Native Plant Habitat Grants

Description Grant Deadline Website
IDNR facilitates planting of native plants on school yards. Illinois Schoolyard Habitat Action Grant 11/30/2021 check again 2022 https://www2.illinois.gov/dnr/education/Pages/GrantsSHAG.aspx
Periodically, IDNR awards funding to public landowners to conduct urban forestry practices. This includes inventories, planting, management plans and ordinances IDNR Urban Forestry Sub-Grants   Contact Michael.Brunk@illinois.gov for details.
IEPA offers funding to demonstrate green infrastructure best management practices to control stormwater runoff for water quality protection in Illinois. Illinois Green Infrastructure Grants Posted Early 2022, Deadline Spring 2022 https://www2.illinois.gov/epa/topics/grants-loans/water-financial-assistance/Pages/igig.aspx
The IFDC periodically has small grants available for projects that support forestry practices and improvement of forests in the State of Illinois. Illinois Forestry Development Council Deadline has passed for 2021 check again in 2022 https://treefund.org/researchgrants
The TREE Fund provides a wide range of research grants on forestry and arboriculture. TREE Fund -Research Grants TBD https://treefund.org/researchgrants
Provides grants of up to $1 million to coastal and Great Lakes states, as well as U.S. territories to protect, restore and enhance coastal wetland ecosystems and associated uplands. States are selected to participate. National Coastal Wetlands Conservation Grant Program TBD https://treefund.org/researchgrants
The ComEd Green Region Grant Program awards grants up to $10,000 to regional governmental agencies in Northern Illinois to support their efforts to plan for, protect, and improve natural places in their community. The grant program encourages creativity and collaboration with nonprofits, and focus on our climate resiliency. ComEd Green Region Grant Closed for 2021, likely open in January 2022 https://openlands.org/get-involved/greenregion/
the program strives to reduce overbank flooding and protect and improve the health of local waterways. Stormwater Management has a division dedicated to water quality of streams, rivers and other bodies of water throughout the County. Water Quality Improvement Program 44568 https://www.dupageco.org/wqipgrant/
urban and community forestry grants to municipalities, tribal governments, park districts, counties, and other units of local government in Illinois. 2021-2023 Urban and Community Forestry Grant 11/1/2021 check again in 2022 http://chicagorti.org/FY22grant/Info?utm_source=CRTI+Contacts&utm_campaign=5a0d895b0b-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2020_04_08_06_12_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_6fcae40f8b-5a0d895b0b-53468545&mc_cid=5a0d895b0b&mc_eid=0e8907156e
EJ4Climate seeks to foster climate resilience by improving the capacity of communities to prepare for, withstand, respond to, and recover from hazardous events or disturbances related to climate change, which poses risks to human health, the environment, cultural resources, the economy, and quality of life. EJ4 Climate Grant Program 11/14/2021 check again in 2022 http://www.cec.org/EJ4Climate/?utm_source=CRTI+Contacts&utm_campaign=5a0d895b0b-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2020_04_08_06_12_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_6fcae40f8b-5a0d895b0b-53468545&mc_cid=5a0d895b0b&mc_eid=0e8907156e
A grant program that supports underserved and vulnerable communities, and Indigenous communities, in Canada, Mexico, and the United States to prepare for climate-related impacts. Possible projects under the grant program could include addressing extreme weather impacts, transitioning to clean energy and/or transportation systems, or utilizing traditional ecological knowledge and green infrastructure or nature-based solutions to address climate change impacts. USDA Community Forest and Open Space Conservation Program 44571 http://www.cec.org/EJ4Climate/?utm_source=CRTI+Contacts&utm_campaign=5a0d895b0b-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2020_04_08_06_12_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_6fcae40f8b-5a0d895b0b-53468545&mc_cid=5a0d895b0b&mc_eid=0e8907156e
In 2021, TREE Fund’s Hyland Johns Grant program will be focused specifically on tree health care in urban sites, to include such sample areas of inquiry as:
 
 Pest/pathogen biology and management;
 Selection, evaluation, and/or breeding of pest/pathogen resistant trees;
 Improved technology for delivery of therapeutic chemicals into or onto trees;
 Assessment and mitigation of damage to trees from noxious chemicals;
 Effects of arboricultural practices such as transplanting, pruning and fertilization on incidence of specific pests or pathogens.		 Hyland R. Johns Grant Program Deadline passed for 2021 check again in 2022 https://treefund.org/researchgrants/johns
Our Retail Grants Program supports small, grassroots activist organizations that have provocative direct-action agendas and that are working strategically on multipronged campaigns to preserve and protect our environment. We support local groups that work to protect local habitats and frontline communities through bold, original actions.

We are most interested in making these grants to organizations that identify and work on the root causes of problems and approach issues with a commitment to long-term change. We look for innovative groups with proposed projects that are quantifiable; that have specific goals, objectives and action plans, and that include measures for evaluating success.

