Watershed Association Professional Development Mini-Grants

Watershed Association Professional Development Mini-Grants

Status: ACTIVE
Funder: Lake Champlain Basin Program
Amount: Up to US $500
Last Updated: November 21, 2025

Summary

The Watershed Association Professional Development Mini-Grants support staff and volunteers of watershed organizations in the Lake Champlain Basin. These grants cover costs for professional development activities aimed at enhancing water quality and organizational capacity. Eligible organizations include 501c3 nonprofits focused on water stewardship. Preference is given to those with previous LCBP contracts exceeding $4,000. Applications are accepted monthly, with awards announced shortly after deadlines.

Overview

Note: Applications deadlines are the last day of each month. Awards will be announced shortly thereafter. We encourage organizations to submit their requests a month in advance. These mini-grants provide professional development funds for the staff and volunteers of qualified watershed organizations in the Lake Champlain Basin, to cover expenses such as travel, meals, registration and accommodations at meetings, conferences, workshops and other venues designed to enhance the organizations’ capacity to operate. The Lake Champlain Basin Program (LCBP) is a Congressionally-designated initiative to restore and protect Lake Champlain and its surrounding watershed. We work with partners in New York, Vermont, and Québec to coordinate and fund efforts to address challenges in the areas of phosphorus pollution, toxic substances, biodiversity, aquatic invasive species, and climate change. The LCBP also administers the Champlain Valley National Heritage Partnership, which builds appreciation and improves stewardship of the region’s rich cultural resources by interpreting and promoting its history.

Eligibility

You can learn more about this opportunity by visiting the funder's website. Watershed types of organization within the Lake Champlain Basin may apply for Watershed Association Professional Development Mini‐grants provided they meet the following criteria:Organizations must be 501c3 nonprofits and have a mission statement ‐ if a statement has been established - that includes natural resource stewardship specifically pertaining to water quality.Note: Several volunteer watershed associations, not yet having formal identity as a non‐profit corporation, have successfully completed LCBP contracts which were received, expended and reported on their behalf by an established qualifying organization.This affiliation with an established organization may also be invoked to qualify for professional development mini‐grants.The professional development activities must be related to improving water quality in the Lake Champlain basin, particularly the streams and rivers that flow to the Lake or to strengthening the long‐term operation of a local watershed group. Organizational capacity building (for example, fundraising workshops or computer training) that will significantly enhance the operations of the organizations may also be supported.