If an application has already been started in response to this RFP, please visit the Proposals in Progress section in the Grants Portal to view and/or continue the application process.
Background
Vegetated green stormwater infrastructure (GSI) is a proven stormwater management solution for communities vulnerable to climate-related stresses tied to rising temperatures and severe flood risks. GSI also supports community greening and cooling, reduces flood risk, and improves water quality through the installation of trees, rain gardens, green roofs, and a variety of basins, wetlands, and other landscape features that capture and manage rainfall and runoff on site. By emphasizing vegetation and natural processes, these highly engineered solutions also create new green spaces that provide habitat, sustain wildlife, and support natural ecosystems.
Through 2036, the city of Philadelphia is obligated to spend more than $1 billion on additional stormwater infrastructure improvement to reduce combined sewer overflows as part of its responsibilities under the U.S. Clean Water Act. The blueprint for this work is Philadelphia’s Green City Clean Waters plan, which is held up as a national model of urban water management for its incorporation of green infrastructure. Across the Delaware River, the Camden SMART (Stormwater Management and Resource Training) Initiative is investing in a comprehensive network of green infrastructure programs and projects for the city of Camden. Both public investments rely on revenue from residents’ water and sewer bills.
Despite the visionary promise of these plans and regulatory commitments, the “green” aspects of green stormwater infrastructure are sometimes compromised. When GSI is incorporated as a part of regulatory requirements, obligations are sometimes seen as the maximum amount of stormwater management that should be incorporated rather than the minimum. In other cases, fully voluntary green stormwater infrastructure may lack systems to ensure long-term maintenance of vegetated systems. Challenges with plant care, landscaping, and irrigation present significant hurdles. High impact natural landscapes and community-driven projects in urban environments require complex stakeholder coordination and expenses that are difficult to incorporate with only public investment. Vegetation is too often eliminated from projects to save money, leaving stormwater management to the hidden, below-ground decentralized “gray” drainage features like cisterns and underground storage reservoirs. These conditions reduce the overall potential for stormwater infrastructure to deliver additional community benefits while addressing water management.
There is a great opportunity to amplify community and non-profit organization expertise and dedication to green stormwater infrastructure while leveraging Philadelphia and Camden’s ambitious stormwater plans and public investments. Collectively, we seek to maximize additional community greening and climate resilience benefits while also addressing flood control and water management for communities most in need.
Opportunity Overview
The Foundation seeks to support efforts that will advance stormwater management solutions that feature vegetation, infiltration, and landscape treatments for water management in addition to their other social, environmental, and economic benefits.
We are requesting proposals for one- to three-year projects. WPF values diverse approaches from various organizations and communities to address the objective. We aim to attract and expect to fund a range of project types, recognizing that there are many different tactics that could be used to advance the objective stated above. We seek to support new and innovative ways to maximize benefits from GSI investments and to support efforts that increase the scale of established successful local efforts. In all cases, the proposed projects must make a clear contribution to advancing the objective stated on page 2.
Organizations that propose projects in partnership with other applicants will be considered on their individual merits. However, the Foundation recognizes that making significant progress on the objective is difficult and encourages organizations to include partnerships that leverage complementary strengths, resources, and expertise.
WPF has $3.5 million available to advance this objective through this RFP. There is no minimum or maximum amount of funding that organizations may request. However, grant requests under $1 million will be most competitive. The grant amount requested should be commensurate with the contribution that the project will make to the overall objective.
Understanding that organizational capacity is critical to success, overhead funds will be added to portions of the project budgets, based on a formula described in the “How to Apply” section of our website.
After reviewing proposals, WPF will conduct site visits and gather additional information from a limited number of organizations. All proposals that meet the review criteria described below are encouraged.
For applicants requesting funding for capital improvements: WPF works with Green Building United to provide optional, free, hands-on technical assistance (TA) to grantees to ensure that sustainability and climate resilience are factored into capital projects funded by WPF. Free TA is available to grantees in the planning, design, or early construction phases of their projects. TA can help organizations reduce operational costs, including energy costs; prepare for extreme weather; access financial incentives; and meet other sustainability goals. To date, support has included one-on-one discussions, design reviews with relevant professionals, and facilitated site visits to peer organizations who have addressed similar sustainability/resilience challenges. Organizations that are selected to advance beyond the written proposal stage of the review process will have the opportunity to learn more about free TA from Green Building United during their site visit with WPF staff.
Examples of capital projects include vegetated bioretention and infiltration practices, landscape scale stormwater wetlands, and other naturalized practices that advance the objective stated on page 2 of the RFP packet.
Full Request for Proposals (RFP) and Application
Download the full RFP packet for more information about this opportunity including eligibility, review criteria, learning and insights, budget, and link to an application template.
All applications must be submitted through the Grants Portal.
Webinar
Interested organizations are invited to participate in an optional informational webinar on Tuesday, June 23, 2026 at 11:00 AM ET. Following the live webinar, a recording will be posted to this page.