Funding Database: Green Growth

Partners for Green Growth is a cost-share funding resource offered by the NC Wildlife Resources Commission's (NCWRC) Green Growth Toolbox program. The program supports local government planning projects that consider wildlife and natural resource conservation.

Eligible Applicants

Eligible applicants include North Carolina counties, incorporated municipalities and councils of governments. Partnerships between local governments and conservation-related organizations are also eligible.

Eligible Projects

Writing plans, gathering background or supporting information for an ordinance and creating a model ordinance are eligible for cost-share funding. Participants can also craft conservation development or land use guidelines. 

Examples of eligible projects include removing regulatory barriers to wildlife conservation, drafting a wildlife habitat conservation plan and establishing a local fund to defray the cost of conservation easements. The cost-share reimbursements can also support the drafting of voluntary conservation-based development and land use guidelines, planning activities that support the conservation of wildlife travel corridors and more. 

These funds cannot be used to write or draft an ordinance or regulation. However, time spent on writing or drafting actual conservation-related ordinances can count as non-federal in-kind match. Adoption of any plans or documents crafted with this funding is not a condition for reimbursement and is not required. Projects must be completed within 18 months.

Funding Amount

The Partners for Green Growth program reimburses cost-share funding up to $20,000. The program prefers projects that request less. The funding request can only be up to 75% of the entire project cost. Partners for Green Growth also offers up to 80 hours of technical assistance from NCWRC wildlife biologists.

Match Requirements

A 25% match from non-federal funding in required for approved projects.

Application Schedule

The 2023 grant cycle set the following deadlines: 

• May 15: Deadline for project idea submissions
• June 5: Deadline for invited applications
• Projects must begin by July 1 or Oct. 15.
• Projects must be completed in 18 months or less.

Application Process

The application form is located on the Green Growth Toolbox page. Applicants must submit a Project Idea Submission form to the email in the Contacts section above.

Application Assistance

Refer to GIS maps of priority wildlife habitats in the Green Growth Toolbox and, in your application, describe how your project relates to one or more priority areas. The NCWRC strongly recommends contacting the agency to review your application before final submission.

Funding Source

Partners for Green Growth funding comes from federal appropriations.