Smart Growth National Funding Opportunities
EPA developed a list of national funding resources to assist local and state governments, communities, and nongovernmental organizations who are addressing the varied aspects of smart growth.
This list is not an exhaustive compilation of all possible funding resources in the smart growth arena. It lists federal resources and directories of funding sources maintained by outside organizations.
For all available federal grants, see www.grants.gov, and for all federal funding programs, see the Assistance Listings on SAM.gov.
On this page:
- Affordable Housing and Community Development
- Brownfields
- Energy
- Environmental Justice
- General Smart Growth or Environmental
- Historic Preservation
- Land Preservation and Conservation
- Rural and Agricultural
- Transportation (Trails, Bikes, and Pedestrian)
- Water Quality, Wetlands, and Coasts
Affordable Housing and Community Development
- Community Development (HUD): Includes links to several funding programs, including Community Development Block Grants, the Neighborhood Stabilization Program, and the Section 108 Loan Guarantee Program, to address locally identified community needs.
- Home Investment Partnerships Program (HUD): Formula-based block grant program to build, buy, and/or rehabilitate affordable housing for rental or homeownership or provide direct rental assistance to low-income people.
- Community Development Financial Institutions Fund (Treasury): Provides small infusions of capital to institutions that serve distressed communities and low-income individuals.
Brownfields
- Brownfields Grant Funding (EPA): EPA's Brownfields Program provides direct funding for brownfields assessment, cleanup, revolving loans, and environmental job training and provides technical information on brownfields financing matters.
Energy
- Funding from the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (DOE): Lists U.S. Department of Energy funding available to promote energy efficiency and renewable energy.
- Database of State Incentives for Renewables and Efficiency: Links to federal and state incentives for renewable energy and energy efficiency.
- Energy Communities Funding Clearinghouse: Links to various types of funding opportunities for former and current coal mining and power plant communities.
Environmental Justice
- Environmental Justice Grants, Funding, and Technical Assistance (EPA): Links to grants and other resources for environmental justice efforts.
- Guide to Finding Federal Assistance and Resources for Environmental Justice Efforts: Offers general guidance and tips on searching for funding opportunities. Supported by the Federal Interagency Working Group on Environmental Justice.
General Smart Growth or Environmental
- Council of Development Finance Agencies: CDFA lists resources on tools including tax credits, bonds, and tax-increment financing.
- Arts Grants for Organizations (National Endowment of the Arts): Grant programs supporting projects that integrate arts, culture, design and place-making activities into efforts that strengthen communities.
- Funding Opportunities (EDA): Funding available from the U.S. Department of Commerce, Economic Development Administration (EDA) for economic development.
- Environmental Grantmakers Association: Coalition of more than 225 foundations that give environmental grants.
- The Funders' Network: Lists member foundations that support various elements of smart growth.
Historic Preservation
- Tax Incentives for Preserving Historic Properties (NPS): Preservation Tax Incentives encourage private investment in rehabilitating historic properties to generate jobs and low- and moderate-income housing.
- Historic Preservation Fund (NPS): The HPF manages competitive grants and other assistance to encourage historic preservation nationwide.
- Find Preservation Funding (National Trust for Historic Preservation): Provides links to funding resources for a wide variety of historic preservation projects.
Land Preservation and Conservation
- Land and Water Conservation Fund (NPS): The LWCF grant funds can be used for state planning and for acquisition and development of state and local recreational facilities.
Rural and Agricultural
- Local Foods, Local Places Toolkit (EPA): See Appendix H of the Local Foods, Local Places Toolkit lists many funding and technical assistance resources to help communities develop local food systems.
- Agricultural Marketing Service Grants and Opportunities (USDA): Links to grant programs including the Farmers Market Promotion Program, Local Food Promotion Program, and Organic Cost Share Programs, as well as to resources to help you decide which grant programs are right for you.
- Farm Service Agency: Farm Loan Programs (USDA): Links to a variety of loan programs to help family-sized farmers and ranchers.
- Food and Nutrition Service: Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) (USDA): Has resources for farmers markets and retailers interested in accepting SNAP benefits.
- National Institute of Food and Agriculture (USDA): Home page has a search function for funding opportunities that can help find grants for a variety of topics. Specific programs that might be of interest include the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development, Community Food Projects Competitive Grant, and Food Insecurity Nutrition Incentive Grant programs.
- Natural Resources Conservation Service Financial Assistance (USDA): Links to programs that provide financial assistance to help plan and implement conservation practices that can save energy and improve soil, water, plant, air, animal, and related resources on agricultural lands.
- Rural Development Programs and Services (USDA): Funding opportunities for rural development.
- Rural Gateway (HUD): Links to funding programs to support housing and economic development in rural areas.
Transportation (Trails, Bikes, and Pedestrian)
- Bicycle and Pedestrian Funding (FHWA): Lists federal funding sources for bicycle and pedestrian projects.
- Congestion Mitigation Air Quality Program (FHWA): CMAQ funds are awarded through states or metropolitan planning organizations in air quality non-attainment areas for projects that reduce transportation-related emissions, including transit, bicycle, and pedestrian facilities.
- Transportation Alternatives Program (FTA): The Transportation Alternatives Program funds projects that expand transportation choices. It replaces programs including Transportation Enhancement Activities, Recreational Trails Program, and Safe Routes to School Program.
- Areas of Persistent Poverty Program (FTA): Provides funding to communities to build modern infrastructure and an equitable, clean energy future in areas of persistent poverty.
- Pilot Program for Transit-Oriented Development Planning (FTA): Provides funding to communities to integrate land use and transportation planning with a new fixed guideway or core capacity transit capital investment.
- Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center Resources: Provides funding sources and strategies for planning and design of pedestrian and bicycle activities.
- Safe Routes to School: Lists places to obtain funds for safe routes to school programs.
Water Quality, Wetlands, and Coasts
- Urban Waters Small Grants (EPA): Grants to help protect and restore urban waters, improve water quality, and support community revitalization and other local priorities.
- Water Finance Clearinghouse (EPA): Searchable database of financial assistance sources (grants, loans, cost-sharing) to fund watershed protection projects.
- Watershed Funding (EPA): Tools, databases, and information about sources of funding to protect watersheds.
- Coastal Management Funding Opportunities (NOAA): Funding opportunities from NOAA's Office of Coastal Management.
- National Coastal Wetlands Conservation Grant Program (US Fish & Wildlife Service): Provides matching grants to states to acquire, restore, manage, or enhance coastal wetlands.