Sustain Our Great Lakes Program
Forecasted
Sustain Our Great Lakes Program supports conservation partners in restoring habitat, building nature-based infrastructure and controlling invasive species to protect Great Lakes wildlife and water quality.
Funder: National Fish and Wildlife Foundation
Due Dates (Anticipated): February 2027 (Pre-proposal) | April 2027 (Full proposal)
Funding Amounts: 2023 guidance: $200,000–$1 million for categories 1–3; $100,000–$350,000 for category 4; typically 2–3 years
Summary: Supports on-the-ground habitat restoration, nature-based infrastructure and invasive species control to protect Great Lakes fish, wildlife and water quality.
Key Information: The 2023 applicant guidance limits eligibility to U.S. nonprofits, state, tribal and local governments, and educational institutions.
Description
Sustain Our Great Lakes is a public–private partnership administered by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF). It awards grants for on-the-ground habitat restoration and enhancement throughout the Great Lakes basin, leveraging funding, building conservation capacity and bringing partners together around key ecological issues. The program addresses habitat loss and fragmentation, invasive species and pollution that impair water quality and wildlife populations.
Current funding priorities include habitat restoration to conserve species and improve water quality, nature-based infrastructure in Great Lakes communities, invasive species control to protect restored habitat, and activating restored habitats and natural areas. Partners include Cleveland-Cliffs, Caerus Foundation, Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Foundation and federal environmental, wildlife, forest and conservation agencies. Significant funding comes from the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative.
