Caring for our Coast Gulf Region Grant Program
Restore America’s Estuaries (RAE), in partnership with CITGO Petroleum Corporation, has officially opened the 2026 cycle of the Caring for Our Coast program.
The initiative supports volunteer-driven coastal cleanup, restoration, and conservation events across the Gulf of America region. Grants range from $1,000 to $4,000 and can be used for supplies, materials, and services directly connected to hands-on environmental stewardship projects.
We’ll be hosting an informational session on December 16, 2025 at 11:30 AM EST: Register Now.
We will also have open office hours available for anyone who needs assistance with the application portal.
The application window runs from November 24 to December 28, 2025, and funded projects will take place between January 5 and June 30, 2026. The application can be accessed here:
Eligibility:
- Applicants must be a non-profit, government entity, or community organization with an annual operating budget of under $10 million dollars.
- Funded project must be located in the Gulf of America region.
- Funded projects must take place between January 1 – June 30, 2026
Evaluation Criteria:
- Potential for this funding to increase event capacity
- Expected impact of the event on local communities and ecosystems
- Demonstration of community engagement and outreach
- Funding need
- Special Consideration will be given to high-ranking proposals from diverse groups, or events in partnership with diverse groups, that have traditionally been under-engaged with coastal conservation efforts or are new to competitive grant funding
For more information on this program, or to be added to our contact list for future Gulf Coast opportunities, please email applications@estuaries.org.
