Free funder guide · Rhode Island · Last checked 16 October 2026
Which Rhode Island environmental funders actually accept applications
Most private foundations in Rhode Island have already told the IRS they won't read your proposal. This page explains how to spot them, and lists 11 secular funders of environmental and conservation work in Rhode Island that do take applications, with what they fund, what they have given, and when they next open.
Of the 31 open Rhode Island foundations that made an environmental grant in their latest filing, 23 also gave to a church, a Catholic school, a YMCA or another faith-based group, and the rest either had a similar tie or no real conservation giving. So no Rhode Island-based private foundation is on this list. It leans on state forestry, water and land programs, the estuary programs, two Rhode Island Foundation programs and two New England foundations.
From my own read of IRS filings, September 2026
In Rhode Island, 119 of the 178 private foundations with $1 million or more in assets tick the box on their tax return saying they don't accept unsolicited requests. That is 67%.
That leaves 59 larger Rhode Island foundations that say they will read an application. It is a lower share of closed doors than in Massachusetts (72%, 1,151 of 1,592) and Connecticut (77%, 571 of 738), counted the same way.
How I counted: every private non-operating foundation with a Rhode Island 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 (mostly tax years 2024 and 2025). Operating foundations, which mostly run their own programs, are left out, as they were for Massachusetts and Connecticut. Counting them too gives 67% (126 of 187).
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.
11 funders
Open to applications, and funding environmental work in Rhode Island.
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 16 Oct 2026Expected based on last cycle; next not yet postedRolling applications any timeCheck site next date not posted; open their page
Statewide and regional public grantmakers
01
Rhode Island DEM: Nonpoint Source (Section 319) Implementation Grants
Providence · targeted watersheds statewide
Federal Clean Water Act money for projects that prevent or reduce polluted runoff and restore aquatic habitat in watersheds with an approved plan: buffer restoration, stream crossings, green stormwater infrastructure, septic fixes, farm practices and erosion control. Watershed, environmental and conservation nonprofits are eligible alongside towns and schools.
Typical grant
An estimated $750,000 in this round; applications generally $25,000 to $400,000, with a match required (its site).
Next deadline
2026 round: proposals due by 4 p.m. on November 16, 2026, extended from October 16 Verified.
How to apply
Online through the state's eCivis grant management system after registering; hard copies are not accepted.
Rhode Island DEM: Urban and Community Forestry Grant Program
Providence · statewide
Federal forestry grants for projects that improve how communities manage and care for their trees and that build public understanding of tree cover: management plans, training, education and Tree City USA work. Nonprofits, towns and public schools can apply; tree maintenance and landscaping supplies are not eligible.
Typical grant
$2,000 to $10,000, with a 50 percent match, paid as reimbursement (its site).
Next deadline
2026-27 round: September 15 to November 15, 2026, 4 p.m. Verified.
How to apply
Through the state grant funding opportunities portal; DEM strongly advises attending its fall grant webinar first.
Rhode Island DEM: Green Space Grants (Local Open Space and Recreational Trails)
Providence · statewide
State bond and federal money for land conservation and trails. Local Open Space grants help land trusts and nonprofit conservation groups buy open space; Recreational Trails grants help nonprofits build and maintain public trails.
Typical grant
Open Space: up to 50 percent of appraised value, to $500,000 per project, in the last round. Trails: up to 80 percent of project costs (its site).
Next deadline
The last open space round closed July 25, 2025, and the next trails round is pending federal funds. No new round is posted for either Check site.
How to apply
Application instructions are posted on the Green Space page when a round opens; open space applications have gone by email to DEM's planning division.
Coastal Resources Management Council: Coastal and Estuarine Habitat Restoration Trust Fund
Wakefield · Rhode Island coast and estuaries
Grants for design, planning, construction and monitoring of coastal and estuarine habitat restoration, with priority for projects that help habitats cope with storms and sea level rise and for communities that have seen less restoration money. Nonprofits, civic groups, schools and towns can apply.
Typical grant
$225,000 available for fiscal 2027; awards generally $5,000 to $50,000 a year (its notice). 2026 awards included Save The Bay $49,426 (Rodman Mill Dam removal), Woonasquatucket River Watershed Council $23,574 and Pawtuxet River Authority and Watershed Council $20,000.
Next deadline
Fiscal 2027 pre-proposals due by 4 p.m. on November 6, 2026 Verified.
How to apply
Download the pre-proposal form from the CRMC notice and email it as a PDF to the program contact named there.
Narragansett Bay Estuary Program: Requests for Proposals
Bristol · Narragansett Bay, Little Narragansett Bay and Coastal Ponds watersheds (RI, MA, CT)
Competitive rounds for water quality and habitat work in the bay region: design, engineering and permitting for restoration projects, and smaller outreach and education grants.
Typical grant
2026 design and planning round: about $880,000 available. 2026 outreach and education round: $75,000 in total, up to $15,000 per project (its site).
