Freshwater Future

Project Grants

Overview

Freshwater Future’s Project Grants fund grassroots projects that promote river, lake, shoreline, wetland, groundwater, and drinking water protection in the Great Lakes Basin.

Application & Review Process

Fall Cycle Deadline: September 30, 2024

Applicants should read the grant RFP and fill out the application (available as a Word .docx file or as a PDF). Contact Laurie Breighner at laurie@freshwaterfuture.org with any questions.

Funding Amount

$500 – $5,000

The minimum request is $500 and the maximum request is $5,000. A financial match is not required, but if the applicant has one, they should include those amounts in the budget and identify the financial sources in the notes.

Eligibility

Projects

Grassroots project expenses and activities that promote water protection in the Great Lakes Basin, such as:

  • Influencing community or individual behavior
  • Addressing corporate conduct
  • Encouraging good public policies

grass icon orange Land/Resource

gears turning icon orange Organizational Dev’t

people icon orange People/Engagement

Applicants

Registered 501(c)(3) nonprofits that are also members of Freshwater Future.*

 

*You can verify your membership status at 231-348-8200.

heart handshake orange 501(c)(3) Nonprofit

Land Type & Geography

Projects must be within the Great Lakes Basin.

state icon orange State

region icon orange Regional

local icon orange Local

orange tree Parks

orange trail icon Trails

Statistics & Examples

Funding History

YearFunds Awarded# ProjectsAverage Award
2022$68,17421$3,246
2021$31,0009$3,444
2020$21,2508$3,036

Past Award Examples

AmountRecipientProject
$1,500Association for the Wolf Lake InitiativeWater quality testing of the Wolf Lake Watershed during the first year of a 10-year monitoring project.
$1,500Friends of Euclid CreekFacilitating educational workshops for communities in the Euclid Creek Watershed about riparian and wetland setbacks.
$3,000Friends of the Black River ForestSaving a stretch of Lake Michigan shoreline from a private golf course development.
$3,000Yellow Dog Watershed PreserveIncreasing river setbacks and buffer zones in the Yellow Dog Watershed.
$1,500Two Rivers CoalitionTesting for E. coli to support river health.

The information about this grant was last updated on 8/16/2023. Be sure to contact the granting organization directly to verify details.