National Fish and Wildlife Foundation Act 15.663 | F18AS00158

Opportunity Information: Apply for F18AS00158

The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation Act 15.663 opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number F18AS00158) is a Department of the Interior, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service discretionary award structured as a cooperative agreement. Rather than a typical competitive grant round, this notice is written to support a single-source financial assistance award specifically to the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit created by Congress in 1984 under the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation Establishment Act (16 U.S.C. 3701). The opportunity was posted May 31, 2018, with an original closing date of June 14, 2018, and lists an award ceiling of up to $10,000,000. The funding activity area is categorized under Science and Technology and other Research and Development, reflecting the emphasis on coordinated conservation planning, monitoring, and evidence-based restoration outcomes.

The core purpose of the award is to leverage NFWF's established grantmaking model to develop and manage the Delaware Watershed Conservation Fund (DWCF). The DWCF is intended to improve the restoration and protection of natural resources across the Delaware River watershed by strengthening coordination among the many partners already investing in the region. In practice, this means NFWF would serve as the central entity that organizes funding priorities, solicits and manages project grants, aligns partner efforts at a watershed scale, and tracks measurable outcomes. The notice also highlights that the Fund is expected to generate additional revenue to advance Department of the Interior and broader national interests, including DOI Secretarial priorities referenced in the announcement.

The opportunity frames watershed work in both ecological and social terms. On the ecological side, it emphasizes native biodiversity conservation and the recovery of key indicator species, with examples of past and continuing priority areas such as migratory birds, early successional forests, eastern brook trout, and river herring. It also calls out targeted forest habitat work for the golden-winged warbler supported by $3 million in Natural Resources Conservation Service funds. Beyond these species and habitat priorities, the announcement makes clear that eligible and encouraged efforts under the Fund's umbrella include watershed-scale conservation planning, active habitat restoration and management, species and habitat monitoring, public engagement, and research that helps improve conservation decision-making and cost effectiveness.

A major theme of the announcement is braided funding and long-term partner investment, suggesting the federal award is meant to catalyze and align multiple funding streams rather than act alone. The notice cites several complementary commitments: NFWF investments of $1 million in DOI Hurricane Sandy funding in the Delaware River watershed from 2017 through 2022; up to $12 million from the William Penn Foundation for water quality restoration and protection projects through 2026; and approximately $905,000 from the American Forest Foundation for forest restoration and stewardship in the watershed. Taken together, these referenced contributions illustrate how the DWCF is positioned as a coordination and delivery platform that can combine federal dollars with philanthropic and other partner funds to scale impact.

Finally, the announcement connects the DWCF's conservation outcomes to broader public benefits. It states the program is expected to maximize conservation results while also supporting economic benefits, increasing community protection, improving human health, expanding outdoor recreation opportunities, and helping create a more resilient and adaptable watershed for current and future generations. In short, this is a single-recipient cooperative agreement designed to empower NFWF to run a coordinated, partner-driven watershed fund that advances measurable restoration and protection outcomes throughout the Delaware River watershed, with strong emphasis on leveraging matching investments and aligning projects to DOI and national conservation priorities.

• The Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "National Fish and Wildlife Foundation Act 15.663" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.663.
• This funding opportunity was created on May 31, 2018.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Jun 14, 2018. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $10,000,000.00 in funding.
• Eligible applicants include: Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education.

Apply for F18AS00158

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