The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF), in partnership with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the federal-state Chesapeake Bay Program (CBP) partnership, is soliciting proposals through the Chesapeake Bay Stewardship Fund to protect and restore water quality and habitats of the Chesapeake Bay and its tributary rivers and streams.
Donor Name: National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF)
State: Selected States
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 04/02/2026
Size of the Grant: $500,000 to $1 million
Grant Duration: 2 Years
Details:
NFWF will award funding through two distinct funding opportunities.
- SWG Implementation (SWG-I) grants will be awarded for projects that result in direct, on-the-ground actions to protect and restore water quality, species, and habitats in the Bay watershed. NFWF expects all SWG-I proposals to have any necessary preliminary designs completed for proposed activities by the time of application.
- SWG Planning and Technical Assistance (SWG-PTA) grants will be awarded for projects that enhance local capacity to advance future on-the-ground actions, consistent with SWG Program priorities, through community-based assessment, planning, design, and other technical assistance-oriented activities.
The SWG program will support projects that address one or more of the program priorities described below through either direct on-the-ground implementation of conservation or restoration actions (SWG-I grants) or assessment, planning, design, and other technical assistance activities (SWG-PTA grants). SWG-I grants may also include reasonable technical assistance-oriented activities necessary to support proposed on-the-ground implementation, as well as appropriate monitoring and ongoing maintenance activities, provided that the primary focus of the proposal is advancing on-the-ground implementation outcomes.
Priorities
- Managing Agricultural and Urban Runoff
- Improving Water Quality and Stream Health Through Riparian Restoration and Conservation
- Enhancing and Protecting Freshwater Habitat for Brook Trout
- Enhancing and Protecting Tidal and Estuarine Habitat
- Enhancing Nature-Based Resilience for Human Communities
- Building Capacity for Landscape-Scale Watershed and Habitat Planning, Design, and Implementation
Funding Information
- SWG Implementation: $150,000 – 750,000
- SWG-PTA: Up to $150,000
Project Period
SWG Implementation grants should be completed within two years of award, and SWG Planning and Technical Assistance grants should be completed within 18 months of award.
Geographic Areas
All projects must occur wholly within the Chesapeake Bay watershed.
Eligibility Criteria
- 501(C) Non-Profit Organizations
- Community Based Organizations
- Local Governments
- Municipal Governments
- Tribal Governments and Organizations
- K-12 Educational Institutions
- State Government Agencies
- Institutions of Higher Education
For more information, visit NFWF.
