Planning Grants to improve Water Quality in Minnesota and Wisconsin

Planning Grants help fund the planning process for detailed projects that help improve water quality through construction, education, outreach, or other creative ways.

Donor Name: Mississippi Watershed Management Organization

State: Minnesota, Wisconsin

County: Selected Counties

City: Bloomington, Minneapolis and St. Paul

Type of Grant: Grant

Deadline: 12/13/2024

Size of the Grant: $10,000 to $100,000

Grant Duration: Grant Duration Not Mentioned

Details:

Planning Grants are intended to assist organizations to plan and prepare documentation for a project that will be implemented in the near future.

Funding Priorities

The MWMO is particularly interested in supporting engagement or physical projects that will reach underserved populations (neighborhoods or residents not previously involved in MWMO projects) and projects located in environmentally sensitive areas as defined by the MWMO Watershed Management Plan or the MWMO Board of Commissioners.

Funding Information

Grant up to $20,000 (MWMO anticipates a requested grant amount of $10,000–$15,000 on average); 25 percent match required.

Project Examples

Evaluation of a site, or combination of several sites, including drainage areas, impervious surfaces and associated runoff. Engineering for schematic stormwater Best Management Practices (BMPs) to manage this specific volume and rate of water (this is often called a Stormwater Master Plan). This may include costs, prioritization of BMPs and an estimated construction timeline.
Natural resource management plans and/or construction documents and specifications for erosion control practices, native plant buffers around waterbodies, and ecological restoration (e.g., removal of invasive species and establishment of native species)
Program designs that could result in positive, long-term changes in community behaviors, such as improved water conservation practices, reduction in use of polluting agents (e.g., road salt and lawn chemicals) and use of stormwater BMPs
Calculations and modeling for site-specific stormwater BMPs and other practices to reduce pollution, combined with a plan for reporting on the effectiveness of new technologies and approaches
Soil borings or other tests that help assess the likely success of a project
Schematic design drawings for replacement of impervious surfaces with high-capacity pervious materials
Development of an educational curriculum, creation of a communication or behavior change campaign, or other outreach/engagement projects
An interpretive framework for an exhibition and a plan of action for implementation
Water quality themed educational activities and workshops for an area.

Location

All project types should benefit people who live, learn, and/or work in or near the MWMO watershed, which covers about 40 square miles in the Twin Cities metropolitan area. Any physical projects must be located within MWMO boundaries or drain to receiving water bodies within the watershed. Use our find your watershed tool to determine whether you are in the MWMO watershed.

Eligibility Criteria

The following are eligible applicants for MWMO funding:
- Registered non-profit organizations:
  - 501(c)(3) or other IRS code approved tax exempt organization that meets the Minnesota Nonprofit Corporation Act. You can determine if your organization is registered as a non-profit with the State of Minnesota by searching the Minnesota Secretary of State’s database.
- Officially recognized neighborhood groups
- Business and professional associations
- Schools
- Local units of government.
Individuals or private business are not eligible applicants and should not submit the application to the MWMO on behalf of an eligible applicant. However, individuals, homeowner and condominium associations, and private businesses may be listed as a partner in an application submitted by an eligible entity.