Friday is environment & climate day on The Grant Brief.

Three open grants right now fund the physical, on-the-ground layer of conservation and land work. Not research papers, not convenings. Dirt, water, bins, and seed.

What we know: Elevar funds regenerative agriculture, ecosystem restoration, and land-management technology. This is a newly established family foundation, IRS-recognized in 2025, with no 990 grant history on file yet, so the Regenerative Land Initiative is effectively its first open cycle. The RFP dropped May 15 and targets just 2 to 4 recipients, so competition will be tight. It's open to 501(c)(3) organizations and fiscally sponsored projects based anywhere in the U.S., though the foundation's general grantmaking gives priority to the greater Dayton, Ohio area.

Realistic fit: small to mid-size land-focused nonprofits with an active field project and clear ecological outcomes, not orgs still in the planning phase.

What we know: Biophilia made 18 grants in 2025 at a median of $50,000, well above the stated first-time range. Over 60% of its 55 lifetime grants went to Colorado, Utah, and Arizona, with additional clusters in Washington, D.C. and New Mexico. Top recipients include Borderlands Restoration Network ($355,000 over three grants), Wildlands Network ($300,000), and Chesapeake Wildlife Heritage ($225,000). The foundation also made four small expenditure-responsibility grants totaling $55,000 in Mexico.

Realistic fit: place-based conservation nonprofits working on private land, watershed, or wildlife corridor projects in the arid West or Chesapeake region. Cold LOIs are accepted but the foundation "seeks out" most recipients, so a warm introduction matters.

What we know: A small, focused funder. Eleven lifetime grants totaling $133,000, with a 2025 median of $14,000. Past recipients include municipalities (City of Temple, County of Pitt) and nonprofits (Pennsylvania Resources Council, Bottle Underground). Grants cluster in North Carolina, Texas, and Pennsylvania. This is capital support for tangible infrastructure: drop-off bins, trailers, hauling equipment, cleaning systems.

Realistic fit: nonprofits or municipal partners running or launching a glass collection program that needs equipment, not general recycling advocacy orgs.

If your work is policy, curriculum, or broad climate advocacy, these three probably aren't your match. All three reward organizations doing concrete, site-specific work with measurable physical outcomes.