Nuestros Bosques: Faith-Based and Strategic Local Investments Request for Proposals

Hispanic Access Foundation is committed to working in partnership to increase equitable access to urban tree canopy while stimulating community engagement and decision-making in local urban forestry and ultimately heightening our resilience to and mitigating climate change.

Through funding from the Inflation Reduction Act (Funding Opportunity #: USDA-FS-2023-UCF-IRA-01) the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) is making historic investments in boosting the nation’s tree cover in urban, suburban and rural communities nationwide. We are honored to partner with the USFS to become a national pass-through partner for the “Nuestros Bosques IRA Initiative” promoting Justice40, Ten-Year Urban Forestry Action Plan, State Forest Action Plans, congressional, and America the Beautiful priorities. In alignment with the Forest Service and the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), 80 percent of the funding will flow directly to disadvantaged communities.

Urban canopy provides enormous benefits, from reducing the urban heat island effect and loweing energy bills, to absorbing carbon dioxide and pollutants, resulting in shortening hospital stays, decreasing asthma rates in surrounding neighborhoods, and lowering stress, noise, and damage from wind and water. Planting trees along streets and in parks to increase the urban tree canopy can remove millions of tons of carbon dioxide a year from the atmosphere, helping to improve our climate.

Summary 

Total Funding Opportunity: $10,786,295

  • $2,000,000 to support faith-based organizations
  • $8,786,295 to support additional strategic local investments including Tribal organizations, community-based/nonprofit organizations, and faith-based organizations, which will target projects in disadvantaged communities.
  • Award amounts: $50,000-$1,000,000

Grant Decision Timeline

  • Applications are now closed. 
  • Award announcements Winter 2024/2025

*Subaward agreements will be issued once any necessary edits are finalized to the scope of work and budgets.

Eligibility

Organizations with a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status are eligible to apply. Eligible entities include:

  • Faith-Based Organizations (FBOs)
  • Community-Based Organizations (CBO’s)
  • Non-profit Organizations

Federally Recognized Tribes, Alaska Native Corporations/villages, and Tribal organizations as defined in 25 USC 5304 (l) and operating within the United States, or its territories may also apply.


Resources

Hispanic Access Foundation’s Community Navigator Program
Hispanic Access Foundation has partnered with the USDA Forest Service to offer the Community Navigators Program (CNP) that helps local leaders build climate resilience within their communities by finding and accessing grant funding and capacity-building support. To connect with a Hispanic Access Community Navigator, please visit the Hispanic Access Foundation’s Community Navigator Program website.

For more information about additional Navigator Programs in partnership with the U.S. Forest Service, please visit Community Navigators.

For more information about the RFP and application update, please contact Hispanic Access Foundation's Forestry department by emailing This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Funding for this project provided by the Inflation Reduction Act and the USDA Forest Service, Urban and Community Forestry Program.

USDA and Hispanic Access Foundation are equal opportunity providers and employers.


  

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Hispanic Access Foundation connects Latinos and others with partners and opportunities to improve lives and create an equitable society.

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