Community-Led Green Infrastructure

Overview

The New Orleans Community Support Foundation (NOCSF) invites applications from eligible nonprofit and community-based organizations for grants under the Community-Led Green Infrastructure initiative. This initiative, supported by federal funding, aims to advance environmental well-being and community resilience through the development, implementation, and evaluation of community-led green infrastructure projects focused on flood mitigation, community resilience, and water quality improvement in vulnerable and underserved communities in the Greater New Orleans region. There will be two rounds of grants under this program, with applications for the second round opening in fall of 2026.

Program Goals and Objectives

This initiative will:

* Increase the resiliency of Southeast Louisiana communities through green stormwater infrastructure projects that are developed, implemented, and evaluated by members of the communities that the projects serve. At least 12 projects or project phases (planning, construction, evaluation) will be supported by the initiative with a focus on creating community-led green infrastructure in the most vulnerable and underserved communities.
* Increase the number of individuals with improved understanding of environmental issues in their community through their involvement in the development, implementation, and evaluation of community-led green infrastructure projects; and
* Ensure that grantee partners have improved their abilities to identify, successfully apply for, and effectively manage grants related to green infrastructure and water quality improvement in underserved communities that are adversely and disproportionately affected by environmental and human health harms or risks.

Eligibility

_You can learn more about this opportunity by visiting the funder's website._

* Projects must be located in one or more of the following parishes in the Greater New Orleans region: Assumption, Jefferson, Lafourche, Orleans, Plaquemines, St. Bernard, St. Charles, St. James, St. John the Baptist, St. Tammany, Terrebonne, Tangipahoa, or Washington.
* Eligible applicants must:
* Be a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with a defined community mission or a project fiscally sponsored by a a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization 
* Be located in, or demonstrate a strong track record of working with, vulnerable or underserved communities in the region
* Demonstrate experience with green infrastructure and community collaboration
* Ensure capacity to participate in technical assistance, the Community of Practice, and program evaluation activities
* Have a Unique Entity Identifier and registration with SAM.gov If you do not have a Unique Entity Identifier, preaward technical assistance will be available to help you obtain one.
Have written policy and procedures in alignment with federal standards and the Code of Federal Regulations; \Please note that preaward technical assistance will support in the development of these policies for organizations that do not already have them in place.
* Be able to provide documentation of liability and workers’ compensation insurance.