NFWF’s Five Star and Urban Waters Restoration Grant Program cultivates community stewardship of local natural resources, safeguarding them for future generations and enriching habitats for indigenous wildlife. Grants are targeted towards tackling water quality concerns in key watersheds, including problems like erosion from unstable streambanks, pollution originating from stormwater runoff, and deterioration of shorelines due to developmental activities.

	Allows in-kind services to contribute toward nonfederal cost share requirements
	Supports nature-based solutions

Application cycle: January 30, 2025.

Summary: The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation’s (NFWF) Five Star and Urban Waters Restoration Program is a great fit for communities in need of smaller amounts of funding for projects that support community stewardship of local natural resources and enhancing enhance habitats for local wildlife. Funding is available to make linkages to municipal flood mitigation and stormwater programs in developed watersheds, improve urban water quality, restore riparian habitat and community forests, and increase public access to urban waterways.

Eligible activities: Education and community outreach activities that address water quality issues in priority watersheds, such as erosion due to unstable streambanks, pollution from stormwater runoff, and degraded shorelines caused by development. In order to address concerns of pollution from runoff and flood events through natural water filtration, Eufaula, Oklahoma (population 2,900), utilized this grant program to create four acres of new wetland habitat.

Funding: Awards range from $30,000 to $60,000, with an average size of $45,000. Approximately $2.5 million in total program funding is available, and NFWF awards 30–40 grants per year.

Cost share: Minimum 50% federal / 50% local. Larger cost-share ratios with funds from a diversity of partners are encouraged and will be more competitive during application review.

Application process: 

• Grants should span 12 to 18 months with a start date in late summer/early fall 2025.
• NFWF hosts application webinars during the winter to assist applicants.
• For instructions to apply, visit NFWF’s information page.