With Great Grants Come Great Responsibility
Natural Climate Solutions Grant - Round 2
The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection’s “Natural Climate Solutions Grant” funds on-the-ground implementation projects that create, restore, and enhance New Jersey’s natural carbon sinks. These sinks include salt marshes, seagrass beds, forests, urban parks and woodlands, and street trees. Natural resources that sequester carbon play a critical role in meeting the State’s 2050 goal of an 80% reduction in greenhouse gases below 2006 levels. This funding round was originally slated to end on August 4, 2026, but has been extended by the NJDEP until the end of the year!
Funding Amount: $30 million in total funding
Match: 25% (Required from private landowners; no match for other eligible applicants).
Application Deadline: December 31, 2026
You can find more information here.
Green Acres
It is never too early to start preparing for monumental grants such as Green Acres! One of the state's oldest annual grant programs, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection’s Green Acres Program was created in 1961 to meet New Jersey’s growing recreation and conservation needs. The program funds open space acquisition, park development, and stewardship projects in communities across the state to plan and grow the state’s protected lands.
Funding Amount: $90.6 million (total awarded during the last funding round)
Match: At least 25%
Application Deadline: February 2027
As part of the application process, nonprofits and municipalities are required to gather meaningful public input while they plan their projects. With that in mind, applicants are encouraged to initiate public engagement at the earliest stages of the project and complete it at least 30 days before the required public hearing. This includes conducting surveys, holding open houses, or hosting pop-up feedback opportunities at community events. If you have questions or are interested in starting an application now, reach out to your project manager!
You can find more information here.
LAST CALL
Green Acres: Special Funding Round
The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection has announced a special round of funding for eligible nonprofit organizations that provide outdoor recreation and conservation opportunities on NJDEP-owned and managed property. Eligible nonprofits must have a valid, executed agreement with the DEP that authorizes recreation and conservation improvements to State-owned, DEP-managed land, and must have obtained written support from the relevant DEP managing agency. Eligible projects create, restore, or expand outdoor recreation and conservation opportunities.
Funding Amount: $50,000 to $3,000,000
Match: Not Required
Application Deadline: September 30, 2026
You can find more information here.