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US: Nature in Neighborhoods Capital Grants Program ($1 million)

Deadline: 21-Jan-2025

The Nature in Neighborhoods provides grants to projects led by neighborhood groups, community organizations, schools, park providers, soil and water conservation districts, local governments, and others.

The capital projects must protect water quality and fish and wildlife habitat, support climate resiliency, and/or increase a community’s connection to nature.

Funding Information
  • The Nature in Neighborhoods Capital Grants metro-wide program will provide up to $5 million for capital projects throughout the Metro region for the 2024-2025 third round of competitive funding.
  • The intent of this grant program is to fund capital projects. Therefore, the minimum grant request eligible for funding is $100,000 and a maximum grant request eligible for funding is $1 million for the 2024-25 Capital Grants program.
  • Available funds will be divided into two funding areas, one for small projects and one for large projects. Small projects must have project grant requests between $100,000 and $250,000. Large projects must have project grant requests between $250,000 and $1 million.
Eligible Projects
  • Projects eligible for the Nature in Neighborhoods capital grants fall into four major categories:
    • Land acquisition: Land acquisition projects can transform privately owned property into the next great neighborhood natural area and preserve special places in communities across the greater Portland area. The Nature in Neighborhoods capital grants have protected local assets that aren’t covered by Metro’s regional efforts to buy natural areas. As a tried-and-true conservation tool, land acquisition provides a straightforward way to make a difference. Purchasing land can be the first step in a community’s mission to open a nature park, build trails or restore habitat.
    • Urban transformations: A little creativity and determination can go a long way toward weaving nature into the most urban development and infrastructure projects. Urban transformations bring nature to even the most urban areas. Although these projects tend to have the biggest price tags, they also have some of the biggest benefits for their communities
    • Restoration: Conservation groups and local governments have no shortage of restoration projects on their wish lists. The challenge: finding funding to make them happen. With a boost from Nature in Neighborhoods grants, restoration efforts are improving the health of floodplains and watershed basins across the region. Although these projects improve habitat for fish, amphibians and other animals, many are also designed to improve the experience for the community.
    • Neighborhood livability: Public land in neighborhoods can become a place for people to experience and enjoy nature. Neighborhood natural areas give people a place to walk, reflect and connect with nature. Nature in Neighborhoods grants are helping communities create and transform outdoor destinations close to homes and schools. Unlike big regional natural areas, neighborhood projects typically don’t protect large blocks of threatened wildlife habitat. But, by preserving nature down the street, they forge a connection between people and the natural world.
Eligibility Criteria
  • Capital grants are intended to support community-driven initiatives; therefore, partnerships are key to a successful proposal. Tribal governments, public schools, non-profits, community-based organizations, local governments and special districts can apply for grants.
  • The final capital asset must be publicly owned by a state or local government. Tribal governments, which have not yet been established as eligible state or local government for the purposes of the lending of credit prohibition in the Oregon Constitution, along with non-profits, and community-based organizations, must partner with a state or local government to apply for the capital grants.
Requirements
  • Grant applications must fulfill the following minimum requirements to be considered:
    • To maximize the impact of investments, projects must demonstrate strong partnerships between communitybased organizations and state or local government.
    • Grant funds must be expended within the Metro jurisdictional boundary.
    • Projects must be clearly achievable given the knowledge, skills and resources available or other organizational preparedness among project partners.
    • Expenses must be associated with capital projects only.

For more information, visit Metro.