Request for Proposals: Collaborative Capacity Program for Forests & Communities (US)

Deadline: 12-Jul-2024

The National Forest Foundation (NFF) is excited to share the 2024 Request for Proposals for funding through the Collaborative Capacity Program (CCP) for Forests & Communities.

The National Forest Foundation’s new Collaborative Capacity Program financial awards will provide resources, invest in skills and tools, and support activities that make Tribal co-stewardship and collaboration for forest stewardship successful. Eligible collaborative efforts must describe how investments in collaboration will support a long-term strategy for achieving stewardship outcomes into the future and these outcomes must seek to benefit National Forest System lands.

The Collaborative Capacity Program for Forests & Communities (CCP) is a new program that builds capacity within and across collaborative groups to achieve forest stewardship goals in ways that are most inclusive and equitable. The program views collaboration as a cornerstone for sustained and adaptive forest restoration, recreation, and wildfire resilience projects.

Through funding, technical assistance, and peer networking, the CCP program uses a holistic approach to provide capacity for successful collaboration and to encourage, amplify, and distribute new and innovative practices. The technical assistance and peer networking components of the CCP program are forthcoming and will be announced separately.

The CCP is funded by appropriations to the USDA Forest Service (Forest Service) through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (Section 40803-c-10) to support “collaboration and collaboration-based activities.” The program is developed, executed, and managed by the NFF.

Objectives

• In addition to benefiting National Forest System lands, the CCP has three main objectives:
  • To increase and improve the capacity for collaboration between Tribes and other strategic partners and the Forest Service to achieve long-term stewardship outcomes that benefit National Forests and Grasslands. This capacity will support equitable and inclusive planning for watershed and/or landscape-scale stewardship projects.
  • To ensure more inclusive and equitable collaboration by centering Tribal Nations and historically excluded and underserved communities in their efforts to participate, lead, and design collaborative efforts with the Forest Service and other strategic partners.
  • To support the exchange of information and amplify lessons and best practices for equitable and inclusive collaboration, increasing collaborative capacity, storytelling and measuring success, and more, with the broader collaborative stewardship field of practice.

Funding Information

• Award Amount: From ~$10k to $150k per award.
• Performance Period: Activities funded in this round will begin in early September 2024 and may run for up to two years, through September 2026.

Funding Pathways

• The CCP provides two funding pathways:
  • Tribal Applicants Pathway 
    • Tribes have been careful stewards of forests since time immemorial. The NFF acknowledges the unique and diverse perspectives of the 574 federally recognized Tribes and Alaska Native Villages, and the many other state and non-recognized Tribes. This pathway specifically applies to federally recognized Tribal applicants; however, state and non-recognized Tribes may be eligible to apply through the All Applicants Pathway.
    • There are several ways that federally recognized Tribes engage with the Forest Service, including government-to-government consultation, collaboration, or even formal agreements, such as co stewardship agreements. The Forest Service’s Tribal Action Plan directly states how Tribal sovereignty, in relation to public lands management and National Forests, entails the recognition of Tribal Nations and their rights to participate in decision-making processes regarding lands that hold cultural, historical, and spiritual significance to them.
  • All Applicants Pathway 
    • This funding pathway is designed to support all other applicants. This funding pathway focuses on adding capacity where it is missing and supporting collaborative groups in evolving to take on more intersectional approaches.

Eligibility Criteria

• Tribal Applicant Pathway
  • Organization Type: Applications for the Tribal Applicant pathway will be considered from federally recognized Tribal governments and Tribal organizations.
  • Tribal Resolution or Letter of Support: All proposals to this pathway must include a letter of support from Tribal leadership (e.g., Tribal Council, Tribal department staff) with application materials and, if awarded, a Tribal resolution. Please reach out to the NFF with any questions related to letters of support.
• All Applicants Pathway
  • Organization Type: Applications to this funding pathway will be considered from nonprofit organizations, local governmental entities, state-recognized Tribal governments, and colleges and universities. If your organization or collaborative group does not meet this eligibility criteria requirement, it must utilize an eligible fiscal sponsor.
  • Letters of Support from the Forest Service: See Guidance on Forest Service Letters of Support. Please contact the NFF with any questions related to Forest Service support letters.
  • Note: If an applicant includes a Tribe(s) or Tribal organization(s) in the collaborative proposal, applications must include signed letters of support from the partnering entity and/or a Tribal resolution(s) from a partnering Tribe.
• Fiscal Sponsorship 
  • If your organization or collaborative group does not meet the organization eligibility criteria above, it must utilize a fiscal sponsor that is an eligible type of organization and consistent with the NFF Policy on Fiscal Sponsorship. A fiscal sponsor is an organization that offers their legal status to accept funds on behalf of a partner organization — or partners — that do not have the same organizational status. The IRS considers fiscal sponsors and sponsored organizations or partners to be the same entity, so both parties should be aligned in their purpose and mission. Fiscal sponsors are legally responsible for the financial award and will be responsible for dispersing the financial awards to the sponsored organization(s) or partners.

For more information, visit National Forest Foundation.