The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) in cooperation with USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) Office of Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), FedEx, Southern Company and Arconic Foundation are pleased to solicit applications for the 2026 Five Star program.
Donor Name: National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF)
State: Selected States
County: Selected Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 05/14/2026
Size of the Grant: $100,000 to $500,000
Grant Duration: 2 Years
Details:
The Five Star grant program seeks to develop community capacity to sustain local natural resources for future generations by providing modest financial assistance to local partnerships focused on improving water quality, watersheds and the species and habitats they support.
Projects include a variety of ecological improvements along with targeted community outreach, education and stewardship. Ecological improvements may include one or more of the following: community tree canopy enhancement; community gardens; wildlife habitat restoration and conservation, including wetland, riparian, forest and coastal habitat.
Projects should increase access to the benefits of nature, reduce the impact of environmental hazards and engage local communities in project planning, outreach and implementation. Projects are expected to engage a range of community partners who are involved in implementing the project and sustaining the project outcomes. NFWF may use a mix of public and private funding sources to support any grant made through this program.
Priorities
- On-the-Ground Restoration
- Environmental Outreach, Education, and Training
- Community Partnerships
Funding Information
NFWF anticipates one round of full proposals annually for this program. Awards range from $30,000 to $150,000 with 30-40 grants awarded per year. Grants should span 12 to 18 months with a start date no earlier than January 2027.
Geographic Areas
- Alabama
- Huntsville
- All counties except Lauderdale, Colbert, Lawrence, Limestone, Madison, Marshall, Morgan, Jackson, and DeKalb
- Alaska
- Anchorage (priority for migratory bird projects)
- Arizona
- Phoenix
- Arkansas
- Little Rock
- California
- Oakland (priority for tree canopy enhancement projects)
- Los Angeles
- North and Central California (electric and gas PG&E service areas)
- Kern County
- Fresno County
- Imperial County
- Colorado
- Denver
- Connecticut
- Hartford (priority for migratory bird projects)
- New Haven (priority for migratory bird projects)
- Florida
- Miami (priority for tree canopy enhancement projects)
- Georgia
- Atlanta
- All counties except Union, Fannin, and Towns
- Illinois
- Chicago
- Will County
- Henry County
- Knox County
- Mercer County
- Rock Island County
- Kendall County
- DuPage County
- Kane County
- Indiana
- Princeton
- Iowa
- Davenport
- Clinton County
- Muscatine County
- Scott County
- Kansas
- Lyon County
- Osage County
- Kentucky
- Georgetown
- Louisiana
- New Orleans
- Maryland
- Baltimore (priority for migratory bird projects)
- Massachusetts
- Boston
- Springfield (priority for migratory bird projects)
- Michigan
- Detroit
- Grand Rapids
- Ann Arbor
- Lansing (priority for migratory bird projects)
- Minnesota
- Minneapolis–St. Paul
- Mississippi
- Jackson
- Blue Springs
- Leake County
- Neshoba County
- Kemper County
- Scott County
- Newton County
- Lauderdale County
- Smith County
- Jasper County
- Clarke County
- Jefferson Davis County
- Covington County
- Jones County
- Wayne County
- Marion County
- Lamar County
- Forrest County
- Perry County
- Greene County
- George County
- Stone County
- Pearl River County
- Hancock County
- Harrison County
- Jackson County
- Missouri
- Columbia
- Kansas City
- St. Louis
- Nevada
- Clark County
- New Mexico
- Albuquerque
- New York
- New York
- North Carolina
- Liberty
- Rutherford County
- Ohio
- Cleveland
- Oklahoma
- Grant County
- Kay County
- Murray County
- Oregon
- Portland
- Pennsylvania
- Pittsburgh (priority for tree canopy enhancement projects)
- Philadelphia
- Lancaster
- Allegheny County
- Westmoreland County
- Berks County
- Dauphin County
- Lancaster County
- Lebanon County
- York County
- Rhode Island
- Providence (priority for migratory bird projects)
- South Carolina
- Columbia
- South Dakota
- Deuel County
- Tennessee
- Memphis (priority for tree canopy enhancement projects)
- Nashville (priority for migratory bird projects)
- Alcoa
- Blount County
- Knox County
- Loudon County
- Monroe County
- Sevier County
- Bradley County
- Hamilton County
- Texas
- Houston
- Dallas
- San Antonio
- Concho County
- Crosby County
- Donley County
- Floyd County
- Gray County
- Haskell County
- Pecos County
- Utah
- Ogden (priority for migratory bird projects)
- Virginia
- Richmond
- Chesapeake
- Hampton City
- Newport News
- Norfolk
- Portsmouth City
- Suffolk
- Virginia Beach
- Washington
- Seattle (priority for migratory bird projects)
- Lewis County
- Thurston County
- West Virginia
- Greenbrier County
- Wyoming
- Laramie County
Eligibility Criteria
Eligible applicants include non-profit 501(c) organizations, state government agencies, local governments, municipal governments, Tribal Governments and Organizations and educational institutions.
For more information, visit NFWF.
