Grants to Great Lakes States (FY24)
Can you apply?
This grant is for organizations protecting and restoring the Great Lakes Basin ecosystem. Eligible applicants include nonprofits, government agencies, and educational institutions working on habitat or species conservation on public or private lands. Work must take place within the Great Lakes Basin states and align with USFWS Great Lakes Restoration Program priorities. Activities include identifying, protecting, conserving, managing, enhancing, or restoring habitat and species.
Projects can occur on both public and private lands. Applicants should demonstrate how their work addresses high-priority restoration actions. Funding supports technical and financial assistance for implementation of conservation activities.
This grant is for organizations protecting and restoring the Great Lakes Basin ecosystem. Eligible applicants include nonprofits, government agencies, and educational institutions working on habitat or species conservation on public or private lands. Work must take place within the Great Lakes Basin states and align with USFWS Great Lakes Restoration Program priorities. Activities include identifying, protecting, conserving, managing, enhancing, or restoring habitat and species.
Projects can occur on both public and private lands. Applicants should demonstrate how their work addresses high-priority restoration actions. Funding supports technical and financial assistance for implementation of conservation activities.
Program description
To provide technical and financial assistance to implement the highest priority actions in order to protect and restore the Great Lakes. Priority actions are to: identify, protect, conserve, manage, enhance or restore habitat or species on both public and private lands within the Great Lakes Basin USFWS Great Lakes Restoration Program Funding Federal Assistance Listing: 15.662. Administered by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources via the Illinois GATA Catalog of State Financial Assistance (CSFA 422-20-0117).
Who can apply
Eligible applicants
- 501(c)(3) Public Charity
- Conservation Organization
- Nonprofits
- Public Authority
- Public K-12 School
- Public University
- Small Business (SBA-defined)
Details
This grant is for organizations protecting and restoring the Great Lakes Basin ecosystem. Eligible applicants include nonprofits, government agencies, and educational institutions working on habitat or species conservation on public or private lands. Work must take place within the Great Lakes Basin states and align with USFWS Great Lakes Restoration Program priorities. Activities include identifying, protecting, conserving, managing, enhancing, or restoring habitat and species.
Projects can occur on both public and private lands. Applicants should demonstrate how their work addresses high-priority restoration actions. Funding supports technical and financial assistance for implementation of conservation activities.
How to apply
Application links
Required documents
- Application form (via Illinois GATA system)
- Project narrative/proposal
- Budget and budget narrative
- Letters of support from partners/landowners
- Environmental or ecological baseline data
- Monitoring and evaluation plan
Program contact
- 👤 Justison, Kathy
- 📧 kathy.justison@illinois.gov
Funding track record
Recent awards under CFDA 15.662 from the last 3 years — real organizations that won funding through this same program.
Top 10 Largest Recent Awards
-
$17,348,237
-
$15,031,566
-
$14,174,757
-
$10,024,505
-
$9,074,913
-
$9,054,943
-
$8,937,294
-
$7,718,060
-
$7,405,665
-
$7,252,913
Top States by Funding
- IL 9 awards $42.2M
- MI 25 awards $14.9M
- DC 1 awards $14.2M
- OH 9 awards $11.1M
- WI 8 awards $6.6M
Source: USAspending.gov — federal spending transparency. Data covers last 3 years.
FAQ
Who can apply for this grant?
Nonprofits, government agencies, educational institutions, and other organizations working in the Great Lakes Basin are eligible. You must focus on habitat or species protection and restoration.
What activities are supported?
The grant supports identifying, protecting, conserving, managing, enhancing, and restoring habitat and species on public or private lands in the Great Lakes.
What is the funding range?
Awards typically range from $50,000 to $800,000 depending on project scope and priorities.
How competitive is this grant?
The $800,000 total pool with individual awards up to $800,000 suggests fewer awards. Projects must align closely with USFWS Great Lakes Restoration Program priorities to be competitive.
Is there a deadline?
This appears to be a rolling deadline program, so applications may be accepted throughout the year. Check the Illinois GATA system (CSFA 422-20-0117) for current deadlines.
💡 Tips for applicants
- Align your project directly with USFWS Great Lakes Restoration Program priorities. Generic conservation work won't be competitive.
- Demonstrate why your specific geographic location and species/habitat matter. Show how you'll measure success and restore ecosystem function.
- Build partnerships with public land managers and private landowners. Multi-sector collaboration strengthens applications.
- Document existing conditions and threats clearly. Reviewers need to understand the problem before your solution makes sense.
- Start with the Illinois GATA catalog entry for the most current deadline, eligibility details, and application requirements. Agency websites can be outdated.
⚠️ Common mistakes
Applications fail when they don't align with USFWS Great Lakes priorities or lack clear measurable outcomes. Proposals without strong partnerships or landowner buy-in struggle to be funded. Weak baseline data and unclear restoration timelines get rejected.
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