Nature-Based Climate Action Program is sponsored by Lumpkin Family Foundation. Funds projects in East Central Illinois that implement nature-based solutions like tree planting and prairie restoration to mitigate climate change effects.

Nature Based Climate Action Program | Lumpkin Family Foundation Nature Based Climate Action Program The Nature-Based Climate Action Program is a program to demonstrate and promote tree planting, prairie restoration, and other nature-based solutions to climate mitigation in rural areas.

The Nature-Based Climate Action Program supports projects in East Central Illinois that use natural systems to address climate change, the threats of extreme weather, and habitat loss that contributes to the extinction of vital species.

Natural systems solutions – which include the preservation or restoration of critical ecosystems such as forests, prairies and wetlands – have the potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and increase carbon sequestration by as much as 20 percent of US greenhouse gasses*. *Fargione, J. E.

, et al. (2018). Natural climate solutions for the United States.

Science Advances, 4(11). doi:10. 1126/sciadv.

aat1869 The Nature-Based Climate Action Program is intended to support such direct action. An information session for the 2026 Nature-Based Climate Action program will be held virtually on Friday, June 26 at 2:00 PM Central. Registration will open in early June.

Below is a recorded information session on last year’s program. Watch more videos on the LFF YouTube page . Foundation Universal Letter of Inquiry Foundation Universal Application Letters of Inquiry Accepted: Applications and Renewals Invited: Applications and Post Grant Reports for Renewals Due: We seek measurable environmental impact in the form of carbon drawdown and habitat restoration.

We welcome applications that increase community engagement and support for action to combat climate change, promote policy change, contribute to climate science, or model action for other organizations and communities.

Successful proposals may include the following actions: Purchases of targeted land tracts for restoration or preservation of high plant diversity that may greatly increase carbon capture; Large-scale carbon farming demonstrations using trees, prairie or wetlands that monitor drawdown and contribute to climate science; Projects that activate communities, stimulate media coverage, and encourage greater understanding of climate change by the public; Tree planting projects in small cities and towns; Large-scale demonstrations of regenerative agriculture directed at advancing policy or supporting market-based change like the creation of a viable carbon market.

Geographic Areas of Interest We encourage applicants from organizations working in East Central Illinois. We give preference to rural organizations, small cities and towns and we are especially interested in programs or projects that support collaboration or connect communities. View the map above.

While we do not set limitations on our grant requests, the average size of a Nature-Based Climate Action grant award is $25,000. Funding levels can range between $2,500 – $50,000. We do not sponsor events or provide funding to individuals.

If you would like to discuss a specific idea or possible partnership with The Foundation, feel free to contact us. If your organization is invited to submit an application, you may be contacted by Foundation staff to arrange a site visit. Not all applicants will receive a site visit request.

Our site visits may be in person or conducted remotely via video conference, and staff will do their best to give two week’s scheduling notice. Site visits are a chance to discuss your application, your project, and your organization as a whole with Foundation staff and occasionally trustees. We will not provide a formal agenda, but you should be prepared to answer questions and are invited to ask questions of your own.

We aim for the site visit to be a conversational learning experience for both Foundation staff and your organization. A post grant report is a requirement of nearly all grants. It is an opportunity to share what worked well, and what did not, and to what degree the project accomplished its goals.

The date will vary, but the majority of reports are due 11 or 12 months from approval. This will be communicated to you when your grant is awarded. We believe that it is important to measure the success of our grantmaking strategy.

While we have our own internal strategy that we use to measure our own progress towards our programmatic goals, we allow our grantees to report metrics that are most relevant to their unique context. We recognize that the measurement of success (and failure) is only valuable when it is done based on the specific and context-based parameters established by our grantees.

We work in tandem with them to ensure that what is measured has meaning to both their work and our overall goals as a Foundation. This will allow evaluation flexibility while helping The Lumpkin Family Foundation learn about what Outcomes and Metrics are most useful to our grantees. Please contact staff with any questions about Outcomes and Metrics.

Your report template will be accessible through our Apply/Report here portal. Most post grant reports are similar to the following example for the Land, Health, Community program: Please feel free to contact Foundation staff with any questions about your reporting date or details.

Please Direct Inquiries To: Grantee Update: Savanna Institute LFF Awards 2025 Nature-Based Climate Action Grantees Nature-Based Climate Action Program Information Session Community News, Grantee News LFF Grantee Receives National Land Trust Accreditation University of Illinois Extension Grant funds will support the Watershed Stewards Program, a science-based Extension training aligned with the Illinois Nutrient Loss Reduction Strategy that builds community capacity to make informed decisions that protect lakes from nutrient runoff and advance sustainable land stewardship.

Funding will also provide “Soft Landings in a Box” kits that include native plants and step-by-step guidance for residents to transform the turf under mature trees into biodiverse plantings.

The Urbana Park District will use the grant funds to begin the restoration of the McCullough Creek stream corridor in Meadowbrook Park by clearing invasive species and planting native trees and shrubs to improve the stream water quality, improve the wildlife habitat, and create additional nature education opportunities for our community on the surrounding native ecosystems and watersheds.

Funding for agroforestry education and outreach programs in Illinois through the launch of an Illinois Agroforestry Partner Farm Network and targeted outreach and education for the public through interviews and storytelling, creative events, tours, and workshops at the Savanna Institute Demonstration Farms (especially Hudson and 4H Memorial Camp) and partner farms.

Through this 10-year grant, the Savanna Institute will establish and maintain 250 acres of agroforestry, focusing on alley cropping and windbreaks, across 2-3 privately owned farms under long-term leases in Champaign and Piatt Counties.

Prairie Rivers network will continue its work to raise the issue of herbicide drift as a major threat to biodiversity and climate health through monitoring, storytelling, advocacy, and policy work and will mobilize their Save Our Trees coalition to build power by sharing messages, learning opportunities, and strategies for change with their collaborators.

Pheasants Forever Inc. & Quail Forever To assist our team of Farm Bill Biologists to provide technical assistance and planning tailored to both agricultural and wildlife goals. They also assist with program documentation, compliance, and cost-share agreements.

The Farm Bill Biologists will also conduct outreach and education events including workshops, field days, and demonstration projects, fostering community engagement in land management. 1632 Broadway Avenue, Suite 201