National Resilient Communities Program

Posted by National Fish and Wildlife Foundation on March 6, 2017

NFWF Issues RFP for National Resilient Communities Program

The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation has announced the launch of the Resilient Communities grant program. Through a commitment from Wells Fargo of $10 million over the next four years, the program is designed to improve natural resource management and enhance the capacity of local communities to prepare for expected impacts associated with water quantity and quality issues, forest conservation challenges, and sea-level rise.

By enhancing and restoring wetlands, creating resilient shorelines, enhancing urban tree canopies, and protecting forests and upstream watersheds, communities across the country can improve their residents’ quality of life, build resilience, and protect local wildlife populations. The program puts special emphasis on helping low- and moderate-income communities build their capacity for resilience planning.

In 2017, Resilient Communities grants will emphasize the interconnectedness of natural systems and community well-being to alleviate future floods, storm events, and sea level-rise in Eastern states; sustaining water quantity and quality through enhanced natural infrastructure in the central United States; and conserving healthy forests, managing wildfires, and restoring forest ecosystems in the western U.S.

The program will focus on two categories:

1) Regional Adaptation Through Regional Conservation Projects: Approximately $1.5 million is available in 2017. Grants in this category ranging between $200,000 and $500,000 will support highly impactful and visible conservation projects that help prepare for increased incidence of fire in the western U.S., floods and droughts in the central U.S., and sea-level rise in the eastern U.S. Special consideration will be given to projects that help bridge rural and urban community resilience needs, with a focus on the interconnectedness of natural systems and community well-being. Proposals must include one or more of the project types specified for the region.

2) Community Capacity Building and Demonstration Projects: Approximately $500,000 is available in 2017 to support highly impactful and visible projects that help communities understand, organize, and take action to address risks and opportunities through improved resilience created by the enhancement of natural features. Projects can take place anywhere in the United States. Special consideration will be given to projects that measurably benefit low- to-moderate income neighborhoods and that advance social cohesion. Project proposal amounts should range from $100,000 to $250,000 and should address multiple cities and communities.

Pre-proposals must be received no later than March 30, 2017. Upon review, selected applicants will be invited to submit a full application by May 31, 2017.

Eligible applicants include nonprofit 501(c)(3) organizations, local governments, and Indian tribes.

For complete program guidelines and application instructions, see the NFWF website.

DEADLINE: MARCH 30, 2017

http://www.nfwf.org/resilientcommunities/Pages/2017rfp.aspx