Climate Smart Communities Initiative (CSCI) Grant ($75,000 -$115,000) - NAIJA STICK

Climate Smart Communities Initiative (CSCI) Grant ($75,000 -$115,000)

CSCI awards provide funding and technical assistance to advance community-based climate resilience in US communities or regions that are highly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. 

The total grants budget is $1.5-2 million, and grants typically range from $75,000 to $115,000 based on the scope of work proposed in the application. 

• CSCI anticipates awarding between 16-20 grants for the 2026 cycle.
• The program prioritizes funding for communities that include historically disinvested populations at increased risk to climate-related impacts. 
• It is open to US-based project teams composed of a climate adaptation practitioner and representatives from a local or regional government entity and a community-based organization.

Benefits

CSCI grants are designed to be flexible to meet the unique needs of each community. 

• Grant funds can be used to support new climate resilience effort\s or build on previous work as well as fund a range of activities.
• In addition to funding, awarded project teams have access to CSCI’s comprehensive cohort support program, which is designed to provide capacity building support, including training and peer-to-peer learning opportunities from CSCI’s growing network of funded partners.
• CSCI also offers technical assistance on an as-needed basis. 
• Supplemental funding may be available to grantees to support access to topical experts and technical resources throughout the grant period.

Finally, award recipients are automatically included in CSCI’s learning and evaluation program, which aspires to refine our collective understanding of best adaptation practices, identify replicable resilience strategies, and establish common metrics of success to accelerate climate resilience efforts across the country.

Eligibility

Location: Projects and project partners must be based in the United States, inclusive of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, US Virgin Islands, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, American Samoa,, as well as the Tribal nations that share these geographies. 

• Climate impacts: Applicant communities must be facing significant impacts from climate change-related hazards based on environmental as well as socioeconomic considerations.
• Climate resilience: Activities and work proposed must be strictly focussed on climate adaptation and resilience. 
• Applications with a primary focus on, climate mitigation actions, emissions reduction, carbon sequestration, or energy efficiency will not be considered.
• Community size: The population of the community (number of people within the geographic area that is the focus of the proposed climate resilience project) should be less than 300,000 residents. 
• However, applicants representing geographies with populations up to 500,000 residents will be considered for projects that are regional in scope. 

Partners: CSCI grants support climate resilience-building efforts that include three types of partners: 1) Adaptation practitioner, 2) Community-based organization, 3) U.S. local or regional government.

Selection Criteria

CSCI will evaluate complete applications and make awards on a competitive basis. 

A panel of expert reviewers drawn from a set of diverse organizations, from different sectors and a range of geographies will evaluate applications using a scoring rubric based on the following criteria. 

• Community vulnerability to climate change-related hazards
• Presence of and focus on historically disinvested populations 
• Incorporation of diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice principles and practices
• Consideration of nature-based solutions
• Community readiness to make measurable progress on climate resilience
• Capacity-building potential
• Potential impact of the work and opportunity for learning.

Requirements & Deliverables

If awarded, Community-based Organizations and Local/Regional Government Partners commit to:

• Co-create a detailed budget with project partners.
• Attend a 1.5-hour CSCI orientation and a 1.5 StR orientation at the start of the grant period (one community or government representative required at each, but others are).
• Be available to work directly with an adaptation professional to develop or advance a proposed climate resilience plan or project over the 12-month grant period.
• Complete a survey one year after the close of the 12-month grant period.

March 12, 2026: Grant Application deadline.

How to Apply 

Interested applicant can apply via this link 

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