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GLPF
Home > FAQs
Frequently Asked Questions...
...about
the GREAT LAKES PROTECTION FUND
What is the Great Lakes
Protection Fund?
The Great Lakes Protection Fund is a private, not-for-profit
corporation. The Governors of the Great Lakes states created
the Fund in 1989 to be a permanent source of financial support
for innovative regional efforts to protect and restore the health
of the Great Lakes ecosystem. The Fund provides support in the
form of grants, loans, and other investments.
Where does the Great Lakes Protection Fund's money come
from?
Seven Great Lakes states provided one-time contributions to
create the Fund's permanent endowment. The states of Illinois,
Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin
have contributed $81 million to the Fund's permanent endowment.
This endowment is invested to produce income. Two-thirds of
the Fund's net income is dedicated to regional projects that
produce tangible improvements to the health of the Great Lakes
ecosystem. The remaining third is distributed annually to
the member states in proportion to their original contribution,
so that the member states can support their Great Lakes priorities.
Who decides who gets support from the Fund?
The Governors elect a Board of Directors that has fiduciary
responsibility for the Fund. The Board sets Fund policy, oversees
the management of the endowment, and makes funding decisions.
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...about
our FUNDING GUIDELINES
What does it mean to "enhance the health of the Great
Lakes ecosystem"?
Enhancing the health of the Great Lakes ecosystem means producing
ecological results that are real, significant, and of regional
consequence. Proposed projects are evaluated based on
their potential to produce actual environmental results:
- Real - "Real" means that the project
leads to results that can be measured, understood, and experienced
in the ecosystem. "Results" refers to the project's
expected outcomes (i.e., changes in the beneficial use status-fishable,
swimmable, and/or drinkable-of a given number of stream
miles, an improvement in an Index of Biotic Integrity for
some part of the ecosystem, changes in the population or
health of a critical specie or unique natural community,
etc.), not the project's outputs (i.e., the number of farmers
that adopt best management practices to reduce nutrient
run-off, number of reports issued, number of articles published,
etc.).
- Significant - Successful requests have, as a goal,
environmental outcomes that are of priority to the basin
ecosystem. These outcomes target some aspect of the basin's
physical, chemical, and/or biological integrity that is
impaired or threatened throughout the ecosystem and remains
unaddressed by government programs, industry, or other not-for-profit
initiatives.
- and of Regional Consequence - For a project to
be considered for funding, its predicted environmental outcomes
must benefit the ecological health of the entire Great Lakes
ecosystem. In other words, projects must work at the scale
necessary to produce system-wide consequences.
How quickly must my project produce tangible ecological
results?
All other factors being equal, a project team that can produce
results quickly has a higher likelihood of support than a
project team that produces results more slowly. The Fund understands
that achieving results that are real, significant, and of
regional consequence takes time and may occur well after the
funding support has lapsed. In those cases, the Fund weighs
the likelihood of producing the expected result after the
project has concluded in making a funding decision.
Does the Fund have program areas?
No. The Board has, however, identified four areas where it
believes there is significant opportunity for meeting the
Governors' directive of seeking out solutions to the lakes'
biggest challenges. Those areas are preventing biological
pollution, restoring more natural flow regimes, organizing
markets to improve the environment, and providing leadership
for ecosystem restoration.
Can I still apply for a travel grant to attend a regional
meeting?
No. The Fund has discontinued its travel grants program.
I have an idea for a project, but lack the team to carry
it out. Can I get support to flesh out my project?
Yes. The Fund periodically makes small planning grants for
compelling ideas that appear ripe for action consistent with
the Fund's general guidelines, but where a team and project
plan need to be built. The Fund also periodically convenes
technical experts to advise the Fund on topics that may be
ripe for support. Ideas that seem ripe for a single project
can be the basis for entire portfolios of projects as well.
Frequently, these sessions lead to a supplemental request
for preproposals. Please contact the Fund to discuss how your
idea might be turned into a supportable project or set of
projects.
