Conservation Education & Technical Assistance Grant

The Putnam County Soil & Water Conservation District Conservation Education & Technical Assistance Grant is part of the District's Community Conservation Grant Program and supports conservation-related public education, community programming, technical assistance, research, and other conservation needs in Putnam County that do not fit the agricultural, lake and watershed, or municipal partnership grant tracks. The Conservation Education & Technical Assistance Grant has a total grant pool of $40,000, divided into $30,000 for General Competitive Grants and $10,000 for an Income-Qualified Septic Technical Assistance Pilot. The broader Putnam County conservation funding announcement identifies this as one of four local conservation grant opportunities administered by the District. Eligible applicants include schools, libraries, nonprofit organizations, conservation groups, educational institutions, community organizations, and other entities able to demonstrate a public conservation benefit in Putnam County. Eligible activities can include environmental and outdoor education, youth conservation programs, school or community pollinator gardens, native-plant and habitat restoration, workshops, field days, demonstrations, symposiums, conferences and public forums, community science and monitoring, soil-health and water-quality education, watershed education, technical studies and assessments, conservation planning, professional or technical assistance, educational materials, exhibits, interpretive signage, volunteer training, and approved program equipment. Projects must serve or directly benefit Putnam County. Grant funding generally may not support general organizational operating expenses, fundraising, political, lobbying or partisan activity, religious instruction, entertainment without a conservation purpose, projects primarily benefiting a private individual or commercial business, or projects already completed. Costs incurred before written authorization are also ineligible. No financial or in-kind match is required. Applicants may disclose optional contributions or other resources for informational purposes, but those contributions do not receive separate scoring credit. Grant funds may be used only for costs approved in writing by the District, and applicants may not begin grant-funded work or incur reimbursable costs before receiving written authorization. Every applicant must complete at least a telephone or virtual consultation with District staff before the application is presented to the Board. A site visit generally is required for physical improvements or site-specific work unless District staff determines that one is unnecessary. The application requests applicant and organization information, project title and location, total project cost, amount requested, anticipated start and completion dates, a description of project need and proposed work, expected measurable results, beneficiaries, a project schedule, an itemized budget, project-readiness information, property-access and permitting information, and an explanation of maintenance or continuing benefit. Applicants are responsible for required property permissions, permits, procurement approvals, and governmental approvals. Required or applicable supporting materials include a detailed program description, agenda, curriculum, or technical scope; itemized estimates or vendor quotes; a project schedule and anticipated attendance or audience; site maps or photographs for site-based projects; speaker, consultant, contractor, or partner information when known; landowner authorization and known permits for physical work; and evidence of organizational authorization to apply if requested. Not every attachment applies to every project, and District staff may request additional information needed to evaluate feasibility, cost, authorization, or eligibility. The authorized representative must certify the accuracy and completeness of the application, authority to undertake the project, compliance with approvals and spending restrictions, maintenance of appropriate project and financial records, and cooperation with reasonable District consultation, inspection, and documentation. The completed application and attachments must be submitted using the submission method published by the District, and separate packets are required for each grant track. Following administrative and technical review, the District evaluates applicant and project eligibility, Putnam County benefit, fit with the grant track, cost eligibility and budget support, property authorization, permits and approvals, technical feasibility, and responsibility for continuing benefits. Board reviewers score the clarity of the conservation, education, or technical need; meaningful public benefit; quality of program or service design; applicant readiness; reasonableness of requested costs; and measurable or continuing benefits. Public benefit receives double weight. A new-applicant preference provides five points to applicants never previously funded and zero points to previously funded applicants, for a total possible score of 40. Reviewers may recommend full funding, partial funding, request additional information, or decline to recommend funding. All awards remain subject to available funding, District Board approval at a public meeting, and a written agreement. Applications opened September 1, 2026. Complete applications received September 1 through September 30, 2026 are evaluated together in the initial round. If funds remain after that round, complete applications are reviewed on a rolling basis from October 1 through December 1, 2026 and awarded until funds are fully committed. The final deadline is Tuesday, December 1, 2026, with electronic submissions due by 11:59 p.m. ET and hand delivery due by 4:30 p.m. ET. The rolling period may close before December 1 if all available funds are committed. No award-notification date or defined project performance period is stated in the supplied materials, and no recurring future grant cycle is specified.

Clearly explain the conservation educational or technical need and emphasize meaningful public benefit because public benefit receives double weight. Present a well-designed program or service with measurable or continuing benefits. Demonstrate readiness to complete the project successfully and support requested costs with reasonable estimates or quotes. Complete the required District consultation and address property authorization permits approvals feasibility and continuation responsibilities before Board evaluation.