This Week In Grants
NJ Urban and Community Forestry: Urban Heat Island (UHI) Mitigation Program
The UHI Mitigation Program for Fiscal Year 2026, funded by the New Jersey Clean Energy Fund, will provide grants in three categories:
Comprehensive UHI Interventions: Up to $1 million each for two major neighborhood revitalization projects, including expanded tree canopy, green infrastructure, cool pavements, smart-misting systems, and other cooling infrastructure.
Cooling the Built Environment: Up to $500,000 each for four upgrades to public buildings and cooling centers, with features like cool roofs, green roofs, geothermal heat pumps, and battery storage to create resilience hubs — especially vital for communities with a high percentage of renters.
Urban Micro-climate Interventions: Up to $50,000 each for 20 community-led projects such as shaded bus stops, community gardens, and water stations. All projects must be located on public land or in publicly accessible spaces.
The official Notice of Funding Opportunity will be released in August. Applications will open in September, with a December 2025 deadline.
More information is available here.
NJDEP: Natural Climate Solutions (NCS) Grant Program
NJDEP's Natural Climate Solutions (NCS) Grant Program funds on-the-ground implementation of projects that create, restore, and enhance New Jersey’s natural carbon sinks, such as forests, urban parks, woodlands, street trees, salt marshes, and seagrass beds. Funding for Round II of this program ($30 million available) comes from New Jersey’s participation in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), which provides the State with auction proceeds to invest in programs and projects designed to help meet its climate, clean energy, and equity goals.
The application period for Round II will open on August 4th, 2025. To support potential applicants, the following webinars have been scheduled:
Kickoff Webinar: Tuesday, July 29th at 1 PM; Register here
Application Deep Dive: Monday, August 4th at 11 AM; Register here
Eligible Applicants: Municipalities, Nonprofits, Individual Landowners
More information is available here.
NEH Public Humanities Projects
The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) Division of Public Programs is accepting applications for the Public Humanities Projects program. This program supports projects that bring the ideas and insights of the humanities to life through in-person exhibitions and historic site interpretations. Projects must focus on one of the following areas:
The 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence
American Military Valor
The American Dream and Economic Freedom
America’s Role on a Global Scale
The program supports projects in two categories—exhibitions and interpretive programs at historic sites—and offers two funding levels (planning and implementation).
Application Deadline: 9/10/2025
Award Amount: $750,000
Eligible Applicants: Municipalities, Nonprofits, Institutions of Higher Education
More information can be found here.
Energy Bar Association (EBA) Charitable Foundation
The foundation is accepting proposals to support local, regional, national or international non-profit organizations with energy-related charitable projects focused on improving lives will be considered for a financial grant.
Examples of previously funded projects include:
The installation of solar electric infrastructure designed to reduce food bank utility costs and provide resiliency in the face of natural disasters in Northeast Florida;
Energy education programs to help U.S. high school students learn about energy efficiency, solar and wind power systems, and shale oil and gas exploration and other energy technologies;
Replacement outdated and inefficient HVAC system at a community health clinic in Boston
Application Deadline: 8/15/2025 (letter of interest), 10/3/2025 (full application)
Award Amount: $50,000 - $75,000
Eligible Applicants: Nonprofits
More information can be found here.
GameTime Playground Grants
For a limited time, GameTime is offering up to 100% matching funds toward the purchase of a new play system. They are also offering a 50% match on outdoor fitness equipment and select Early Childhood play systems. Please be advised that while these programs are marketed as grants or funds that can constitute matching funds, they are manufacturer discount programs where applicants are still responsible for the remaining costs of the equipment and installation.
Application Deadline: 10/17/2025
Award Amount: Doubles your organization’s playground budget
Eligible Applicants: Municipalities and Nonprofits
More information can be found here.