Freshwater Future’s Project Grants fund grassroots projects that promote river, lake, shoreline, wetland, groundwater, and drinking water protection in the Great Lakes Basin.
Overview
Application & Review Process
Fall Cycle Deadline: September 30, 2023
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
Land/Resource
Organizational Dev’t
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.
501(c)(3) Nonprofit
Land Type & Geography
Projects must be within the Great Lakes Basin.
State
Regional
Local
Parks
Trails
Statistics & Examples
Funding History
| Year | Funds Awarded | # Projects | Average Award |
| 2022 | $68,174 | 21 | $3,246 |
| 2021 | $31,000 | 9 | $3,444 |
| 2020 | $21,250 | 8 | $3,036 |
Past Award Examples
| Amount | Recipient | Project |
| $1,500 | Association for the Wolf Lake Initiative | Water quality testing of the Wolf Lake Watershed during the first year of a 10-year monitoring project. |
| $1,500 | Friends of Euclid Creek | Facilitating educational workshops for communities in the Euclid Creek Watershed about riparian and wetland setbacks. |
| $3,000 | Friends of the Black River Forest | Saving a stretch of Lake Michigan shoreline from a private golf course development. |
| $3,000 | Yellow Dog Watershed Preserve | Increasing river setbacks and buffer zones in the Yellow Dog Watershed. |
| $1,500 | Two Rivers Coalition | Testing for E. coli to support river health. |