Capitol Region Watershed District (CRWD) Partner Grants fund programs and projects led by public, private and non-profit organizations that increase clean water knowledge and actions. All proposed projects must serve residents within CRWD’s boundaries. Visit the About CRWD page and scroll down to view a map of the District. Grant awards range from $10,000 to $40,000.
Above photo credit: Caroline Yang
Note: Partner Grant Program changes have been made for this grant cycle, so please read them closely. These changes strengthen the connection between our goal of improving water quality and project proposals and address some program areas that may have been barriers for grantees in the past.
Capitol Region Watershed District (CRWD) Partner Grants support programs and projects led by public, private and non-profit organizations that increase clean water knowledge and actions. Project proposals must incorporate key themes outlined in CRWD’s 10-Year Watershed Management Plan and serve residents within our geographic boundaries to be considered for funding. Projects will receive full, or no funding, so please make connections between your proposal request and expected outcomes clear and feasible. CRWD will only use the information in your application during the proposal review to ensure equal consideration is given to new and returning applicants.
CRWD is committed to engaging new and historically underrepresented groups and believes we can achieve cleaner waters through engagement across all communities. Proposals that take place in or serve residents from the Trout Brook, Phalen Creek, Saint Anthony Hill, Urban, Como Lake, or Lake McCarrons watersheds will be given additional consideration. Organizations serving other areas of the District are still eligible to apply. Visit our About CRWD Page and scroll down to view a map of the District.
Review the following information regarding CRWD’s Partner Grant program.
Applicants will be notified of CRWD’s funding decision the week of March 10. A final scope of work and executed Partner Grant agreement will be required prior to beginning work.
Open the Partner Grant Frequently Asked Questions PDF for a list of questions submitted by partners.
If you need files in alternative formats or have any questions, please contact Lindsay Schwantes.
Lindsay Schwantes
Community Engagement Program Manager
lschwantes@capitolregionwd.org
651-644-8888 Ext. 105
Grants are funded on a reimbursement basis, with the exception of the optional upfront payment of 25% for grantees who indicated this on their application.
Grantees have the option to submit invoices requesting reimbursement for eligible staff and supply expenses up to four times per year throughout their grant term.
Documentation needed for a reimbursement request includes an itemized invoice from your organization for all expenses to date with details such as staff name, material description, services provided. Staff will review these invoices to ensure the expenses connect to the work of the approved grant project. Any expense under $500.00 can be listed on an itemized invoice from your organization. Our contracting terms require you to keep original expense forms for 7 years and we may request originals if needed. For individual expenses greater than $500.00, we require an original receipt or invoice.
Annual and final reporting: All grantees must report on actual project outcomes and deliverables. These metrics may include individuals engaged, water quality related actions taken, educational outcomes or commitments for water protection. November 30th is the annual deadline to submit an invoice and report of project outcomes to date. The term for Partner Grants is now two years. You are required to submit a Final Report through our online reporting system by November 30th for the year the project is complete. If your project spans two years, you will submit a mid-term report and reimbursement request.
Please track your expenses using the Partner Grant Project Reimbursement Template Microsoft Excel Spreadsheet (download). Grantees will be prompted to upload this file in the online report. Please contact Lindsay Schwantes (contact information is in the above section) if you need a different format of the template.
For questions about your reporting process, please contact Lindsay Schwantes; contact information is in the section above.
| Organization | Project name | Approved Funding |
|---|---|---|
| Afrocontigbo | A Stream of Black Voices – Movement, Conversation and Water Tasting | $5,000 |
| Como Community Council D10 | Como Lake Clean-up | $12,001 |
| East Side Arts Council | Watershed Art at Johnson High | $7,450 |
| Frogtown Green | FrogLab! Water Stewardship Outreach and Education in Frogtown | $9,500 |
| Hamline Midway Coalition | Clean Streets, Clean Water | $8,846 |
| In Progress | The Waterers | $20,000 |
| MN SEED Project | Building a Community of Saving Seeds from Native Plants | $12,780 |
| Parkview Center School | Parkview Water Project 2024 | $19,500 |
| Saint Paul Parks and Recreation | Parks Ambassadors | $10,000 |
| Saint Paul Police Department – Police Activities League | Urban Students Become Urban Ice Anglers | $10,000 |
| Urban Roots MN | Conservation Internships – Restoration Program | $10,000 |
| Wakan Tipi Awanyankapi | Urban Conservation and Restoration | $15,010 |
| We All Need Food and Water | “Green Light” Puppets for Healthy People and Planet | $6,000 |
| YMCA of the North | Day Camps at Hidden Falls | $15,000 |
| TOTAL | $161,087 |
In Progress presents Our Sacred Water, a digital storytelling project supported by a CRWD 2019 Partner Grant.
The project entailed mentoring, public education, and creative art-making activities that raised participant and audience understandings of environmentalism from an Indigenous perspective. Six youth and their families developed a series of photo and video works designed to raise awareness about the sacred nature of water.
Statement from In Progress Artists: Indigenous people represent the oldest nations in the world. We have learned from our elders, our parents and our mentors that we must all work together to care and maintain our water resources for the generations yet to come. As Indigenous youth, we stand together in reminding us all that water is everything.
Created by Tiana Bluebird, Azalea Erickson, Alexander Erickson, Rocky Erickson, XIcintli Quiroz, and Kimimila Wahpepah, with support and guidance from Tiana LaPointe and Wakinyan LaPointe.
Check out some of the many programs CRWD's Partner Grants support.
