Free funder guide · New York · Last checked 27 September 2026
Which New York environmental funders actually accept applications
Most private foundations in New York have already told the IRS they won't read your proposal. This page explains how to spot them, and lists 12 secular funders of environmental and conservation work in New York that do take applications, with what they fund, what they have given, and when they next open.
Many of the New York foundations that take applications and fund the environment also gave to churches or other religious groups in their latest filing, so they are not on this list. I list secular funders only, which is why public programs and community foundations make up most of it.
From my own read of IRS filings, September 2026
In New York, 3,533 of the 4,309 private foundations with $1 million or more in assets that I could check tick the box on their tax return saying they don't accept unsolicited requests. That is 82%.
That leaves 776 larger New York foundations that say they will read an application. It is a higher share of closed doors than in Virginia (71%, 586 of 820) and Maryland (76%, 559 of 739), counted the same way.
How I counted: every private non-operating foundation with a New York address on the IRS Exempt Organizations Master File (September 2026 release) reporting assets of $1 million or more, checked against its most recent e-filed Form 990-PF (tax years 2022 to 2026, almost all 2024 or 2025). There are 4,315; 6 had no e-filed return I could find, so they are left out of the count. Operating foundations, which mostly run their own programs, are left out, as they were for Virginia and Maryland. Counting them too gives 82% (3,777 of 4,613).
What the checkbox means
One small box on the tax return tells you whether to bother.
Every private foundation files Form 990-PF with the IRS each year. Part XIV, line 2 of that return has a checkbox. A foundation that ticks it is telling the IRS, in writing, that it chooses its grantees itself. A proposal sent to it is usually wasted work.
"Check here if the foundation only makes contributions to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds."Form 990-PF, Part XIV, line 2
A foundation that leaves the box empty has to fill in lines 2a to 2d instead: who receives applications, what form they should take, any deadlines, and any limits on who or what it funds. For many small family foundations, those four lines are the only published guidelines they have.
The box does not tell you whether a foundation funds your kind of work. For that, read line 3a, the list of grants it actually paid. Check both before you write a letter of inquiry. Any foundation's return can be read free on ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer.
12 funders
Open to applications, and funding environmental work in New York.
Every funder below is secular, says it accepts applications (on its website or its tax return), and has paid grants to environmental or conservation groups in its most recent filing. Government programs are the exception: they file no tax return. Community foundations are listed by the program that fits environmental groups. Grant examples come from each funder's latest IRS filing unless the funder's own site is named.
Verified date on the funder's own site on 27 Sept 2026Expected based on last cycle; next not yet postedRolling applications any timeFiling only no website; from the tax return, confirm firstCheck site next date not posted; open their page
Statewide and regional public grantmakers
01
New York State DEC: Hudson River Estuary Grants
Albany · Hudson River estuary watershed
Four state grant programs for municipalities and 501(c)(3) nonprofits in the estuary watershed: tributary restoration and resiliency (dam removal, stream crossings), local stewardship planning (conservation and climate-adaptation plans), river education, and river access. Projects must fit the 2026-2030 Hudson River Estuary Action Agenda. A separate small-grants round, run with NEIWPCC, funds watershed education and stewardship led by community groups.
Typical grant
2026 ranges: tributary restoration $10,500 to $200,000; stewardship planning $10,500 to $50,000; river education $20,000 to $100,000; river access $10,500 to $100,000; small watershed grants $1,000 to $10,000 (DEC's September 2026 announcement and NEIWPCC's notice).
Next deadline
Main estuary grants: December 17, 2026, 3 p.m. Verified. Small watershed education and stewardship grants: December 4, 2026, 4 p.m. Verified. Information webinars October 8, 2026.
How to apply
Main grants through New York's Statewide Financial System (SFS), using the request for applications for the category that fits. The small grants go through NEIWPCC's funding opportunities page.
National Fish and Wildlife Foundation: Long Island Sound Futures Fund
Washington, DC · Long Island Sound watershed, including New York City, Westchester and Long Island's north shore
Water quality, habitat restoration, community resilience and public education projects for Long Island Sound, run with the EPA and the Long Island Sound Partnership. Habitat projects must be in the Sound's coastal watershed; education projects can be anywhere in the partnership area.
Typical grant
Implementation $50,000 to $2 million; design and planning $50,000 to $500,000; outreach and education $50,000 to $500,000; nonfederal match of 50% of the request (2026 request for proposals). New York grants in its filing for the year to September 2025, which does not name the program: Billion Oyster Project $243,037 (oyster reefs in the Sound), Rewild Long Island $130,834 (community gardens), Friends of Rye Nature Center $59,728 (riparian restoration), The Bronx is Blooming $18,533.
Next deadline
About spring 2027 Expected. The 2026 round closed May 19, 2026; the 2027 request for proposals is not posted yet.
How to apply
Online proposal in NFWF's Easygrants system once the request for proposals opens.
