The Pigeon River Fund (PRF) exists to improve the streams and rivers of Haywood, Buncombe and Madison counties.
Donor Name: The Community Foundation of Western North Carolina
State: North Carolina
County: Buncombe County (NC), Haywood County (NC), Madison County (NC)
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 09/15/2024
Size of the Grant: $10,000 to $100,000
Grant Duration: 1 Year
Details:
It supports projects and activities that provide direct benefits in at least one of the following focus areas:

Improved surface water quality
Enhanced fish and wildlife management and habitats
Expanded public access
Increased citizens’ awareness about their roles in protecting these resources

Grant requests may address any of the four focus areas listed above. Listed below are additional expectations for grant applications.

Grants are typically for one year and generally range from $5,000 to $35,000. Some grant requests may exceed $35,000 with prior approval of CFWNC staff. Conservation easement requests for transaction or acquisition costs should not exceed $30,000.
PRF grants should leverage other funds or in-kind resources toward total project costs. PRF awards may be contingent on receipt of additional funds. In such cases, other necessary funds must be secured within 18 months of a PRF grant award.
If the project is or will be ongoing, PRF funds should be allocated for a specific time period. Operating support is only considered for select organizations chosen by the PRF Advisory Committee. Operating support requests may not exceed $50,000.
Grant funds may be used to support administrative costs, including a share of staff costs, when essential to the project.

Higher priority projects:

Support efforts to address water quality issues in streams or watersheds identified as priorities in county (or other authority) watershed action plans. A copy of the watershed plan should be uploaded with the application.
Promote collaborative or coordinated projects that address comprehensive issues and that will have a long-term benefit.
Encourage education and awareness of water quality issues, preferably focused on helping individuals understand how their actions relate to the overall health of the river basin.
Install water quality Best Management Practices (BMPs) or other stream improvements that are part of a coordinated multi-faceted effort and that will result in significant water quality improvement.

Lower priority projects:

Scattered projects (including demonstration BMPs or other projects) not related to a coordinated effort to improve priority streams/watershed in the relevant community.
Government agency operating support, especially staffing.
Projects related to regulation enforcement that is the responsibility of government.

Eligibility Criteria
Tax-exempt organizations described in Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code and governmental entities serving Buncombe, Haywood or Madison counties are eligible to apply.
For more information, visit CFWNC.