Grant and Funding Programs Offered by National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF)

The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) is a U.S.-based conservation foundation that channels public and private dollars into on-the-ground projects benefiting fish, wildlife, plants and their habitats. Working nationwide and in U.S. territories, NFWF administers more than 70 grant programs that support habitat restoration, species recovery, coastal resilience, watershed health and other conservation priorities.

NFWF provides funding on a competitive basis. Each major initiative is guided by a business plan developed with scientists and other experts and approved by the Board of Directors. Grant programs are designed to support the priority actions identified in these plans, ensuring that funded projects align with measurable conservation outcomes.

The foundation manages numerous thematic and regional funds, such as stewardship funds for specific landscapes, watershed conservation funds, rangeland and forest programs, and coastal resilience initiatives. Examples cited on the site include funds for the Southern Appalachians, the Northeast forests and rivers, Gulf Coast restoration, and aquatics and coastal resilience in the Southeast and beyond.

NFWF’s primary applicants include federal, state and local governments, educational institutions and nonprofit organizations. Many programs require matching funds, encouraging co-investment among public agencies, tribes, NGOs, community groups and private landowners. The website’s grants library illustrates the range of recipients, from local community development corporations and tribal governments to national conservation NGOs and academic institutions.

Prospective applicants are directed to review NFWF’s conservation programs to identify the most appropriate funding stream, then follow program-specific requests for proposals and timelines. Applications are submitted and managed through Easygrants, NFWF’s online grant system, which supports pre-proposals and full proposals, allows iterative editing and reuse of past submissions, and provides downloadable PDF records.

The application information section outlines who can apply, typical program guidelines and evaluation expectations. Separate resources describe what to include in pre-proposal and full proposal submissions, and a mapping tool webinar helps applicants present spatial project data correctly. The site also publishes current announcements and due dates for open calls, including applicant webinars, pre-proposal deadlines and full proposal deadlines.

NFWF maintains a detailed grants library listing funded projects by year, recipient organization, location and award amount. This database highlights the geographic spread of investments, from island ecosystems in Hawai‘i and the Virgin Islands to rangelands, forests, rivers and coastal communities across the continental United States and neighboring regions. By publishing this information, the foundation offers transparency about how its conservation dollars are deployed and the types of activities it supports.

Through its competitive grants, NFWF helps leverage federal appropriations and private contributions into large-scale conservation impacts. Projects frequently involve habitat restoration, invasive species management, species monitoring and recovery, green infrastructure and community resilience to climate-driven threats. By partnering closely with governments, land trusts, tribal entities, academic institutions and other NGOs, the foundation seeks to generate durable ecological benefits while supporting local communities and working lands.