National and International Environment Grant Program

Overview

Program goals: to mitigate climate change; make communities more resilient to climate change; protect public health from the hazards of toxic chemicals and pollutants; and preserve biological diversity.

NATIONAL GRANTS
Grants are made to promote more environmentally sustainable, resilient, and just communities that:

Mitigate climate change by:
promoting energy efficiency and alternative sources of energy for buildings;
shifting to electric or low-emission vehicles and greater use of mass transit;

• promoting a smarter, more resilient grid and distributed (on site) generation;
• reducing emissions from existing fossil fuel-powered facilities and extraction activities; and
• establishing regional programs, performance standards, and regulations that help reduce emissions.

Make communities, especially the most disadvantaged, more resilient to a changing climate by:

• creating infrastructure that reduces storm-water run-off and absorbs storm surges;
• protecting shoreline communities by conserving or enhancing natural barriers;
• encouraging more sustainable building design and land use through policy reforms; and
• better planning and preparation for weather-related emergencies, especially for low-income and other vulnerable residents.

Protect public health from the hazards of toxic pollutants by:
supporting targeted scientific research that can be used to develop policy;
promoting safer chemical and heavy metal policies and practices, especially for infants, children and other vulnerable people;

• eliminating toxic chemicals from products through market campaigns focused on retailers and manufacturers;
• enhancing protections for low-income communities near polluting facilities; and
• minimizing the hazards of new and expanded fossil fuel extraction on nearby communities.

Preserve biological diversity through habitat conservation by:

• establishing, enhancing, and monitoring wildlife migration corridors; and
• supporting functional connectivity between fragmented habitat that enables species to move and live safely.
• We encourage initiatives that cut across these program areas, especially those focused on smart growth, sustainable agriculture and regional food systems, and sustainable production.

With the exception of those focused on New York State, all projects must benefit more than one U.S. state or territory to be considered.

INTERNATIONAL GRANTS
Each year, we make only two or three international grants to U.S. organizations that are building the capacity of government, academic institutions, private sector entities, and nonprofits to:

• Protect biodiversity;
• Improve environmental health; and
• Reduce greenhouse gases around the world

•    Awards in this category range from $120,000 to $400,000. Please see the list of recently funded projects for grant amounts and project concepts.

•    The National and International Environment Program starts the process with an LOI, which can be submitted through the Grants Portal during three-week windows each fall (late September) and winter (late February). These LOIs should be no more than four pages and include a description of the project, proposed activities, and a preliminary budget.

•    While The Trust typically funds regionally, its environmental grantmaking is national and international in scope as a result of a gift from a donor.