Community Conservation Program Grant

The Community Conservation Program, funded by the Virginia Environmental Endowment, supports conservation initiatives in specific Virginia counties and cities. Focused on water quality protection, land conservation, and environmental literacy, the program encourages proposals that demonstrate measurable results, with funding starting at $50,000. Organizations are advised to seek informal reviews of their proposals before submission. VEE favors projects that leverage matching funds, thereby enhancing community engagement and environmental sustainability.

Virginia Environmental Endowment (VEE) funding under the “Community Conservation Program” provides funds for conservation initiatives located within the counties of Craig, Franklin, Giles, Montgomery, Pittsylvania and Roanoke, and the cities of Salem and Roanoke. The Program focuses on water quality protection, restoration, and improvement; land conservation support; and environmental literacy and awareness within the listed jurisdictions. VEE will also consider funding portions of initiatives that extend beyond the listed jurisdictions.
The application process for the Community Conservation Program is open to any qualified organization. However, VEE strongly suggests that any organization interested in submitting a proposal first provide VEE with a one to two page letter briefly explaining the proposal so as to allow VEE staff the opportunity to provide an informal review and response before submission.
VEE will consider proposals of no less than $50,000 and multi-year projects of up to three years are eligible. VEE will decline without further review any proposal that is clearly outside the purposes and geographic limitations of the Program.
VEE encourages proposals that promise measurable results to improve the environment consistent with the mission and priorities of VEE and the Community Conservation Program. Applicants should describe specifically how they will measure success of a proposal.

Eligibility

VEE makes grants to nonprofit, tax-exempt charitable organizations and institutions and governmental agencies.VEE does not require Community Conservation Program proposals to have matching funds in amounts equal to or in excess of the grant request. However, VEE will seek to leverage its financial resources with matching public or private funding and will preferentially consider proposals that leverage its Community Conservation Program funds. VEE may offer challenge grants to provide leverage in fundraising.

Ineligibility

Proposals VEE received last year which did not receive VEE funding are ineligible for resubmission absent prior express authorization from VEE.Grant funds are not provided for general support, overhead, indirect costs, capital projects, land purchases, building construction or renovation, endowments, lawsuits, or to individuals. VEE does not reimburse costs incurred by an applicant before the authorization date of any awarded grant.