Retain Your Rain Mini-Grant

Is your organization interested in creating a rain garden, planting trees, installing rain barrels, or capturing the rain on your land in another way? Twice a year the City of Norfolk awards up to $2500 to neighborhood organizations or other nonprofits to support Retain Your Rain projects.

Past recipients can also apply for supplemental grant funding for the maintenance or advancement of their original project.  

SPRING 2023

Apply January 1st- March 1st

Grant is awarded by April 1st

Fall 2023

Apply July 1st- September 1st

Grant is awarded by October 1st 

ELIGIBILITY

Who can apply?

  • Nonprofit organizations
  • Any Norfolk civic league or neighborhood association that is a state legal entity with nonprofit status
  • Organizations that do not have nonprofit status (businesses, schools, churches, etc) that apply in collaboration with a nonprofit

Other Requirements:

  • Must provide documentation to prove nonprofit status of organization
  • Must agree to hold a volunteer event or an alternative outreach effort prior to grant close out
  • Organizations selected for grant funding must submit a W-9 

Rain Garden

Water catchment

tree planting

Rain Garden

Urban Farm

We encourage all who are interested to apply! If you have questions about eligibility requirements, or need input on your project idea, please contact us at (757) 664-2460 or retainyourrain@norfolk.gov. If your organization does not fit the eligibility requirement but you have a potential project, please contact us and we will connect you to an appropriate partner.

To apply, fill out application (click here for application) and email to retainyourrain@norfolk.gov or deliver to 501 Boush Street, Norfolk, VA 23510. Applications for Fall 2023 will be accepted beginning July 1, 2023.