The Restoration Fund

Organizations must submit a Letter of Intent through the Fund’s online grant portal by the stated deadline. If you have trouble accessing the portal, please contact Tim Fenchel at tfenchel@schuylkillriver.org

The Letter of Intent must include the following:

• Project Name and location
• Project Manager and contact information
• Brief summary of the project addressing why it is important and what the impactwill be on the watershed.
• Objectives of the project and how it meets the program guidelines and criteria
• Letter should clearly communicate where the project stands in regards to design. Is the project design fully completed, in progress, or just in draft planning stage.
• Estimated grant request and matching fund sources

 Letter of Intent must be submitted no later than 4:00 p.m. on February 16, 2023. 

CLICK HERE FOR GRANT PORTAL 

The Schuylkill River Restoration Fund provides grants to government agencies and non-profit organizations for projects that improve the quality of water in the watershed. The grants focus on three major sources of pollution: stormwater run-off, agricultural pollution and abandoned mine drainage.

The  annual grant program begins each year in January with funding typically being awarded in May or June.  The goal of the Restoration Fund is to support projects in the Schuylkill River watershed that are consistent with restoration and water management goals for the entire basin. Any questions about the Schuylkill River Restoration Fund or the grant submission process should be directed to Tim Fenchel at tfenchel@schuylkillriver.org. 

The fund was created in 2006 through a unique public/private partnership between Exelon Nuclear, the Delaware River Basin Commission and the Schuylkill River Greenways National Heritage Area. Since being established in 2006, the fund has distributed more than $4.6 million–and leveraged another $5 million–for 121 projects that protect and restore the Schuylkill River.

The Schuylkill River Restoration Fund is funded through public/private partnerships and relies on donations from numerous organizations and individuals. Click here to donate to the fund.

The Schuylkill River Restoration Fund offers matching grants of up to $4,000 per project to assist with transaction costs for permanent land protection projects (conservation easements, full fee acquisitions, donations) within the Schuylkill River watershed. These grants are intended to facilitate the protection of high priority lands for water quality and habitat protection. See grant guidelines above for more details.

The Schuylkill River Restoration Fund is the result of a unique public/private partnership. Funders include: Exelon Generation's Limerick Generating Station, the Philadelphia Water Department, Partnership for the Delaware Estuary, MOMs Organic Market, Aqua PA and DTE Energy. A number of partners oversee the fund and its projects. The grants are administered by the Schuylkill River Greenways National Heritage Area, which is managed by the non-profit Schuylkill River Greenway Association. All grant recipients are carefully selected by an advisory committee consisting of:

• Exelon Generation
• Delaware River Basin Commission
• Philadelphia Water Department
• Environmental Protection Agency
• Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection
• Partnership for the Delaware Estuary
• Schuylkill River Greenways National Heritage Area
• Schuylkill Action Network