Environmental Impact Grant

Expression of Interest for the 2023 intake are now closed. Expression of Interest for 2024 will open mid-December 2023.

The Environmental Impact Grant program criteria are available on this page, or you can download a PDF copy of the Grant Guidelines.

Download Program Guidelines

We hosted a webinar June 2022 to help you learn about our Grant Program goals, processes and to ask questions. The webinar highlights the types of initiatives that will be supported in our four focus areas and challenges statements, as well as program details like eligibility requirements, evaluation criteria, and reporting.

View Webinar Recording | View Webinar Slides

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Focus Areas and Challenge Statements

Initiatives for the Environmental Impact Grant must align with a Challenge Statement in one of our four focus areas and must take place in Alberta.

1
Nature-based Solutions & Conservation
- Initiatives deploying Nature-based solutions (NbS) for the purposes of measurable and attributable carbon sequestration and ecosystem services.
- Initiatives that advance community led climate, water quality/conservation and biodiversity solutions that protect key ecosystems.
- Initiatives that improve understanding of agriculture’s role in NbS and decarbonization pathways.
2
Climate Resilience & Emissions Reductions
- Initiatives that advance emission reduction strategies that can be attributed to municipal or community GHG emissions including Nature-based solutions.
- Initiatives that advance low carbon resilience - resulting in emission reductions while also adapting to climate change and improving community resilience.
3
Circular Economy
- Initiatives that enhance the knowledge and understanding, or ability for communities to engage in circular economy activities.
- Initiatives that accelerate the transition to a circular economy.
4
Overarching or Foundational
Justice/equity
- Initiatives that address environmental justice and its role in achieving environmental outcomes.
- Initiatives that address the lack of access for marginalised, under-represented groups in achieving environmental outcomes.
Monitoring
- Initiatives that strengthen the overall capacity of land and water leaders and stewards.
- Initiatives to undertake and improve monitoring, measurement, and reporting plans (e.g. water or biodiversity monitoring).
Financial
- Initiatives that value ecosystem services and the monetization of environmental attributes.
- Initiatives that facilitate sustainable conservation financing to sustain Indigenous stewardship of Indigenous Protected and Conserved Areas (IPCAs) through research, policy and capacity building.
- Initiatives that explore financing mechanisms for Nature-based Solutions.

Get up to $50,000

We support a diverse range of activities related to our focus areas. For the Environmental Impact Grant, you can request up to $50,000 in funding.

Alberta Ecotrust Foundation would consider disbursing up to $100,000 to multiple groups in equal partnership on a high impact initiative. Please indicate through the EOI if you want to explore this additional funding, and clearly outline your concept, approach, and partners. We highly encourage you to contact one of our Program Specialists in advance of your EOI to discuss this option. Update for this intake: If you apply as a high impact initiative, your application will not be considered at the $50,000 amount. Only one high impact grant will be awarded per grant cycle.

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Are you eligible?

Organisations are able to submit more than one initiative at the EOI stage, but only one full application will be accepted per grant round. The following organisations are eligible to apply:

Nonprofit and Qualified Canadian Donees (charitable) organisations.
Band Councils; Tribal Councils, Tribal Associations or Tribal Governments; and Organisations of Indigenous communities across Alberta.
Municipalities, the Government of Alberta and provincial agencies, academia, for-profit and private sector entities can be eligible provided they partner with a charitable and/or non-profit organization who acts as the lead proponent for the initiative.

Contact our grant teams at grants@albertaecotrust.com if you are unsure if you can apply.