The Nature Conservancy Launches Sixth Year of the New York Climate Resilience Grant Program

Grants of up to $50,000 will be awarded for conservation and climate adaptation projects that protect resilient lands, secure vital floodplains and shorelines, and help communities adapt to climate change.

The Nature Conservancy is proud to announce the sixth year of its New York Climate Resilience Grant Program. This program has been providing grants of up to $50,000 to partners in New York to support their land protection projects and increase their organizational capacity. The program has also supported projects focused on helping people and communities adapt to climate change, particularly the impacts of increased flooding.  

Since its launch in 2021, the New York Climate Resilience Grant Program has awarded more than $2.5 million to 35 organizations for 62 projects. These projects are advancing land acquisitions that conserve and connect resilient forests, protect floodplains and shorelines, and support organizations with their planning and capacity-building initiatives.

“These grants aren’t just about protecting land, they’re about backing the incredible partners who know the ins and outs of these projects and are leading this important work on the ground,” said Matt Levy, director of land protection for TNC in New York. “We’re proud to help expand their capacity and ultimately deliver solutions that make communities stronger and safer."

The program funds projects that benefit communities facing environmental challenges and encourages partnerships that center community engagement and long-term sustainability. Grantees include land trusts and other conservation-focused nonprofit organizations, municipalities, Indigenous tribes and academic institutions working across New York State. In 2025, the program funded six land protection projects and six planning and capacity-building initiatives, spanning the Adirondacks, Hudson Valley and Western New York.

A previously funded project, led by Hudson Taconic Lands, illustrates the grant program in action. In 2023, the Climate Resilience Grant Program helped cover costs related to the long-term care of nearly 200 acres in the Boehme Legacy Forest donated to the organization by family members who grew up on the land. This project ensured that this diverse forest stays intact and prevents future development—providing crucial wildlife habitat while increasing the climate resilience of the local community. This forest’s varying landscape now provides recreational and economic opportunities for the local residents.

The New York Climate Resilience Grant Program is part of TNC's broader Connectivity, Climate and Communities Fund, which also includes the Resilient and Connected Appalachians Grant Program.

The Resilient and Connected Appalachians Grant Program provides funding for nonprofit organizations, municipalities and other partners to engage in conservation efforts in the Appalachians—a center of climate resilience and a critical migration corridor for wildlife. The Program offers grants of up to $100,000 to support projects that result in the permanent protection of resilient and connected lands in key areas of the Appalachians.

Together, the two grant programs focus on three key areas:

• Connectivity: Creating a connected network of resilient lands and waters—a biodiversity superhighway enabling plants and animals to adapt to a changing climate.
• Climate: Protecting and managing forests that store significant amounts of carbon, accelerating the transition to well-sited renewable energy and helping communities to adapt and mitigate impacts from flooding.
• Communities: Supporting resilient communities and sustainable livelihoods and strong connections to their natural landscapes. 

“We are living in a pivotal moment—a defining decade to confront the urgent challenges of climate change and biodiversity loss, and to shape the future we aspire to,” said Heather Furman, Appalachians director for TNC. “Through these grant programs, we aim to accelerate vital efforts across the region, build lasting connections and preserve and protect important and critical lands.”