Next deadline
The 2026 design and planning round closed October 2, 2026, and the 2026 outreach round closed April 10, 2026. A later round is not announced Check site.
How to apply
Requests for proposals and forms are posted on its grants page; it offers an email list for new rounds.
Restore America's Estuaries: SNEP Watershed Implementation Grants and Mini-Grants
Arlington, VA · Southeast New England, from Westerly to Cape Cod
EPA Southeast New England Program money, run by Restore America's Estuaries, for clean water and habitat restoration: dam and culvert projects, floodplain restoration, green stormwater infrastructure, plus small capital mini-grants for equipment and supplies.
Typical grant
2026 Rhode Island awards: six watershed grants totaling $1,195,000 (for example Rhode Island Trout Unlimited $100,000) and ten mini-grants totaling about $68,000, including Groundwork Rhode Island $10,000, Audubon Society of Rhode Island $9,988 and Aquidneck Island Land Trust $4,075.
Next deadline
The 2026 awards were announced in October 2026. The next request for proposals is not posted yet Check site.
How to apply
Requests for proposals are posted on its SNEP grants page; questions to the program director by email.
National Fish and Wildlife Foundation: Northeast Forests and Rivers Fund and National Coastal Resilience Fund
Washington, DC · New England, including all of Rhode Island
Two NFWF programs that cover Rhode Island. The Northeast Forests and Rivers Fund pays for forest habitat management, stream connectivity and riparian restoration; the National Coastal Resilience Fund pays for nature-based projects that protect coastal communities from flooding while improving habitat.
Typical grant
$75,000 to $300,000, with a 1:1 match preferred (2025 request for proposals). Coastal Resilience: average awards $100,000 to $1,500,000 for planning and design (2026 request for proposals). Rhode Island grants in NFWF's filing for the year to September 2025, which does not name the programs: Bristol County Water Authority $304,519 (tidal marsh resiliency), Groundwork Rhode Island $27,695 (tree planting for bird habitat), Eastern RI Conservation District $15,944.
Next deadline
Forests and Rivers: the last request for proposals (2025) closed June 26, 2025, and no 2026 round is posted Check site. Coastal Resilience: 2026 pre-proposals were due March 31, 2026; next about late March 2027 Expected.
How to apply
Proposal in NFWF's Easygrants system when a request for proposals is open; Coastal Resilience starts with a pre-proposal.
Rhode Island Foundation: Community Priority Grants
Providence · statewide
The foundation's main open program, for program or general operating support tied to its community priorities. Climate action and sustainability is one of them, with a focus on communities most affected by pollution.
Typical grant
Average grant $60,000 in 2025; general operating guidelines run from up to $40,000 (budgets under $150,000) to $150,000 (its site). Environmental grants in its 2024 filing, which mixes donor funds with open grants: Audubon Society of Rhode Island $376,404, Roger Williams Park Conservancy $282,002, South Kingstown Land Trust $56,071, Woonasquatucket River Watershed Council $56,050.
Next deadline
Twice a year. The 2026 Round 2 full applications were due October 8, 2026, with awards in December. Next: Round 1 pre-application about January 2027 Expected.
How to apply
Short pre-application reviewed on a rolling basis, then a full application by invitation. Its page says review may include a conversation with a program officer; ask whether it can be done in writing.
Rhode Island Foundation: Newport County Fund Grants
Providence · Newport County
Small strategic grants for nonprofits and town departments serving Newport County, for new programs, expanded services, planning or advocacy. It does not fund capital or endowment campaigns.
Typical grant
$1,000 to $10,000 (its site). Its August 2025 awards included Conanicut Island Land Trust $5,000 (Bringing Nature to the Classroom) and Bike Newport $5,500.
Next deadline
Once a year. The 2026 deadline was March 26, 2026. Next about March 2027 Expected.
How to apply
Online application with budget, board list and IRS letter through the foundation's grants portal.
Auburndale, MA · New England and upper New York State
Community-based nature and land conservation groups: land protection, trails and public access, and projects that involve local residents in conservation. It is unlikely to fund routine operating budgets or deficits.
Typical grant
$500 to $25,000, most $2,000 to $15,000 (its site). Rhode Island grants in its 2024 filing: Westerly Land Trust $20,000 (Champlin Farm), Town of Scituate $10,000 (upland habitat).
Next deadline
Any time; the directors meet regularly through the year Rolling.
How to apply
Email a full proposal of three or four pages plus attachments, or start with a one-page outline.
Groton, CT · coastal and marine projects nationally
Projects on the marine environment (coastal and estuarine conservation, research, stewardship education) and on safety at sea. It favors discrete projects and smaller organizations, and applicants must be public charities.
Typical grant
Generally about $10,000 or less (its site); median $4,410 across 30 grants in 2025. Rhode Island example: Save The Bay $4,300.
Next deadline
Twice a year: February 1 for the March board meeting and September 1 for the October meeting (its standing schedule) Verified. Next deadline February 1, 2027.
How to apply
Its Grant Summary Form plus a full proposal package by email to [email protected].
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.
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