Wells Fargo and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) seek to promote sustainable communities through Environmental Solutions for Communities by supporting highly-visible projects that link economic development and community well-being to the stewardship and health of the environment. Approximately $2,500,000 is available nationwide for 2015 projects.

Collectively, investments under this initiative will promote a sustainable future for communities by:

• Supporting sustainable agricultural practices and private lands stewardship;
• Conserving critical land and water resources and improving local water quality;
• Restoring and managing natural habitat, species and ecosystems that are important to community livelihoods;
• Facilitating investments in green infrastructure, renewable energy and energy efficiency; and
• Encouraging broad-based citizen and targeted youth participation in project implementation.

• Support innovative, cost-effective programs that enhance stewardship on private agricultural lands to enhance water quality and quantity and/or improve wildlife habitat for species of concern, while maintaining or increasing agricultural productivity.
• Support community-based conservation projects that protect and restore local habitats and natural areas, enhance water quality, promote urban forestry, educate and train community leaders on sustainable practices, promote related job creation and training, and engage diverse partners and volunteers.
• Support visible and accessible demonstration projects that showcase innovative, cost-effective and environmentally-friendly approaches to improve environmental conditions within urban communities by ‘greening’ traditional infrastructure and public projects such as storm water management and flood control, public park enhancements, and renovations to public facilities.
• Support projects that increase the resiliency of the Nation’s coastal communities and ecosystems by restoring coastal habitats, living resources, and water quality to enhance livelihoods and quality of life in these communities.

• Provide measurable and meaningful conservation or environmental outcomes
• Align with one or more of the geographic or thematic priorities of NFWF
• Demonstrate strong public/private partnerships including with local, state and federal agencies, as appropriate
• Identify highly-visible project sites and activities to build community support for conservation activities and outcomes
• Plan and execute meaningful volunteer opportunities, as appropriate
• Implement, or be complementary to, an established conservation and/or watershed management plan and demonstrate that the agency or organization that developed the plan is a partner in – or at least is supportive of – the project
• Leverage other public and private funding to increase the overall project outcomes
• Be ready to begin implementation within six months of the grant award and complete the project within two years

• Eligible and Ineligible Entities
  • Eligible applicants include non-profit 501(c) organizations, state government agencies, local governments, municipal governments, Indian tribes, educational institutions
  • Ineligible applicants include U.S. Federal government agencies, businesses, unincorporated individuals and international organization
• Ineligible Uses of Grant Funds
  • NFWF funds and matching contributions may not be used to support political advocacy, fundraising, lobbying, litigation, terrorist activities or Foreign Corrupt Practices Act violations.
  • NFWF funds may not be used to support ongoing efforts to comply with legal requirements, including permit conditions, mitigation and settlement agreements. However, grant funds may be used to support projects that enhance or improve upon existing baseline compliance efforts.

Anticipated completion time for funded projects will typically be 18 months following finalization of a grant agreement. Projects may be a discrete part of a longer-term project, provided there are definable outcomes for the proposed phase of the overall effort. The project narrative should include a clear timetable or schedule for project completion.

Project start and end dates should define the period during which all proposed work is accomplished, all requested funds are spent and all matching funds are spent or applied. The start date may be back-dated up to 1 year prior to the proposal deadline to allow work directed to the project to be applied as matching contributions (back-dating does not reduce the prospective 18-month duration of a grant going forward).

The ratio of matching funds offered is one criterion considered during the review process, and projects that meet or exceed a 1:1 match ratio will be more competitive. Matching funds may include cash, in-kind contributions of staff and volunteer time, work performed, materials and services donated, or other tangible contributions to the project objectives and outcomes. The cost of recent land acquisition or easement may also qualify as match for a project involving work at the acquired site. In addition, if they would not be paid with requested grant funding, indirect costs may be applied as match by an applicant with a federally approved indirect rate (more information about using indirect costs as match can be found here).

To be eligible, matching contributions must be:

• Verifiable from the grantee’s records
• Not included as contributions for any other award
• Necessary and reasonable for accomplishment of project or program objectives
• Allowable costs based on the program and funding source guidelines
• Committed directly to the project and used within the period of performance

All proposals will be screened for relevance, accuracy, completeness and compliance with NFWF and funding source policies. Proposals will then be evaluated based on the extent to which they meet the following criteria.

Required Criteria:

Program Goals and Priorities – Project contributes to the Environmental Solutions for Communities Program goals and includes specific, quantifiable performance metrics to evaluate project success. Project addresses one or more of the program priorities outlined in the Request for Proposal.

Technical Merit – Project is technically sound and feasible, and the proposal sets forth a clear, logical and achievable work plan and timeline. Project engages appropriate technical experts throughout project planning, design and implementation to ensure activities are technically-sound and feasible.

Budget – Costs are allowable, reasonable and budgeted in accordance with NFWF’sDetailed Budget Instructions cost categories.

Long-term Sustainability – Project will be maintained to ensure benefits are achieved and sustained over time. This should include how future funding will be secured to implement necessary long-term monitoring and maintenance activities.

Other Criteria:

Transferability – Project has potential and plan to transfer lessons learned to other communities and/or to be integrated into government programs and policies.

Communication – Project includes a detailed plan to communicate information about the project to appropriate audiences.

Funding Need – Project establishes a clear need for the funds being requested, and demonstrates that activities would not move forward absent funding.

Monitoring – Project includes a plan for monitoring progress during and after the proposed project period to track project success and adaptively address new challenges and opportunities as they arise.

Past Success – Applicant has a proven track record of success in implementing conservation practices with specific, measurable results.

Other

• Full Proposal Due Date: December 10,2014, 11:59 pm, Eastern Time Zone
• Review Period: December-May, 2015
• Awards Announced: June 2015

How to Apply

All application materials must be submitted online through NFWF’s Easygrants system.

1.  Go to www.nfwf.org/easygrants to register in our Easygrants online system. New users to the system will be prompted to register before starting the application(if you already are a registered user, use your existing login).  Enter your applicant information.

2.  Once on your homepage, click the “Apply for Funding” button and select this RFP’s “Funding Opportunity” from the list of options.

3.  Follow the instructions in Easygrants to complete your application.  Once as application has been started, it may be saved and returned to at a later time for completion and submission.

A PDF version of this RFP can be downloaded at Environmental Solutions for Communities

A Tip Sheet is available for quick reference while you are working through your application. This document can be downloaded at Environmental Solutions for Communities.  Additional information to support the application process can be accessed on the NFWF website’s “Applicant Information” page (http://www.nfwf.org/whatwedo/grants/applicants/Pages/home.aspx).

For more information or questions about this RFP, please contact: