Palmesano July ‘Grant Action News’ Update
Assemblyman Phil Palmesano (R,C-Corning) is sending his “July Grant Action News Update” to residents, organizations and local governments regarding a series of grants available from the state, federal government and private entities. Each month, the Assembly provides an updated list of grants for a variety of categories.
“During a time of economic recovery, grants can play an integral part in helping our local communities complete needed infrastructure repairs or support underfunded projects,” said Palmesano. “Many people don’t realize the scope of available opportunities because they aren’t sure where to look. The ‘Grants Action News’ bulletin makes finding these grants much easier by consolidating the information and making it available to everyone. I hope residents, organizations and local governments throughout the Southern Tier and Finger Lakes regions will be able to use this resource to find much-needed support to strengthen communities in our rural area.”
All not-for-profit applicants must now prequalify on the NYS Grants Reform website at grantsreform.ny.gov/grantees in order to apply for certain New York state grant solicitations. Potential not-for-profit applicants are strongly encouraged to begin the process of registering and prequalifying immediately as this is a lengthy process.
The Grant Action News bulletin is updated at the beginning of each month with newly available grants and information on how to apply.
The update can be accessed here:
https://www.assembly.state.ny.us/gan/?sec=story&story=118694
State Grants
NYS Dept. of Environmental Conservation, Urban & Community Forestry (UCF) Funding
This program focuses on the care of public trees and supporting communities as they build and maintain their own urban and community forestry programs. Public trees are green infrastructure—a vital part of cities, towns and villages that use nature to provide services to community members. Trees are an investment that need care to provide the maximum benefits over time. Of the $10 million available for this round of grants, $3 million is set aside for communities with populations of 65,000 or fewer.
Deadline: August 12, 2026, 2 p.m.
Eligible Entities: Municipalities; not-for-profit organizations; Indian Nations and Tribes; state agencies (only for inventory of forested natural areas)
Eligible Projects: traditional street and landscaped park tree inventory and assessment
street tree and landscaped park tree inventory and assessment using ground-based remote sensing technologies
forested natural areas inventory and assessment
management plans based on inventory and assessment data
Total Funding Available: $10 million
Maximum Award: $2.5 million
Minimum Award: $50,000
Email: UrbanAgriculture@agriculture.ny.gov
Links to Additional Information: https://dec.ny.gov/nature/forests-trees/urban-and-community-forestry
https://dec.ny.gov/sites/default/files/2026-05/ucf2026rfa.pdf
NYS Dept. of Environmental Conservation, Harmful Algal Bloom (HAB) Research Grants
This funding is dedicated to innovative, novel and well-integrated research studies that address several prioritized research topics and other research areas identified in the HABs Research Guide and key to the HAB Roadmap and statewide strategy to reduce HABs and their impacts on public health and the environment.
Deadline: September 15, 2026, 3 p.m.
Eligible Applicants: Governmental entities, not-for-profit organizations, tribal organizations
Total Funding Available: $2.5 million
Contact: Brian Duffey
Email: HABResearchGrant@dec.ny.gov
Links to Additional Information: https://dec.ny.gov/environmental-protection/water/water-quality/harmful-algal-blooms
https://dec.ny.gov/sites/default/files/2026-05/habs_rfa_guidelinesandbidinstructions.pdf
Federal Grants
US Dept. of Agriculture (USDA), Meat & Poultry Processing Expansion Funding
This funding is available to very small processors, small processors and to intermediate processors to maximize the value and utilization of their existing capacity, with a focus on promoting local supply chains. Funding will be divided equally into two separate competitions: one for very small processors and small processors and one for intermediate processors. Each competition will have its own ranking and award process. Cost share is required. Applicants will be required to identify sources and amounts that will make up the required cost share in the application and will need to verify cost share funding prior to final award approval. Two types of applications for each of the funding competitions will be accepted:
Processing Expansion Projects: Awards will range from $50,000 to $2 million to support a range of activities to increase and diversify processing capacity of American meat and poultry, including equipment-only purchases over $250,000, and necessary improvements, upgrades, renovations or retrofits to an existing facility needed to install the equipment. A match requirement of 50 percent of the project cost is required. Simplified Equipment-Only Projects: Awards will range from $10,000 to $250,000 for projects that only request the cost of equipment and do not include renovation, labor, installation or certification costs. A match requirement of 25% of the project cost is required.
Deadline: August 7, 2026
Eligible Applicants: Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education; for-profit organizations other than small businesses; nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education; small businesses; producer-owned cooperatives; tribal entities.
