Illinois Natural Resources Grants

Natural Resources · $50K–$350K

Open to Illinois units of local government, universities, and nonprofit organizations for coastal planning, coastal hazards, habitat protection, and related education/outreach projects. Private individuals and for-profit organizations are not eligible, and all applicants must be pre-qualified through the State of Illinois GATA grantee portal before applying. This is a reimbursement grant (you pay costs first and are reimbursed), with awards between $50,000 and $350,000.

Natural Resources · $5K–$150K

Government agencies, educational institutions, nonprofit organizations, and for-profit businesses can apply for this Illinois Natural Resources grant funding Great Lakes habitat and species protection, restoration, and management priorities under the Aquatic Nuisance Species Comprehensive Management Plan. Awards range from $5,000 to $150,000.

Natural Resources · $30K–$2M

Government agencies, educational institutions, nonprofit organizations, and for-profit businesses can apply for this Illinois Natural Resources grant funding invasive carp removal and monitoring activities in the Upper Mississippi River. Awards range from $30,000 to $2,000,000.

Natural Resources · Amount varies

This Illinois Department of Natural Resources capital grant program funds specific projects named directly in the state's annual appropriation bill, covering local governments, units of government, educational facilities, and not-for-profit organizations for natural resource, recreation, and cultural resource purposes. Eligibility is restricted to entities explicitly named in the legislature's line-item appropriation, so organizations not already designated in the budget bill cannot apply on their own initiative. No deadline or award amount is listed.

Natural Resources · Amount varies

Illinois' Recreational Access Program, funded through the federal Voluntary Public Access & Habitat Incentive Program, supports public access and habitat improvement projects on privately leased land, but it is open only to government organizations. Private landowners, nonprofits, and businesses are not eligible to apply directly. No award amount or deadline is listed.

Natural Resources · Amount varies

This Illinois Natural Resources pilot program funds conservation education and employment opportunities for young Illinois residents ages 15–25. Per the eligibility text, grants are limited to Illinois units of local government and nonprofit entities providing this programming — despite a conflicting 'for-profit' category label elsewhere in the listing. Award amounts were not specified (marked TBD).

Natural Resources · $10K–$230K

Illinois' Competitive State Wildlife Grants program (FY25) funds government agencies, educational institutions, and nonprofit organizations for fish and wildlife habitat projects benefiting species of greatest conservation concern, with awards from $10,000 to $230,000. These projects require a multi-state effort and compete at the federal level, making the process more demanding than the standard state wildlife grant. No application deadline is listed.

Natural Resources · $30K–$3M

Government agencies, educational institutions, nonprofit organizations, and for-profit businesses can apply for this Illinois Natural Resources grant, which funds fish and wildlife management activities supporting Asian carp control in the Ohio River Basin. Awards range from $30,000 to $3,000,000.

Natural Resources · $10K–$8M

Government agencies, educational institutions, and nonprofit organizations can apply for this Sport Fish Restoration (Dingell-Johnson) grant administered via Illinois Natural Resources, supporting fisheries and boat access projects. Awards range from $10,000 to $8,000,000. A program description was not included in this listing.

Natural Resources · Amount varies

This Illinois Natural Resources grant is restricted to government organizations — it funds financial and technical assistance for organizing, training, and equipping rural fire departments, passed through to local fire departments and training academies, and connects departments with surplus federal firefighting resources. Award amounts were not specified in the listing.

Natural Resources · Up to $150K

This Illinois Department of Natural Resources operational grant (FY26) funds entities specifically named in the state's annual appropriation bill (line-item/Member Initiatives), covering local governments, units of government, educational facilities, and not-for-profit organizations, with awards up to $150,000. Because eligibility is limited to entities already designated in the budget bill, organizations not named there cannot apply on their own initiative. No deadline is listed.

Natural Resources · $10K–$8M

Government agencies, educational institutions, and nonprofit organizations can apply for this Sport Fish Restoration (Dingell-Johnson) grant administered via Illinois Natural Resources. Eligible activities include sport fisheries research and management, boating access development, aquatic resource education, lake construction, land acquisition, and hatchery construction. Awards range from $10,000 to $8,000,000.

Natural Resources · $30K–$2M

Government agencies, educational institutions, nonprofit organizations, and for-profit businesses can apply for this Illinois Natural Resources grant funding invasive carp removal and monitoring activities in the Upper Mississippi River. Awards range from $30,000 to $2,000,000.

Natural Resources · $1K–$45.1K

Government agencies, educational institutions, and nonprofit organizations can apply for this Illinois Natural Resources grant, which funds work to combat white-nose syndrome in bats and conserve affected species. Awards range from $1,000 to $45,088.

Natural Resources · $25K–$500K

Illinois units of local government (municipalities, park districts, school districts, forest preserve districts), universities, and nonprofit organizations can apply for this Illinois Natural Resources Coastal Management Program grant (funded via USEPA GLRI); individuals and for-profit businesses are not eligible. It funds coastal planning, hazard mitigation, habitat protection, and education/outreach projects, with awards from $25,000 to $500,000. This is a reimbursement grant requiring documentation of grant and matching expenses, and applicants must be pre-qualified through the state's GATA grantee portal.

Natural Resources · Up to $1.5M

Illinois' Clean Vessel Act program (FY25) funds surveys, plans, and construction of sewage pumpout and dump stations for recreational boats, plus related education programs, with awards up to $1.5 million. Eligible applicants are public and private colleges/universities and 501(c)(3) nonprofits (excluding institutions of higher education from the nonprofit category, per the more detailed criteria); no application deadline is listed.

Natural Resources · Amount varies

This is a pilot program from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, currently open to government organizations, to develop a preliminary statewide wetland mapping model using deep learning and GIS. Eligibility criteria and award amounts are still being finalized (marked TBD in the listing) — check back or contact IDNR for updates.

Natural Resources · $50K–$350K

Illinois units of local government (municipalities, park districts, school districts, forest preserve districts), universities, and nonprofit organizations can apply for this Illinois Natural Resources Coastal Management Program grant (funded via the Inflation Reduction Act); individuals and for-profit businesses are not eligible. It funds coastal planning, hazard mitigation, habitat protection, and education/outreach projects, with awards from $50,000 to $350,000. This is a reimbursement grant requiring documentation of grant and matching expenses, and applicants must be pre-qualified through the state's GATA grantee portal.

Natural Resources · $10K–$1M

Illinois' State Wildlife Grants program (FY24) funds government agencies, educational institutions, and nonprofit organizations for projects that benefit fish and wildlife habitats, with priority given to species of greatest conservation concern. Awards range from $10,000 to $1,000,000. No application deadline is listed, so applicants should check with the Illinois Department of Natural Resources for current cycle timing.

Natural Resources · $20K–$1.5M

This federal Boating Infrastructure Grant Program (administered via Illinois Natural Resources) funds construction, renovation, and maintenance of docking and mooring facilities for large recreational boats. Per the detailed eligibility text, direct participation is limited to state, territorial, or Commonwealth agencies with lead fish and wildlife management responsibility — not individuals or private businesses, despite conflicting category labels elsewhere in the listing. Awards range from $20,000 to $1,500,000.