The Healthy Environment, Healthy Communities Grant Program will support community outreach and engagement, environmental action, and restoration projects in the communities of the Jones Falls Watershed.
Donor Name: Chesapeake Bay Trust
State: Maryland
County: Baltimore County (MD)
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 12/05/2024
Size of the Grant: $10,000 to $100,000
Grant Duration: 2 Years
Details:
The funding source of this program originates from a federal consent decree resolving an industrial facility’s alleged unauthorized discharges of pollutants, including acetic acid, in the Jones Falls watershed.
This program can support environmental outreach, education, and engagement projects; environmental action projects; and larger-scale restoration projects in the communities of the Jones Falls watershed.
The objectives of this funding opportunity are to:

Improve water quality and/or ecological function in the Jones Falls watershed;
Reduce health burdens/nuisances from the alleged industrial polluter;
Improve public education/transparency about water quality, ecological function, pollution reporting, and the regulatory mechanisms that exist to eliminate pollution; and
Provide mitigation or remediation benefits for harms to water quality and the aquatic environment.

Generally, requests will fall into one of the following project types:

Outreach, education, and engagement on environmental topics and natural resources in the community
Environmental action projects that improve the environment/natural resources in the community
Watershed/environmental restoration.

Funding Information

This grant program anticipates at least $778,500 in available funds for projects located in the Jones Falls watershed.
Applicants are not restricted in how much they can ask for, but they should be aware of the funding availability. Funding requests accepted through this program will generally be between $5,000 to $100,000, depending on the project type and scale of the project. Applicants may request funds for any budget item necessary to accomplish the stated project intent, such as workshop supplies, printing costs for outreach materials, transportation fees to allow community members access to outdoor experiences or workshop sites, design of small-scale greening practices, plant material, rental of equipment, and more. Applicants are encouraged to consider locally based businesses when contracting for services.

Project Period
Environmental Outreach, Education, and Engagement and Environmental Improvement Action projects will typically be completed within 18 months upon receipt of the award. Watershed/Environmental Restoration projects can take up to three years.
Geographical Areas
The Jones Falls watershed, located within Baltimore County and Baltimore City.
Eligibility Criteria 
The Chesapeake Bay Trust (Trust) and the program partner, Blue Water Baltimore, welcome requests from the following applicants:

Nonprofit Organizations
Community, Homeowners, and/or Neighborhood Associations
Faith-based Organizations
Service, Youth, and Civic Groups
State and Local Government Agencies
Public and Independent Higher Educational Institutions.

For more information, visit Chesapeake Bay Trust.