Opportunity Information: Apply for F16AS00389
Apply for F16AS00389
- The Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service in the community development, education, environment, natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "2016 FWS - NWR System Friends Program" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.654.
- This funding opportunity was created on Aug 11, 2016.
- Applicants must submit their applications by The recipient has been selected.. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $100,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education.
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Opportunity Summary:
The 2016 FWS - NWR System Friends Program (Funding Opportunity Number F16AS00389) is a discretionary cooperative agreement issued by the U.S. Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS). It provides $100,000 in federal funding (with an award ceiling of $100,000 and an expected single award) to support the National Wildlife Refuge Friends Program, which is administered and managed by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF). The central idea is that NFWF uses these FWS funds to run a competitive, pass-through subgrant program for local and regional National Wildlife Refuge "Friends" organizations, helping them both deliver tangible, on-the-ground work and strengthen their organizational capacity so they can sustain and expand their support for the National Wildlife Refuge System over time. The opportunity is listed under CFDA 15.654 and targets nonprofit applicants with 501(c)(3) status (excluding institutions of higher education). As posted, the original federal opportunity indicates the recipient has already been selected, meaning the cooperative agreement award at the federal level was not an open competition at the time of viewing; the competitive component is largely the subaward process NFWF runs for Friends groups.
The stated need behind the program is the growing importance of community-based partnerships in maintaining the visibility, relevance, and public support of refuges nationwide. Friends organizations are framed as essential, mission-adjacent partners that expand what refuges can accomplish by providing outreach and communications, environmental education, habitat restoration support, special event coordination, volunteer recruitment and management, and fundraising. In practice, the program recognizes that refuges often have limited staff capacity, and that well-organized Friends groups can mobilize local energy, skills, and donations in ways that directly improve visitor engagement and conservation results.
The funding that flows through this program is designed to support three main grant tracks. The first is Nonprofit Capacity Building Grants, which are meant to help both new and established Friends groups become more effective and durable organizations. For newly forming groups, eligible activities lean toward foundational start-up support such as membership drives, training tuition, basic communications materials (brochures and newsletters), branding work like logo design, or consultant assistance for creating a website and other early operational tools. For more established Friends organizations, the emphasis shifts to improvements that deepen long-term effectiveness and sustainability, such as developing a strategic plan, refining communications strategies for ongoing events, building a volunteer recruitment plan, strengthening membership development, purchasing or implementing new software systems, or investing time and resources into new partnerships that broaden community reach.
The second track is Project Specific Grants, which focus on projects initiated and managed by the Friends organization itself rather than being primarily refuge-staff led. A key requirement in this category is that the Friends organization clearly demonstrates its hands-on role across the full project lifecycle, including planning, implementation, and follow-through, and explains how the work benefits the Friends group while also increasing public engagement. Examples provided include developing and delivering environmental education programs for schools, leading a habitat restoration effort from start to finish, constructing an observation tower paired with a plan to use it to grow Friends membership and volunteer involvement, or creating interpretive materials and programs that the Friends organization will use or deliver to the community. The program is not just looking for a good conservation or education idea; it is looking for projects that also build the Friends group as a community-facing partner and strengthen sustained refuge support.
The third track is Peer-to-Peer Coaching (P2P), which supports Friends organizations that can serve as conveners and mentors. Under this approach, funding supports the coordination and delivery of training workshops for at least four other Refuge Friends organizations. The intent is to spread practical knowledge across the network, helping newer or less-resourced groups learn proven methods in governance, fundraising, volunteer management, outreach, event planning, project delivery, and coordination with refuge staff.
The timeline described in the opportunity anticipates that NFWF would release a Request for Proposals (RFP) for the National Wildlife Refuge Friends Program in the third quarter of federal fiscal year 2017. Subawards would likely be made in the first quarter of fiscal year 2018, with grant disbursements to subrecipients occurring over the following two years. Financially, the arrangement is described as reimbursable at the FWS-to-NFWF level, with NFWF invoicing FWS based on the cash needs of subrecipients, which implies a controlled drawdown and reimbursement approach rather than a single lump-sum transfer.
