North American Wetlands Conservation Act Small Grants Program

THE BASICS

• Grant request may not exceed $100,000.
• Partners must match their grant request at no less than a 1-to-1 ratio. For example, applicants requesting a $100,000 grant would also need to contribute at least $100,000 in partner funds (from nonfederal sources) towards the project. Funds that pass through a nonfederal partner but originate from the Federal government are not eligible as match.
• All eligible costs must be directly linked to eligible acquired, restored, or established acres that are completed DURING the project period. This means that each grant and match dollar, except for indirect costs, must be linked to an acre acquired, restored, and/or enhanced.
• In general, laws and requirements that apply to activities funded with NAWCA dollars also apply to items either funded with match dollars or provided as in-kind match (i.e. real property interests). There are very few differences in grant and match for grant administration purposes.
• Grantees are held accountable for both acres and match, as defined in the proposal (as revised) and grant agreement.  Without prior approval, accomplishing less than 100 percent of acres or match will result in a reduction of the award amount. This means that you may have to return grant funds if, for example, you do not acquire all the acres you propose to buy, even with match dollars.
• Proposals must be for on-the-ground projects.
• Proposals that keep grant costs not directly associated with acquisition, restoration, enhancement or establishment activities (e.g., grant administration, overhead, indirect costs) below 20% of the grant request are generally more competitive. As an exception, if your organization has an officially negotiated indirect cost rate agreement with a US federal agency, you may use your negotiated rate even when it exceeds 20%. However, having a cost that is lower than the negotiated rate may make your proposal more competitive.