Creating New Economies Fund (CNEF) Grant

Overview

_NOTE: You are required to speak with a Resourceful Communities staff member about your project before applying._

_What We Do_

We protect America’s most critical lands and waters to provide greater access to nature, strengthen local economies and enhance climate resiliency. Top-ranked for efficiency and effectiveness, we have worked in all 50 states since 1985 to protect more than 8.5 million acres of land.

At The Conservation Fund, we believe in conservation that makes economic sense. Every project places conservation at its center, and our entrepreneurial staff create and implement innovative, practical ways to benefit the natural world and the well-being of Americans from every walk of life. We inspire new, innovative models that prove strategic conservation is good for both people and the environment.

Creating New Economies Fund (CNEF) Grant

Investing in Communities: Small Grants

Through our small grant program, the Creating New Economies Fund (CNEF), we invest in innovative triple bottom line projects. Our triple bottom line mission grounds our work in helping communities build on their greatest resources: natural, cultural and human assets. The grants are as unique as the organizations we support, but all funded projects reflect the needs and visions of the communities. Funding has supported a variety of projects, including: eco-tourism, sustainable agriculture, youth leadership development, alternative energy, and more.

Since CNEF began in 2001, Resourceful Communities has awarded more than $6.8 million in grants, and thanks to this investment, grantees have secured an average additional $12 for every $1 of grant support. Funded projects include development of food distribution centers, green job training programs, paddle trails and more. Our combination of training, funding and connections to additional resources strengthens community-led efforts and results in broad community benefits.

Grant applicants receive training in general grant writing as well as effective project planning strategies. Resourceful Communities continues to provide support to strengthen community projects through improved project design (timeline, budget, evaluation plan, etc.), community engagement and sustainability through connection to additional resources.

Proposals receiving the highest consideration will:

* Focus on work in rural, low-income communities.

* Be planned and implemented by a community organization that has participated in our network events (workshops, peer learning visits, convenings, etc.).
* Build on local assets (a community’s natural, historical, cultural and human resources) to address community challenges.
* Meaningfully engage those who benefit from the project, particularly people of color or low wealth.
* Address “root causes” of community challenges. Root causes often include, but are not limited to:
* Poverty/ need for local jobs
* Exclusion and inequities, especially among low-income communities and communities of color
* Environmental challenges such as flooding, poor drainage, land loss, toxins, etc. that disproportionately impact low-income communities and communities of color

Grant Amounts

Grants cannot exceed $15,000. There is no minimum amount that must be requested for a Creating New Economies Fund application to be considered, however, grants average $8,000-$12,000.

Eligibility

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