FY2027 Community Impact Funding Round (FY2027 RFP 01)
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (the DNR) is offering four information sessions to help prospective applicants understand the funding opportunity, application requirements and Stage 1 Concept Note process. Sessions are informational. You may attend whichever sessions are useful to you.
Session dates and times
Date | Time (Central) |
|---|---|
12:00–1:00 p.m. | |
12:00–1:00 p.m. | |
Tuesday, December 8, 2026 | 12:00–1:00 p.m. |
Tuesday, December 15, 2026 | 12:00–1:00 p.m. |
How to join
Information sessions will be held virtually through Microsoft Teams. Advance registration is required. Attendance is optional and is not required to apply for funding.
Advance registration is required for each virtual information session. Attendance is optional and is not required to apply. Participants may submit written questions using the Microsoft Teams Q&A feature. A moderator may allow limited verbal follow-up when appropriate. Information shared during a public session may be made available to other applicants.
November information sessions
Registration and access links are available for the November 17 and November 19 sessions.
December information sessions
Registration and access links for the December 8 and December 15 sessions will be posted by December 1, 2026.
What the sessions will cover
November sessions focus on orientation to the RFP, applicant and project eligibility, eligible activity areas, the two-stage application process and published review criteria.
December sessions continue general RFP guidance and place additional emphasis on preparing a Stage 1 Concept Note, understanding submission requirements and addressing questions before the application deadline.
The DNR will explain published requirements and answer general questions. Information sessions do not provide individualized application development, advance eligibility determinations or predictions about application scores or awards. For assistance using Foundant, applicants should use the application system’s support resources.
Accessibility and participation
Communication Access Realtime Translation (CART) captioning will be provided. At the start of each session, a Community Grants Team member will explain how to use available accessibility features and submit questions. Participants may submit written questions throughout the session. A moderator will organize questions and may allow limited verbal follow-up.
To request an accessibility accommodation or language assistance, [email protected]. Please do not share personal, financial or other sensitive information in the meeting chat or in a public question.
Presentation materials and answers
The DNR will make accessible presentation materials and approved clarifications available through the Community Grant Program website.
Questions raised during sessions may inform updates to the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ). The Community Grants Team aims to publish approved clarifications of general relevance within approximately one week of each session. Not every question will appear in the FAQ or receive an individual response.
For official questions about the funding opportunity, use the Ask an ENRTF Community Grant Program Question form. The deadline to submit questions for a guaranteed response during Stage 1 is December 18, 2026, at 4:30 p.m. Central. The final scheduled update to the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page before the Stage 1 application deadline will be published by December 22, 2026. Questions submitted after December 18 are not guaranteed a response before the Stage 1 application deadline of January 7, 2027.
The ENRTF Community Grant Program will continue accepting questions through the same form after the Stage 1 application deadline.
Prepare for Stage 1
Review the RFP and appendices and the Community Grant Program's applicant resources, including:
Start here: Applying for Community Impact Funding
Preparing your Stage 1 Concept Note
Choosing your primary eligible activity area
How Stage 1 Applications Are Reviewed
Stage 1 applications open December 1, 2026, and are due January 7, 2027, at 11:59 p.m. Central. The RFP and any formal amendments control if applicant resources differ from the solicitation.