Program outcomes are framed around increasing the overall effectiveness of Friends organizations by investing in both capacity building and on-the-ground work. The evaluation criteria NFWF and FWS expect to apply include alignment with program goals and priorities (including, where relevant, habitat and species conservation goals), the presence of specific and measurable performance metrics, and clear linkage to priorities stated in the RFP. Proposals are also expected to demonstrate technical merit, meaning a feasible approach with a logical work plan and timeline, and appropriate use of technical expertise when needed to ensure activities are well designed and realistically implementable. Budget review is another major criterion: costs must be allowable and reasonable, must follow NFWF budget category guidance, and federally funded work must comply with applicable requirements in OMB Uniform Guidance.
The opportunity cites a broad set of authorizing statutes that collectively support refuge management, recreation and public use, conservation and restoration activities, volunteerism and community partnerships, youth engagement, and protection of cultural and archaeological resources. These include the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act of 1934, Fish and Wildlife Act of 1956, Refuge Recreation Act of 1962, National Wildlife Refuge System Administration Act of 1966, Youth Conservation Corps Act of 1972, Archaeological Resources Protection Act of 1979, the National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act of 1997, the National Wildlife Refuge System Volunteer and Community Partnership Act of 2004, and certain provisions related to Federal Aid for Highways. Taken together, those authorities reflect the program's blended emphasis on conservation outcomes, high-quality public engagement, and the practical infrastructure of volunteer and community partnership needed to sustain the refuge system.
FAQs: 2016 FWS - NWR System Friends Program (F16AS00389)
What is the 2016 FWS - NWR System Friends Program (F16AS00389)?
It is a discretionary cooperative agreement from the U.S. Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) that provides federal funding to support the National Wildlife Refuge Friends Program. The program is administered and managed by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF), which uses the federal funds to run a competitive, pass-through subgrant program for local and regional National Wildlife Refuge "Friends" organizations.
Who is the federal awarding agency and what type of award is this?
The federal awarding agency is the U.S. Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS). The award instrument described is a discretionary cooperative agreement.
How much funding is available under this federal opportunity?
The federal funding amount stated is $100,000. The award ceiling is also listed as $100,000, and the opportunity expects a single federal award.
Is this federal opportunity open for applications?
As posted, the federal opportunity indicates that the recipient has already been selected. That means the cooperative agreement award at the federal level was not an open competition at the time of viewing.
If the federal award is not open, where does the competitive application process happen?
The competitive component is primarily the subaward process that NFWF runs. NFWF uses the FWS funds to operate a competitive, pass-through subgrant program for eligible National Wildlife Refuge Friends organizations.
What is the purpose of routing funding through NFWF?
The structure is intended to support Friends organizations through a competitive subgrant program that helps them deliver tangible, on-the-ground work while also strengthening organizational capacity so they can sustain and expand their support for the National Wildlife Refuge System over time.
What is the CFDA number associated with this opportunity?
The opportunity is listed under CFDA 15.654.
Who is the target applicant type described for this opportunity?
The opportunity targets nonprofit applicants with 501(c)(3) status, excluding institutions of higher education.
Why does the program emphasize Friends organizations?
The stated need is the growing importance of community-based partnerships in maintaining the visibility, relevance, and public support of refuges nationwide. Friends organizations are presented as essential partners that expand what refuges can accomplish, especially where refuge staff capacity is limited.
What kinds of work do Friends organizations typically support under this program concept?
Friends organizations are described as supporting outreach and communications, environmental education, habitat restoration support, special event coordination, volunteer recruitment and management, and fundraising, all in ways that can improve visitor engagement and conservation results.
What are the three main subgrant tracks supported by the program?
The program is designed to support three main tracks: (1) Nonprofit Capacity Building Grants, (2) Project Specific Grants, and (3) Peer-to-Peer Coaching (P2P).
What is a Nonprofit Capacity Building Grant in this program?
Nonprofit Capacity Building Grants are intended to help new and established Friends groups become more effective and durable organizations. The eligible activities differ depending on whether a group is newly forming or already established.
What kinds of activities are eligible for newly forming Friends groups under Capacity Building Grants?
Examples listed include foundational start-up support such as membership drives, training tuition, basic communications materials (brochures and newsletters), branding work like logo design, or consultant assistance for creating a website and other early operational tools.
What kinds of activities are eligible for established Friends groups under Capacity Building Grants?
Examples listed include developing a strategic plan, refining communications strategies for ongoing events, building a volunteer recruitment plan, strengthening membership development, purchasing or implementing new software systems, or investing in new partnerships that broaden community reach.
What is a Project Specific Grant in this program?
Project Specific Grants focus on projects initiated and managed by the Friends organization rather than being primarily refuge-staff led. The Friends organization is expected to show a hands-on role across planning, implementation, and follow-through, and explain how the project benefits the Friends group while also increasing public engagement.
