NFWF Five Star Grant Program 2026: $30,000 to $150,000 for Community Restoration Partnerships

NFWF Five Star Grant Program 2026: $30,000 to $150,000 for Community Restoration Partnerships

The 2026 Five Star grant program is a modest but practical conservation opportunity for local coalitions that want to restore habitat, improve public spaces, and show measurable community benefit in the same project. It is not a large research award and it is not a solo organization grant. NFWF built the program around partnership: applicants need a restoration idea, an outreach plan, and a community coalition large enough to sustain the work.

That structure matters. Projects are expected to combine on-the-ground ecological improvement with education or training and with five or more partners. If a proposal only does one of those things well, it is not a good fit. The strongest applications are usually place-based projects that already have local support, a clear maintenance plan, and enough budget discipline to survive a reimbursement-style grant.

For 2026, the program sets a full proposal deadline of June 4, 2026 at 11:59 PM EST. Awards range from $30,000 to $150,000, and NFWF says it expects 30 to 40 grants. The normal project length is 12 to 18 months, with a start date no earlier than January 2027.

Key details

What the program funds

The Five Star program supports local partnerships that improve natural resources and the communities around them. NFWF describes the opportunity as a way to build community capacity to sustain local resources for future generations. In practical terms, that means projects that do real work on the ground while also helping people understand, use, and protect the site after the grant ends.

The 2026 request for proposals highlights three required priorities:

1. On-the-ground restoration. Projects must deliver a direct ecological benefit. Examples include tree canopy enhancement, public open space improvements, community gardens, habitat restoration, wetland or riparian work, bird-friendly retrofits, light-pollution reduction, and trash prevention.
2. Environmental outreach, education, and training. The project must include meaningful outreach or training alongside the restoration work. NFWF specifically wants public engagement, youth engagement, volunteer participation, or practical training for community stakeholders.
3. Community partnerships. Projects must involve five or more partners. NFWF wants to see collaboration that broadens reach, supports maintenance, and keeps benefits going after the award period.

This combination is the core of the program. A garden project without community education is incomplete. A tree canopy plan without local partners is incomplete. A clean-water or habitat project without a credible maintenance strategy is incomplete. Reviewers are looking for a package that can be sustained, not a one-off volunteer event.

Who this opportunity fits

The best fit is a local organization or coalition that already has a site, a restoration plan, and a reason to believe the project will continue after the grant ends. The program is especially useful for groups that can combine ecological work with public engagement and that can document support from multiple partners.

Best-fit applicants

You are a strong candidate if you are one of the following:

• A nonprofit with a conservation, community, or environmental mission
• A city, county, municipal, or state government office
• A Tribal government or Tribal organization
• A school, college, university, or other educational institution

Best-fit project profiles

The strongest concepts usually have a clear local problem, such as heat stress, stormwater runoff, habitat loss, litter, or poor access to nature. Good examples are:

• Tree canopy projects in dense urban neighborhoods
• Stream, wetland, or riparian restoration tied to local watershed plans
• Habitat and public-space improvements near schools, parks, or trails
• Community agriculture or pollinator projects that also teach people how to maintain them
• Trash and litter reduction programs with a strong volunteer or youth component

The program is less suited to proposals that are mostly planning exercises, isolated research studies, or internal organizational capacity work. If the ecological outcome is weak or the public engagement is an afterthought, the application will probably not be competitive.

Eligibility and match rules

The headline eligibility test is simple: can the lead applicant legally apply, and can the project meet the program structure?

Eligible and ineligible applicants

According to the official request for proposals, eligible applicants include:

• Nonprofit 501(c) organizations
• State government agencies
• Local governments
• Municipal governments
• Tribal Governments and Organizations
• Educational institutions

Ineligible applicants include:

• Unincorporated individuals
• Businesses
• International organizations
• U.S. Federal government agencies

Match expectations

NFWF says projects should meet or exceed a 1:0.75 match ratio to be competitive. That means a $60,000 request should be matched by at least $45,000 in contributions. The match must be non-federal and can include cash, staff time, volunteer time, donated materials, and other verifiable contributions that are necessary and reasonable.

That is a practical filter, not just a finance rule. If the project cannot credibly assemble match, it probably also cannot show the local commitment the program wants to see. In other words, match is part of the story.

Priority geographies and project fit

The 2026 round is not open everywhere. NFWF gives priority to specific cities and counties, and some places have extra emphasis for certain project types. The full list is long, so the safest approach is to treat the official geography list as mandatory reading rather than assuming a nearby city is included.

Examples from the 2026 priority list include:

• Oakland, Miami, Memphis, and Pittsburgh for tree canopy work
• New York City, Chicago, Boston, New Orleans, Baltimore, Detroit, Atlanta, Houston, Dallas, Los Angeles-area locations, and several other major urban areas
• Priority county-level areas in states such as Alabama, California, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Washington

One special note matters for tree canopy projects: successful applicants in Miami, Memphis, Pittsburgh, and Oakland that include tree canopy enhancement will need to work with partners including the World Resources Institute to use data and tools for project design and impact reporting.

If your project is outside the listed geographies, do not assume it will fit. This program is intentionally place-specific. A strong project in the wrong location is still the wrong project for this competition.

How the application works

Applications are submitted through NFWF Easygrants. The official page gives a simple three-step process:

1. Register or sign in at Easygrants.
2. Choose the Five Star funding opportunity.
3. Complete and submit the online application package.

