capacity

The Community Grant Program invests in projects that create a clear public benefit for Connecticut’s ports, harbors, riverfronts, navigable waterways, and waterfront communities. Competitive projects pair a direct maritime connection with measurable results whether through public access, tourism, community activation, or planning for what comes next.

The Clean Water Rural, Small, and Tribal Technical Assistance (RST TA) grant program provides technical assistance funding under the Clean Water Act to help small, rural, and Tribal communities address wastewater and water quality challenges. EPA’s Great American Comeback prioritizes clean water for all Americans and economic prosperity. $25.5 million is available. Eligible entities include nonprofit organizations and institutions of higher education that can provide technical assistance and training to rural, small, and Tribal municipalities, publicly owned wastewater treatment works, and decentralized wastewater treatment systems.

The Climate Smart Communities Initiative (CSCI) provides funding, expertise, training, and other resources to help communities advance climate resilience plans and projects, with a focus on frontline and climate-vulnerable communities. Funding supports activities such as risk and vulnerability assessments, community engagement, project prioritization, and early implementation actions.

Applicants must apply as a partnership that includes a community-based organization, a local, regional, or Tribal government entity, and an adaptation practitioner. Communities without an established practitioner may access the Registry of Adaptation Practitioners to identify partners.

An informational webinar will be held on November 13, 2025 at 2:00 PM ET. Program details are available at climatesmartcommunity.org

National Geographic Society is seeking to fund impactful projects driving science-based solutions to the growing threat of extreme weather events and natural hazards such as wildfires, hurricanes, tornados, droughts, floods, heatwaves and severe storms. Projects should aim to increase adaptability and resilience to these events and demonstrate tangible positive impacts on people and nature. Successful projects will demonstrate sufficient engagement with relevant stakeholders to ensure that project development and implementation are carried out for at-risk human communities and natural systems. Proposals for both new and ongoing projects will be considered. We encourage projects in regions most vulnerable to extreme weather events and natural hazards, as well as regions that currently have limited capacity for research and implementation.

The Long Island Sound Community Impact Fund (LISCIF) is a partnership among Restore America’s Estuaries, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and the Long Island Sound Partnership. The purpose of LISCIF is to provide technical and financial assistance to communities for addressing environmental issues and to improve the quality and accessibility of the Long Island Sound. Technical assistance will be provided through LISCIF and is available to communities/organizations even if one does not submit a proposal for funding. This is the fourth round of LISCIF funding. Up to $1,200,000 in competitive funding will be awarded to support projects in New York and Connecticut. Projects must incorporate Actions of the Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan (CCMP) and be located in the LIS watershed. 

This factsheet summarizes the findings of a 2022 informal needs assessment of coastal Long Island Sound communities conducted by the Long Island Sound Study’s Sustainable & Resilient Communities (SRC) Working Group Extension Professionals Team. The goal of the needs assessment was to guide future SRC work and to understand: 1) which environmental threats communities are most concerned about, 2) what communities are already doing to address these threats (including their goals and priority projects), 3) what barriers are preventing actions, and 4) what support is needed to overcome those barriers. 

The Connecticut Conference of Municipalities (CCM) recently released a comprehensive report on understanding and addressing the occurrence of local flooding. Developed in collaboration with leading engineering firm Fuss & O’Neill, the study was motivated by the need to address the growing concerns surrounding flood risks across Connecticut. The report evaluates current flood management practices and outlines a series of strategic interventions actionable recommendations to enhance community resilience.

The Long Island Sound Sustainable and Resilient Communities (SRC) Team held our 2024 Annual Workshop virtually as three sessions over two days. Session topics focused on our assistance programs, new regional resilience resources and tools, and a discussion on planning for inundation and different considerations communities may face.

Session 1 – SRC Resilience Assistance Programs was held on Tuesday, December 10th from 10-11:30 AM. Participants learned about our Sustainable and Resilient Communities resilience assistance programs and heard from communities who have successfully utilized them to advance resilience project plans, build capacity, and secure competitive grant funding!

The second round of grantmaking for the Environmental Justice Data Fund (EJDF) will be supported by a $4 million fund. The EJDF aims to help frontline communities historically underserved and disproportionately impacted by climate change and environmental injustice in the United States use data to address environmental hazards, with special attention to matters regarding air and water quality. The EJDF will support eligible organizations to unlock resources, increase their access to federal infrastructure funding, and advocate for new policies that empower communities to address past environmental harm and pave the way to a more sustainable, climate-resilient future.