Grants
In April 2026, Fairfax Tree Rescuers PRISM completed its first and very successful round of mini-grants to communities for invasive plant control. Eleven community associations and two faith communities used their grants to rescue trees on their common land and to educate their community about the invasive plant problem. The seed money came from the Virginia Department of Forestry (VDOF).
We are pleased to announce that we are now ready to take pre-applications for more mini-grants of up to $5000, partially matched by you with either money or volunteer labor. We will approve the applications on a rolling basis. The funding comes from contributions we have received from generous donors. We are also applying for another grant from VDOF. The purpose of these mini-grants is to jumpstart long-term management plants by communities, with the hope and expectation that they will continue to do the work of stewarding their land on their own over the years to come.
Learn about community mini-grants here.
Summary of the mini-grant process
- Obtain permission from your Board to investigate the mini-grant option.
- Use the pre-application form to schedule a site visit from one of our experienced volunteers. That person will walk the property with you and other decision makers from your community to identify places that need professional invasive control services and help you create a management plan.
- Obtain estimates from contractors.
- Draft a management plan and create a plan for educating your community.
- Complete the application process after obtaining permission from your Board to proceed.
- If the PRISM Grant Review team determines the application meets our criteria, will achieve measurable results, and funds remain available, a grant agreement will be offered and must be signed by an authorized community representative.
- Proceed with the work. You may meet the partial match requirement with either money or volunteer labor.
- Submit receipts and a report for reimbursement.
- Receive reimbursement from us. (Alternatively, if all the reporting is complete, we can pay the contractor directly.)
In anticipation of possible funding from the Virginia Department of Forestry, for which we will need to submit receipts by April 15, 2027, the required match will be lower for mini-grant projects that can be completed before then.
Questions?
