Midwest Canopy Improvement

Wright Foundation for Sustainability and Innovation (WFSI) is please to announce our first open grant cycle. WFSI has up to $100,000 to go toward one or more competitive grants for tree canopy improvement in the Midwest.

Lack of trees can have negative long-term effects like increased energy costs due to less shade, more stormwater runoff, and soil erosion that can potentially pollute waterways. Tree planting gives people and communities the opportunity to rebuild after the derecho, plant more trees in urban and suburban greenspaces and increase tree diversity, replacing ash trees with those not susceptible to common tree diseases, and help improve soil quality.

We are looking to partner with an organization that has a presence in the Midwest (Iowa and surrounding states) with a network to reach communities involved in the following canopy improvement efforts:

  • Replanting from the August 2020 derecho
  • Increasing tree species diversity
  • Planting in urban and suburban areas and greenspaces

If your organization qualifies for the grant, please send us a 200-word maximum letter of intent (LOI) including the name of your organization, a brief summary of your proposed project and how it fits into the foundation priorities to [email protected]. If your project meets our criteria for the project, you will be sent our standard grant application. LOIs and applications will be accepted from May 17, 2021 to June 21, 2021.