The RFP also says applicants can save and return to the application later, which helps teams work in drafts. That said, the submission should not be treated like a casual form-fill. The program screens for relevance, accuracy, completeness, and policy compliance before evaluating the proposal itself.

What reviewers are checking

NFWF evaluates proposals against four broad areas:

• Conservation outcomes
• Technical merit
• Partnership and community impact
• Budget

Those headings sound broad, but they are concrete in practice. Reviewers want to know whether the project addresses all three program priorities, whether it is technically feasible, whether the community coalition is real, and whether the budget is proportional to the results.

The program also expects accurate spatial data, credible monitoring, and a maintenance plan that shows how project benefits will continue after the grant period.

Timeline for the 2026 cycle

The 2026 timeline is short enough that teams should already be in drafting mode if they want a serious shot.

Official dates

• Applicant webinar: March 4, 2026
• Full proposal deadline: June 4, 2026 at 11:59 PM EST
• Review period: June 2026 through October 2026
• Awards announced: mid to late November 2026

Working timeline for applicants

If you are preparing now, a sensible schedule looks like this:

• Finalize the project site and partner list immediately
• Lock the match plan and verify every contribution source
• Draft the ecological work plan and the outreach plan together
• Confirm permits, mapping, and any compliance issues before submission
• Leave time for internal review, not just final edits

The program notes that compliance approvals may be required before habitat-disturbing work begins. That includes possible review under the National Environmental Policy Act, Endangered Species Act, and National Historic Preservation Act, plus any other federal, state, or local permits.

Required materials and evidence

The official RFP is not built around a single magic narrative. It is built around evidence. The more place-specific and operational your materials are, the more credible the project looks.

Materials that matter most

• A clear description of the site and the ecological problem
• A partner list showing at least five partners and what each one contributes
• A realistic timeline with start and end milestones
• A budget that matches the scale of the work
• A match plan with verifiable non-federal contributions
• Letters of support from community partners
• Spatial data for the project location
• A monitoring plan that uses relevant metrics
• A maintenance or stewardship plan for after the award

If your project touches waters of the United States, NFWF strongly encourages a pre-application meeting with the Army Corps of Engineers. That is worth taking seriously. Waiting until after selection to think about permits is a common way to lose time and credibility.

How to build a competitive proposal

A strong Five Star application is usually easy to explain in one sentence: a local coalition will restore a specific place, teach people how to care for it, and keep the benefits going after the grant.

What helps most

• A site with visible public value
• A project that addresses heat, flooding, habitat loss, or water quality
• Partners that are already active in the neighborhood or watershed
• A maintenance plan with a named owner
• A realistic budget that does not depend on optimistic assumptions
• Matching contributions that are already identified, not hoped for

What tends to score poorly

• Projects that try to do too many disconnected activities
• Vague outreach language with no target audience
• Weak documentation of partner roles
• A budget that is too ambitious for a small grant
• Overpromising restoration outcomes without enough site control or permitting clarity

The best strategy is to write the proposal as if you are trying to convince a cautious local reviewer, not a funder looking for polished slogans. Specificity wins here.

Common mistakes to avoid

1. Treating the grant like a single-organization project

The program wants a coalition. If the partner list is only decorative, reviewers will notice.

2. Ignoring the geography rules

This is a priority-location program. If your city or county is not listed, do not force the fit.

3. Forgetting the outreach requirement

Restoration alone is not enough. Outreach, education, or training must be integrated into the project.

4. Building a budget around weak match

The match requirement is a competitiveness issue as much as a compliance issue. Treat it as part of the project design.

5. Waiting on permits and compliance

If the project affects habitat or land disturbance, compliance work may take longer than expected. Start early.

Frequently asked questions

Is the award fixed or competitive?

It is competitive. The grant range is $30,000 to $150,000, but the actual award depends on the proposal and available funding.

Can a business apply?

No. Businesses are ineligible as lead applicants for this program.

Do we need five partners exactly?

No. The requirement is five or more partners, and the project should show meaningful collaboration.

Are smaller community projects eligible?

Yes, if they still meet the full structure: restoration, outreach or training, and community partnerships.

Can the project start right away?

Not if it would start before January 2027. The official page says the start date is no earlier than January 2027.

Is this a federal grant?

NFWF is a nonprofit foundation, but the funding can include federal and non-federal sources. The project rules still require strict compliance and match documentation.

Official links

• Official RFP: https://www.nfwf.org/programs/five-star-program/five-star-grant-program-2026-request-proposals
• NFWF Easygrants: https://easygrants.nfwf.org
• Applicant information and budget guidance: https://www.nfwf.org/apply-grant/application-information/budget-instructions
• Tip sheet PDF: https://www.nfwf.org/sites/default/files/2026-02/2026_five_star_tip_sheet.pdf
• Proposal lab booking page: https://outlook.office.com/book/[email protected]/s/oLnlghuB1EqvyV82l1AjcQ2?ismsaljsauthenabled
• Program contacts:
  • Zoey Apelt, Coordinator, Regional Programs — 202-915-0971, [email protected]
  • Ericka Popovich, Program Manager, National Programs — 202-595-2451, [email protected]
  • Sydney Godbey, Program Director, National Programs — 202-595-2612, [email protected]
• Easygrants Helpdesk — [email protected], 202-595-2497, 9:00 am to 5:00 pm ET Monday-Friday