and related interests.

The Foundation prefers projects that deal with the broader implications of these concerns, and it especially favors projects that have a potential for widespread impact or applicability. Projects that address the connections between environmental issues and issues of social justice are also of special interest. For more details, click here.

Tree-Planting Grants

The National Tree Trust makes grants to local tree-planting organizations. To be eligible, groups must be certified as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, must be volunteer based, must have been in existence for at least two years, and must demonstrate that tree planting and maintenance, and public education about the importance of trees, are major components of the organization. For more information, click here.

Foundations "Leading The Field"

An online report entitled "Leading the Field" profiles the efforts of 28 community foundations in promoting smart growth and livable communities. Developed under the sponsorship of the Funders' Network for Smart Growth and Livable Communities, the report illustrates how similar issues are addressed in ways that reflect the character of individual communities, describes how these activities are coming together to create an informal network, and offers suggestions and assistance in capitalizing on the opportunities created for both community foundations and communities by these trends. For the complete report, click here.

Sustainable Forestry & Forest Dependent Communities

The Laird Norton Endowment Foundation funds projects in sustainable forestry - the practice of forestry that restores, enhances, and then sustains a full range of forest values, both ecological and economic. Other common names for this are ecoforestry, low-impact forestry, new forestry, and forest stewardship. Sustainable forestry is in contrast to the industrial forestry that was the model in the United States for much of the 20th Century.

The Foundation's definition of sustainable forestry is one that generally includes the harvest of forest products. It funds projects that foster an approach to forestry

"Sustainable forestry (is) the practice of forestry that restores, enhances, and then sustains a full range of forest values, both ecological and economic."

that includes the ecological, social, and economic concerns of forest-dependent communities.

Letters of inquiry are welcome for projects focusing on forest certification, marketing of products from certified forests, collaborative stewardship programs, restoration forestry, sustainable forestry professional education, ecosystem approaches to forestry, and more. The next deadline for letters of inquiry is September 7, 2001. For more information, click here.

Funding Farmland Protection

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has announced that $17.5 million is available to help communities in 28 states protect farmland. These funds, available through USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service, will protect an estimated 28,000 acres in the following states: California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Montana, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, and Wisconsin.

Through the Farmland Protection Program, USDA enters into agreements with states, tribes, local governments, and nonprofit organizations - such as land trusts, open space associations, and land resource conservation councils - to protect productive farmland through the purchase of conservation easements. For more details, click here.

Aquatic Habitat Funding For Great Lakes

The mission of the Great Lakes Aquatic Habitat Network and Fund is to empower citizens to take action at the community level to protect and restore wetlands, shorelines, rivers, lakes, and other aquatic habitats throughout the Great Lakes Basin. The Network and Fund provide consultation and financial resources, share information, and foster communication between citizens and organizations working to protect aquatic habitats.

More than 200 small grants to grassroots initiatives have been made since 1996. In addition, the program has conducted dozens of trainings, facilitated networking and communication, provided consultation, and served as mentor to numerous citizen initiatives.

There are two funding mechanisms. The first is the Grants Program that provides grant awards ranging from $500 to $3,500. The next funding cycle in 2001 has an application deadline of September 30. The second is the Special Opportunity Grants Program that provides grants of up to $500 on an ongoing basis. For more information, click here.

Florida Forever Program Grants

The Florida Communities Trust (FCT) helps local governments implement their comprehensive plans through the acquisition of land, utilizing funds from the state's Preservation 2000 and Florida Forever Acts. The Florida Communities Trust differs from other acquisition programs in that it focuses exclusively on locally selected acquisition projects.

Each year, the program makes grants to local governments to help them buy coastal, conservation, recreation, greenways and open space land. Since few local governments have land-buying experience, Trust staff also provide technical assistance.

"The Florida Communities Trust… focuses exclusively on locally selected acquisition projects."

They help cities and counties put grant applications together and are part of the negotiation and acquisition team during the purchase process.

The Florida Communities Trust opened the first Florida Forever application cycle earlier this year. Approximately $66,000,000 will be available for grants to local governments and nonprofit environmental organizations to acquire land for conservation, open space and outdoor recreation purposes. The deadline for submitting applications is August 13, 2001.

For more information, visit the Florida Communities Trust website here.

Arkansas Recycling Grants

The Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality provides about $2.5 million in grants each year to local communities to develop and support recycling programs. Eligible entities include cities, counties and solid waste authorities. Projects may include recycling and composting equipment, market development, and education and awareness programs. For more information, click here.

Historic Preservation Grants

The National Trust For Historic Preservation, through its financial assistance programs, demonstrates that preserving our heritage improves the quality of life. Its grant and loan programs have assisted thousands of innovative preservation projects that protect the continuity, diversity, and beauty of communities.

The National Trust's grant programs include:

• The Preservation Services Fund - provides nonprofit organizations and public agencies matching grants from $500 to $5,000 for preservation planning and education efforts. Funds may be used to obtain professional expertise in areas such as architecture, archeology, engineering, preservation planning, and land use planning, as well as for organizational development purposes.
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• The Johanna Favrot Fund for Historic Preservation - provides nonprofit organizations and public agencies grants ranging from $2,500 to $10,000 for projects that contribute to the preservation or the recapture of an authentic sense of place. Funds may be used for professional advice, conferences, workshops and education programs.
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• The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Fund for Historic Interiors - provides nonprofit organizations and public agencies grants ranging from $2,500 to $10,000 to assist in the preservation, restoration, and interpretation of historic interiors. Funds may be used for professional expertise, print and video communications materials, and education programs.

For more information, visit the National Trust For Historic Preservation website here.

"Green Acres" Funding In New Jersey

New Jersey's "Green Acres" program provides low interest loans to local governments for the purchase of open space and recreational land, including community parks. It offers a related matching grant program to nonprofit organizations for similar purposes. Grants require a 50 percent local match, and funding is limited to $500,000. For more details, visit the Green Acres website.

Renewable Energy Grants In Illinois

The Illinois Department of Commerce & Community Affairs Renewable Energy Resources Program fosters investment in and the development and use of renewable energy resources within the state. This program provides rebate and grant funding for projects that increase the utilization of alternative energy technologies, including:

• Hydropower (that does not involve new construction or significant expansion of hydropower dams).
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• Wind.
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• Photovoltaic cells and panels.
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• Solar thermal energy.
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• Organic waste biomass.
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• Dedicated crops grown for energy production.

Eligible applicants include associations, individuals, private companies, public and private schools, colleges and universities, nonprofit organizations, and units of state and local government.

For more details, visit the Illinois Department of Commerce & Community Affairs website here.

Kongsgaard-Goldman Foundation Grants

The Kongsgaard-Goldman Foundation Environmental Protection and Conservation Program funds activities and projects focused on public policy, litigation, citizen involvement, public education, restoration, sustainable land use, and environmental justice. The Foundation's geographic focus is the Pacific Northwest. It favors projects reflecting a deep and broad level of citizen participation and leadership. For more details, click here.

Low Interest Loans For Oregon

The Oregon Office of Energy Small Scale Energy Loan Program's purpose is to promote energy conservation, renewable energy resource development, and the use of recycled materials in products.

The program offers low interest loans for projects that:

• Conserve natural gas, electricity and oil.
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• Produce energy from renewable resources such as water, wind, geothermal, solar, biomass, waste materials or waste heat.
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• Use recycled materials to create products.

The program can loan to individuals, Oregon businesses, municipal corporations, federal agencies, public corporations created by the state or federal governments, tribes, state agencies, schools and nonprofit organizations. For more information, click here.

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