What is the key requirement for Project Specific Grants?
A key requirement is that the Friends organization clearly demonstrates its hands-on role across the full project lifecycle (planning, implementation, and follow-through) and describes how the work benefits the Friends group while increasing public engagement.
What are examples of Project Specific Grant activities mentioned in the opportunity?
Examples include developing and delivering environmental education programs for schools, leading a habitat restoration effort from start to finish, constructing an observation tower paired with a plan to use it to grow Friends membership and volunteer involvement, and creating interpretive materials and programs that the Friends organization will use or deliver to the community.
Does the program prioritize projects that also strengthen the Friends organization itself?
Yes. The program description emphasizes that it is not only looking for a strong conservation or education idea; it is looking for projects that also build the Friends group as a community-facing partner and strengthen sustained refuge support.
What is Peer-to-Peer Coaching (P2P) in this program?
Peer-to-Peer Coaching supports Friends organizations that can serve as conveners and mentors by coordinating and delivering training workshops for at least four other Refuge Friends organizations.
How many other Friends organizations must be served under the P2P track?
The P2P approach described requires training workshops for at least four other Refuge Friends organizations.
What topics can Peer-to-Peer Coaching workshops cover, based on the opportunity description?
The described intent is to spread practical knowledge, including methods in governance, fundraising, volunteer management, outreach, event planning, project delivery, and coordination with refuge staff.
When was NFWF expected to release the Request for Proposals (RFP) for the subgrant program?
The timeline anticipates that NFWF would release an RFP in the third quarter of federal fiscal year 2017.
When were subawards expected to be made under the NFWF-run program?
Subawards were anticipated to be made in the first quarter of federal fiscal year 2018.
How long were grant disbursements to subrecipients expected to occur?
The opportunity indicates that grant disbursements to subrecipients would occur over the following two years after subawards.
How is funding described as flowing between FWS and NFWF?
The arrangement is described as reimbursable at the FWS-to-NFWF level, with NFWF invoicing FWS based on the cash needs of subrecipients. This suggests a controlled drawdown and reimbursement approach rather than a single lump-sum transfer.
What outcomes is the program trying to achieve?
Program outcomes are framed around increasing the overall effectiveness of Friends organizations by investing in both capacity building and on-the-ground work, with an emphasis on sustained support for the National Wildlife Refuge System.
What proposal evaluation criteria are expected to be used for subawards?
The opportunity describes evaluation criteria that include alignment with program goals and priorities (including, where relevant, habitat and species conservation goals), specific and measurable performance metrics, and a clear linkage to priorities stated in the RFP.
What does "technical merit" mean in the context of this program?
Technical merit is described as having a feasible approach with a logical work plan and timeline, and using appropriate technical expertise when needed so activities are well designed and realistically implementable.
How important is the budget in proposal review?
Budget review is identified as a major criterion. Costs must be allowable and reasonable, must follow NFWF budget category guidance, and federally funded work must comply with applicable requirements in OMB Uniform Guidance.
What federal requirements are referenced for compliance?
The opportunity notes that federally funded work must comply with applicable requirements in OMB Uniform Guidance.
What statutes are cited as authorizing or supporting this program?
The opportunity cites multiple authorities supporting refuge management, public use, conservation, volunteerism, partnerships, youth engagement, and cultural resource protection. These include the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act of 1934; Fish and Wildlife Act of 1956; Refuge Recreation Act of 1962; National Wildlife Refuge System Administration Act of 1966; Youth Conservation Corps Act of 1972; Archaeological Resources Protection Act of 1979; National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act of 1997; National Wildlife Refuge System Volunteer and Community Partnership Act of 2004; and certain provisions related to Federal Aid for Highways.
What is the main idea behind citing so many different authorities?
Taken together, the cited authorities reflect a blended emphasis on conservation outcomes, high-quality public engagement and recreation, and the volunteer and community partnership infrastructure needed to sustain the National Wildlife Refuge System.
Does this program focus only on conservation projects?
No. The program description explicitly includes outreach and communications, environmental education, volunteer and event coordination, and fundraising, alongside habitat restoration support and other on-the-ground work.
Do Project Specific Grants need to be primarily led by refuge staff?
No. The Project Specific Grants category emphasizes projects initiated and managed by the Friends organization, with the Friends group demonstrating a hands-on role throughout the project lifecycle.
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