Priority will be given to smaller organizations whose programs focus on one or more of the following areas: Land Use, Water Quality, Advocacy and Education/Health. NEST makes grants to environmental nonprofit organizations classified as 501(c)(3) public charities by the Internal Revenue Service. Candidates for funding may also be schools whose curriculums focus on environmental education. Educating the next generation of diverse decision-makers will represent a majority of our grants.

• Geography restricted to Minnesota, Montana, Idaho and Wyoming
  
• Operating budgets less than $1,000,000
  
• NEST will entertain requests for two-year grants
  
• Scholarship awards will be based on need
• Venture Philanthropy grants are typically smaller requests for ideas or projects within our focus areas that will stimulate greater funding from larger foundations
  

NEST will not make grants for the following: capital campaigns, endowments, lobbying, debt retirement or government agencies. This list is not all-inclusive.