Call for Grant Proposals - $140 Million Available for National Coastal Resilience Fund 2024

The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) will award approximately $140 million in grants to create and restore natural systems to increase protection for communities from current and future coastal hazards and improve habitats for fish and wildlife species.  The goal is to enhance protection for coastal communities from the impacts of storms, floods, and other natural coastal hazards and to improve habitats for fish and wildlife.  The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation will make investments in planning, design, and implementation of natural and nature-based solutions.

The availability of federal funds estimated in this solicitation is contingent upon the federal appropriations process; funding decisions will be made based on level of funding and timing of when it is received by NFWF.

What’s Considered Natural Habitats:

Natural habitats are coastal marshes and wetlands, coastal forests, rivers, lakes, and streams, dune and beach systems, and oyster and coral reefs – maintained at a significant size for the habitat type and natural hazard being addressed – that can provide communities with enhanced protection and buffering from the growing impacts of natural coastal hazards, including rising sea- and lake- levels, changing flood patterns, increased frequency and intensity of storms, and other environmental stressors.  

Pre-Proposal Webinar Dates:

• Tuesday, March 5, 2024 at 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM ET (Register here)
• Thursday, March 7, 2024 at 6:30 - 8:00 PM ET (Register here)

Pre-Proposal Due Date:   Wednesday, April 10, 2024 by 11:59 PM ET

 Additional Information:

 GEOGRAPHIC FOCUS

 The NCRF is a national program focused on enhancement of resilience for coastal communities. Projects must be located within the coastal areas of U.S. coastal states, including the Great Lakes states, and U.S. territories and tribal lands.

PROGRAM PRIORITIES

All projects under this program must demonstrate dual benefits to both coastal communities and habitats. The NCRF supports projects that will result in the creation and/or restoration of natural systems to increase the resilience of communities from coastal hazards and improve habitats for fish and wildlife species. Please see the full website for more information but consider these priorities when proposing your project: 

Nature-Based Solutions: Projects must focus on identifying or implementing natural, nature-based or hybrid solutions, such as restoring coastal marshes, reconnecting floodplains, rebuilding dunes or other natural buffers, or installing living shorelines.

Community Resilience Benefit: Projects must show clear benefits in terms of reducing current and projected threats to communities from natural coastal hazards.

Fish and Wildlife Benefit: Projects must help to improve habitats for fish and wildlife species.

Community Impact and Engagement: Projects will be prioritized that provide risk reduction or job creation benefits to underserved or tribal communities that directly members in project design and implementation.

Transferability and Sustainability: NFWF encourages projects that seek to re-shape our thinking on what constitutes coastal community resilience to climate impacts as experienced across different landscapes.