Estimated Total Program Funding: $60 million
Maximum Award: $2 million
Minimum Award: $10,000
Email: mppep@usda.gov
Links to Additional Information: https://simpler.grants.gov/opportunity/8929785a-4c30-4580-a04d-d6e9bff263da
https://www.grants.gov/search-results-detail/362298
US National Science Foundation (NSF), Computer and Information Science and Engineering (CISE): Future Computing Research Funding
The NSF CISE Directorate supports research and education projects that develop new knowledge in all aspects of computing, communications and information science and engineering through the following Future Computing Research (Future CoRe) programs:
Algorithmic Foundations (AF)
Communications and Information Foundations (CIF)
Computer Systems Research (CSR)
Computing Education Research (CER)
Cyber-Physical System Foundations and Connected Communities (CPS)
Foundations of Emerging Technologies (FET)
Human-Centered Computing (HCC)
Information Integration and Informatics (III)
Networking Technology and Systems (NeTS)
Robust Intelligence (RI)
Future CoRe anticipates a portfolio of awards with a range of budgets and durations, including projects of smaller scope. Project durations and budgets must be commensurate with the scope of the proposed work up to the maximum limit of $1,000,000 with a duration up to 4 years.
Deadline: September 10, 2026
Eligible Applicants: Non-profit, non-academic organizations: independent museums, observatories, research laboratories, professional societies and similar organizations located in the U.S. that are directly associated with educational or research activities; institutions of higher education (IHEs): two- and four-year IHEs (including community colleges) accredited in, and having a campus located in the U.S., acting on behalf of their faculty members. Special instructions for international branch campuses of U.S. IHEs: if the proposal includes funding to be provided to an international branch campus of a U.S. institution of higher education (including through use of sub-awards and consultant arrangements), the proposer must explain the benefit(s) to the project of performance at the international branch campus and justify why the project activities cannot be performed at the U.S. campus; Tribal Nations: an American Indian or Alaska Native tribe, band, nation, pueblo, village or community that the secretary of the interior acknowledges as a federally recognized tribe pursuant to the federally recognized Indian Tribe List Act of 1994, 25 U.S.C. §§ 5130-5131.
Estimated Total Program Funding: $280 million
Maximum Award: $12 million
Minimum Award: $600,000
Email: cise-af@nsf.gov
Links to Additional Information: https://simpler.grants.gov/opportunity/b543ecd2-b3cb-4280-b709-a4fb2ea82889
https://www.grants.gov/search-results-detail/360149
US Dept. of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service, Partners for Fish & Wildlife (PFW)
This funding helps private landowners restore and protect habitats for fish and wildlife. It offers both technical assistance and financial support, mainly through cooperative agreements.
Deadline: September 30, 2026, 11:59 p.m.
Eligible Applicants: Small businesses; nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education; public and state controlled institutions of higher education; nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education; county governments; for profit organizations other than small businesses; unrestricted (i.e., open to any type of entity above), subject to any clarification in text field entitled “Additional Information on Eligibility”; special district governments; private institutions of higher education; public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities; independent school districts; Native American tribal governments (federally recognized); state governments; individuals; Native American tribal organizations (other than federally recognized tribal governments); city or township governments.
Estimated Total Program Funding: $15 million
Maximum Award: $750,000
Contact: Andreas Moshogianis
Email: andreas_moshogianis@fws.gov
Links to Additional Information: https://simpler.grants.gov/opportunity/213b091b-76cd-4987-ad5f-beeaf8939fc7
https://www.grants.gov/search-results-detail/361814
Private Grants
Helen Frankenthaler Foundation, Visual Arts Education & Cultural Resilience Grants
These grants support public engagement with the visual arts through philanthropic, educational, curatorial and research initiatives. Visual arts & education grants provide project-based support for exhibitions, publications, public programs and academic initiatives that advance the presentation, study and interpretation of the visual arts. Cultural resilience grants provide unrestricted support to sustain institutional capacity and core programming across the visual arts field.
Deadline: September 11, 2026, 11:59 p.m.
Eligible Applicants Must: be a U.S.-based nonprofit organization with 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status or qualifying public institution or entity working through an established fiscal sponsor
demonstrate that the visual arts are a primary focus of its mission and activities, with sustained engagement through exhibitions, collections, public programming, scholarship, education or artist-centered institutional initiatives.
