American Water and the American Water Charitable Foundation (AWCF) are thrilled to announce the 2024 Water and Environment Grant Program.

Important: If your organization historically applied to both American Water and the American Water Charitable Foundation environmental grant programs, please note only one environmental-focused grant program will be offered in 2024. The American Water Environmental Grant Program has been discontinued and blended into the Foundation’s Water and Environment Grant Program.

Applications will be accepted in the following states served by American Water, in addition to its Military Service locations: California, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Tennessee (including Northwest Georgia), Virginia and West Virginia.

Grants will be awarded to help fund innovative, community-based projects that:

  • improve, restore or protect the watersheds, surface water and/or groundwater supplies
  • promote water conservation
  • improve equitable access to water-based recreation in underserved communities

To qualify:

  • Applicants must be classified as a 501(c)(3) public charity by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) or K-12 public school, college or university.
  • Projects must be completed within 12 months of the grant being awarded
  • Projects must be located within and benefit American Water’s service areas

Deadline:
Applications must be received online between February 5 – March 15, 2024. Grant decisions will be announced by April 30. To apply online, please visit amwater.com/awcfgrants or click the image below. Paper applications will not be accepted.

American Water Environmental Grant Program

In 2022, Tennessee American Water issued five grants totaling $10,000 to the following organizations

tennessee american water environmental grant program

  • Chattanooga Zoo will complete the biosphere nursery for newly hatched Hellbender salamanders and adjoining education classroom in the Hiwassee Hellbender Research Facility. The classroom provides a space for school groups, Zoo campers, etc. to learn about Hellbenders and their relationship to clean water as environmental indicators of clean source water.
  • WaterWays will create a Green Team of 10 Lookout Mountain Conservancy interns from The Howard School. The interns will learn about stormwater impact and mitigation through green infrastructure design and maintenance. Students will implement learning with the installation of a rain garden or other green infrastructure on the school's campus and in the South Chattanooga neighborhood.
  • The Conservation Kid will expand the number of monofilament receptacles at fishing piers in the Chattanooga Valley. The monofilament receptacles will provide proper disposal of excess fishing lines to help protect the watershed and aquatic life. The disposed of fishing lines will be removed and recycled.
  • Lookout Mountain Conservancy will install a grate system to minimize the flooding, allow for native plants to be planted, create a trail to expand the outdoor classroom and create a new space accessible to the community. The community space will be open for residents to meet and learn more about the flooding in the area and advocating for climate-resilient infrastructure.
  • Reflection Riding Arboretum and Nature Center will lead a volunteer-driven clean-up of Lookout and Black Creeks. The clean-up will involve 100 volunteers in a day-long restoration project that will provide a hands-on community-based, environmental