Environmental Education Grants Program (66.951)
Environmental Education Grants Program (Assistance Listing 66.951) is run by the Environmental Protection Agency. It awarded $13.2 million in 139 grants from fiscal 2021 to 2025, about $95,080 per award on average. No funding opportunity is open on Grants.gov right now.
The typical award was $100,000. Half of the 139 awards fell between $98,224 and $100,000, and they ranged from $60,000 to $100,000.
- Awarded, FY 2021 to 2025$13.2 million
- Grant awards139
- Typical award$100,000
- Awarded in FY 2025$3.2 million
- Size rank1,425 of 1,823
- Type of assistanceProject grants
Key findings
- Annual funding rose from $400,000 in fiscal 2021 to $3.2 million in fiscal 2025.
- It is the 1425th largest of 1,823 federal grant programs by five-year awards.
- The 20 largest recipients received 23% of the money.
- Awards went to recipients in 44 states and territories.
What the program funds
The Environmental Education Grants Program supports projects that design, demonstrate, and/or disseminate practices, methods, or techniques related to environmental education and teacher training. As required by the National Environmental Education Act, Sec. 6, this grant program provides financial support for environmental education projects that increase public awareness and knowledge about local environmental issues and provide project participants with the skills necessary to make informed decisions and to take responsible actions toward the environment. These grant projects are implemented by schools, universities, state and local government environmental and educational agencies, tribal education agencies, nonprofit 501 (c)(3) organizations, and other eligible entities.
Open opportunities
No opportunity under this program is open or forecast on Grants.gov right now. Programs often post once a year, so the funding history below shows what to expect.
Rules from the program listing
Who can apply
Applicant organizations may be located in the United States or U.S. Territories. The majority of the educational activities must take place in the United States, Canada, or Mexico. "Tribal education agencies" that are eligible to apply include a school or community college which is controlled by an Indian tribe, band, or nation, which is recognized as eligible for special programs and services provided by the United States to Indians because of their status as Indians and which is not administered by the Bureau of Indian Education. Tribal organizations do not qualify unless they meet those criteria or the environmental agency or nonprofit criteria listed above. The terms for eligibility are defined in Section 3 of the NEEA and 40 CFR 47.105. For certain competitive funding opportunities under this assistance listing, the Agency may limit eligibility to compete to a number or subset of eligible applicants consistent with the Agency's Assistance Agreement Competition Policy.
What the money can and cannot pay for
Activities eligible for grant support pursuant to Section 6 of the NEEA shall include, but not be limited to, environmental education and training programs for one or more of the following: (1) design, demonstration, and/or dissemination of environmental curricula and materials on specific topics relevant to the local environmental issue being addressed in the project; (2) design and demonstration (for educational purposes) of field methods, practices, and techniques, including review of environmental and ecological conditions and analysis of environmental and pollution problems; (3) projects to help the public understand and evaluate a specific environmental issue or a specific environmental problem; (4) provision of professional development or related education for teachers, faculty, or related personnel in a specific geographic area or region; and (5) design and demonstration of projects to foster international cooperation in addressing and educating the public on environmental issues and problems involving the United States and Canada or Mexico.
Matching requirements
This program has no statutory formula. In accordance with the Section 6 of the National Environmental Education Act (Public Law 101-619), federal funds for any project under this section shall not exceed 75 percent of the total cost of such project. The project has a 25 percent non-federal match required by statutory formula. For the purposes of this section, the non-federal share of project costs may be provided by cash or by in- kind contributions and other non-cash support. Specific matching requirements will be described in detail in the competitive announcement.MOE requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing.
Deadlines
For competitive awards, deadlines will be specified in the NOFO.
Award range and average, in the agency's words
In 2022, awards ranged from $60,000 to $100,000. The average award in 2022 was $95,695. In 2023, awards ranged from $68,814 to $100,000. The average award in 2023 was for $95,271. In 2024, awards ranged from $50,000 to $100,000.
Examples of funded projects
Fiscal Year2025: Section 6(b) of the National Environmental Education Act (NEEA) contains a list of environmental education activities eligible for grant support. For current information on the types of projects funded under this assistance listing, please visit the following website: https://www.epa.gov/education/grants#awarded.
