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Overview | Strategies | Eligibility & Guidelines | Application Deadlines | Environment Program FAQ

The Onion Foundation Environment Program aims to enable all Maine residents, especially in rural areas, to enjoy the state's natural resources and to develop the knowledge, skills, and motivation to protect Maine's environment. Rather than supporting land acquisition and capital projects, the Environment Program focuses its resources on the people of Maine, whose lives and behaviors will shape environment and climate change outcomes. The goal of the Environment Program is to expand equitable outdoor access, support high-quality nature learning, and encourage advocacy and movement building to protect the environment and mitigate climate change.

The Environment Program arranges grant seeking opportunities by strategy, with the following 2024 deadlines:

• Equitable Outdoor Access

  • Proposals to eliminate barriers confronting underserved groups: March 27, 2024 (notifications in early June)

  • Maine Land Trust grant program: Visit Momentum Conservation’s website for more information about its grant making program, including its application deadlines.

• Nature Learning: June 12, 2024 (notifications in August)

• Advocacy & Movement Building: Invitation Only

Environment Program Strategies

Three strategies guide our Environment Program:

Strategy I: Equitable Outdoor Access

Increase access to the outdoors so that Maine residents are comfortable outside, feel connected to the natural world, and develop an ethic of care for nature

Priorities:

• Priority A: Encourage Maine land trusts and watersheds to develop equitable organizations, inclusive programs, and easy access to the outdoors

Maine’s land trusts and watersheds are geographically distributed throughout the state and provide a crucial network of programs and conserved areas where people can recreate, learn, heal, and work. To increase opportunities for Maine residents to spend quality time outdoors, the lands and waters under the stewardship of land trusts should be easily accessible and related programs should be inclusive. Maine also has regional watershed organizations that steward and connect people to the state’s abundant and ecologically significant lakes. These organizations have the potential to offer outdoor experiences and programs that cater to a range of abilities and interests. Under this priority, the Environment Program hopes to encourage land trusts and watershed organizations to build their capacity and to take steps to engage a diverse and growing number of Maine residents. Note that the Onion Foundation supports watershed organizations by invitation only.

Starting in 2023, land trusts that have previously received support from the Onion Foundation will now apply for funding through a new land trust grant program administered by Momentum Conservation (formerly Southern Maine Conservation Collaborative) and launched with Onion Foundation support instead of directly through the Onion Foundation. The foundation anticipates providing continued funding to Momentum Conservation to support its grantmaking and technical assistance activities.

On occasion, the Environment Program may invite a project proposal from a land trust that has the potential to strengthen the field through an especially innovative program or approach.  With its 2023 award to Momentum Conservation, however, the Onion Foundation is discontinuing its ongoing general operating support for individual land trusts. The Onion Foundation has made this change in order to move grantmaking closer to the field and to democratize its practice.

Supporting land trusts remains a top priority as they protect land and water throughout the state and are poised to play an important role in achieving equitable access to the outdoors. Only the manner in which the Onion Foundation is supporting the land trust field has changed. Through this new partnership with Momentum Conservation, we seek to develop equitable land trust organizations, inclusive programs, and expanded access to the outdoors.

Momentum Conservation’s website will be the hub for information about this grant program in 2023 and beyond.

• Priority B: Eliminate the barriers to accessing the outdoors and nature confronted by underserved groups

Our work under this strategy places priority on improving outdoor access for Black, Indigenous, and people of color and for people living with disabilities. The term “people living with disabilities” includes adults and children in Maine who identify as having mobility, cognition, independent living, hearing, vision and/or self-care disabilities (as defined by the CDC) and their families, friends, caregivers, and educators.

These two groups should have the opportunity to experience all of the benefits associated with access to nature yet they face particular barriers to spending quality time outside. They also have been largely excluded from the environment and climate movement. Certainly, everyone will benefit when people of color and people living with disabilities are afforded equitable opportunities to develop an appreciation for Maine’s environment and a desire to serve as environmental stewards. We aim to strengthen and advance organizations, programs, and projects that meaningfully and safely introduce people of color and people living with disabilities to nature through outdoor experiences, and we understand that our support may also enable people of color and people living with disabilities to have multiple immersive experiences in nature.

Organizations considering how they can reduce barriers to getting outdoors for people of color and people living with disabilities may submit a proposal requesting support for planning and program development. Successful applicants for an Equitable Outdoor Access grant will express a strong commitment, outline a specific plan, and meet most or all of the characteristics listed below to reach one or both of the primary populations. We aim to support programs whose primary purpose is to inspire appreciation of and connection to nature, thus agriculture, food security, and community gardens are not focus areas for this grant program. Land trusts interested in submitting a proposal should contact the Environment Program Officer before applying to ensure alignment.

