Henrico’s Environmental Action Resource Team (HEART) invites nonprofit organizations to apply for its 2027 Community Impact Grants program. Entering its third year, the program provides funds ranging from $1,000 to $5,000 to support projects that will have a positive impact on the environment and Henrico communities.
With funding approved by the Henrico Board of Supervisors, the program has helped 16 organizations turn their ideas into reality. Projects have included community pollinator and vegetable gardens, Earth Day events, furniture for outdoor-environmental classrooms and accessibility enhancements for an outdoor learning lab.
“We are so excited to support our residents and organizations with their sustainability efforts,” said Samantha Hudson, director of Henrico’s Sustainability Division. “From helping kids spend more time outdoors to providing waystations for monarch butterflies, these microgrants are having an immediate and enduring impact on our community.”
Projects eligible for funding may include:
- Neighborhood and other cleanup projects
- Green space and recreation improvements
- Support for youth programs and education
- Active transportation improvements
- Support for community gardens, farms and native planting
- Heat mitigation and resilience
- Invasive species removal and other management projects
- Job and workforce training for environmental sustainability
Community Impact Grants are open to nonprofit and nonprofit-sponsored organizations who plan projects and programs intended for Henrico residents.
To be eligible, applicants must:
- Provide services to Henrico residents related to environmental sustainability
- Demonstrate a connection between their work and HEART
- Submit a completed application with all required documents
- Submit a scope of work, project budget and timeline
- Be a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization or a community group partnered with a nonprofit
- Register with the Virginia State Corporation Commission
The application period is open through Monday, Nov. 30. Award recipients will be announced in the spring.
Previous recipients may apply for 2027 grant funds with a new proposal or an expansion or offshoot of a previously funded project.