Bay Soundings l Community Grants

Community Grants Available

Deadlines for grants available to community, neighborhood and environmental organizations through the Tampa Bay Estuary Program, Pinellas County Environmental Foundation, Southwest Florida Water Management District and Gulfstream Natural Gas System are all coming up this fall.

The Tampa Bay Estuary Program offers mini-grants of up to $7,500 for community-based restoration and education projects for local organizations including clubs and neighborhood associations, business and trade organizations, community and environmental groups and school districts. Grant proposals should fit in one of the following categories:

Water Quality (Examples: environmental landscaping practices; “best management practices” for agriculture; innovative retention/filtering techniques)
Habitat Restoration and Protection (Examples: restoration of natural shorelines/enhancement of seawalls; projects addressing seagrasses, mangroves, coastal and freshwater wetlands, and other estuarine habitats; marine debris reduction/recycling initiatives)
Fish and Wildlife Conservation (Examples: awareness of threats to wildlife from monofilament line; protection of seagrass beds; education on fish and wildlife habitat)
Bay Awareness and Education (Examples: programs for schools, YMCA groups, Scouts or other youth organizations; programs that directly involve youth in solutions to bay problems; programs directed at disadvantaged youth)
Dredged Material Management or Spill Prevention (Examples: volunteer oil spill response teams; beneficial or innovative uses of dredged materials)
Invasive Species (Examples: Eradication of invasive plants or animals; education about harmful aquatic invasive species and how to prevent their spread)

Projects or campaigns that have long-term applicability, and that may serve as models for addressing bay issues, will receive priority consideration. The mini-grants are funded through sales of the Tampa Bay Estuary license tag. Applications are due at 3 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 3. A special workshop to help organizations complete the grant application is scheduled for Aug. 22 from 6-7pm at the Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council. Space is limited and reservations are required, call Misty Cladas at 727-893-2765 or e-mail misty@tbep.org. Grant applications are available online at www.tbep.org.

The deadline for the Southwest Water Management District’s 2007 community education grants is Sept. 15. Grants of up to $5000 are available for community-based education projects addressing alternative water sources, flood protection, natural systems, water conservation, water quality and watersheds, and projects must be completed between March 1 and June 30, 2007.

Projects will be evaluated based on the following criteria:

Measurable education goals that include behavior change
Well-developed plan
Demonstration of ability to complete the plan
Creativity in educating target audiences in cost-effective ways
Number of people reached by the project
Cost per person reached by the project

Community education grant applications are available online at www.watermatters.org.

The Gulfstream Environmental & Recreational Trust Program (GERT) was created to assist in developing unique environmental and recreational projects along the route of the Gulfstream Natural Gas Pipeline. GERT projects should provide community benefits for environmental and recreational resources such as:

Enhancement of open spaces and park land for recreational enjoyment
Assistance in the enrichment of wildlife habitat
Promotion of environmental education
Purchases of property for preservation of wetlands and wildlife habitat
Purchases of property to access public lands, water resources, scenic and wildlife views, and for enhancement or development of active recreational areas

Grant applications, available online at www.gulfstreamgas.com, must be completed by Sept. 15 and grants will be awarded by Dec. 15.

The Pinellas County Environmental Fund offers grants to schools, corporations and environmental non-profit groups and requires a third-party match of cash or contributed services from the grantee. Pre-proposal applications, available online at https://collective.nfwf.org/pre-proposal/Preproposal.php, are due Sept. 1 with full proposals to be completed by Nov. 1.

For more information, call 202-857-0166 or email suzanne.sessine@nfwf.org

Deadlines for Grant Applications

Pinellas County Environmental Fund -- Sept. 1 (pre-proposal application), Nov. 1 (final proposal)

Southwest Florida Water Management District -- Sept. 15

Gulfstream Environmental & Recreational Trust Fund – Sept. 15

Tampa Bay Estuary Program – Oct. 2

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