American Water and the American Water Charitable Foundation (AWCF) are thrilled to announce the 2024 Water and Environment Grant Program.

Important: If your organization historically applied to both American Water and the American Water Charitable Foundation environmental grant programs, please note only one environmental-focused grant program will be offered in 2024. The American Water Environmental Grant Program has been discontinued and blended into the Foundation’s Water and Environment Grant Program.

Applications will be accepted in the following states served by American Water, in addition to its Military Service locations: California, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia.

Grants will be awarded to help fund innovative, community-based projects that:

  • improve, restore or protect the watersheds, surface water and/or groundwater supplies
  • promote water conservation
  • improve equitable access to water-based recreation in underserved communities

To qualify:

  • Applicants must be classified as a 501(c)(3) public charity by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) or K-12 public school, college or university.
  • Projects must be completed within 12 months of the grant being awarded
  • Projects must be located within and benefit American Water’s service areas

Deadline:
Applications must be received online between February 5 – March 15, 2024. Grant decisions will be announced by April 30. To apply online, please visit amwater.com/awcfgrants or click the image below. Paper applications will not be accepted.

American Water Environmental Grant Program

The eight recipients of Iowa American Water’s 2022 Environmental Grant Program are:

  • Gateway ImpACT Coalition/Clinton Substance Abuse Council was awarded a $3,500 grant for its Vape Disposal Pilot Project -- This project will reduce and prevent water pollution by implementing strategies that address improper electronic cigarette (vape) storage and disposal by educating and empowering the community about these issues, developing approaches to build consensus, and setting proper electronic vape storage/disposal as a priority in Clinton, Iowa.

  • Nahant Marsh was awarded a $2,000 grant for its Reforestation Project -- With the help of volunteers, Nahant Marsh will plant nearly 1,000 trees this year on 30 acres. These trees will be a diverse mix of 15 species that will replace hundreds of dead ash trees there were killed by emerald ash borer and silver maples killed during the 2019 flood.

  • Keep Scott County Beautiful/XStream Cleanup was awarded a $2,000 grant to resupply its volunteer cleanup materials -- XStream Cleanup (XC) will use the grant funds to purchase cleanup supplies, specifically garbage bags used by more than 1,000 XC volunteers each year. This purchase will be for a multi-year supply of bags that will enable XC volunteers to continue its watershed cleanup events for the next several years.

  • Davenport Parks & Recreation was awarded a $1,500 grant for its Vander Veer Park Stone Bridge Landscape Project -- Horticultural staff plan to improve a problem area near the stone bridge on the east side of the park. The southwest quadrant of the park drains through this area and leaves a constant wet area. Vander Veer plans to plant a variety of native plants to help absorb and clean the stormwater.

  • Friends of Fairmount Cemetery was awarded a $1,500 grant for its Restoring Scott County’s Original Prairie Project -- Fairmount Cemetery in southwest Davenport is home to the largest remnant (original) prairie left in Scott County. The 8-acre prairie/savanna is home to over 140 plants, but it is overrun with invasive trees and brush. This project will allow them to enhance biodiversity by removing these invasive plants.

  • City of Blue Grass was awarded a $1,000 grant for its Safety Trail Watershed Enhancement Project -- This project will enhance & clean up an existing drainage area of concern prior to constructing the Blue Grass Trail. The project includes installation of new drain tile, which will allow an outlet and drain subsurface water to an existing culvert. This will enhance the entire 10.4 acres allowing it to drain properly. The area will be seeded and fertilized once the drain tile is installed, which will alleviate drainage and make the trail safe for children commuting to/from the elementary school.

  • Partners of Scott County Watersheds was awarded a $1,000 grant for its Crow Creek Wildlife Management Area Improvement Project -- Partners of Scott County Watersheds and the Iowa Department of Natural Resources are collaborating to improve the sustainability of Crow Creek Wildlife Management Area with an established boat ramp, trail improvements, educational signage, and hillside stabilization. The purpose of these added and improved amenities is to improve local water quality and make the site safer and more sustainable for current and future use.

  • River Action, Inc. was awarded a $1,000 grant to help fund Scholarships for FEMA’s Community Rating System Program -- An Augustana College student will receive in-depth FEMA training (at FEMA's National Emergency Training Center) in Floodplain Management and FEMA's Community Rating System (CRS) and local mentorship, with the goal of increasing community involvement in the CRS program. The trainee's formal and field experience will be applied within communities to submit CRS applications that, when rated, will lower flood insurance costs, include actions to improve floodplain management, and allow them to apply for FEMA grants.

Since program began in Iowa over a decade ago, over $120,000 in grants have been awarded to projects that improve, restore, and protect local watersheds.