Capital and Transaction Grants - Eligibility and Grant Criteria
To be eligible for capital or transaction grants, projects must meet the following requirements:
- Be located in an eligible Phase 2+ focus area. To identify whether a project is located in an eligible geography, download (1) the Map and Data Guide and (2) check your parcel location with the data in FieldDoc or the map packages provided by OSI in the Map and Data Guide (large downloads updated for 2021 to include Phase 2+ focus area revisions and additions). Forestland Projects must be in a DRWI or Phase 2+ focus area with land protection as an approved strategy. Farm Buffer Projects must be in a DRWI Phase 2+ focus area with land protection or restoration as an approved strategy. Note: On a case-by-case basis, OSI will consider projects outside of a DRWI focus area if the cluster organizations determine the project is of exceptional significance to water quality. Only one such project per cluster will be permitted in each Phase (see more information on “Exceptional Projects” in the Frequently Asked Questions document).
- Achieve permanent protection through fee purchase of land or a conservation easement.
- At least 90% of the project and 90% of the area within 100 feet of water bodies must be in natural land cover. Qualifying land cover excludes mowing or grazing or other disturbances that would prevent forest regrowth. Projects with natural cover below the threshold must either a) apply for funding only for the portion of the property with 90% natural cover, or b) demonstrate that 90% or more of the area will revert to qualifying land cover.
- Impacts from upstream pollutant sources and surrounding land uses do not override the project’s contribution to water quality.
- The applicant must be a member of a DRWI cluster or be pre-approved by the William Penn Foundation and/or cluster partners.
- Be spearheaded by an organization with the capacity and financial ability to execute the transaction and ensure long-term stewardship and management of the property consistent with the Fund’s objectives.
- OSI welcomes and encourages projects that return land to Indigenous management and ownership.
Forestland and Farm Buffer Capital grant projects must also meet these additional eligibility requirements (not required for Transaction grants).
Capital Grant Criteria
OSI evaluates eligible Forestland and Farm Buffer projects against the following Grant criteria:
1) Cluster Performance Metrics: The extent to which the project furthers the cluster plan by advancing the performance metrics
2) Aggregation of Impact: Extent to which the project builds on previous Delaware River Watershed Protection Fund land protection projects
3) Land Stewardship: Degree to which the project meets the Fund’s stewardship goals for the grant fund. See OSI Conservation Easement and Stewardship Standards.
4) Conversion pressure: Type and extent of conversion pressure on the project and surrounding parcels
5) Transaction Feasibility: Likelihood that the project will succeed and close on time based on: status of negotiations, purchase agreement, and due diligence; funding secured for the project; applicant’s fundraising plan and experience in fundraising; and the applicants' experience in completing land transactions, financial health and accreditation status
6) Leverage: The extent to which the proposed transaction will secure sufficient funding to meet or exceed OSI’s financial match requirements
7) Co-benefits to water quality: Additional benefits of the project such as flood reduction, habitat protection, landscape connectivity, partnership building, ecotourism, or new financing mechanisms
Grant Awards
OSI makes grants to qualified land conservation organizations through a competitive process with the assistance of an advisory committee of experts from the region with knowledge of hydrology, land protection, planning, natural resources, and philanthropy. OSI staff and advisors review and make recommendations on all grant applications.
Although there is no minimum or maximum grant size, Capital Grant awards are typically between $75,000 and $450,000. OSI will distribute at least $500,000 in each of the eligible clusters. No more than $1.5 million will be allocated for Farm Buffer Grants. Transaction Grants are capped at $25,000, unless otherwise agreed upon with Fund staff. Catalyst Grants typically range from $10,000 to $35,000.
Conservation Easements and Stewardship Standards
To ensure permanent protection of the land’s natural resource values and maintain or enhance water quality, capital projects must meet the Fund’s Conservation Easement and Stewardship Standards. OSI staff will review conservation easement and/or management plan language prior to distribution of grant funds.
Financial Match for Capital Projects
The Fund gives strong preference to capital projects with a 3:1 or greater financial match, i.e., for every dollar invested by the Fund there must be three other matching dollars. If two projects supported by the fund have been completed in a focus area, the match requirement for the third and subsequent projects will be lowered to 2.4:1 and after the fourth and subsequent projects further lowered to 1:1 as an incentive to encourage aggregation of projects in focus areas.
If your project is of large scale and high quality, defined as being both over 500 acres and exceeding 20% on three or more metrics targets for the focus area, the match requirement and maximum grant amount will be considered by the Fund on a case-by-case basis.
Donations, grants, and, in some cases, land can serve as match. Prior to grant distribution, grantees must provide a detailed accounting of all matching sources.
No match is required for Transaction or Catalyst Grants.
If a project receiving a Transaction Grant applies for and receives a Capital grant, the Transaction Grant amount will be considered as part of the Capital grant when calculating match ratio for the Capital Grant.
