~ October 10, 2024

Earlier this season we shared on our blog that in recent years there has been an increase in federal funding for community tree planting efforts – over $1.5 billion is being invested into urban and community forestry efforts through the Inflation Reduction Act. You can read more about this program by visiting our Grant Hub. 

A new round of funding has opened up for houses of worship and community organizations! This funding is being distributed through Faith in Place, a nonprofit organization made up of “people of diverse faiths and spiritualities leading the environmental movement to create healthy, just, and sustainable communities for all.” According to the Faith in Place Grant Hub, “Faith in Place will distribute 65 to 85 grants, each up to $30,000, to community organizations and Houses of Worship within environmental justice communities across Illinois, Wisconsin, and Indiana. These grants are intended for planting and maintaining trees on their properties over a four-year period.” 

This is an amazing opportunity for houses of worship and nonprofits to get access to funding for tree plantings in their community! To see if your community qualifies, use this Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool. For more of a deep dive into the grant process and qualifications for applying, check out this resource.  The deadline to apply is November 21, 2024.

At Spring Grove Nursery we have helped a few different cities and park districts receive the Urban and Community Forestry grant funding, and we take pride in the work we did together to achieve this goal! Here is some more information about how we helped Curate the Canopy of Roselle Park District through securing funding by putting together a Custom Canopy Curation for their proposal. You can read more about the Roselle Park District Urban and Community Forestry Grant here!

By considering these questions, it will help in deciding if applying for one of these grants is right for you! We are happy to help answer questions, brainstorm grant proposal ideas, or work on a Custom Canopy Curation for you. If you’re looking for more grants to sift through, don’t worry! Here are some other grant opportunities that might be of interest! Through these amazing funding opportunities we can work together to get more trees out into more communities for a greener, healthier, and happier world!

~ Maggie Thomas Harper