Characteristics of high-quality efforts include:

1. Qualified leadership

2. People of color and/or people living with disabilities represented in the development and implementation of the work

3. Durable, relevant partnerships and collaborations that drive and support the participation of people of color and/or people living with disabilities

4. Thoughtful integration of the initiative into the community through schools, social services, and other networks, thereby providing participants continuing outdoor opportunities and complementary support

5. A focus on providing participants direct experiences with nature and the outdoors (i.e., not simply lectures or reading)

6. Intentional program and communication design to make initiatives welcoming, inclusive and to create a sense of belonging

7. Reduction of participant-specific barriers to participation (such as cost, transportation, or lack of accommodations)
   
   

• Priority C: Provide support to catalytic statewide or regional networks, initiatives, and infrastructure resources to strengthen and connect the outdoor access sector

The Onion Foundation believes in investing in statewide and regional organizations that provide infrastructure resources, such as equipment and transportation, to ensure participants’ comfort and safety and reduce the cost of participation for individuals and families. We recognize the value of statewide and regional (in Maine) organizations that help to coordinate and sustain effective programs. These organizations increase learning, sharing, reach, efficacy, and efficiency and therefore will be good candidates for this grant program.

Strategy II: Expand Nature Learning

Provide high-quality, science-based nature learning opportunities that give Maine residents the knowledge they need to take action on environmental and climate challenges in their communities

Our work under this strategy primarily supports nonprofit organizations with an environment mission that offer robust nature-based educational programs to young people. The term “nature learning” encompasses educational opportunities centering natural systems and science, and includes outdoor and experiential elements. We believe in educating Maine residents so that they understand the value and role that nature can play in a healthy and vibrant life.

This program is closely aligned with the vision and goals of the 2022 Maine Environmental Literacy Plan (MELP). MELP defines environmental literacy as “the ability to recognize the components of healthy natural and human built systems and to execute the actions necessary to maintain, restore, and improve them.” It notes that community members must have the attitudes, knowledge, skills, and motivation to make decisions that will positively impact the environment. To achieve this, all Maine youth should have access to high-quality, culturally relevant, nature-based, and outdoor learning experiences that spark a desire to care and act.

According to the Census for Community-Based Environmental Learning, students in many of Maine’s rural and remote areas receive less environmental education overall and educators have fewer local, environmental, community-based organizations with which to partner. Starting in 2024, the Onion Foundation will place priority on increasing the number of high quality nature learning opportunities available to Maine's young people in these parts of the state.

Priority: Support the development and growth of high-quality, standards-aligned Nature Learning programs for youth in underserved parts of the state, with a preference for programs in the following Maine counties: Androscoggin, Aroostook, Franklin, Oxford, Penobscot, Piscataquis, Somerset, and Washington.

Characteristics of high-quality programs include:

• Include high-quality curricula, pedagogy, and learning experiences, preferably linked to the Common Core State Standards and the Next Generation Science Standards, which aim for transformative learning

• Offer place-based, experiential learning elements

• Result in students gaining an understanding of natural systems

• Are led by qualified educators

• Thoughtfully partner with schools and other networks to ensure continuous and complementary opportunities for learning, experience, and exploration

• Focus on one or more group(s) and engage in durable and relevant partnerships to drive and support the participation of the targeted group(s)

• Demonstrate a commitment to equity and accessibility

Strategy III: Advocacy and Movement Building to Protect the Environment and Mitigate Climate Change

Enable Maine residents to be effective champions for enhanced access to nature and nature learning, for environment protection policies and practices, and for community and state action to mitigate climate change

The Environment Program believes that, with access to the outdoors and knowledge about the environment and climate change, people will be inspired to advocate for environmental protection and for their own continued access to and enjoyment of nature. Under this strategy, the Environment Program will support advocacy and organizing skill-building as well as initiatives that engage Maine residents in the climate and environmental movement in Maine and beyond, including local and state activities to protect the environment and mitigate climate change.

In 2024, the Advocacy & Movement Building grant program will focus on statewide or regional (in Maine) organizations and programs that meet the priorities below:

Priorities:

• Enable young people (ages 15 – 30) to gain the skills, develop the tools, and build the networks necessary for successful advocacy and mobilization campaigns and support those efforts that protect the environment.

• Support multi-issue mobilization and advocacy initiatives to conserve Maine’s natural assets and develop climate-resilient communities 

Environment Program Application Dates