Columbia River Restoration Fund Requests for Proposals
Eligibility
To be eligible for a 2024 grant, applicants must:
- Be a 501(c)(3) organization or be fiscally sponsored by a 501(c)(3) organization
The project for which you are seeking support must:
- Be located and/or serve the people in the territories of the Columbia River Basin currently known as Oregon and Washington;
- Focus on restoring, protecting and improving water quality in the Basin and the communities’ health and prosperity that call the region home.
We encourage proposals from small, grassroots, and volunteer-based groups, and we welcome first-time grant seekers.
If your group or organization lacks charitable status and doesn’t have a fiscal sponsor, but has a compelling project, please contact us to discuss options.
If you are new to grant writing, we’d be happy to help you navigate the grant application process. You can make an appointment with Seeding Justice staff.
The following are ineligible for funding:
- Individuals
- For-profit businesses
- Projects that do not primarily benefit the Columbia River Watershed
- Electoral or political work, including lobbying
- Large-scale restoration or clean-up projects
Fund Budget Details
In 2024, the Fund will have $2.5 million available for grantmaking. Of these funds:
- $2 million will be directed to the work Tribes have been or will be doing in the Basin
- $500,000 will be allocated through an open request for proposals
Organizations can apply for up to $200,000 in support lasting up to 24 months
How to Apply + Deadlines
Requests for proposals can be submitted via Submittable, our online platform. If applying online presents a barrier, please let us know and we can work together on finding a solution.
Before you start filling out the application, please read through this page and the Frequently Asked Questions, below.
If you are working on your application directly in the online platform, your answers will autosave. If you’d like to work on a draft outside of the platform, you can download a Word document.
Applications close: July 12, 2024 at 5 p.m. PDT
Review and scoring of proposals: July 13 to Aug. 30
Decisions finalized: Fall 2024
Frequently Asked Questions
All grants will likely fall in the “Project Grant” category, but if an organization’s sole mission is to restore and protect the Columbia River Basin and its communities, we may consider awarding an unrestricted, operating support grant.
Your organization can only apply for one grant at a time, unless it is the backbone organization for a collaborative or coalition.
In that case, you can submit one application for the organization’s work, and one application for the collaborative/coalition.
Tribes can set indirect rates at their discretion
5% to government agencies
10% for Universities and Colleges
15% organizations with budgets over $10 million
20% organizations with budgets under $10 million
Yes, but only if the work aims to protect or improve groundwater quality in regions or aquifers with a clear nexus with the Columbia River.
We will consider funding capital projects on a case-by-case basis.
A fiscal sponsor is a 501(c)(3) organization that agrees to serve as the holder of funds for a smaller, non(c)(3) organization or project. Fiscal sponsors agree to receive a grant and manage the reporting and other legal requirements for the fiscally sponsored project in exchange for a small percentage of the grant(s) received.
There are organizations whose sole purpose is to serve as fiscal sponsors for others (Social Good Fund is one), but generally, projects can find fiscal sponsors in their own communities by connecting with 501(c)(3) organizations that have similar missions and that are willing to take on the responsibility of serving as an agent.
Yes, but we will do our very best to ensure the process does not add too much to your workload.
We are trying to keep the application process as simple as possible, so we are not accepting letters of support or other additional materials with applications.
No, but we are interested in learning what other funders/funding sources are involved in supporting your work. So, feel free to include this information in your budget.
