Opportunity
If you have ideas on how to make nature thrive in your neighborhood, park, school or city, a Metro Nature in Neighborhoods capital grant could help make your vision a reality. These grants are funded by the voter-approved 2006 natural areas bond measure and support efforts to preserve or enhance natural features and habitats that will benefit communities now and for generations to come. While the grants fund only capital investments, a wide variety of projects can fit the bill such as property acquisition, integrating habitat in urban redevelopment projects, restoring a degraded stream, or helping your neighborhood become a place for people to interact with nature. Grant requests can range from $50,000 up to $750,000 with $2.25 million available in the 2015 review cycle.
Timeline
Letters of interest are being accepted now through Oct. 15, 2014. Full applications are accepted only upon invitation and will be due January 2015. Metro Council will award funding in spring 2015.
How to apply
To learn more about the capital grants, get a copy of the handbook or see all the Nature in Neighborhood Capital Grants that have been funded to date, go to http://www.oregonmetro.gov/capitalgrants
Need help?
Contact Mary Rose Navarro at 503-797-1781 or maryrose.navarro@oregonmetro.gov to discuss your idea, get advice on project planning, connect with potential partners and hear lessons learned from successful projects.
Start with a Letter of Interest
How can you shape a strong project? Here are a few tips from our grant team to drafting a strong application.
- Think outside the box. Can the project augment other ongoing work or involve diverse partners to make a bigger impact?
- Follow the instructions. Carefully review all grant guidelines and make sure you address everything that’s required.
- Use Metro staff. We are here to help you strengthen your project and your proposal. We can assess if your project is a good fit for the grant program, suggest ways to strengthen it and how you can best craft your application.
Nature Online
Grantees on film
Oregon Department of Transportation produced this video highlighting their project with Friends of Trees and Metro to add thousands of trees and shrubs to the path. The video showcases what the project is all about – green transportation, the environment and equity.
Check out Gateway Green, a project to rehabilitate a public right-of-way in east Portland. Eighteen non-profits, seven private businesses and eight public agencies have teamed up, and we’re helping to support this fantastic effort. Watch the video here.
Grantees in the news
Read about the planting of community roots at Nadaka Nature Park here.
Read about how North Portland residents are stitching together oak habitat here.
Check out recent coverage about grants awarded on July 10, 2014 here.
You can follow Metro’s newsfeed at www.oregonmetro.gov/news.
Our Big Backyard
Subscribe to our quarterly nature magazine, we’ll send you a copy, free to your house, or your inbox.
Social Media
We’re on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram
Share your grant projects and tell us why you love nature. Don’t forget the hashtag! #ItsOurNature
Questions?
Send us an e-mail to naturalareasgrants@oregonmetro.gov
Or call 503-797-1781
Other Metro Grant Opportunities
Metro is also pleased to announce the 2015-2017 Regional Travel Options grant program. Application materials and information are available at http://www.oregonmetro.gov/tools-partners/grants-and-resources/travel-options-grants
Mary Rose Navarro
Natural Areas Grants Coordinator
Sustainability Center
Metro
600 NE Grand Ave.
Portland, OR 97232
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