NFWF, Wells Fargo launch $10 Million Community Resilience Program
WASHINGTON, D.C. (February 13, 2017) – The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) and Wells Fargo (WFC) today announced the launch of the Resilient Communities grant program. Through a commitment from Wells Fargo of $10 million over the next four years, this new program will improve natural resources and enhance local capacity to help communities prepare for expected impacts associated with water quantity and quality issues, forest conservation challenges, and sea-level rise.
“We are pleased to be working with the experts at NFWF on this important, multi-year community resiliency program,” said Mary Wenzel, Director of Environmental Affairs at Wells Fargo. “Focusing on resiliency through conservation and capacity building helps communities minimize climate- and extreme-weather-related impacts while simultaneously improving community well-being and prospects for economic development.”
By enhancing and restoring wetlands, resilient shorelines, urban tree canopies, natural forests and healthy upstream watersheds, communities across the country can improve their residents’ quality of life, increase resilience, and support wildlife populations. The program places special emphasis on helping low- and moderate-income communities build capacity for resilience planning.
“Wells Fargo’s dedication to conservation and the long-term environmental health of local communities serves as the cornerstone of this public-private partnership designed to improve natural habitats and community resilience throughout the United States,” said Jeff Trandahl, executive director and CEO of NFWF.
Resilient Communities will accept applications and award five to 10 grants per year supporting the goals of the program. Proposals will be evaluated by their effectiveness in accomplishing regional goals and engaging low- and moderate-income communities. Applicants may submit a proposal through NFWF’s online system by March 30; awards for this program will be announced in fall 2017. For the 2017 round of applications, Resilient Communities grants will emphasize the interconnectedness of natural systems and community well-being by:
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Using wetlands, coastal habitats and other ecosystems to alleviate future floods, storm events and sea level-rise in Eastern states sing wetlands, coastal habitats and other ecosystems to alleviate future floods, storm events and sea level-rise in Eastern states
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Sustaining water quantity and quality through enhanced natural infrastructure in the Central United States
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Conserving healthy forests, managing wildfire fuels and restoring habitats for healthy forest ecosystems in Western states.
More information on the Resilient Communities program and partnership is available at www.nfwf.org/resilientcommunities.
About Wells Fargo
Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE: WFC) is a diversified, community-based financial services company with $1.8 trillion in assets. Founded in 1852 and headquartered in San Francisco, Wells Fargo provides banking, insurance, investments, mortgage, and consumer and commercial finance through 8,800 locations, 13,000 ATMs, the internet (wellsfargo.com) and mobile banking, and has offices in 36 countries to support customers who conduct business in the global economy. With approximately 269,000 team members, Wells Fargo serves one in three households in the United States. Wells Fargo & Company was ranked No. 27 on Fortune’s 2016 rankings of America’s largest corporations. Wells Fargo’s vision is to satisfy our customers’ financial needs and help them succeed financially. Wells Fargo perspectives are also available at Wells Fargo Blogs and Wells Fargo Stories.
About the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation
The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) protects and restores our nation’s wildlife and habitats. Chartered by Congress in 1984, NFWF directs public conservation dollars to the most pressing environmental needs and matches those investments with private contributions. NFWF works with government, nonprofit and corporate partners to find solutions for the most intractable conservation challenges. Over the last three decades, NFWF has funded more than 4,500 organizations and committed more than $3.5 billion to conservation projects. Learn more at www.nfwf.org.