NFWF Five Star Grant Program 2026: $30,000 to $150,000 for Community Restoration Partnerships
The 2026 NFWF Five Star program funds local partnerships that combine habitat restoration, community outreach, and five-partner collaboration in priority U.S. cities and counties.
NFWF Five Star Grant Program 2026: $30,000 to $150,000 for Community Restoration Partnerships
This page is a historical reference for the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation’s 2026 Five Star Grant Program. The official Five Star Program page lists the 2026 Request for Proposals as CLOSED. The next cycle has not been announced on that page, so there is no current application deadline to publish and no reason to invent one. The closed cycle’s actual deadline remains in the metadata so readers can understand which round this archive entry describes.
The 2026 full proposal deadline was June 4, 2026, by 11:59 PM EST. NFWF’s program page records the 2026 RFP as closed on June 12, 2026. The RFP describes one annual round for this program, but the current program page does not provide a later Five Star call. Check NFWF’s program page before planning around a future round.
The 2026 opportunity offered awards of $30,000 to $150,000, with NFWF anticipating 30 to 40 grants. Proposed grants were expected to span 12 to 18 months and begin no earlier than January 2027. Those figures describe the completed 2026 call; they should not be treated as promises about an unannounced future round.
Key details
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Opportunity | NFWF Five Star Grant Program 2026 |
| Funder | National Fish and Wildlife Foundation |
| Funding type | Grant |
| Award range | $30,000 to $150,000 |
| Expected grant count | 30 to 40 |
| Project length | 12 to 18 months |
| Start date | No earlier than January 2027 |
| Deadline | 2026-06-04 (closed) |
| Match requirement | 1:0.75 match ratio is needed to be competitive |
| Eligible applicants | Nonprofits, governments, Tribal entities, and educational institutions |
| Ineligible applicants | Individuals, businesses, international organizations, and U.S. Federal agencies |
| Application portal | NFWF Easygrants (the 2026 call is closed) |
| Official page | https://www.nfwf.org/programs/five-star-program/five-star-grant-program-2026-request-proposals |
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, the 2026 call supported projects that combined work on the ground with public understanding, hands-on participation, and stewardship that could continue after the grant ended.
The 2026 request for proposals highlights three required priorities:
- 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.
- 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.
- 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 was the core of the 2026 call. A garden project without community education was incomplete. A tree canopy plan without local partners was incomplete. A clean-water or habitat project without a credible maintenance strategy was incomplete. Reviewers were looking for a package that could 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 for the closed 2026 round was whether the lead applicant could legally apply and whether the project met the program structure. Eligibility for a future round could change, so applicants should use a new RFP rather than assume these rules will carry forward unchanged.
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 said 2026 projects were required to meet or exceed a 1:0.75 match ratio to be competitive. That means a $60,000 request should be matched by contributions totaling $45,000. The match had to be non-federal and could include cash, staff time, volunteer time, donated materials, work performed, services, and other verifiable contributions that were necessary and reasonable for the project.
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 was not open everywhere. NFWF gave priority to specific cities and counties, and some places had extra emphasis for certain project types. The full list is long, so the correct approach for an archived proposal review is to read the official geography table rather than assume a nearby city was 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 a project was outside the listed geographies, it could not be assumed to fit the 2026 competition. This program was intentionally place-specific. A strong project in the wrong location was still the wrong project for that round. A future RFP may set a different geography list.
How the application works
The 2026 application was submitted through NFWF Easygrants, but that call is now closed. The following is the official process preserved for reference; it is not a direction to submit a late application:
- Go to
easygrants.nfwf.organd register or sign in. New users were prompted to register before starting the application, while existing users could use their current login. NFWF also instructed applicants to disable the browser pop-up blocker before beginning. - From the Easygrants homepage, select Apply for Funding and choose the 2026 Five Star funding opportunity from the list.
- Follow the Easygrants instructions to complete the application. A started application could be saved and reopened later for completion and submission.
Because the 2026 opportunity is closed, those steps are useful only for understanding how the completed round operated. If NFWF posts a later round, use the new listing and its instructions, dates, and forms rather than relying on this archive.
The RFP also said applicants could save and return to the application later, which helped teams work in drafts. The submission was not a casual form-fill. NFWF screened proposals for relevance, accuracy, completeness, and compliance with NFWF and funding-source policies 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 complete. It is included here to distinguish the closed round from any future announcement.
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
For a future round, a sensible preparation sequence would be:
- Finalize the project site and partner list as soon as a new RFP is published
- 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
For the 2026 round, if a project touched waters of the United States, NFWF strongly encouraged a permit pre-application meeting with the Army Corps of Engineers before submission. Waiting until after selection to think about permits could create delays and weaken the implementation plan.
How to build a competitive proposal
A strong Five Star application for the 2026 structure could be explained in one sentence: a local coalition would 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 for a future round is to write the proposal as if you are trying to convince a cautious local reviewer, not a funder looking for polished slogans. Specificity was central to the 2026 evaluation criteria.
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
Was the award fixed or competitive?
It was competitive. The grant range was $30,000 to $150,000, but the actual award depended on the proposal and available funding.
Could a business apply?
No. Businesses were ineligible as lead applicants for the 2026 program.
Did applicants need five partners exactly?
No. The 2026 requirement was five or more partners, and the project needed to show meaningful collaboration.
Were smaller community projects eligible?
Yes, if they met the full structure: restoration, outreach or training, and community partnerships.
Could the project start right away?
Not if it would start before January 2027. The 2026 RFP required a start date no earlier than January 2027.
Was this a federal grant?
NFWF is a nonprofit foundation. The 2026 RFP said NFWF could use a mix of public and private funding sources, while matching contributions had to be non-federal. Projects could also be subject to federal, state, and local compliance requirements, including requirements under the National Environmental Policy Act, the Endangered Species Act, and the National Historic Preservation Act.
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