Puget Sound Stewardship and Mitigation Fund Grant

The Puget Sound Stewardship and Mitigation Fund Grant aims to enhance water quality in Puget Sound through community-based projects. Funded by the Rose Foundation, the grant supports 501(c)3 organizations and governmental entities focusing on pollution mitigation, conservation, and education. Grants typically span one year with a maximum of $40,000. The foundation prefers locally-led initiatives and encourages applications from environmental justice organizations to foster equity in project implementation.

The Puget Sound Stewardship and Mitigation Fund’s goal is to mitigate past pollution runoff by supporting community-based efforts to protect or improve the water quality of Puget Sound. The Fund was created by the Puget Soundkeeper Alliance (Soundkeeper), and it continues to be funded through enforcement actions brought by Soundkeeper and Waste Action Project, among others. These groups shared goal in bringing polluters into compliance with the CWA is to promote cleaner water bodies and healthier fisheries.The Rose Foundation for Communities and the Environment welcomes proposals from small grassroots conservation and environmental justice groups, but if your organization is really new or very small we urge you to consider applying to our California Environmental Grassroots Fund instead.
Duration of Support and Grant Size
Most grants are for a one-year period; however, you do not have to ask for a one-year grant. It is permitted to request a shorter or longer grant period if that is what you need. The maximum grant amount is $40,000 (even if requesting multi-year support).

Eligibility

The applicant must be a 501(c)3 organization, fiscally sponsored by a 501(c)3, or a governmental or tribal entity. Nonprofit colleges, universities, university clinics and graduate programs are eligible to apply, but university overhead is limited to 5% of grant award.The applicant must demonstrate the capacity to complete the proposed project, including experience in successfully conducting similar or otherwise related work in the past.Organizations that have been funded may re-apply in the next cycle after their grant report has been submitted. After three consecutive years of funding, groups must wait two years before reapplying.Geographic scope:South Sound, especially Budd Inlet and associated watersCentral Sound, especially Commencement Bay and associated watersSkagit River watershed and associated reaches of Puget SoundDuwamish RiverSnoqualmie River watershedAllowable Projects and Activity FocusProjects designed to improve (or prevent degradation of) the water quality of Puget Sound and its watershed.Project activities include water stewardship, conservation, outreach and education, restoration, and watershed protection.Project proposals with strong community involvement and participation are especially encouraged.Are environmental education projects allowed?Yes and No. We support many projects that have an element of environmental education within the overall project work, however, environmental education should not be the primary focus of the project. That is, projects should focus on improvements to water quality or prevention of water contamination through “boots on the ground” restoration, improvements in environmental policy, etc. Environmental education, while important, does not meet our selection criteria in and of itself.