News

The National League of Cities (NLC) program will provide federal grant application assistance for up to 20 small and medium-sized Minnesota cities.

With billions of dollars in new and existing federal discretionary grants authorized by the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), the National League of Cities (NLC) has launched a new program to help cities develop and submit federal grant applications.

The NLC’s Federal Grant Navigation Program seeks to help cities collect necessary data, match community needs with funding streams, and apply for federal grants. The program is free for up to 20 cities in Minnesota with populations of no less than or near 9,000. It is open to both NLC members and non-members.

Participating cities will receive specialized one-on-one assistance. They will also participate in a cohort with other municipalities across the country, based on size and need, to share strategies and best practices for successfully securing federal grant awards. Interested cities can sign up for NLC’s Grant Navigation Program by completing a form on the program’s website.

Learn More and Sign Up 

Apply to be a host site for a Climate Impact Corps - Community Forest Corps member for the 2022-2023 service year. 

Preserving and Increasing Tree Canopy

AmeriCorps members add to the capacity of your team by supporting tree inventorying, tree planting events, gravel bed nursery projects, Emerald Ash Borer management plan development, and more.

Educating and Connecting with Residents

AmeriCorps members help advance your mission by leading outreach activities and supporting with volunteer recruitment, training, and utilization.

Reaching Communities Across the State

Climate Impact Corps thrives in a wide variety of contexts. We work with governmental agencies and non-profit organizations across Minnesota in rural, urban, and suburban settings.

Apply Today

Guide to Partnering with the Community Forest Initiative

Site applications are accepted on a rolling basis.

The first round of award notifications was announced in late February.

Contact:  

Lizzie Morris Vogt, Director of Partnerships

lizziemorrisvogt@ampact.us | 612-314-3906

Join a class or webinar with Rethos and learn more about how to connect with historic places and promoting community vitality. 

Offerings include (for example): 

• Accessibility in Historic Downtowns 
• Why Old is Green: Sustainability in Older Homes 
• Racism in Real Estate
• Maximizing Window Energy Efficiency 
• Old Home Weatherization 
• Prairie Garden installations and maintenance

Audience: 

• NEIGHBORHOOD GROUPS who need advice on historic designations or saving important structures.
• DEVELOPERS who support the need to work with legislators on the historic tax credits and seek us out for investment partnerships.
• HOMEOWNERS who want to learn more through our unique classes and experiential tours.
• MAIN STREET COMMUNITIES for a proven path to economic strength - and more.

SEE ALL EVENTS AND SIGN UP  

DSIRE is the most comprehensive source of information on incentives and policies that support renewable energy and energy efficiency in the United States. Established in 1995, DSIRE is operated by the N.C. Clean Energy Technology Center at N.C. State University. 

Find policies, programs, and incentives by state - including biomass, fuel-cells, geothermal, hydroelectric, solar, wind, and energy-efficiency. 

LEARN MORE and SEARCH. 

Upstream Nutrient Reduction: MnTAP has launched a project geared towards working with facilities upstream of wastewater treatment plants to help them better-manage wastewater effluent.

Through this project, at no-cost, MnTAP staff and interns can help identify strategies for upstream nutrient reduction, which can:

• Decrease load to local wastewater treatment ponds and plants
• Reduce the burden on our local bodies of water and wildlife
• Minimize pressure and costs for businesses that discharge wastewater

The Minnesota Technical Assistance Program (MnTAP) is an outreach program at the University of Minnesota that helps Minnesota organizations develop and implement industry-tailored solutions that prevent pollution at the source, maximize efficient use of resources, and reduce energy use and costs to improve public health and the environment.

See current grant opportunities as part of the LMC Resource Library - https://www.lmc.org/page/1/current-grant.jsp

The Clean Water Partnership (CWP) program offers zero-interest loans to local units of government for implementing nonpoint-source best management practices and other activities that target the restoration and protection of a water resource such as a lake, stream, or groundwater aquifer.

Eligible projects include:

• Urban green infrastructure such as rain water reuse, green roofs, porous pavement, or any stormwater best management practice (BMP)
• Buffers: purchase of native seeds and vegetation
• Septic system upgrades and replacements
• Technical assistance, outreach, and education
• Equipment such as conservation tillage equipment
• Any nonpoint source BMP
• Feedlot upgrades and replacement  

Funding: Up to $2 million, 0% interest
Timing: Accepted on a rolling basis
Link: https://www.pca.state.mn.us/water/cwp-loans

The Minnesota State Program Navigator was developed in 2018 by the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy to compile information and program offerings across state agencies that, specifically, rural communities might be interested in accessing. The Navigator includes technical (staff support, education, etc.) and financial (loans, grants, etc.) resources that incentivize or support rural communities in making environmental, sustainability, and community resilience improvements. Programs may be accessed by residents, farmers, businesses, educators, public entities and local governments. 

The State Program Navigator was developed in response to the 2016 Rural Climate Dialogue State Convening. The convening gathered rural residents from three counties (Stevens, Itasca, and Winona) and staff from over ten state agencies to discuss how the state government could better integrate rural priorities into their planning, and how rural residents and communities could better access state resources. Participants agreed that accessing state financial and technical resources was difficult given the breadth of programs across different agencies.

LEARN MORE and ACCESS THE REPORT (appendix).