The Fall 2023 call for applications for the Mary Janvrin and Natalie Janvrin Wiggins Fund for Birds, Other Animals and Nature is now OPEN.

Applications are due September 28 at 4:00 p.m.

Information, FAQ, Application Overview, Budget Summary Form, and Application Link

Eligible applicants are strongly encouraged to review all information before preparing and submitting an application. Applications must be submitted via the online application form and all required documents must be uploaded in PDF (including the CFMC Budget Summary Form).

Applicants with grant awards from a previous cycle must submit either an interim or final evaluation by September 30, 2023. The final evaluation form is available HERE. Interim evaluation forms are available by emailing Mary Dutton at programs@middlesexcountycf.org.

• Information Session PowerPoint Slides  –  the recorded information session is available HERE 
• Janvrin Fund FAQ
• Janvrin Fund Application Instructions and Information
• Outline overview – Janvrin online application form
• CFMC Budget Summary Form

Janvrin Fund Application Form is now closed.

Application guidelines:

• Funding requests of up to $15,000 may be considered – funding requests must meet the criteria outlined below.
  • If your request does not meet the criteria outlined below, your organization may be eligible to submit a General Funding Request – information is available HERE
• Programs, projects, or services funded must directly impact Middlesex County;
• Applications must meet the purpose of the Mary Janvrin and Natalie Janvrin Wiggins Fund for Birds, Other Animals and Nature – to preserve, protect, and steward land, waterways, and wildlife habitats for the benefit of the county’s ecosystem, the habitats for birds and other wildlife, and the well-being and enjoyment of our residents;
• The cycle is not restricted to solely “traditional environmental organizations.” Organizations of all types may apply – we encourage creative, out-of-the-box approaches to programs and services as well as collaborations that meet the eligibility criteria.
• Applications that leverage organizational dollars, other funding sources, and partnerships are preferred.

We welcome applications for programs that:

• Benefit any and all of the 15 towns in Middlesex County; and
• Preserve, protect, and steward lands, waterways, wildlife habitats for the benefit not only of the ecosystem, but for the health, livelihood, and enjoyment of local residents.

We are particularly interested in programs that:

• Engage youth in environmental education to help develop the next generation of stewards of the environment;
• Promote partnerships across a wide and broad spectrum of constituents and cohorts.
• Foster equitable conservation and stewardship*.

We encourage programs that are:

• Collaborative in nature;
• Regional in scope;
• Rooted in solution-oriented approaches;
• Incorporate all voices in the planning process;
• Include specific, measurable outcomes;
• Promote positive change over the long term.

We will take under consideration grants for:

• Existing programs or special projects;
• New initiatives;
• General operating grants;
• Capacity building grants.

At this time we are not accepting applications to support land acquisition.

*Equitable conservation and stewardship: We’re born on the land. Eat food grown in it.  Drink water that flows over it. Build our communities upon it. There’s not a single aspect of our lives that is not touched by land and water. While land and water connect us all, it has also been used historically to separate us. Entire communities of people have been excluded from direct interaction with the environment and understanding of the fundamental connection to our community. That shared history of inequity means that collectively our stewardship work does not benefit all people as we intend it to. Equitable conservation and stewardship programs seek ways to connect all people, of all demographics including race, economic status, and abilities, to our environment.   (Adapted from Conservation Trust for North Carolina “An Equitable Vision for Conservation”)

Normally, the Community Foundation will not award grants to

• Organizations that, in their constitution, bylaws or practice, discriminate against a person or group on the basis of age, race, national origin, ethnicity, gender, disability, sexual orientation or identification, political affiliation, or religious belief;
• Initiatives that regrant our funds to other organizations.
• New staff positions or hazard pay expenses (due to the COVID-19 pandemic);
• Programs or materials that would normally be included in the regular operating budget for municipal/government agencies or schools;
• Annual fundraising campaigns or event sponsorships;
• Initiatives that regrant CFMC funds to other organizations;
• Endowments, reserve funds, capital campaigns, or annual fund drives;
• Recouping lost revenue which occurred during the current or previous calendar year;
• Payment of debt or legal settlements or Repayment of SBA, PPP, or other COVID-19 related loans;
• Political or partisan purposes, campaigns, or lobbying activities;
• Projects that exclusively serve religious purposes, although religious organizations providing non-religious community services will be considered.

Grants will not be made to individuals.