Matching Awards Program

Summary of MAP Program Requirements

Geographic Scope: National, must take place on US National Forests and Grasslands or adjacent public lands, and demonstrate benefit to National Forest System lands

Funding Source: Federal funds via the US Forest Service

Eligible Applicants: Nonprofit organizations, Tribal governments and organizations, and universities

Match Requirements: 1:1 nonfederal cash match

Program Areas: All MAP applications must focus on in-person community engagement, and have a stewardship component

Project Timing: Eligible projects are no more than 18 months in duration, and start two months after the application deadline

Letters of Support: All applications must include a letter of support from the District Ranger of each National Forest or Grassland unit included in a proposal

Environmental Compliance: All permitting and environmental compliance work (including but not limited to NEPA) must be complete before submitting a MAP application

Administrative: Applicant must have or be able to obtain a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) if selected for funding

Recent Program Update
In 2023, the National Forest Foundation (NFF) announced changes to its flagship competitive grant program, the Matching Awards Program (MAP). The adjustments were a result of over two years of work to collect feedback to align the program with current National Forest System needs, and the NFF strategic plan.
The resulting program, MAP: Connecting People to Forests, focuses primarily on in-person community engagement and completion of appropriate stewardship activities. Program goals are to create lasting change that will allow all communities, especially underserved communities, opportunities to benefit from activities on National Forest System lands or adjacent public lands.
Refer to the summary and the Request for Proposals (RFP) linked below for full information.