Award Amounts: $25,000 - $50,000
Email: grants@frankenthalerfoundation.org
Links to Additional Information: https://www.frankenthalerfoundation.org/
https://www.frankenthalerfoundation.org/grants
https://www.frankenthalerfoundation.org/images/HFF_2026_Grantmaking__Guidelines.pdf
Park Foundation, Environment Program Grants
Clean drinking water resources and a stable climate are fundamental to human and ecosystem health and well-being. For everyone to thrive, people and the communities in which they live need agency through democratic governance, data and information to inform decision-making, protective laws and regulations and tools for long-term resiliency. These grants support efforts on a national scale or in New York State that promote strong and enforced water policies, increased investment in and commitment to publicly owned and operated water infrastructure and empowerment of communities and individuals to exercise their rights to protect drinking water resources.
Deadline: September 22, 2026
Eligible Applicants: must be recognized as a 501(c) 3 or 509 (a) 2 under IRS guidelines. The foundation recommends that organizations that are new to the foundation submit a letter of inquiry before submitting a full proposal.
Award Amounts: Vary
Email: info@parkfoundation.org
Links to Additional Information: https://www.parkfoundation.org/
https://www.parkfoundation.org/grants/how-to-apply/
https://www.parkfoundation.org/funding-priorities/environment/
J.W. Couch Foundation, Supporting Initiatives for the Environment, Historical Preservation, Wellness and Education
These grants support efforts to protect the environment, further conservation and preservation initiatives and save historical architecture that preserves community heritage. These grants also support initiatives that promote wellness and mental health and organizations seeking to provide and further education for all communities.
Deadline: September 25, 2026
Eligible Applicants: Non-profit organizations located in the United States
Award Amounts: Vary
Email: info@couchfoundation.org
Link to Additional Information: https://jwcouchfoundation.org/about
https://jwcouchfoundation.org/contact
Bob Woodruff Foundation, Grants for Programs that Serve the Military & Veteran Community
Funding is provided for programs that serve the military and veteran community. The focus is on programs that improve the health and well-being of service members, veterans, their families and caregivers, and that improve social determinants of health, decrease barriers to physical and mental healthcare, increase access to programming that fosters a healthy lifestyle and enhance opportunities for veterans to thrive after service.
Deadline: Rolling
Eligible Applicants Must: provide direct services to the military and veteran population, be administered through a non-profit organization, demonstrate financial responsibility and sustainability, including a minimum of 70% program spend and have filed an IRS Form 990EZ or 990 for the past two fiscal years.
provide an audited financial statement or a certified financial statement (to include a balance sheet and an income statement) and have two years’ worth of gross receipts greater than $50,000.
Award Amounts: Vary
Email: grants@bobwoodrufffoundation.org
Link to Additional Information: https://bobwoodrufffoundation.org/
Scholar Awards
Marshall Graduate Scholarships
These scholarships finance young Americans of high ability to study for a degree in the United Kingdom. Up to fifty scholars are selected each year to study at graduate level at a UK institution in any field of study.
Deadline: September 29, 2026, 5 p.m.
Eligible Applicants: U.S. citizens who (at the time they take up their scholarship) hold a first degree from an accredited four-year college or university in the U.S. with a minimum GPA of 3.7. To qualify for awards tenable from October 2027, candidates must have graduated from their undergraduate college or university after April 2024.
Scholarship Value: University fees, cost of living expenses, annual book grant, thesis grant, research and daily travel grants, fares to and from the U.S. and, where applicable, a contribution toward the support of a dependent spouse.
Number of Awards: 50
Email: apps@marshallscholarship.org
Links to Additional Information: https://www.marshallscholarship.org/about/
https://www.marshallscholarship.org/apply/eligibility/
https://www.marshallscholarship.org/apply/
Coca-Cola Scholars Program, Scholarships
These achievement-based scholarships are awarded to students in their final year of high school. Students are recognized for their capacity to lead and serve, as well as their commitment to making a significant impact on their schools and communities.
Deadline: September 30, 2026
Eligible Applicants Must Be: an enrolled high school/home schooled student attending school in one of the 50 U.S. states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico or select DoD schools who will graduate in the 2026-2027 school year; a U.S. citizen, U.S. National, U.S. permanent resident, refugee, asylee, Cuban-Haitian entrant or humanitarian parolee–based on guidelines utilized by the U.S. Department of Education for Federal Financial Aid eligibility; expecting to receive a high school diploma during the current academic year; planning to pursue a degree at an accredited U.S. post-secondary institution; able to verify a minimum overall B/3.0 GPA in high school coursework.
Scholarship Value: $20,000
Number of Awards: 150
Email: scholars@coca-cola.com
Link to Additional Information: https://www.coca-colascholarsfoundation.org/