Volunteer Monitoring Lab Analysis Support Grant Program

The Volunteer Monitoring Lab Analysis Support Grant Program by the Montana Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) offers financial assistance up to $5,000 for volunteer monitoring programs. This funding covers laboratory sample analysis and shipping costs related to water quality projects. Applicants must submit a Sampling and Analysis Plan (SAP) and an analytical budget. DEQ emphasizes the importance of volunteer contributions to water quality monitoring and supports educational efforts across Montana's watersheds.

Volunteer monitoring is a fun and effective tool to educate people about protecting water quality and to engage communities in pollution prevention and restoration. Volunteer monitoring programs are administered by watershed groups, conservation districts, water quality protection districts, non-profit organizations, schools, and other entities. DEQ also provides volunteer monitoring opportunities.
Each volunteer monitoring program is driven by a unique set of monitoring objectives. Volunteers may collect chemical, physical, or biological parameters to evaluate water quality, aquatic habitat, and streamflow. Whether they collect high-quality data for decision-making, or monitor solely for educational purposes, DEQ values the contribution of volunteer monitoring programs.
DEQ’s Volunteer Monitoring Support Program supports volunteer monitoring in several ways:
Financial support, such as our Volunteer Monitoring Lab Analysis Program;Technical support, such as trainings and guidance documents;Administering volunteer monitoring opportunities; andForming partnerships with other entities in the state that also support volunteer monitoring.
Volunteer Monitoring Lab Analysis Support Program
Each year, DEQ seeks applications for up to $5,000 from volunteer monitoring programs seeking financial assistance with laboratory sample analysis and shipping costs associated with water quality monitoring projects. Applicants are required to submit an application, a Sampling and Analysis Plan (SAP), and an analytical budget which matches their funding request. This program is for laboratory analysis and sample shipping costs only and does not include funding for Sampling and Analysis Plan (SAP) development, travel, monitoring time, purchasing and maintaining field equipment, or other operational costs. All data that is collected using these funds must be uploaded by the awardee to DEQ’s water quality database (MT-eWQX).