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2023 cycle: pre-proposals due April 20, 2023. Awards announced November 2023. Program is annual - check NFWF for current cycle.
The America the Beautiful Challenge (ATBC) is a grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) that funds landscape-scale conservation and restoration projects implementing existing conservation plans across the United States.
Launched in 2022 as a partnership between NFWF, the Department of the Interior, USDA, the Department of Defense, and Native Americans in Philanthropy, the program prioritizes locally led, collaborative, and inclusive approaches to conservation that advance climate resilience and community access to nature. In its first year, ATBC awarded 55 grants totaling $91 million, with the 2023 cycle offering up to $116 million total.
Pre-proposals for the 2023 cycle were due April 20, 2023, with awards expected in November 2023.
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NFWF Announces Release of America the Beautiful Challenge 2023 Request for Proposals | NFWF NFWF Announces Release of America the Beautiful Challenge 2023 Request for Proposals Cascade red fox. Photo by Gretchen Kay Stuart. WASHINGTON, D.
C. (March 1, 2023) — The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) today announced the release of the 2023 Request for Proposals (RFP) for the America the Beautiful Challenge program (ATBC). The program, which was launched in 2022, is dedicated to funding landscape-scale conservation and restoration projects that implement existing conservation plans across the nation.
ATBC grant pre-proposals are due April 20, 2023, and the full RFP can be found here . Awards are expected to be announced in November 2023. “Nature is essential to the health, well-being and prosperity of every family and every community in America,” said Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland.
“Through the America the Beautiful Challenge, we are catalyzing investments from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to pursue locally led, collaborative and inclusive approaches to conservation to advance climate resilience, create jobs, strengthen our economy, and ensure that everyone has access to nature, now and for future generations.
” “The America the Beautiful Challenge offers an opportunity to expand and strengthen our work with partners to support locally led conservation efforts,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. “USDA is proud to support the second year of the challenge to broaden the reach of our programming to benefit communities across the country.
” ATBC is a partnership between NFWF and the Department of the Interior through the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Department of Agriculture through the U.S. Forest Service and the Natural Resources Conservation Service, the Department of Defense, and Native Americans in Philanthropy.
In its first year, the program awarded 55 grants totaling $91 million, leveraging an additional $50 million in grantee match for a total conservation investment of $141 million. The 2022 grants and summaries can be found here .
“The America the Beautiful Challenge created a one-stop shop to help communities access funding for conservation and restoration initiatives,” said White House Council on Environmental Quality Chair Brenda Mallory.
“This collaborative effort has and will continue to advance locally-led projects aligned with the President’s ambitious America the Beautiful initiative, conserving our lands and waters while also expanding access to the outdoors across the country.
” “In 2022, applications to the America the Beautiful Challenge far surpassed expectations and resulted in an extraordinary inaugural grant slate,” said Jeff Trandahl, executive director and CEO of NFWF. “NFWF is grateful for the continued commitment of states, Tribal Nations, territories, and the conservation community to deliver voluntary nature-based solutions to restore habitat, enhance resilience, and connect people with nature.
” “The America the Beautiful Challenge serves as a valuable opportunity for the Department of Defense (DOD) to work collaboratively across the federal government to conserve natural habitats outside installations and ranges, strengthen climate resilience, and protect critical mission priorities,” said Brendan Owens, Assistant Secretary of Defense, Energy, Installations and Environment.
“Through the America the Beautiful Challenge, DOD can support the implementation of large-scale, multi-state conservation activities that have direct ties to the Military Departments’ testing and training operations. DOD is also proud to partner with the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) through the Sentinel Landscapes Partnership.
This year’s America the Beautiful Challenge will prioritize projects that advance goals and initiatives across sentinel landscapes, which are each anchored by a military installation and serve as areas of strategic importance for DOD, USDA, and DOI. ” “If we are to address the biodiversity and climate crisis, Tribes need to be in a leadership role,” said Erik Stegman, CEO, Native Americans in Philanthropy.
“We’re proud to continue our partnership with NFWF in removing barriers to this critical funding, and ensuring equitable funding to Tribal conservation projects. ” In 2023, ATBC has additional funding available as the program expects to award up to $116 million in grants.
In addition to the increase in overall funding, the RFP also includes the following changes from 2022: Inclusion of a pre-proposal process, which will allow applicants to submit their projects using a simplified application, primarily centered on a 2–3-page narrative. Five distinct grant categories, including an individual grant category for funding from the Department of Defense and the Forest Service respectively.
