Five Star and Urban Waters Restoration Grant Program (NFWF)

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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.

 Supports nature-based solutions  Encourages public-private partnerships

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 applicants: State government agencies, local or municipal governments, Tribal governments and organizations, non-profit 501(c) organizations, and educational institutions

  • Filter — Public Private Partnerships: Projects must involve five or more partners (public and private entities), including the applicant.


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.

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Disaster declaration
A Presidential Disaster Declaration unlocks a suite of federal programs that assist local governments with disaster recovery. This is a good filter for communities included in recent Disaster Declarations related to flooding.
Nature-based solutions
The program has a strong focus on providing assistance to promote a healthy ecosystem as a critical defense against flooding impacts. Eligible activities may include floodplain restoration, environmental stewardship, projects that use natural features to mitigate erosion, and living shorelines.
Encourages public-private partnerships
The program encourages or requires collaboration between government entities and stakeholders, including the private sector, to fund, develop, or implement projects.
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The program accepts applications on an ongoing basis with no fixed deadline.

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The gathering of data and information regarding the extent and impacts of flooding. Eligible activities may include data acquisition, risk assessment, and environmental analysis.
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Covers pre-construction activities, such as defining project scope, developing technical designs, and securing funding to prepare for implementation.
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Involves carrying out flood resilience projects, including building infrastructure and deploying solutions to reduce flood risks.

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A monetary award that does not need to be repaid. Many federal grants are reimbursable, meaning recipients must cover project costs upfront and then request reimbursement from the government.
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A government-issued loan that must be repaid. These loans typically provide funding upfront, helping communities cover project costs before repayment begins.
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Programs that offer reduced requirements for smaller projects, such as waived cost-sharing or exemptions from benefit-cost analysis.
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Programs that support projects that take a watershed management approach or address flooding at a regional scale, requiring coordination beyond a single town or community.
Tribal communities
Programs that dedicate resources or adjust cost share requirements specifically for tribal governments or organizations.
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