About the Fund
The Columbia River Fund was created by Columbia Riverkeeper and is funded through settlements of legal actions as part of Columbia Riverkeeper’s Clean Water Act enforcement program. Columbia Riverkeeper’s goal in enforcing federal water quality law is to bring polluters into compliance with the law, thus leading to cleaner and healthier water bodies and fisheries. In addition to ensuring less pollution, cases and settlements may contain an environmental mitigation provision in which local conservation groups receive funds to protect water quality. Columbia Riverkeeper does not receive money from the mitigation fund. Since its inception in 2014, the Rose Foundation has awarded over $1 million in grants through the Columbia River Fund to support community-based water quality stewardship projects along the Columbia River.
Deadlines
The next grant deadline is July 14, 2023. We will notify potential grant applicants that the fund is open in May 2023.
ELIGIBILITY AND PRIORITIES
The Columbia River Fund supports projects designed to improve, protect, and benefit clean water and aquatic habitat in the Columbia River Basin. Please read all the eligibility requirements related to project types, geography, and amounts permitted.
Grants will be awarded to community oriented and grassroots groups or organizations with a strong track record of community-based water quality stewardship, legal advocacy, outreach and education. We are especially encouraging of projects that involve impacted communities and that benefit vulnerable populations and that are centered around principles of equity and environmental justice.
For a full list of eligibility requirements and to see examples of eligible Columbia River Fund projects, please visit: https://rosefdn.org/columbia-river-fund/eligibility
HOW TO APPLY
Please check all eligibility requirements before starting the online application, and click here to read the instructions on how to use our online system.
GRANT REPORTING INSTRUCTIONS
If your group is awarded a grant, you must provide a final grant report within one year of receiving the money, or before your group can receive additional funding. Click here for the full grant reporting instructions.
FUNDING BOARD
The Columbia River Fund is advised by a local funding board of individuals with deep knowledge of the areas issues. Meet the Board Members here.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
Please sign up here to receive notifications of future grant opportunities.
Tim Bell, PNW Program Officer
tbell@rosefdn.org
Jodene Isaacs, Mitigation Funds Director
jisaacs@rosefdn.org