Funding history and past recipients
From fiscal 2021 to 2025, Environmental Education Grants Program (66.951) awarded $13.2 million across 139 grant awards, an average of $95,080 per award.
| Recipient | State | Awards | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Colorado Alliance for Environmental Education | Colorado | 2 | $200,000 |
| National Wildlife Federation | Virginia | 2 | $200,000 |
| New Haven Ecology Project Inc | Connecticut | 2 | $200,000 |
| Ecorise Youth Innovations | Texas | 2 | $200,000 |
| Kansas Association for Conservation and Environmental Education | Kansas | 2 | $200,000 |
| University of Illinois | Illinois | 2 | $200,000 |
| Rowan University | New Jersey | 2 | $199,999 |
| Nooksack Salmon Enhancement Association | Washington | 2 | $189,735 |
| Minnesota State University Mankato | Minnesota | 2 | $180,000 |
| Protect Our Water Jackson Hole, Inc. | Wyoming | 2 | $176,487 |
| Living Classrooms Foundation, Inc. | Maryland | 2 | $175,000 |
| Industry Initiatives for Science and Math Education | California | 2 | $120,000 |
| Sequoia Riverlands Trust | California | 1 | $100,000 |
| Woonasquatucket River Watershed Council | Rhode Island | 1 | $100,000 |
| University of the Virgin Islands | U.S. Virgin Islands | 1 | $100,000 |
| Emory University | Georgia | 1 | $100,000 |
| Icast (International Center for Appropriate and Sustainable Technology) | Colorado | 1 | $100,000 |
| The Ecology School | Maine | 1 | $100,000 |
| Earth Conservation Corps | District of Columbia | 1 | $100,000 |
| Port Townsend School District | Washington | 1 | $100,000 |
Who usually wins
Nonprofits received 73% of the money, colleges and universities 23% and state and local governments 3.4%.
| Recipient type | Awards | Amount | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nonprofits | 102 | $9.7 million | 73% |
| Colleges and universities | 32 | $3.1 million | 23% |
| State and local governments | 5 | $449,965 | 3.4% |
By state
3 states have a page for this program: those that received at least $1 million or 10 awards. They are Washington, New York and California.
| State | Awards | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Washington | 10 | $969,735 |
| New York | 10 | $960,679 |
| California | 10 | $918,491 |
| Colorado | 9 | $855,924 |
| Texas | 7 | $686,400 |
| Maryland | 6 | $569,611 |
| Pennsylvania | 6 | $568,128 |
| Illinois | 6 | $535,000 |
| Connecticut | 5 | $495,000 |
| Massachusetts | 5 | $470,000 |
| Minnesota | 4 | $378,000 |
| Alaska | 4 | $371,429 |
| Florida | 3 | $300,000 |
| Ohio | 3 | $300,000 |
| Virginia | 3 | $300,000 |
| District of Columbia | 3 | $299,999 |
| New Jersey | 3 | $299,999 |
| New Mexico | 3 | $299,800 |
| Louisiana | 3 | $272,000 |
| Maine | 3 | $265,814 |
| Missouri | 3 | $219,630 |
| Iowa | 2 | $200,000 |
| Kansas | 2 | $200,000 |
| Mississippi | 2 | $200,000 |
| Tennessee | 2 | $200,000 |
| Montana | 2 | $198,448 |
| Nevada | 2 | $190,000 |
| Wyoming | 2 | $176,487 |
| Delaware | 1 | $100,000 |
| Georgia | 1 | $100,000 |
| Kentucky | 1 | $100,000 |
| Michigan | 1 | $100,000 |
| Northern Mariana Islands | 1 | $100,000 |
| Oregon | 1 | $100,000 |
| Puerto Rico | 1 | $100,000 |
| Rhode Island | 1 | $100,000 |
| U.S. Virgin Islands | 1 | $100,000 |
| Wisconsin | 1 | $100,000 |
| Alabama | 1 | $99,815 |
| Nebraska | 1 | $99,795 |
| Arizona | 1 | $96,000 |
| Hawaii | 1 | $80,000 |
| North Carolina | 1 | $80,000 |
| Vermont | 1 | $60,000 |