Open - McDougal Family Foundation Healthy Water Grant Program fall 2026 application cycle closes November 20, 2026, 5 p.m. CST; priority Great Lakes and Lake Michigan.
Great Lakes – McDougal Family Foundation 2026-27 Healthy Water Policy, Pollution and Climate Resilience Grants
FundingIndividual applicant award limit and range are not published for the McDougal Family Foundation Healthy Water program. No overall program funding allocation may be substituted for the applicant award.
DeadlineNovember 20, 2026, 5:00 p.m. Central Standard Time (CST), for February 2027 decisions. Additional round deadline April 16, 2027, 5:00 p.m. CST for July 2027 decisions.
Last verified2026-10-27
Required next actionRead official Healthy Water guidelines https://www.mcdougalfamilyfdn.org/healthy-water and use the funder-linked GrantInterface portal to apply by November 20, 2026, 5 p.m. CST. Demonstrate a strong Great Lakes focus, measurable water-quality or climate-resilience benefits, regional relevance and stakeholder input; supply an appropriate project budget and required organizational evidence. Current grantees reapplying should include the 10-month report.
Broad Eligibility
Qualifying organizations undertaking regional policy, institutional, innovation, runoff-pollution reduction, or climate-resilience activities protecting the Great Lakes, especially Lake Michigan and communities bearing greater environmental burdens. Excludes environmental education or recreation, restoration/stewardship, capital projects, political and religious purposes, and initiatives without strong Great Lakes impact.
Atlas Analysis
Fully researched October 27, 2026 against official McDougal Family Foundation Healthy Water guidelines and apply page. Applicant-facing philanthropy, separate from the foundation's Chicago education program. Controlling official source specifies November 20 2026 5 p.m. CST deadline, second April 16 2027 round, Great Lakes geographic priorities, policy/practice innovation, runoff mitigation and urban flooding equity. General operating and project-specific support possible. Explicit exclusions: endowment/capital projects, debt, religious/political purposes, environmental education or recreation, restoration/stewardship and no strong Great Lakes focus. No universal individual award ceiling, minimum, cash match or reimbursement formula is published. GrantInterface application and final reporting required; current grantee reapplicants include 10-month report.
Applications due November 20, 2026, at 5:00 p.m. Central Standard Time (CST) for funding decisions in February 2027. The McDougal Family Foundation Healthy Water Grant Program supports regional initiatives to protect and restore the Great Lakes, with priority for Lake Michigan and environmental burdens affecting low-income and historically underserved communities. The foundation does not publish a universal individual applicant award maximum or range in its current program guidance.
Eligible work: Nonprofit and other qualifying organizations whose mission and proposed project fit the foundation’s Great Lakes water-quality and resilience priorities. Supported strategies include advancing effective public policy and institutional practices; testing and scaling new technologies and approaches that reduce persistent pollution; mitigating wastewater, stormwater, industrial, urban and agricultural runoff; and reducing urban flooding while including affected communities in design and decisions. Applicants must document measurable environmental benefits, regional significance, and relevant scientific and community participation.
Funding conditions and exclusions: Eligible organizations may request general operating or project-specific support, with general operating decisions considering overall mission and field leadership. The foundation expressly excludes endowments, capital campaigns and capital projects, debt or deficit reduction, religious or political purposes, environmental education or recreation, restoration and stewardship projects, and efforts lacking a strong Great Lakes focus. No universal cash-match percentage, applicant-level maximum, or reimbursement formula is specified in the public program instructions; confirm grant-specific terms with the funder and submit a reasonable program budget.
Application requirements: Read the official Healthy Water program guidelines and use the linked GrantInterface online application. Explain the Great Lakes basin impact, water-quality or climate resilience problem, approach, scientific/community evidence and outcomes; provide required information through the portal. The November 20, 2026, 5 p.m. CST application deadline is for February 2027 funding decisions. The next separately announced application deadline is April 16, 2027, at 5 p.m. CST, for July 2027 decisions. Successful recipients provide a final report; previous grantees reapplying submit a 10-month final report with the application. This is philanthropic financial assistance, not a procurement RFP.
Source verificationReferenced source · www.mcdougalfamilyfdn.orgAtlas last verified this record 2026-10-27. Always use the funder's current application materials, amendments and portal instructions as the controlling source.View source and application materials ↗
