Grant writing support for all stages and levels of knowledge

A grant is a financial award given to complete a specific set of activities.

There are a number of grants that are available to help prevent, protect against and recover from wildfires. Grants are often targeted toward specific regions, jurisdictions and audiences. It may take some reading or research to determine if a grant is applicable to your situation.

A government grant is awarded by a government body (whether local, state or federal). A private grant may be awarded by a company, nonprofit or other organization not affiliated with the government. Eligibilities, award amounts and deadlines for these grants will vary and depend on the awarding body’s individual requirements.

There are numerous grant opportunities from government organizations, wildlife and ecosystem restoration foundations and non-government fire prevention grants. An internet search for “wildfire prevention grants” and your region will often yield results. You can also check our list of granting agencies, or conduct a keyword search or Grants.gov.

This will all depend on the grant you are applying for. Some grants may require you to submit formal documents, so collecting those early will help the process go smoothly. Others will call for letters of support from community members. Take your time to thoroughly read and understand grant requirements. This will ultimately help you save time and energy while applying for these grants.

Grants are difficult and take some time to complete, but they can be well worth your time.

If you’re a county weed coordinator, whether you’re beginning from scratch or starting from an example grant, the effort is worth your time when you can help the landowners and agencies you’ve partnered with create a successful program that will protect them and the larger landscape.

As a rancher, the value of grant funding can be invaluable as well. Getting grant money to treat annual invasive grasses not only will help you protect your land from wildfire risks but can also help you eliminate infestations of fine fuels that are expensive to treat and steal resources from more nutritious forage.

And everyone can benefit from stronger and healthier native ecosystems.

It is common to work on grant applications in the winter months, but it’s never too early to get started. Grant applications may be open for a few weeks to several months. It’s a good idea to start your applications as soon as you learn of a relevant grant. Application guidelines will have important dates and deadlines that should dictate your submission timeline.

Unfortunately, we cannot fill out or apply for grants on your behalf, but we are happy to answer any questions you may have during the process. Contact Noe Marymor at nora.marymor@envu.com.

Understand resource concerns and come up with a plan on who or what the project is going to benefit and what partners you can involve to help make a more compelling case. You can also reach out to the funding source to see if they can give you their perspective on your project. That can help ensure it’s a good fit for their criteria. Lastly, don’t be afraid to just jump in and start. You can learn the process as you go, and even if you aren’t selected for the grant this award cycle, you can always reapply the next year with your more experienced grant-writing skills.