Do I have to be from a participating Great Lakes state
to receive support from the Fund?
No. Activities affecting the basin's ecosystem are becoming
increasingly distant in space and time from the shores of
the lakes. The solutions will be as well.
Does the Fund only give grants to regional projects?
Yes. Regional refers to a project's impact. In order to produce
results for the entire Great Lakes ecosystem, the majority
of Fund-supported projects operate at a broad scale or at
multiple locations throughout the basin.
What does the Fund not support?
The Fund cannot support advocacy, litigation, or lobbying
in any form. The Fund also does not support basic research,
convening, general environmental education, operating support,
or public works projects.
If not research, advocacy or environmental education,
just what does the Fund support?
It supports action. Projects that are doing something on the
ground to produce specific environmental results best match
the Fund's guidelines. Most successful requests come from
project teams that bring together researchers and practitioners
possessing a complementary range of expertise. Projects must
also include the customers of the work, who are most likely
to take the results and make a difference for the Great Lakes.
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...…about
our APPLICATION PROCESS
When should I contact
the Fund with a project idea?
The earlier the better. A phone call or e-mail to Fund staff,
before a preproposal is submitted, is preferred over a formal
letter of inquiry. While informal contact up front can be helpful
for both potential grantees and Fund staff, it is not required.
You may submit a preproposal to the Fund at any time. Preproposals
are the first step in the Fund's formal review process and are
required of all projects. To learn more about submitting preproposals,
go to Preproposal Instructions.
What types of organizations are eligible for funding from
the Great Lakes Protection Fund?
The Fund can support virtually any type of organization. The
exact type of organization is far less important than the
number and breadth of organizations on the project team. Non-profit
organizations, individuals, units of government, and for-profit
businesses are all eligible for support as long as they show
that the proposed work has clear public benefit and that any
related financial benefits will accrue to the public good.
Government agencies are eligible for support if they show
that Fund monies are not being used to replace public funds
or support government mandates. Please note that the Fund
almost never supports a one-organization project. Most Fund
support goes to projects that involve many institutions working
together as a temporary project team.
What are the application deadlines?
There are no deadlines. The Fund is open to project ideas
and preproposals at any time of the year. Within a week of
receiving your preproposal, the Fund will send you a notification
via e-mail that informs you of the date that your preproposal
will go before the Projects and Grant Making Committee of
the Board of Directors. This Committee reviews preproposals,
invites full proposals from those projects that best fit Fund's
priorities and guidelines, and makes recommendations for funding
to the full Board. The Fund's Board of Directors normally
meets four times a year to make funding decisions.
How long does the application process take?
It varies significantly from project to project. From the
time a preproposal is received to the time an award can be
made may be as short as four and a half months, or as long
as a year or more. The Fund can move quickly to support an
unusual opportunity if time is of the essence.
Can I submit my application materials via e-mail?
Yes. The Fund prefers to receive materials electronically.
Download and fill out a Word
cover sheet (356KB MS Word template .dot) or PDF
cover sheet (97KB PDF) for your project and send it along
with a Microsoft Word document or pdf file of your preproposal
to  (Please note, this e-mail address has recently changed.).
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...about
the the SUPPORT WE PROVIDE
Does the Fund require matching funds?
No. The Fund encourages applicants to leverage grant awards
with financial support from other sources and vice versa,
but matching funds are not required.
Does the Fund support multiple-year projects?
Yes.
How much money should I apply for?
Apply for what you need, including resources to support a
team of collaborators and the broad dissemination of your
project results. More projects are declined because they are
too small than are declined because they are too big.
What kind of support does the Fund offer?
The Fund can support specific projects through a grant, loan,
program related investment, or other financial mechanism.
The Fund also tries to maintain an active working partnership
with its grantees that may include site visits and regular
communication (beyond formal reports) regarding the progress
of the work. The Fund is committed to providing support to
emerging communities of practitioners, who are working on
innovative solutions to some of the basin's most significant
problems.
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