Great Lakes Protection Fund Grant

From Great Lakes Protection Fund

The Great Lakes Protection Fund aims to protect and restore the ecological health of the Great Lakes by advancing the next generation of actions. It adapts its investments to evolving Great Lakes issues, exploring new themes, making strategic investments, and exiting areas when objectives achieve sustainable momentum.

Type of Support

Overview

The grant program supports innovative projects that aim to ensure sustainable use of water resources, control pollution from diffuse sources, stop the introduction and spread of non-native aquatic invasive species, and pursue unexpected environmental challenges. It seeks projects with meaningful ecological outcomes, involving collaborative teams that take concrete actions to address Great Lakes problems through solution-focused and action-oriented approaches. Projects must demonstrate potential for significant ecological improvements, employ a strategy for systemic change to create basin-wide impact, and be grounded in scientific rigor. The Fund prioritizes projects that prototype new approaches, test novel techniques in unexplored areas, or change the economics of an industry to solve regional problems.

Eligibility

Organization's Location
USA
Program Location
Canada, MI, IL (Lake County), IN (Adams County, Allen County, DeKalb County, Elkhart County, Kosciusko County, LaGrange County, LaPorte County, Noble County, Porter County, St. Joseph County, Steuben County, Wells County, Whitley County), MN (Aitkin County, Carlton County, Cook County, Itasca County, Lake County, Pine County, St. Louis County), NY (Allegany County, Cattaraugus County, Cayuga County, Chautauqua County, Chemung County, Clinton County, Cortland County, Erie County, Essex County, Franklin County, Genesee County, Hamilton County, Herkimer County, Jefferson County, Lewis County, Livingston County, Madison County, Monroe County, Niagara County, Oneida County, Onondaga County, Ontario County, Orleans County, Oswego County, Schuyler County, Seneca County, St. Lawrence County, Steuben County, Tompkins County, Wayne County, Wyoming County, Yates County), OH (Allen County, Ashland County, Auglaize County, Crawford County, Cuyahoga County, Defiance County, Erie County, Fulton County, Geauga County, Hancock County, Hardin County, Henry County, Huron County, Lake County, Lorain County, Lucas County, Marion County, Medina County, Mercer County, Ottawa County, Paulding County, Portage County, Putnam County, Richland County, Sandusky County, Seneca County, Shelby County, Stark County, Summit County, Trumbull County, Van Wert County, Williams County, Wood County, Wyandot County), PA (Crawford County, Erie County, Potter County), WI (Adams County, Ashland County, Bayfield County, Brown County, Calumet County, Columbia County, Dodge County, Door County, Douglas County, Florence County, Fond du Lac County, Forest County, Green Lake County, Iron County, Kenosha County, Kewaunee County, Langlade County, Manitowoc County, Marathon County, Marinette County, Marquette County, Menominee County, Milwaukee County, Oconto County, Oneida County, Outagamie County, Ozaukee County, Portage County, Racine County, Shawano County, Sheboygan County, Vilas County, Washington County, Waukesha County, Waupaca County, Waushara County, Winnebago County).
Organization Type
Non-profit organizations
Universities
Governmental agencies
Individuals
For-profit businesses
Other
  • Based in the United States or internationally
  • The proposed project must benefit the Great Lakes basin ecosystem
  • Government agencies must demonstrate that the Fund's support does not replace or duplicate public funds
  • The Fund uses various funding instruments including cash grants, convertible grants, debt, equity, or a combination thereof

Ineligibility

General operating support
Advocacy
Lobbying
Litigation
Compliance obligations
Land acquisition
Public works projects
not specified

Submission

Review Criteria

The board of the Fund has been directed by the Governors of the Great Lakes states to prioritize innovations in sustainable water management as a key focus area. Our funding policies aim to connect the Governors' nine major priorities (which have been outlined to Congress) with the ongoing search for transformative solutions for the Great Lakes. These priorities include:

  1. Guaranteeing the sustainable utilization of water resources while ensuring that the states maintain control over the use and diversion of Great Lakes waters.
  2. Advancing initiatives that safeguard public health from the negative impacts of pollution in the Great Lakes ecosystem.
  3. Persistently working towards the reduction of persistent bioaccumulative toxic substances entering the Great Lakes ecosystem.
  4. Halting the introduction and proliferation of exotic aquatic invasive species.
  5. Improving fish and wildlife through the restoration and conservation of coastal wetlands, as well as fish and wildlife habitats.
  6. Bringing the Areas of Concern, as identified by the International Joint Commission for needing cleanup, back to a state of environmental health.
  7. Managing pollution from scattered sources into the water, land, and air.
  8. Standardizing and improving the processes for data gathering, recording, and sharing across the region.
  9. Implementing sustainable practices that conserve environmental resources and could boost the recreational and commercial appeal of the Great Lakes.

The Fund is committed to supporting the Governors' unified goal of exploring innovative methods to enhance the physical, chemical, and biological integrity of the region's waters, thereby increasing the value of the Great Lakes and the prosperity of the states.