At the Tahoe Fund, we work directly with our partners on projects that improve the Lake Tahoe environment for all to enjoy. Over the past decade, we have granted funds to over 160 different environmental improvement projects.
We are currently accepting grant proposals for projects that have fundraising goals of $5,000-$1,000,000 and align with our five focus areas:
- Forest Health – Increase the pace and scale of forest restoration in the Tahoe Basin.
- Lake Clarity – Improve lake clarity, water quality, and lake health. We are particularly interested in projects around aquatic invasive species, nearshore water quality, and Upper Truckee watershed restoration.
- Sustainable Recreation – Improve quality of experience and equity of access, while minimizing impacts on natural resources in Tahoe.
- Stewardship – Inspire more people to take care of Tahoe by funding projects that increase environmental awareness and promote behavioral change.
- Transportation – Contribute innovative solutions to current and future transportation efforts.
Early-Stage Grants
Looking for an early stage investment? Project submissions for early-stage grants through our Environmental Venture Trust or Smartest Forest Fund can be submitted here as well. These projects should be able to demonstrate how an early investment will be leveraged to secure significantly more funding in the future from public or private sources. They should also bring innovative solutions to Tahoe’s environmental challenges.
How to Submit a Project
We invite you to submit a project using this form. At this stage, we are most interested in learning the basic details of the project, the benefit to the Tahoe Basin, the alignment with a specific goal area, the general timeline and a budget range. Please review project guidelines prior to completing the form.
You will be asked to provide the following information in the project submission form:
- Your contact information
- An overview of the project, its objectives and its benefits to Tahoe
- Project location
- Which Tahoe Fund Focus Area your project addresses (see full list above)
- How your project aligns with the Focus Area you selected
- How your project will increase access and inclusivity for underserved communities in the Basin (if applicable)
- Project partners, including any organizations, agencies or other entities that are or will be involved in this project.
- Project timeline, including timelines for environmental approvals, planning, construction, etc.
- Total project budget, as an exact number, estimate or range
- Amount of funding requested from the Tahoe Fund
- Other funding sources for the project, including any public funding sources
Project Guidelines
- Projects must be in the Tahoe Basin and should be consistent with the program priorities laid out above: Forest Health, Lake Clarity, Sustainable Recreation, Transportation and Stewardship.
- Projects should be inclusive of all residents and visitors of Lake Tahoe.
- Projects should have high appeal to the private sector. Tahoe Fund does not provide funding for activities or projects that are generally viewed as the base operation and maintenance responsibilities of the requesting entity.
- Tahoe Fund grants are intended to leverage existing levels of federal, state, and local funding. Project requests cannot be a substitute for the base operational budgets of these entities.
- With the exception of stewardship/interpretation projects, the Tahoe Fund will generally not include funding requests for maintenance and monitoring of projects in its portfolios of Signature and Premier Projects.
- Tahoe Fund will consider funding requests for early-stage projects within its Environmental Venture Trust and Smartest Forest Fund portfolios. Projects must show the ability to leverage an early investment with future funding sources.
- Tahoe Fund projects must comply with all applicable federal, state, and local statutes and regulations, and should contribute to the attainment of one or more TRPA thresholds (i.e., water quality, air quality, soil conservation, scenic quality, recreation, fisheries, wildlife, noise, vegetation preservation).
- The Tahoe Fund seeks projects that have completed the environmental review process for the Signature and Premier projects. If you have not yet received environmental approvals, please be sure to include the date you anticipate receiving them.
- The Tahoe Fund is focused on expanding stewardship of the region, and will consider projects that focus on large-scale stewardship. K-12 programs are not currently being considered.
- The Tahoe Fund will not select projects that address the mitigation requirements of private projects.
- The project administrator must be able to demonstrate that there is full community support for the project (or no major conflicts).
- The project administrator must have the ability to recognize the Tahoe Fund for the donation (e.g., plaque, publicity, marketing, special events).
- Indirect costs cannot exceed 5%.
Project Review Process
All submissions will be reviewed by the Tahoe Fund Board, which is tasked with developing the Tahoe Fund’s project portfolio. Select projects will be invited to provide further details. Funding decisions will be made by March 15, 2025.
