The Climate Smart Communities Initiative (CSCI) is offering grants to support climate adaptation professionals in advancing climate resilience projects in communities facing climate-related challenges. These grants are designed to help communities develop and implement climate resilience plans in collaboration with climate professionals, community-based organizations (CBOs), and government entities. The initiative focuses on communities at the forefront of the climate crisis across the United States, including all 50 states, the District of Columbia, U.S. territories, and Tribal nations. The application period is currently open and will close on March 21, 2025, with awards announced in the summer of 2025.

The funding can support a broad range of activities, including climate vulnerability and risk analyses, planning processes, community engagement, project prioritization, and project implementation. Each grant will cover a 12-month period, providing approximately $100,000 per award. Final funding amounts will be determined based on the project’s scope during the grant approval process. While funds are awarded to the adaptation professional, they may be distributed to project partners, such as government entities and CBOs. In addition to financial support, grantees will gain access to training opportunities, technical experts, and peer support networks.

Eligibility for the grant requires the formation of an "Applicant Team," consisting of a climate adaptation professional, at least one CBO, and at least one government partner. The adaptation professional must be an organization or sole practitioner listed in the Registry of Adaptation Practitioners before the project begins. CBOs may include nonprofit organizations, universities, informal community leaders, or other institutions that can ensure community perspectives are represented. Government partners can be local, regional, or Tribal governments, special planning commissions, or other entities authorized to implement climate resilience projects. If a project is local in scope, it must serve a community with a population of under 300,000 residents. Regional projects may serve areas with up to 500,000 residents.

The selection process for these grants is competitive. Applications will be evaluated based on eight criteria: community vulnerability to climate change-related hazards, the presence of historically disinvested populations, alignment of proposed actions with identified vulnerabilities, strength of partnerships, community readiness, capacity-building potential, incorporation of diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice principles, and the use of nature-based solutions. The initiative seeks to fund projects that not only advance climate resilience but also address socioeconomic disparities and promote sustainable long-term impacts.

The application process includes multiple steps. All applicants must first complete a community sign-up form. The full application must be submitted by March 21, 2025, at 8:00 PM Eastern Time. Prior to submission, adaptation professionals must ensure they are listed in the Registry of Adaptation Practitioners. Selected finalists will be notified in May or June 2025, with project activities beginning in August or September 2025. Key deliverables for grantees include participation in an orientation session, surveys, periodic check-ins, and completion of a project case study.

For more information or to ask specific questions about the application process, applicants can contact CSCI at info@climateresiliencefund.org with the subject line “CSCI Grant Application.” Updates about the grant opportunity and related initiatives are also available through CSCI’s online platforms.