The Forest Service will fund a wider variety of forest management activities, beyond only invasive species management, fish passage, and water quality projects. Planning projects have an increased cap of $2 million and can be up to 3 years. NFWF expects to award at least ten percent of ATBC funding to Tribal and Native Nations and three percent to U.S. territories.
Competitive grants will conserve, restore and connect habitats for wildlife while improving community resilience and access to nature. Proposals are reviewed by a public-private committee of partners and technical experts, and funding decisions are based on the extent to which they meet the criteria listed in the RFP. Additional information about the program can be found here .
Chartered by Congress in 1984, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) protects and restores the nation’s fish, wildlife, plants and habitats. Working with federal, corporate, foundation and individual partners, NFWF has funded more than 6,000 organizations and generated a total conservation impact of $7. 4 billion.
Learn more at www. nfwf. org .
Rob Blumenthal, 202-857-0166, rob. blumenthal@nfwf. org
Based on current listing details, eligibility includes: States, Tribal Nations, territories, nonprofit organizations, and conservation community organizations Applicants should confirm final requirements in the official notice before submission.
Current published award information indicates Up to $116 million total program (individual awards vary) Always verify allowable costs, matching requirements, and funding caps directly in the sponsor documentation.
The current target date is April 20, 2023. Build your timeline backwards from this date to cover registrations, approvals, attachments, and final submission checks.
Federal grant success rates typically range from 10-30%, varying by agency and program. Build a strong proposal with clear objectives, measurable outcomes, and a well-justified budget to improve your chances.
Requirements vary by sponsor, but typically include a project narrative, budget justification, organizational capability statement, and key personnel CVs. Check the official notice for the complete list of required attachments.
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Review timelines vary by funder. Federal agencies typically take 3-6 months from submission to award notification. Foundation grants may be faster, often 1-3 months. Check the program's timeline in the official solicitation for specific dates.
Many federal programs offer multi-year funding or allow competitive renewals. Check the official solicitation for continuation and renewal policies. Non-competing continuation applications are common for multi-year awards.
Bats for the Future Fund is a grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF), in partnership with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, that funds efforts to slow or halt the spread of white-nose syndrome (WNS) disease and support the recovery of affected bat populations in North America. Funded projects may address disease treatment, habitat conservation, population monitoring, or public education strategies that contribute to bat species survival. Additional support is provided by NextEra Energy Resources through its charitable foundation. Eligible applicants include researchers, nonprofits, universities, and government agencies with relevant conservation expertise. Awards range from $50,000 to $250,000, with the 2025 deadline on August 14, 2025.
Long Island Sound Futures Fund 2026 Request for Proposals is sponsored by National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF). The Long Island Sound Futures Fund supports projects that aim to protect and restore the Long Island Sound. This includes efforts related to water quality, habitat restoration, and conservation, which can involve innovative approaches.
Delaware Watershed Conservation Fund (DWCF) is sponsored by National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF). The DWCF solicits proposals to conserve, restore, and protect habitats on public and private land within the Delaware River watershed, contributing to overall watershed health, water quality, and economic vitality. Grants are awarded for implementation, planning, capacity building, and research/monitoring/evaluation.
EPA is seeking insightful, expert, and cost-effective applications from eligible applicants to provide the Chesapeake Bay Program’s non-federal partners with technical analysis and programmatic evaluation support related to water quality modeling and monitoring and spatial systems to manage, analyze, and map environmental data. The project assists the partners in meeting their restoration and protection goals and in increasing the transfer of scientific understanding to the Chesapeake Bay Program modeling, monitoring, and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) activities. The recipient will support modeling, monitoring, and GIS programs needed to explain and communicate the health of and changes in the Chesapeake Bay ecosystem. Funding Opportunity Number: EPA-R3-CBP-23-18. Assistance Listing: 66.466. Funding Instrument: CA. Category: ENV. Award Amount: Up to $5.3M per award.
Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program Phase I is sponsored by U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The EPA SBIR Phase I Solicitation invites small businesses to submit proposals for projects addressing critical environmental challenges. Awards are for six months to demonstrate proof of concept. Key focus areas include Clean and Safe Water, Air Quality and Climate, Homeland Security, Circular Economy/Sustainable Materials, and Safer Chemicals.
Environmental and Climate Justice Community Change Grants Program (CCGP) is sponsored by U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The Community Change Grants Program funds projects that provide meaningful improvements to the environmental, climate, and resilience conditions affecting disadvantaged communities. While broadly focused on environmental and climate justice, projects can include aspects that relate to community health and well-being through addressing environmental health risks. The program aims to fund community-driven pollution and climate resiliency solutions and strengthen communities' decision-making power. Applications are accepted and reviewed on a rolling basis.