The American Water Charitable Foundation (AWCF) 2025 Water and Environment Grant Program is now closed.

Applications accepted in the following states served by American Water, in addition to its Military Service locations: California, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia.

Grants awarded to help fund innovative, community-based projects that:

  • improve, restore or protect the watersheds, surface water and/or groundwater supplies
  • promote water conservation
  • improve equitable access to water-based recreation in underserved communities

Qualifications:

  • Applicants must be classified as a 501(c)(3) public charity by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) or K-12 public school, college or university.
  • Projects must be completed within 12 months of the grant being awarded
  • Projects must be located within and benefit American Water’s service areas

Deadline:
Applications accepted between February 3 – March 7, 2025 online at amwater.com/awcfgrants. Grant decisions announced April 22.

American Water Environmental Grant Program

 

 

In 2025, New Jersey American Water and the American Water Charitable Foundation issued nine grants totaling more than $209,000 to the following organizations: 

Clean Ocean Action
Clean Ocean Action was awarded $23,231 to support its award-winning Rally for Two Rivers program which finds, fixes, and eliminates sources of pollution in the Navesink and Shrewsbury Rivers (Two Rivers Watershed) in Monmouth County. The grant will fund analytical costs to increase upstream monitoring and launch nutrient assessments, helping restore water quality through collaborative, no-blame engagement.

Great Swamp Watershed Association
Great Swamp Watershed Association was awarded $22,463 to expand its water quality monitoring efforts to the lower Passaic River in New Jersey, focusing on areas downstream from the Dundee Dam to Newark Bay. The grant will fund new sampling sites and equipment to test for pollutants in the river and provide communities with actionable data for improving local water quality and environmental health.

Monmouth Conservation Foundation
Monmouth Conservation Foundation was awarded $29,310 for the installation of three bioswales at Scudder Preserve in Middletown, NJ to reduce runoff pollution, improve water infiltration, and ultimately recharge the local aquifer. The initiative also includes educational programming for the surrounding watershed community, promoting awareness of green infrastructure, and is part of a larger ecological restoration plan for the 90-acre preserve.

Musconetcong Watershed Association
Musconetcong Watershed Association was awarded $45,370 to investigate the source of PFAS in the Musconetcong River by collecting and analyzing surface water samples during the agricultural season. As part of the project, the association will collaborate with the US EPA and the NJ DEP to share findings via public meetings and pamphlets and eventually provide science-based data to support remediation.

New Jersey Audubon
New Jersey Audubon was awarded $10,000 to enhance its environmental education and conservation programs, focusing on clean water protection and habitat restoration across New Jersey. The funds will support staff and materials to deliver nature-based, hands-on learning to schools and communities, especially at their Scherman Hoffman Wildlife Sanctuary. These programs aim to cultivate environmental stewardship and raise awareness of local water and habitat issues.

New Jersey Tree Foundation
New Jersey Tree Foundation was awarded $15,000 to revitalize a green space with new trees along the Newton Creek watershed in Oaklyn, which will help improve water quality and provide habitat for local wildlife. The grant will also help fund training for its TreeKeepers program which helps educate the community about long-term care of trees.

Pinelands Preservation Alliance
Pinelands Preservation Alliance was awarded $18,800 for its Landscape Makeover Program which will transform part of a public park in Hainesport, NJ into a sustainable green space featuring a micro-forest and rain garden. It will promote regenerative landscaping practices to improve stormwater absorption and will serve as an educational resource for the community. The project also involves public workshops for the local community to learn how to implement these practices at home.

The Somerset County Chapter of the Native Plant Society of New Jersey
The Somerset County Chapter of the Native Plant Society of New Jersey was awarded $12,500 for its reforestation project along Royce Brook in Manville, a flood-prone area. The project will help mitigate stormwater runoff, improve water quality, and reduce local flooding while enhancing community awareness through signage and educational outreach.

The Watershed Institute
The Watershed Institute was awarded $33,000 to expand its StreamWatch Schools, a water quality monitoring program that works to protect streams and rivers in central New Jersey. Grant funding will provide teacher training, lesson plans, and classroom support to engage students statewide in water quality monitoring and help build long-term program sustainability.

To see previous grant recipients: 

List of towns and map of New Jersey American Water Service areas