Connecticut Environment Grants

This program provides small grants to organizations in Connecticut, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire that focus on improving community wellness, education, clean energy, diversity, equity, inclusion, and economic development.

This grant provides financial support to community-based nature and land conservation organizations in New England and upper New York State to advance impactful conservation projects that benefit the environment and local communities.

This funding opportunity provides financial support to municipalities and eligible entities in Connecticut for assessing and preparing contaminated properties for redevelopment, aiming to stimulate economic growth and job creation in underutilized areas.

This funding opportunity provides financial support to Connecticut municipalities and public entities for developing comprehensive revitalization plans for neighborhoods impacted by multiple contaminated properties, promoting coordinated community engagement and economic growth.

This program provides low-interest loans to eligible buyers and owners of contaminated properties in Connecticut to help finance their cleanup and redevelopment efforts, promoting economic growth and reducing blight.

This program provides funding to municipalities and organizations for projects that enhance community development, transportation, housing, and social services in economically distressed areas of Connecticut.

This program provides financial assistance to municipalities and economic development agencies in Connecticut for the cleanup and redevelopment of contaminated properties to promote economic growth and job creation.

This grant provides financial support to nonprofit organizations that improve the health and well-being of residents in Southington through various community health initiatives and services.

This grant provides funding to nonprofit organizations in specific eastern U.S. states for projects that focus on human needs, environmental stewardship, education, and community vitality.

This funding program provides financial support to states, territories, and Tribes for monitoring beach water quality and ensuring public safety from harmful pathogens during recreational activities.

This grant provides funding to 501(c)(3) organizations in the Northeast and East Coast regions of the U.S. for projects focused on environmental sustainability, education, and cultural initiatives that enhance community well-being, particularly those related to bird habitats and open space preservation.

This initiative provides funding to Connecticut-based nonprofits, community organizations, and municipalities to promote energy efficiency programs through grassroots outreach and education efforts.

This funding opportunity provides financial support to small community organizations and Tribal entities in New England to tackle environmental and public health issues in disadvantaged communities.

This grant provides funding to nonprofit organizations that support farmers, foresters, and commercial fishers in the Northeast U.S. to enhance agricultural and related industries through innovative projects and leadership development.

This program provides funding to Connecticut local governments and non-profits to improve urban forests, focusing on preserving trees and expanding tree canopy in underserved communities.

The Public Art Learning Fund, administered by the New England Foundation for the Arts (NEFA), is designed to fortify the public art landscape across New England by offering professional development opportunities directly to artists. NEFA's overarching mission, as reflected in this grant, is to cultivate more equitable, inclusive, and vibrant public spaces and public life throughout the region. This initiative aligns with NEFA's strategic goal of fostering a sustainable and equitable public art ecosystem by investing in the skills, resources, and connections of artists working in the public realm. The primary beneficiaries of this fund are artists residing full-time in one of the six New England states (Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont) who are actively engaged in public artmaking or are in the process of expanding their practice into this domain. The fund aims to empower these artists, contributing to more just and inclusive public art. Expected outcomes include artists developing enhanced skills and resources, leading to the creation of more vibrant public spaces and a stronger regional community of practice. The Public Art Learning Fund prioritizes opportunities that specifically expand an artist's public art practice and contribute equitably to more just and inclusive public artmaking. NEFA seeks clarity on desired learnings and their application to the artist's practice. The fund welcomes artists at various stages of their public artmaking careers from urban, suburban, and rural communities, recognizing that diverse cultural and artistic expressions are crucial for equitable and vibrant public spaces. A key focus of this grant is equity. NEFA acknowledges that various barriers, including race, gender, disability, sexual orientation, class, age, and geography, can limit access to professional development. Therefore, the Public Art Learning Fund actively prioritizes equity in its funding decisions. This may include, but is not limited to, prioritizing artists who self-identify as Black Indigenous People of Color (BIPOC) and/or those who are rooted in rural communities, aligning with NEFA's theory of change that targeted support can address systemic inequities and build a more inclusive artistic landscape. Grants range from $500 to $3,000 and support opportunities taking place between January 1, 2025, and December 31, 2025. Eligible applicants must also have a Creative Ground profile, and the proposed professional development must directly relate to strengthening their public art practice and occur within the grant period. These measurable results, such as the number of artists served and the nature of their professional development, contribute to NEFA's broader strategic aim of fostering a more equitable and sustainable public art ecosystem in New England.

This grant provides funding to local governments and nonprofit organizations for projects that restore and enhance urban forested areas and riparian corridors, focusing on improving ecosystem health and resilience.

The Federal Clean Vessel Act (CVA) Grant Program provides annual matching federal grants to support the purchase, installation, repair/upgrade, operation, and maintenance of recreational vessel marine sanitation facilities (pumpout facilities) and pumpout vessels in Connecticut. The program aims to improve water quality by increasing the availability of proper waste handling facilities for boaters, thereby reducing the discharge of poorly treated or untreated sanitary wastes into Long Island Sound and its harbors. Eligible applicants include public and private marinas, yacht clubs, boatyards, municipal and state-owned facilities, and pumpout vessel programs. Grants cover up to 75% of project costs, requiring a 25% match from grantees. Approximately $1 million is available annually. Grant renewed every year.

The Annual FirstClass Grant Program for Teachers is a grant opportunity for K-5 public school teachers in the towns of Stamford, Greenwich, Darien, Fairfield, New Canaan, Norwalk, Westport, and Bridgeport. The program aims to support creative educational programs that have a broad impact on an entire class or grade. Eligible programs include nature-based, astronomy, financial literacy, conservation, and environmentally focused initiatives. Requests for books, magazine subscriptions, school trips, and electronics are not eligible. The maximum grant amount is $1,000. Applications are accepted from September 1st to October 31st each year and require authorization from the school principal. For more information and to access the application form, please contact 203.462.4858 or email foundation@firstcountybank.com.

This funding opportunity provides financial support to Connecticut municipalities and regional entities to develop waste management projects that reduce solid waste and promote environmental sustainability.