Grants for Indiana HOAs, businesses, schools, or nonprofits
City of South Bend Ignite Grant: offers HOAs or other neighborhood groups (more than 5 properties) up to $10,000 for neighborhood beautification efforts. https://southbendin.gov/ignite-grant/
City of South Bend Vibrant Places Grant: offers, to owners or tenants of South Bend business properties with frontage on a SB street, funds for beautification projects including green roofs and landscaping. https://southbendin.gov/vibrantplaces/vibrant-places-eligibility-eligible-projects/
South Bend-Elkhart Audubon Society Woolman-Groet-Miller Endowment Fund: grants money to non-profits, schools, and governments for conservation projects. https://www.sbeaudubon.org/grant-opportunities
Indiana Native Plant Society (INPS) Biodiversity Grant: awards grants in three areas: research, demonstration garden, & land management and conservation. https://indiananativeplants.org/inps-biodiversity-grants/
Grants & advice for Indiana homeowners
South Bend Venues Parks and Art’s Community Canopy Tree Program: apply for a free tree to be planted between your curb and sidewalk. We hope you’ll request that they plant a tree native to our area. sbvpa.org/get-involved/tree-giveaway/
Indiana DNR (Department of Natural Resources) Landowner & Wildlife Habitat Assistance Grant: reimburses some expenses to create wildlife habitat for 5 or more acres. https://www.in.gov/dnr/fish-and-wildlife/landowner-wildlife-habitat-assistance
Indiana DNR Urban Wildlife Habitat Cost Share Program: reimburses a portion of expenses incurred for developing urban wildlife habitat as specified in a management plan. https://tinyurl.com/4wdu3pva
Indiana Department of Fish & Wildlife: Jessica Merkling, Wildlife Biologist, will give technical assistance to homeowners plus set reimbursements. Contact Jessica at 260-244-6805 or [email protected]
St. Joseph County Soil & Water Conservation District’s free technical assistance: provides site preparation, seeding specs suitable for the site, and other expert advice & services to landowners & farmers. Contact Sarah Longenecker at [email protected].
St. Joseph/Marshall Invasive Plant Partnership (SMIPP) Cooperative Invasive Species Management Area (CISMA): provides technical assistance on invasive plants to homeowners, HOAs, and businesses. To request a landowner survey visit: https://www.sicim.info/cisma-project/#iiicontacts. SMIPP’s Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/SMIPP.CISMA
Grants for Michigan individuals, schools, or nonprofits
Wildflower Association of Michigan Grants: gives grants to nonprofits, including schools, for plants, seeds, and associated items such as mulch and signage. Application deadline December first of each year. https://wildflowersmich.org/wam-grants/
Michigan Forestry Grant: funds projects that address urban forestry needs of governments, schools, and nonprofit organizations and volunteers throughout Michigan. Eligibility is for local units of government, schools, tribes, and nonprofits. Next cycle will be available in 2024 for 2025. https://www.michigan.gov/dnr/buy-and-apply/grants/forestry
Michigan Botanical Societies Michigan Botanical Foundation: applications from nonprofits and academics only, and must be shown to have educational value with respect to Michigan’s flora. https://michiganbotanicalsociety.org/mbf-grant-guidelines
Grants for schools, students, farmers, landowners, nonprofits, and others
Foundation Directory Online: this online database of grantmaking organizations can be searched by area of interest to find grants for nonprofits. Free to use at the St. Joseph County Public Library’s Main branch.
Wild Ones’ Lorrie Otto Seeds for Education Grants: gives money for acquiring native plants and seeds for outdoor learning areas that engage youth (preschool through high school)for planting and caring for native plant gardens. (https://wildones.org/seeds-for-education/sfe-application/
Indiana Native Plant Society Letha’s Fund: has money for teachers or youth leaders for field trips for youth that give them a meaningful outdoor experience. Rolling applications. indiananativeplantsociety.org/education/letha’s-fund/guidelines /
Indiana Native Plant Society’s North Chapter Keith Board Student Scholarships: awards two student scholarships each year to qualified applicants for a one-year membership in INPS and registration to attend INPS’s Annual Conference. Also pays a stipend for travel and lodging. [email protected]
Programs for private landowners (farmers, ranchers, forest holders) available through the USDA’s Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS): See several possibilities below.
USDA NRCS Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP): helps farmers, ranchers and forest landowners integrate conservation into working lands by providing technical & financial assistance. https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs-initiatives/eqip-environmental-quality-incentives
USDA NRCS Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP): helps farmers and ranchers build on their existing conservation efforts through technical and financial assistance. https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs-initiatives/csp-conservation-stewardship-program
USDA NRCS Conservation Reserve Program (CRP): provides a yearly rental payment to farmers who remove environmentally sensitive land from agricultural production and plant species that will improve environmental health and quality. https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs-initiatives/crp-conservation-reserve-program
USDA NRCS Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP): a partner-driven approach to conservation that funds solutions to natural resource challenges on agricultural land. https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs-initiatives/rcpp-regional-conservation-partnership-program
USDA NRCS Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG): supports and funds the development of new tools, approaches, practices, and technologies to further natural resource conservation on private land. https://cig.sc.egov.usda.gov/
USDA NRSC Healthy Forests Reserve Program (HFRP): helps landowners and tribes restore, enhance and protect forestland resources on private and tribal lands through easements and financial assistance. https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs-initiatives/hfrp-healthy-forests-reserve-program