Lake Champlain Basin Program: Habitat and Land Conservation Grants
New York's part of the Lake Champlain basin
EPA-funded grants, run with NEIWPCC, for nonprofits working in the Lake Champlain basin. Two rounds are open now: Healthy Ecosystems grants to preserve, restore or improve wetland, riparian and aquatic habitat for native species, and Land Conservation grants for land trusts and other easement holders buying land or conservation easements that protect water quality and habitat.
Typical grant
Habitat small grants up to $50,000 and large grants $50,001 to $175,000; land conservation $100,000 to $3,000,000 per proposal (its site).
Next deadline
Healthy Ecosystems habitat grants: October 23, 2026, 5 p.m. Verified. Land Conservation: December 9, 2026, 5 p.m. Verified. Its education and outreach rounds are expected to open in October and November 2026.
How to apply
Online through the program's Foundant portal, one proposal per organization per category.
Land Trust Alliance: New York State Conservation Partnership Program
Washington, DC · statewide (land trusts only)
State-funded matching grants for New York land trusts, run by the Land Trust Alliance with the Department of Environmental Conservation, in five categories: capacity building, catalyst projects, new staff, stewardship and public access, and transaction costs for new easements and acquisitions. Applicants must be 501(c)(3) groups whose main mission is conserving private land, and must have adopted the Alliance's Land Trust Standards and Practices by board resolution.
Typical grant
Up to $2.7 million in total in the 2026 round (its site). New York grants in the Alliance's 2024 filing include Finger Lakes Land Trust $100,000, Columbia Land Conservancy $80,300, Woodstock Land Conservancy $62,770 and Orange County Land Trust $49,750.
Next deadline
About January 2027 Expected. The 2026 round closed January 5, 2026 and awards were announced in the spring; the 2027 round is not posted yet.
How to apply
The Alliance's online Application and Reporting Portal.
New York · New York City, Long Island and Westchester
Competitive environment grants in three regions. In New York City it funds climate, open space and waterfront access, watersheds, wetlands, urban tree cover and wildlife habitat, and generally not environmental education. On Long Island it funds open space and farmland preservation, water bodies, drinking water and habitat. In Westchester it funds climate work, water quality and habitat protection. Grants are for one year at a time.
Typical grant
Long Island grants generally $15,000 to $25,000 (its site). Environmental grants in its 2024 filing include Seatuck Environmental Association $363,700, Natural Areas Conservancy $100,000, Riverkeeper $95,000 and Friends of the Bay $67,000 (the filing does not separate competitive grants from donor-advised gifts).
Next deadline
New York City: proposals accepted at any time Rolling. Long Island and Westchester: only during the windows given in the application instructions, which are not posted on the pages I read Check site.
How to apply
Take the eligibility quiz, then apply through the Grantseeker Portal. A New York City proposal is a signed cover letter, a narrative of up to five pages, an itemized project budget, the organization's budget and a board list; the Trust generally wants at least four board members.
Several open programs touch the environment. The Niagara Area Foundation, one of its affiliates, funds Niagara County projects on environmental education, parks, green spaces and community gardens. The Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Trails Maintenance Fund pays for trail and greenway restoration, including habitat and native planting along trails. The Western New York Great Lakes Restoration Grant, run with Buffalo Niagara Waterkeeper, funds invasive species control, habitat restoration and stormwater projects in the Niagara River and Lake Erie watershed.
Typical grant
Niagara Area Foundation up to $10,000, historical average about $6,000; Trails Maintenance Fund has no maximum and weighs a 1:1 match; Great Lakes Restoration Grant $25,000 to $500,000 (its site). Environmental grants in its 2024 filing include Buffalo Niagara Waterkeeper $201,959, Western New York Land Conservancy $134,397, Buffalo Audubon Society $33,029 and Friends of Reinstein Nature Preserve $32,750 (the filing does not separate competitive grants from donor-advised gifts).
Next deadline
Niagara Area Foundation: October 6, 2026, 4 p.m. Verified. Trails Maintenance Fund: next round not posted; the page says to check back later in 2026 Check site. Great Lakes Restoration Grant: the 2026 letters of intent closed April 17, 2026, and no new round is posted Check site.
How to apply
Online through its Foundant grant portal; each program has its own guidelines on the grants page.
Adirondack Foundation: Terrestrial Invasive Species Management Grant
Lake Placid · Clinton, Essex, Franklin and Hamilton counties and the Adirondack Park parts of Herkimer, St. Lawrence, Warren, Saratoga and Washington counties
Grants to nonprofits and municipalities managing terrestrial invasive species in the Adirondacks, for direct removal and for training residents and organizations. The foundation also names the environment as one of its five program areas, though most of its funds are donor-advised and do not take applications.
Typical grant
Up to $5,000, paid over two years (its site). Environmental grants in its filing for the year to June 2025 include Lake George Land Conservancy $100,000 (Glenburnie land purchase), Adirondack Land Trust $50,000 and Lake George Association $25,000 (the filing does not separate competitive grants from donor-advised gifts).
Next deadline
April 30 each year (its standing schedule) Verified; next April 30, 2027. Notifications are made on a rolling basis.
