Resilient and Connected Appalachians Grant Program
Forecasted
Resilient and Connected Appalachians Grant Program supports conservation groups, Tribes, and governments in protecting land to strengthen climate resilience, habitat connections, and community benefits.
Funder: The Nature Conservancy
Due Dates (Anticipated): February 2027 (Application deadline)
Funding Amounts: Up to $100,000 per project; $1.1 million available in the 2026 round
Summary: Supports permanent land and conservation easement acquisitions that strengthen climate resilience, habitat connectivity, and community benefits across the Appalachians.
Key Information: Projects must overlap the Appalachians Program boundary, Resilient and Connected Network, and mapped focal areas, with limited focal-area exceptions.
Description
The Nature Conservancy’s Resilient and Connected Appalachians Grant Program supports permanent land protection through its Connectivity, Climate, Communities Fund. It funds fee acquisitions and conservation easements that contribute to landscape-scale conservation, protect climate-resilient habitats, and maintain corridors through which plants and animals can move as conditions change.
The program combines biodiversity conservation with tangible benefits for local communities. Projects must explain how community engagement and benefits are embedded in their work, such as accessible nature experiences, drinking water protection, flood mitigation, recreation, or resource-based economic opportunities. Evaluation considers community participation in project design, collaborative management, and two-way learning alongside conservation value and project feasibility.
