The Environmental Initiative Fund is designed to promote public use of open space that improves a community’s quality of life and public health, while also ensuring the protection of healthy, viable and sustainable ecosystems by protecting or restoring habitat for a diversity of plant and animal species.
Donor Name: Laura Jane Musser Fund
State: Selected States
County: Selected Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 03/13/2025
Size of the Grant: $10,000 to $100,000
Grant Duration: 2 Years
Details:
The Laura Jane Musser Fund assists public or not-for-profit entities to initiate or implement projects that enhance the ecological integrity of publicly owned open spaces, while encouraging compatible human activities.
Priorities
Priority is placed on projects that…
- FOCUS both on protecting/restoring a sustainable ecosystem and promoting public access to and use of the defined open space
- INVOLVE ACTIVE PARTICIPATION of local community members, with a particular appreciation for volunteer and youth engagement
- TAKE PLACE in a defined public open space
- CONTAIN measurable outcomes within the first 12-18 months.
Funding Information
- PLANNING (up to $8,000) Planning grant applications must demonstrate commitment to a broad-based, active community process for the design and use of local publicly-owned open spaces.
- IMPLEMENTATION (Up to $35,000) Implementation grant applications must demonstrate clear evidence of local community active participation and support.
Geographical Areas
- ONLY programs in Colorado, Hawaii, Minnesota, Wyoming, and limited counties in New York, North Carolina, and Texas may apply.
- Eligible counties in New York include: Delaware, Greene, Otsego, Schoharie, Sullivan, and Ulster.
- Eligible counties in North Carolina are located in the Mountains Region: Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, Buncombe, Burke, Caldwell, Clay, Cherokee, Graham, Haywood, Henderson, Jackson, Macon, Madison, McDowell, Mitchell, Polk, Rutherford, Swain, Transylvania, Watauga, Wilkes, and Yancey.
- Eligible counties in Texas are located in the Rio Grande River Valley (Cameron, Hidalgo, Starr, and Willacy counties), Deep East Texas (Angelina, Houston, Jasper, Nacogdoches, Newton, Polk, Sabine, San Augustine, San Jacinto, Shelby, Trinity, and Tyler counties), and the Brazos Valley (Brazos, Burleson, Grimes, Leon, Madison, Robertson, and Washington counties).
Eligibility Criteria
- Nonprofit 501(c)(3) organizations (organizations with fiscal sponsors are not eligible)
- Local units of Government.
Ineligibility
- Building or repair of parking lots, driveways, or other facilities for auto use.
- Designing, constructing or repairing buildings located in public open spaces.
- Projects requesting funds for land acquisition costs.
- Advocacy.
For more information, visit Laura Jane Musser Fund.
