Grant Program

SUMMARY

Fish Florida Grant Application

Fish Florida is a non-profit organization whose mission is to promote public awareness and encourage the protection of marine fisheries and coastal habitats – conservation through education!

Fish Florida’s grant program assists organizations in providing educational opportunities to the anglers and future anglers of Florida. We provide funding to organizations that teach children and adults about Florida’s fish, aquatic habitats and resource stewardship; including ethical fishing skills and ways to protect Florida’s aquatic environments.

Grants have been awarded to organizations for fishing summer camps, field trips, educational supplies like books and fishing equipment, fish habitat restoration programs and more. We strongly recommend that you contact us to discuss your program before you submit a grant application.

Application Deadlines

Fish Florida awards grants twice a year. Submit your completed application by the following deadlines. We recommend that you submit your application early so you will have time to make corrections or provide missing information if necessary.

• May 1 to be voted on at our July Board meeting
• November 1 to be voted on at our January Board meeting

Requirements

The following is required. If something does not apply to you, please explain why in your cover letter.

• Use ONLY the Fish Florida Grant Application Form. Your application must be typed
• Provide a cover letter summarizing your program and request, 2 pages maximum
• Provide ONLY three (3) Letters of Recommendation
• Provide a list of your organization’s Board of Directors or senior management
• Provide a copy of your organization’s 501(c)(3) tax exemption letter (if applicable) and Department of State Annual Report.
• Provide detailed answers. Incomplete applications will not be considered
• Additional documentation or materials are permitted, maximum of 5 additional pages
• All documents must be on 8.5”x11” 3-hole punched paper.
• Do not use folders, binders or covers
• Mail 11 sets of all required documents to the address below by the application deadline
• Mail your application to:

Fish Florida Grant Program

When awarding grants, Fish Florida will carefully consider:

• Proposals appropriate to the mission of Fish Florida
• Clarity of goals and objectives
• Clarity of your plan for achieving objectives and evaluating results
• Reasonable and effective budget
• Participation of children and/or underserved user groups
• Number of people benefiting from the project
• Requests for specific purposes (preferable to requests for normal operating expenses)
• Organization’s fiscal responsibility and management qualifications
• Potential for successful collaborative efforts
• Matching funds, monetary, or in-kind commitments
• Ability of the organization to continue the program after the term of the grant
• Proposals than can serve as models for future efforts
• Public outreach/publicity plan

Please be aware of the following:

• Fish Florida’s grant funding is restricted to Florida-based projects.
• The Fish Florida Board of Directors carefully reviews and votes, semi-annually, on the grant applications.
• We will notify applicants upon final recommendation by the Board.
• We award grant funds after receiving the completed Grant Agreement and Unlimited Indemnity Agreement. You must sign the Unlimited Indemnity Agreement as is; no changes can be made.
• You will be required to complete a Post Event Report and provide Event Participant Surveys.
• You will be required to add Fish Florida to your event’s marketing plan.

Fish Florida’s programs (grants, fishing equipment donations and scholarships) are possible because of the Fish Florida specialty license plate and community donations. Purchasing the license plate for vehicles and trailers supports our programs. The license plate can be purchased online through myfloridaspecialtyplate.com or at DMV Motor Vehicle Centers.

Please promote Fish Florida at your event. Include Fish Florida on your event’s promotional materials, public service announcements and press releases. Logos and various sized ads are available. Ask your community to support Fish Florida by purchasing the Fish Florida license plate and by making tax-deductible donations.

Be sure to complete all the requirements. We will not consider incomplete grant applications.