Grants for Environmental Education Programs 2026

Environmental Education Programs vs. Nature Centers

Nature centers own land and buildings. Many environmental education programs don't. They run a 1-day field lesson or a multi-week school unit without a site of their own: they bring lessons to schools, use public land or borrow a partner's site. That difference changes 2 things about fundraising.

If your program owns a site with trails and an interpretive building, start with grants for nature centers, which covers capital and land funders. Watershed groups that do restoration as well as teaching should also read grants for watershed associations.

EPA Environmental Education Grants: $200,000 to $250,000, Round Closed March 2026

According to EPA's program page, EPA has distributed between $2 million and $3.5 million in environmental education grants each year since 1992, supporting more than 3,980 grants. The program funds projects that design, demonstrate or disseminate environmental education practices, methods or techniques.

The most recent round

EPA's January 2026 announcement offered up to $3.2 million for up to 16 grants of $200,000 to $250,000 each, under notice EPA-EE-25-01. Applications were due March 3, 2026, and that competition has closed.

Eligible applicants listed on the EPA page include local education agencies, nonprofit organizations, colleges and universities, state education or environmental agencies, local or county environmental agencies, and certain tribal organizations and agencies.

Rules that shape your budget

According to EPA, 2 rules apply to every award:

1. 25% cost share. The cost share is 25% of the total project cost, not 25% of the EPA request. EPA's page has a calculator for it.
2. 25% for small subawards. A quarter of the EPA funding must go to subawards of $5,000 or less each.

That subaward rule matters even if you never apply. Every EPA grantee has to regrant part of its money in small pieces, which is often how a small local program gets EPA money. Ask your state's environmental education association or past grantees in your EPA region whether they're running a subaward round.

The honest view on EPA

16 grants for the whole country is a small number. A program with a budget under $500,000 will usually find a better return in subawards and private foundations. Apply directly only if you can manage a multi-state or regional project and the regrant program that comes with it.

NOAA B-WET: Watershed Education in 7 Regions

According to NOAA, Bay-Watershed Education and Training (B-WET) is a competitive grant program for K-12 science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education about local watershed issues. Its core is the Meaningful Watershed Educational Experience, a framework where students investigate a local environmental issue and take informed action.

NOAA reports that in fiscal year (FY) 2025, B-WET funded 120 institutions in 23 states and the District of Columbia, gave professional development to 4,300 educators and reached 53,200 students in 495 schools.

Where B-WET runs

The NOAA apply page (opens in a new tab) lists these regions:

As of its July 2026 update, the apply page said no B-WET competitions were open. If you're outside these regions, B-WET isn't an option.

B-WET and after-school programs

NOAA's B-WET pages list a partnership with the Nita M. Lowey 21st Century Community Learning Centers program, which the U.S. Department of Education funds through states for after-school and summer learning. An environmental education group that partners with a 21st Century program (opens in a new tab) can bring outdoor lessons into after-school time.

Which Foundations Fund Environmental Education: What 990-PF Filings Show

Grantsights searched the largest named environment grants in every state for education. Education came up often. These are tax year 2025 gifts.

Patterns worth copying

Education is a named purpose. Unlike many causes, environment funders write "environmental education" on their 990-PFs. That makes funder research easier: search a funder's history for the words education, school and youth.

Minnesota has depth. 3 Minnesota programs appear in the table: Wilderness Inquiry, Dream of Wild Health and Wolf Ridge. Minnesota's environment median of $10,000 is also among the highest in the file.

Mobile programs get funded. One organization in Florida, the Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation, drew $100,000 for a mobile lab. Programs without a building can ask for vans, boats and field kits the same way.

Environment grants by state

The environment funder list for educators

The Grantsights environment funder list previews environment and conservation funders in your state for free, with those that accept requests at the top and the groups each one funded recently. It's a strong fit for environmental education, since education gifts are common in the file. Programs that mainly serve schools should also look at the education list. A state list is $29, or $99 for a year of every cause list, with a 30-day refund if it doesn't help.

What EPA Doesn't Tell You About Environmental Education Funding

These 4 points come from comparing the EPA and NOAA pages with the 990-PF filings.

1. Federal money is thin and episodic. With up to 16 EPA grants per round and B-WET closed as of July 2026, federal money can't be your base. Contrary to popular belief, environmental education runs mostly on private and local money.
2. Subawards are your federal door. EPA's rule that 25% of each award go to subawards of $5,000 or less creates small grants every round. Find out who in your region holds an EPA award.
3. Schools can't always pay. Field trip fees and bus costs are often what stops a school from saying yes. A funder that pays for buses and fees for low-income schools gets a clear, countable result.
4. Teacher training multiplies reach. B-WET's FY2025 numbers included 4,300 educators trained. A program that trains teachers reaches students for years after the grant ends.

Grantsights' honest take: an environmental education program under $400,000 should build on 8 to 15 environment and education foundations, school fees where schools can pay and 1 or 2 subaward or partnership routes into federal money.

5 Environmental Education Projects Funders Understand

1. School field programs. A set number of classes, a 1-day or multi-day field experience and a classroom follow-up.
2. Bus and fee subsidies. Paying transportation and fees for Title I schools.
3. Watershed investigations. Students test local water and present findings, in line with the Meaningful Watershed Educational Experience. Some children's museums run similar water programs; grants for children's museums shows who funds them.
4. Teacher workshops. Summer institutes with stipends, curriculum and follow-up visits.
5. Mobile labs and field kits. Vans, boats and equipment that bring the lesson to the school.

Common Mistakes in Environmental Education Grant Requests

• Reporting only headcounts. Funders want learning outcomes too: what students can do or explain after the program.
• Underestimating transportation. Bus costs can exceed program fees. A red flag for funders is a school program with no plan for getting students there.
• Applying to EPA without a regrant plan. The 25% subaward rule is part of every EPA award. Plan it before you apply.
• Ignoring outside B-WET regions. If your state isn't in a B-WET region, don't spend time on it.
• Sizing asks without research. Read how to read a 990-PF to check what each funder actually gives.

An Environmental Education Program's Funding Year

School calendars drive this work, so most asks should go out 4 to 6 months before the semester they pay for.

The Grantsights grant database tracks open federal and state notices, including EPA and NOAA rounds when they post.

Related Guides for Environmental Education Programs

These 3 pages cover overlapping funders. Programs that teach through gardens should read grants for school gardens. Programs that run overnight or summer sessions should see grants for summer camps. Programs teaching about trees and urban forests can use grants for tree planting programs.

FAQ: Common Questions

Is the EPA Environmental Education Grant program still running? Its last round closed March 3, 2026; watch EPA for the next notice.

What are the EPA Environmental Education cost share and subaward rules? A 25% cost share and 25% of EPA funds in subawards of $5,000 or less.

What is NOAA B-WET? A K-12 watershed education grant in 7 regions, closed as of July 2026.

Do private foundations fund environmental education? Yes, and they often name it on their filings.

What's a typical environment foundation grant? Medians of $3,000 to $10,000 in the states shown.

Sources

• EPA: Environmental Education Grant Solicitation Notice (opens in a new tab)
• EPA: Environmental Education Grants program page (opens in a new tab)
• EPA: EPA Seeks Applicants for Environmental Education Grants (opens in a new tab)
• NOAA: Bay-Watershed Education and Training (B-WET) (opens in a new tab)
• NOAA: B-WET apply page (opens in a new tab)
• U.S. Department of Education: 21st Century Community Learning Centers (opens in a new tab)
• IRS: About Form 990-PF (opens in a new tab)