NFWF National Coastal Resilience Fund

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Enriched US Foundation · Found: 2026-03-10 17:37

National Fish and Wildlife Foundation grant-making programme supporting conservation including oyster reef restoration through public-private partnerships.

Source: https://nfwf.org/programs/national-coastal-resilience-fund

Funding Details

Funder: National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF)
Funding Goal: Investments in planning, design, and implementation of nature-based solutions to enhance protection for coastal communities from storms, floods, and coastal hazards while improving habitats for fish and wildlife. Eligible solutions include coastal marshes, wetlands, dune and beach systems, oyster and coral reefs, rivers, floodplains, coastal forests, and barrier islands.
Funding Amount: $100K-$1.5M for planning/design projects; $1M-$7M for restoration implementation projects; no strict maximum (100.000 € – 7.000.000 €)
Deadline: 2026-03-31 (Fixed)
How to Apply: Two-stage process: Pre-Proposal due March 31, 2026 via Easygrants portal; Full Proposals by invitation only due June 24, 2026. Pre-proposal webinars held February 24-26, 2026. Contact NCRF@nfwf.org.
Target Region: United States coastal areas, including Great Lakes states, US territories, and Tribal lands
Contact: NCRF@nfwf.org; Program Director: Mirjam Kuzee (Mirjam.Kuzee@NFWF.org)
Last Checked: 2026-03-15 14:04

Application Checklist

Eligibility

Project must be located within US coastal states, Great Lakes states, US territories, or Tribal lands
For Restoration Implementation: 90% design completed and all permits in hand before award announcement

Project Scope

Project must demonstrate benefits to both coastal communities (risk reduction) and fish/wildlife habitats

Required Documents

Submit pre-proposal via Easygrants portal by March 31, 2026

Constraints

Full proposal is by invitation only after pre-proposal review
Apply under only ONE project pipeline category
Restoration Implementation projects must start construction within 9 months and complete by December 2030
Non-federal match is encouraged but not required

Summary

The National Coastal Resilience Fund (NCRF), established in 2018 and administered by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF), is a national US grant program investing in nature-based solutions that protect coastal communities while enhancing habitats for fish and wildlife. The programme's thematic scope covers coastal hazard risk reduction through nature-based solutions including coastal marshes and forests, floodplains, rivers and lakes, dune and beach systems, oyster and coral reefs, living shorelines, and barrier islands. Priority keywords include: coastal resilience, storm risk reduction, nature-based solutions, green-gray infrastructure, community risk reduction, coastal inundation, sea level rise, habitat restoration, fish and wildlife benefit. Eligible activities span four pipeline categories: (1) Community Capacity Building and Planning; (2) Site Assessment and Preliminary Design; (3) Final Design and Permitting; (4) Restoration Implementation. All categories require demonstration of community benefit and fish/wildlife habitat improvement. Restoration implementation projects must include post-construction monitoring. Geographic scope is strictly limited to the coastal areas of US coastal states, Great Lakes states, US territories, and Tribal lands. International or European projects are not eligible. Eligible applicants include any US-based organization including NGOs, governmental entities, Tribal nations, academic institutions, and community organizations. Partnership is encouraged across multiple stakeholders. Restoration implementation projects must have 90% designs and permits in hand before award announcements. Target beneficiaries are coastal communities at risk from flooding, storms, and coastal hazards, as well as fish and wildlife species dependent on coastal habitats. Award sizes range from $100,000 to $1,500,000 for planning and design projects, and $1,000,000 to $7,000,000 for restoration implementation projects. Non-federal match is encouraged but not required. Program is primarily funded by NOAA with additional contributions from Shell USA, EPA, and Department of Defense.

Historical Context

Program established in 2018. Annual grant cycles with slates in 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, and 2025. Primarily funded by NOAA; additional funding from Shell USA, EPA, DoD, and others.

Why it was added

Major non-profit grant-maker channeling public-private partnership funds into coastal conservation including oyster restoration

Sources

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