Wings2Water Grants
Wings2Water is a nonprofit organization dedicated to restoring and protecting one of the nation’s most vital natural resources—our water. By tackling nutrient pollution runoff, flood impacts, and water quality degradation, we aim to eliminate the Dead Zone in the Gulf of Mexico and restore the health of the Mississippi River watershed, which includes all or parts of 31 states, or 41% of the contiguous United States.
Wings2Water offers two types of grants that help fulfill the mission of our organization. One is for educational programs; the other is for projects that improve and/or restore water quality or help reduce nutrient pollution runoff.
Educational Grants
These grants are designed to support water quality or water restoration educational programs. Grants are awarded in the range of $100.00 to $500.00.
Project Grants
These grants can be used to fund a specific project or as leverage to attract additional funding from state, national, or private sources. Many past applicants have successfully secured larger funds using Wings2Water’s commitment as a match. Grant amounts range from $500 to $15,000.
Application Process, Eligibility, & More
Process and timeline for applications: A grants subcommittee reviews our grant application and processes every two years to ensure our process is fair and meets the objectives of our organization.
A grant application committee reviews and scores the received applications using established criteria. Proposals are scored on a scale of 1-5, with 1 being the lowest and not recommended for funding and 5 being the highest. The number of grants awarded is based on available funds.
Key dates:
Grant application opens: January 15, 2025
Deadline for submission: February 16, 2025, by 11:59 p.m.
Notification of awards: March 31, 2025
Fund disbursement: Based on the project implementation timeline
Eligibility: Wings2Water funding is available to those committed to improving water quality, reducing pollution runoff, or addressing flooding impacts. Eligible applicants include educational organizations, nonprofit groups, government agencies, and individuals such as farmers or community leaders implementing sustainable practices.
Please note that Wings2Water does not cover personnel or indirect costs.
Timeline and deadline for program or project: At Wings2Water, we understand that environmental and water-related projects can sometimes face unforeseen delays. If your project timeline changes, we kindly ask that you keep us informed. Wings2Water reserves the right to rescind the grant or request funds be returned only if the project faces significant, uncommunicated delays or major scope changes.
Reporting: Depending upon the project, Wings2Water will request progress reports on either a 6-month or yearly basis. Successful applicants will identify measurable goals and report on the progress of those goals. The Wings2Water Board may request an in-person meeting with the applicant to report on the project or a field trip to the project’s location to see its progress or completion.
Past projects: Examples of past projects can be viewed here.
Promotion and marketing: Wings2Water kindly requests that our organization be acknowledged in any promotional or marketing material for the completed project.
Questions: Please contact Julie Kraft, Wings2Water Director of Organizational Development, at j.kraft@wings2water.org.