CHNEP Micro-Grants are now available
The Charlotte Harbor National Estuary Program (CHNEP) is a partnership to protect the natural environment of Florida from Venice to Bonita Springs to Winter Haven. The CHNEP offers two types of grants to help others in their efforts to protect the environment and solve issues of concern as identified in CHNEP’s Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan (CCMP):
The CHNEP offers Public Outreach Grants once a year, with applications due in September. The maximum grant request is $5,000 but most applications are funded in the $2,500 to $3,000 range. Guidance for the next cycle will be available by April.
The CHNEP offers Micro-Grants throughout the year. Most grant requests are up to $250 but a few requests for more support have been approved. Applications are considered when they are received. Awards are made until all funds for the year have all been obligated. The project must be completed and a final report and invoice received by CHNEP no later than August 31, 2015. Applicants are reimbursed funds once a final report and an invoice for work accomplished are accepted.
Citizens, organizations, businesses, government agencies, schools, colleges and universities may apply for grants to support projects that occur within the CHNEP study area that includes Lee, Charlotte, Sarasota, Manatee, Polk Hardee and DeSoto counties. While all efforts supported by CHNEP with a grant help implement the CCMP, they are varied in their purpose and scope. Additional information about the grant-making process will soon be available at www.CHNEP.org".
To apply for a grant, email Maran Hilgendorf for the application form; please include “micro-grant request” in the subject line. You will receive the funding decision by email. That email will contain critical information about how to accept the terms of the micro-grant and how to proceed in order to receive reimbursement for your micro-grant. If the request is approved, you must first provide a W-9 form for the City of Punta Gorda, the CHNEP’s new fiscal host. Additional guidance on this will be included with the funding decision notice.
