Show Me The Money: Putting Together Competitive Grant Proposals for NFWF Programs and Beyond

Show Me The Money: Putting Together Competitive Grant Proposals for NFWF Programs and BeyondAbstractOver the past few years, historic federal investments in infrastructure and climate resilience have positioned stormwater and wastewater practitioners across the country to plan, design, and implement impactful and innovative systems that enhance the health of our communities and ecosystems. However, even with all this funding, there remains the big question every community is asking — how do we actually get our hands on some of that money? This session aims to answer that question. Presenter (s) from Throwe Environmental will leverage their experience as Field Liaisons for multiple National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) grant programs to share key tips, best practices, and lessons learned to help stormwater and wastewater practitioners and the communities they serve work together to become as competitive as possible when applying for grant funding. With the 2024 Collection Systems and Stormwater Conference being held in Hartford, CT, this session will draw on case study examples from NFWF's Northeast Grant Programs, which Throwe Environmental directly supports as Field Liaisons. Programs expected to be covered include the Long Island Sound Futures Fund (LISFF) and the Northeast Forest and Rivers Fund (NEFRF) - two NFWF programs that prioritize water quality. While these regional examples will leverage the conference's geographic connection to New England, key themes and learning objectives from this session will be widely applicable to attendees from across the country and to various other NFWF funding programs. Attendees will leave this session better prepared to submit more competitive grant funding applications, particularly when collaborating with partners across jurisdictions and sectors. LISFF is an annual program aimed at protecting the health and living resources of Long Island Sound by improving water quality across the watershed, which ranges from New Hampshire and Vermont to the North Shore of Long Island, New York. LISFF proposals commonly focus on (but are not limited to) nonpoint source pollution mitigation, green infrastructure, riparian buffers, wastewater systems and retrofits that enhance nitrogen treatment, watershed planning, stream channel reconnection, replacing or right-sizing culverts, and accelerating adoption of agricultural conservation practices that reduce nutrient runoff. LISFF funds planning, design, and implementation projects. As of this writing, LISFF is expected to award approximately 10 million across the program boundary in 2023. The NEFRF is an annual program aimed at protecting forests, rivers, and grasslands in the Northeast. Program priorities include restoring stream and riparian habitats; improving upland forest health; and increasing grassland bird habitat. The geographic boundary for NEFRF includes all of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut, as well as parts of New York. As of this writing, NEFRF is expected to award approximately 2 million across the program boundary in 2023. This paper was presented at the WEF Collection Systems and Stormwater Conference, April 9-12, 2024. SpeakerGray, KylePresentation time13: 30: 0016: 45: 00Session time13: 30: 0016: 45: 00SessionGreen Infrastructure and Nature Based Solutions Part 2Session number20Session locationConnecticut Convention Center, Hartford, ConnecticutTopicCollaboration, Combined Sewer System, Coordination with Riverfront Redevelopment Efforts, Funding, Green Infrastructure, Low Impact Development, Natural Treatment Systems, Nutrient Removal, Public Education/Information/Communication, Stakeholder Engagement, Stormwater Best Management Practice, Stormwater Case Study/Application, Suspended Pavement, Water Quality, Water Resources, Wet WeatherTopicCollaboration, Combined Sewer System, Coordination with Riverfront Redevelopment Efforts, Funding, Green Infrastructure, Low Impact Development, Natural Treatment Systems, Nutrient Removal, Public Education/Information/Communication, Stakeholder Engagement, Stormwater Best Management Practice, Stormwater Case Study/Application, Suspended Pavement, Water Quality, Water Resources, Wet WeatherAuthor (s) Gray, KyleAuthor (s) K. Gray1Author affiliation (s) Throwe Environmental 1SourceProceedings of the Water Environment FederationDocument typeConference PaperPublisherWater Environment FederationPrint publication date Apr 2024DOI10. 2175/193864718825159359Volume / Issue Content sourceCollection Systems and Stormwater ConferenceCopyright2024Word count15