The FY2027 Community Impact Funding Round supports projects in five eligible activity areas. You must choose one primary activity area for your Stage 1 Concept Note. Start with the main FY2027 RFP 01: Community Impact Funding Round and the appendix for the area you select. Those documents establish the requirements; this page is a guide to finding the right information.
Why your choice matters
Your primary activity area should reflect the main purpose of the work you are requesting funding for, not simply one activity your project happens to include. The DNR uses your selected area to review the applicable eligibility requirements and activity-specific questions. A project may relate to more than one area, but you must select one primary area in Stage 1.
Explore the five activity areas
Adversely impacted communities (Appendix A)
Review this area if your project is designed to address eligible environmental or natural-resource needs in adversely impacted communities. Read Appendix A for the applicable definitions, eligibility conditions and questions. Do not assume a project qualifies based on location alone.
Education and awareness (Appendix B)
Review this area if the main purpose of your project is eligible environmental or natural-resource education, awareness or learning. Read Appendix B to understand which activities and intended benefits qualify.
Preserving or enhancing natural resources (Appendix C)
Review this area if the main purpose is eligible work to preserve or improve natural resources. Read Appendix C for the types of work covered and any project-specific conditions.
Existing trail maintenance and improvement (Appendix D)
Review this area if the main purpose is eligible maintenance or improvement of an existing trail. Read Appendix D carefully, including how the RFP defines eligible trails and activities.
Aquatic invasive species management (Appendix E)
Review this area if the main purpose is eligible work addressing aquatic invasive species. Read Appendix E for the specific eligible activities and conditions.
How to decide
Write one sentence describing the main result you want the grant to support.
Compare that purpose with the five activity areas above. Open the corresponding appendix rather than relying on the short descriptions on this page.
Check the eligibility requirements and activity-specific Stage 1 questions in the appendix you are considering. Review the main RFP for requirements that apply to all applicants.
If more than one area seems relevant, select the area that best fits the primary purpose and requirements of the proposed work. Do not assume that meeting one area’s conditions makes a project eligible under another.
Use Appendix F (Stage 1 Concept Note Form and Instructions) to prepare your answers, then select your primary area in the authorized online application system.
Important: choose before you submit
Review your selection carefully before the Stage 1 deadline. The DNR evaluates your application under the primary activity area you select and does not move applications between areas after the deadline. Read the RFP and applicable appendix for the complete rules.
Questions about which area fits?
Check the Frequently asked questions page first. The FAQ will be updated weekly through December 22, 2026. If your question is not answered there, visit Get help to ask about the published requirements. The Community Grant Program can explain the RFP and application process, but staff cannot choose an activity area for you or provide a binding eligibility decision before review.
Next step
When you have selected your primary activity area, read Preparing your Stage 1 Concept Note and use Appendix F to draft your responses. The RFP and its appendices remain the official source of application requirements.