The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) is seeking proposals for the 2024 Monarch Butterfly and Pollinators Conservation Fund to advance pollinator conservation.
Donor Name: National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF)
State: Selected States
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 07/24/2024
Size of the Grant: $100,000 to $500,000
Grant Duration: 3 Years
Details:
The goal of the Monarch Butterfly and Pollinators Conservation Fund (Pollinator Fund) is to protect, conserve, and increase habitat for the monarch butterfly and other native insect pollinators.
The most competitive projects will demonstrate clear benefits to both monarch butterfly and additional at-risk native insect pollinator species (i.e., federally listed, candidate, or proposed native insect pollinator species). Special consideration will be given to projects benefiting rusty patched bumble bee, Franklin’s bumble bee, Karner blue butterfly, Dakota skipper, Poweshiek skipperling, and Mitchell’s satyr.
Categories
Grants will be awarded in two categories:
- Technical Assistance for Private Working Lands
- Funding in this category will support implementation of technical assistance to increase the number of private landowners voluntarily engaged in monarch butterfly and pollinator conservation practices on private working lands. Up to $2 million is expected to be available for grants ranging from $150,000 to $500,000. Funding will be awarded for projects up to three years in length following finalization of the grant agreement.
- This category aims to support conservation planning and practice design with private landowners to advance voluntary conservation efforts on working lands that align with NRCS Working Lands for Wildlife frameworks or initiatives, and especially increase Working Lands for Wildlife participation among farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners in the Historically Underserved and Special Emphasis categories.
- The 2024 Pollinator Fund RFP will support projects that:
- Direct staff resources to help agricultural producers design and implement conservation practices.
- Increase Farm Bill program participation and conservation practice implementation among agricultural producers, especially farmers and ranchers in the Historically Underserved and Special Emphasis categories.
- Funding in this category will support the following two strategies:
- Hiring additional staff or contractors, based on demonstrated need, including staff to assist private landowners and NRCS with developing pollinator habitat management plans and implementation of new and existing NRCS financial assistance contracts.
- Targeting outreach to landowners and other partners to prioritize, plan, and deliver financial assistance available through the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP), Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), and other Farm Bill programs to improve pollinator habitat and support at-risk pollinator species.
- The 2024 Pollinator Fund RFP will support projects that:
- Habitat Improvement
- Funding in this category will support on-the-ground work to increase the quality, quantity, and connectivity of habitat for the monarch butterfly and other native insect pollinators. Up to $3.1 million is expected to be available for grants ranging from $200,000 to $300,000. Funding will be awarded for projects up to two years in length following finalization of the grant agreement.
- Applicants in this category should define a step-by-step restoration plan including site preparation, equipment used, planting techniques, size of the project area, description of target native plant community, and maintenance plan (e.g., prescribed burning, mowing, grazing schedules).
- Projects proposed to benefit other at-risk native insect pollinators should specify habitat needs for those species and how the proposed work will support their breeding, nectaring, nesting, or other habitat needs.
- Funding in this category will support the following two strategies:
- Restore and enhance pollinator habitat, with an emphasis on regionally appropriate milkweed and a diversity of native nectar plants.
- Increase native seed and seedling supply, with an emphasis on improving the sustainability and affordability of regionally appropriate, local ecotypes.
- Funding in this category will support the following two strategies:
Program Priorities
All proposals must specifically address how the proposed project will directly and measurably contribute to the accomplishment of the Pollinator Fund’s goals as outlined in NFWF’s Monarch Butterfly Business Plan. As such, all proposals must provide the number of acres restored or enhanced as a result of the project.
Proposals must include plans to restore or enhance a minimum of 100 acres in California or 500 acres in all other eligible states. Acres may be counted from multiple sites; the sites do not need to be contiguous. Since 2015, successful proposals have included a median of 960 acres and an average of 2,120 acres restored or enhanced.
Funding Information
The Pollinator Fund will award up to $5.1 million in grants in 2024: up to $2 million for Technical Assistance for Private Working Lands and up to $3.1 million for Habitat Improvement. Funding is provided by Bayer Crop Science, Danone North America, The Scotts Miracle-Gro Foundation, Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), Bureau of Land Management (BLM), and U.S. Forest Service (USFS).
Geographical Areas
- Technical Assistance for Private Working Lands
- Grant funding will be awarded in the following eligible states: Arkansas, Arizona, California, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Washington, Wisconsin, and West Virginia.
- Within eligible states, priority will be given to projects located in the North Core, South Core, West Core, and Overwintering Monarch Conservation Units.
- Projects are restricted to private working lands.
- Habitat Improvement
- Grant funding will be awarded in the following eligible states: Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.
- Within eligible states, priority will be given to projects located in the North Core, South Core, West Core, and Overwintering Monarch Conservation Units.
- West of the Rocky Mountains, priority will be given to projects on or adjacent to the following: monarch butterfly overwintering sites, BLM lands, and USFS lands.
Eligibility Criteria
Eligible and Ineligible Entities:
- Eligible applicants include nonprofit 501(c) organizations, U.S. federal government agencies, state government agencies, local governments, municipal governments, tribal governments and organizations, and educational institutions.
- Ineligible applicants include businesses, unincorporated individuals, and international organizations.
For more information, visit NFWF.