Patagonia’s Retail Grants Program funds projects that take place within the communities of our Patagonia retail stores throughout the US and Canada. Our retail store employees review proposals and make funding decisions.		 Patagonia Environmental Grants (Retail Grant) Deadline Passed for 2021. Check in Spring of 2022 for future grants https://www.patagonia.com/how-we-fund/retail-grant/
Our Corporate Grants Program supports small, grassroots activist organizations that have provocative direct-action agendas and that are working strategically on multipronged campaigns to preserve and protect our environment. We support local groups that work to protect local habitats and frontline communities through bold, original actions.

We are most interested in making these grants to organizations that identify and work on the root causes of problems and approach issues with a commitment to long-term change. We look for innovative groups with proposed projects that are quantifiable; that have specific goals, objectives and action plans, and that include measures for evaluating success.

Patagonia’s Corporate Grants Program funds projects that take place within the US and Canada and are either national in scope or are not local to one of our North American retail stores. Proposals are reviewed and grants decisions are made by an employee grants council at our company headquarters.		 Patagonia Environmental Grants (Corporate Grant) Deadline Passed for 2021. Check in Spring of 2022 for future grants https://www.patagonia.com/how-we-fund/corporate-grant/
The Foundation’s Pollinator Schools Program supports the creation of native pollinator habitat at locations in Illinois that provide K-12 environmental education programming. Students learn about Illinois’ native plants while the habitat provides a much-needed food source for a variety of pollinators.

Grant support can be applied towards the purchase of plant materials as well as cover a portion of the costs associated with hiring consultants or contractors to help with the design, installation and limited summer maintenance of the habitat. Depending on the land available, some of the projects selected for this program may create habitat areas that are relatively small (i.e. 1,000 square feet), while others may be an acre or more in size. All will provide students first-hand experience with Illinois’ native habitat in action by creating a year-round refuge for pollinators.		 Illinois Clean Energy K-12 Pollinator Schools Program 2/22/2022 & 8/23/2022 https://www.illinoiscleanenergy.org/natural-areas-program/k-12-pollinator-schools-program/
DuPage County Stormwater Management is currently accepting grant proposals for projects aimed at improving the quality of the County’s streams and rivers.

In its 19th year, the Water Quality Improvement Program grant awards funding for projects exhibiting a regional water quality benefit, including restoration and green infrastructure projects.

“This has become an integral program in DuPage County,” said DuPage County Stormwater Management Committee Chairman Jim Zay. “Communities often use these funds as leverage for State and Federal grants. When we’re able to bring in outside funds for improvements in DuPage, that really benefits everyone.”

Under the program, organizations and individuals may apply for reimbursement of up to 25 percent of construction and maintenance costs for portions of projects that improve water quality. DuPage County has awarded more than 50 grants in the past to projects such as permeable paver parking lots, green roofs and native vegetation.

“The amount and scope of projects over the years never ceases to amaze me,” added Zay. “Not only are these projects improving water quality and reducing localized flooding, they’re also enhancing community aesthetics, boosting the economy and providing health benefits in some cases.”		 DuPage County Stormwater Management 44568 https://www.dupageco.org/wqipgrant/
The IDNR Division of Education was fortunate to be able to provide funding to teachers and youth group leaders from 2012 through 2014 through an Environmental Education Grant received from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The Illinois Student/Youth Wildlife Habitat Action Grant program provided educators (grades prekindergarten through 12) with funds for their students to develop and enhance wildlife habitat on the school grounds and other public places. Through a competitive application process, 54 projects were awarded grants of up to $1,000.00 each. A total of 9,773 students were involved in the program. The wildlife habitat areas were designed to support educational learning standards and classroom lessons by taking students to life for learning.  Illinois Schoolyard Habitat Action Grant Deadline passed 11/30/21 https://www2.illinois.gov/dnr/education/Pages/GrantsSHAG.aspx
Illinois has a great diversity of natural resources. Taking your students on a field trip to see some of them can be a wonderful experience and can help you to incorporate many Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) in your teaching. It provides an opportunity for students to study topics that they have discussed in the classroom. It makes abstract concepts more concrete. It provides students with a base of knowledge from which to expand. How can students understand the way the natural world works if they do not regularly visit, explore and observe it? The items listed below are suggestions and only relate to NGSS Life Science and Earth and Space Sciences Performance Expectations. They are also related to work to be accomplished in a single-day field trip. Please do not be limited by the suggestions. It is possible to incorporate other NGSS and Common Core Standards, as well. There are many other ways to use a field trip to enhance student learning, too. Illinois Biodiversity Field Trip Grant 44592 https://www2.illinois.gov/dnr/education/Pages/GrantsIBFTG.aspx
On September 17, 1983, the Illinois legislature passed the Illinois Non-Game Wildlife Protection Act and established the Non-Game Wildlife Conservation Fund. In 1986 this fund was renamed the Illinois Wildlife Preservation Fund. The General Assembly then amended the Non-Game Wildlife Protection Act in 1987 to include native plants, and amended the Act in 2005 to insure a portion of the yearly donations would assist in the maintenance of wildlife rehabilitation facilities that take care of threatened or endangered species. Illinois Wildlife Preservation Fund Grant Applications are not being accepted at this time https://www2.illinois.gov/dnr/grants/Pages/IllinoisWildlifepreservationFund.aspx