How to apply
Online Grants Manager; the request should cover a three-year timeline.
Community Foundation for the Greater Capital Region
Albany, Columbia, Fulton, Greene, Montgomery, Rensselaer, Saratoga, Schenectady, Schoharie and Washington counties
Its annual Impact Grants include land conservation and preservation for the protection of wildlife among their focus areas. The Bender Family Foundation fund, which it manages, supports arts, culture, education, history and the environment, with a preference for the Albany area.
Typical grant
Impact Grants usually $1,000 to $15,000; Bender Family Foundation usually $5,000 to $15,000 (its site). Grants the foundation itself directed in its 2024 filing include Radix Ecological Sustainability Center $60,000, Hudson Taconic Lands $13,500 (land conservation), Grassland Bird Trust $8,000 and Schoharie River Center $6,000.
Next deadline
Impact Grants: about February 2027 Expected; the 2026 deadline was February 20. Bender Family Foundation pre-applications: about March 2027 Expected; the 2026 date was March 11.
How to apply
Online through its Grant Lifecycle Manager; the Bender fund needs a pre-application first.
Rochester Area Community Foundation: Environmental Justice and Sustainability
Rochester · Genesee, Livingston, Monroe, Ontario, Orleans, Seneca, Wayne and Yates counties
Environmental Justice and Sustainability is one of its three Community Impact grant areas, with an emphasis on communities most affected by environmental harm and on regional climate work. Operating, capacity-building and program grants are all considered, depending on the round.
Typical grant
Not published. Environmental grants in its filing for the year to March 2025 include Genesee Land Trust $189,600, Climate Solutions Accelerator of the Genesee-Finger Lakes Region $100,100, Rochester Ecology Partners $79,750 and Canandaigua Lake Watershed Association $12,000 (the filing does not separate competitive grants from donor-advised gifts).
Next deadline
No environmental round is marked active on its grant search page today, and no next date is posted Check site.
How to apply
Online grant portal, once a round is posted on its grant search page; it also sends a quarterly list of grant opportunities by email.
One main grant cycle a year for 501(c)(3) groups serving Tompkins County, reviewed by community teams. Its filing groups environment and sustainability grants together, and local watershed and park groups appear among them.
Typical grant
Not published. Environmental grants in its 2025 filing include Finger Lakes ReUse $26,700, Cayuga Lake Watershed Network $12,600, Discover Cayuga Lake $12,500 and Friends of Stewart Park $7,500.
Next deadline
May 2027 Expected. The 2026 cycle closed May 5, 2026, and the page says it "will next be offered in May 2027"; the exact date is not posted.
How to apply
Online application; the questions are posted on its grant page as Word and PDF files.
Penfield · Livingston, Monroe, Ontario, Seneca, Wayne and Yates counties
A foundation devoted to environmental conservation in the Rochester and Finger Lakes counties. It makes program, capital and general operating grants for conservation of scenic, wildlife, open space and outdoor recreation land, conservation research and environmental education.
Typical grant
$1,000 to $50,000 (its site). Grants in its 2025 filing: Finger Lakes Community College Foundation $267,266 (Muller Field Station), Rochester Museum & Science Center $50,000 (Cumming Nature Center), Finger Lakes Trail Conference $17,049, Corn Hill Waterfront & Navigation Foundation $15,000.
Next deadline
Inquiries any time; invited applications are reviewed at three board meetings a year, and it recommends getting them in by October 1 for November, February 1 for March and June 1 for July Rolling.
How to apply
A short online letter of inquiry; organizations whose projects fit are invited to submit a full application.
Mendon · no limit stated; western New York and national conservation groups
No website; everything here comes from its 2025 tax filing. Program support for conservation groups in New York and elsewhere, alongside fire, ambulance and library gifts in Allegany County.
Typical grant
Median $2,160 across its 18 grants in 2025. Environmental examples: American Chestnut Restoration (Laurens) $50,000, Friends of the Environment $25,000, Blackfoot Challenge $15,000.
Next deadline
None stated Filing only.
How to apply
A brief letter describing the project and the amount needed (the filing says no form is required) to David P. Ackerman, 1279 Pittsford Mendon Road, Mendon, NY 14506.
It is not exhaustive and it is not a ranking. Deadlines and guidelines change, so open each funder's own page before you start. Grants are competitive, and past grant sizes describe what a funder gave, not what it will give you. I list secular funders only.
The full version
Want this done for your own organization?
A Funding Roadmap ($1,200, flat fee) gives you ten to fifteen funders matched to your mission, place and size, the grants each one paid to groups like yours, how to apply, and a 12-month grant calendar. Every deadline is labeled the same way as on this page.
Email me your organization's name, rough budget and what you'd like funded. You'll get a written reply within two business days.
You fill in a short intake questionnaire, then answer one round of written follow-up questions.
About three weeks later you get the roadmap, a two-page note on how to use it, and 14 days of email questions.
Everything happens in writing. There are no calls or meetings.