The Community Grant Program supports organizations and communities working to protect, conserve, preserve or enhance Minnesota's environment and natural resources.
Use this page to explore whether the Community Grant Program may fit your organization and project idea. You do not need to have everything figured out before you start.
Start by considering your organization, what you want your project to accomplish and which of the five eligible activity areas best fits the project’s main purpose.
This page is not an eligibility determination. When a funding opportunity is published, the Request for Proposals will contain the requirements applicants must meet.
Start with your community and project idea
You do not need a complete project plan to begin exploring the Community Grant Program.
Start with the environmental or natural resource need or opportunity your community wants to address.
Consider:
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What environmental or natural resource need or opportunity are you trying to address?
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What does your community already know about it?
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What environmental or natural resource result would you like to achieve?
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Who has knowledge or experience that could help shape the project?
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Who would be affected by or involved in the project?
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Are there organizations, community members or other potential partners you should talk with?
Talking with others can help you understand the need, strengthen your project idea and identify people who may need to be involved.
You do not need to have project partners to begin exploring the Community Grant Program unless a future funding opportunity specifically requires them.
Explore the five eligible activity areas
The Community Grant Program can support projects that fit at least one of five eligible activity areas established in Minnesota law.
Your project may involve more than one type of activity. Start by considering which area best describes what you mainly want the grant funding to accomplish.
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Adversely impacted communities
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Aquatic invasive species management
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Education and awareness
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Existing trail maintenance and improvement
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Preserve or enhance natural resources
Explore the five eligible activity areas
Find the activity area that best fits your project
The Applicant Pathway describes this step as "check your fit and choose a project pathway." For the Community Grant Program, this means identifying the eligible activity area that best describes your project's main purpose.
A project may include activities or benefits related to more than one eligible activity area. Start with the activity area that best describes your project's main purpose.
If you are unsure which activity area best fits your project, review the five eligible activity area guidance.
Explore the five eligible activity areas
State grant experience is not required to start
You do not need previous experience applying for or managing a State grant to explore the Community Grant Program.
When a funding opportunity is published, review the program's eligibility requirements before deciding to apply.
You do not need everything figured out now
Your project idea may still be developing when you begin exploring the Community Grant Program.
You may still be:
- talking with your community
- identifying people or organizations that should be involved
- developing the project approach
- working through technical questions, or
- determining what permissions, approvals or property access may eventually be needed
You do not need to resolve all of these questions before you begin exploring the program.
As your project develops, you will need to understand what approvals, partnerships, property access, technical information or other requirements are necessary to carry it out.
Understand the two-stage application process
The Community Grant Program uses a two-stage competitive application process.
Stage 1: Concept note
Applicants provide a Concept Note - a short description of their organization and project idea.
You do not need to prepare a Full Application at Stage 1.
Stage 2: Full application
Applicants invited to continue will be provided additional project and grant-management information.
Both stages are competitive. An invitation to Stage 2 does not guarantee funding.
Understand what managing a state grant eventually involves
You do not need to know how to manage every state grant requirement before you apply.
Organizations selected for funding will have responsibilities for managing public grant funds. These can include managing an approved budget, maintaining records, documenting the use of grant funds, reporting on project progress and participating in grant monitoring and closeout.
The Community Grant Program will provide information about these responsibilities as applicants move through the process.
You do not need previous State grant-management experience to begin exploring whether the Community Grant Program may fit your organization and project idea.
Check the current funding opportunity
The Community Grant Program funding opportunities are coming soon.
Applications are not currently being accepted.
When a funding opportunity is published, review the opportunity for current information about who may apply, eligible activities, funding, project periods, application requirements and important dates.
Still unsure whether the Community Grant Program may fit?
The Community Grant Program team can provide information about the program, application process and eligible activity areas. Formal eligibility and funding decisions are made through the applicable grant process.