Environmental Resilience Program

The Triangle Community Foundation is offering funding through its Sustainable Communities: Environmental Resilience grant cycle to support organizations addressing climate change and environmental conservation in the Triangle region of North Carolina. Triangle Community Foundation focuses on strengthening economically and environmentally resilient communities, and this grant specifically supports organizations working at the intersection of environmental conservation and climate adaptation. The Foundation aims to fund work that protects natural areas, enhances green infrastructure, and builds community resilience in the face of climate-related threats such as flooding, drought, and rising temperatures.

The grant provides $40,000 in general operating support, distributed evenly over a two-year period. Approximately 10 grants will be awarded through this cycle. By aligning this grant’s timeline with other discretionary grantmaking programs at the Foundation, applicants will benefit from more predictable funding opportunities. The grant’s primary goals are to increase awareness and education around conservation and climate issues, and to enhance climate resiliency with particular emphasis on low-income communities.

Organizations applying for the grant should demonstrate work in one or more of the following areas: nature-based strategies that help communities adapt to climate change, educational programs that raise awareness about conservation and climate change, or local advocacy efforts that advance environmental and climate-related causes. The Foundation’s funding priorities emphasize nature-based solutions, defined as actions that work with and enhance nature to help communities adapt to change and disaster. These strategies could include conserving natural areas, creating new green spaces, or building community resilience to environmental stressors.

Eligible applicants include 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations that are based in and serve Chatham, Durham, Orange, and Wake counties in North Carolina. Religious congregations, governmental agencies, and organizations operating under the fiscal sponsorship of a tax-exempt nonprofit are also eligible to apply. Applicants must adhere to the Foundation’s non-discrimination policy, and each organization may only submit one application per cycle.

Applications open on February 12, 2025, and are due by March 14, 2025. The Foundation expects to announce grant decisions by June 16, 2025, with funding beginning on July 1, 2025. All applications will be reviewed by Foundation staff and a volunteer advisory committee, with evaluation criteria including organizational alignment with program goals, commitment to equity and community engagement, projected impact of the funding, financial health, and overall recommendation.

An information session recording for the Spring 2025 cycle is available to prospective applicants. For questions, applicants can contact Sarah Guidi, Director of Community Engagement, at sarahg@trianglecf.org or by calling 919-474-8370 ext. 4014. The Foundation encourages applicants to reach out with questions before the application deadline.