Freshwater Future
Spring and Fall 2008 Funding Cycles
Purpose of the Grants Program: The goal of Freshwater Future grants program is to provide financial support to advocacy activities that strengthen the role of individuals and community groups working locally to protect and restore shorelines, inland lakes, rivers, wetlands, and other aquatic habitats in the Great Lakes Basin. Advocacy work, as defined here, involves local community members actively promoting aquatic habitat protection by influencing community and/or individual behavior or opinion, corporate conduct, and/or public policy.
Mission: Freshwater Future builds effective community-based citizen action to protect and restore the water quality of the Great Lakes Basin. We work toward this goal by providing financial assistance, communications and networking assistance, and technical assistance to citizens and grassroots watershed groups throughout the Great Lakes Basin. Through these efforts we work with over 1,800 grassroots watershed groups and citizens to protect and restore the rivers, lakes and wetlands in their communities.
An important link in protecting our water resources is the active involvement of individuals and community groups working at the local level to protect rivers, lakes and wetlands. The passion shown by Great Lakes Basin residents for their local resources is inspiring, and represents an important part of the environmental movement in the Great Lakes Basin. Citizens participate in local decisions affecting aquatic habitats, watch-dog the enforcement of environmental laws, and create change through civic engagement. Through these important local activities, the grassroots provide an important voice for aquatic habitat protection where the majority of land use decisions are made-at the local level. Realizing the importance of grassroots involvement, Freshwater Future works to build the capacity of local citizen-based aquatic habitat protection efforts by providing financial, technical, and communication support.
Communications and Networking Support: An important strength of Freshwater Future is the linkage between the funding component and the networking component. Freshwater Future's new Advocate Mentor Program provides additional networking support. See below for more details. For additional assistance please see www.freshwaterfuture.org or call Freshwater Future staff at (231) 348-8200.
*Please make sure to read the entire RFP before applying for a grant.*
2008 Request For Proposals
(PDF Format)