Our mission is to provide innovative financing solutions that help states, tribes, local governments, nonprofits, community-based organizations, and the private sector pay for environmental projects.
About Us
Serving Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont and New England’s 10 Federally Recognized Tribes.
Since 2001, the New England Environmental Finance Center (NEEFC) at the University of Southern Maine has worked to build local capacity to pay for the growing cost of protecting critical environmental resources and fostering resilient communities.
Our programs reflect the greatest needs of the 6 New England states including funding and financing of climate adaptation and resilience, stormwater and nutrient management, water infrastructure, and sustainable operating practices.
“High quality water is more than the dream of the conservationists, more than a political slogan; high quality water, in the right quantity at the right place at the right time, is essential to health, recreation, and economic growth.”
— Edmund Muskie, Former U.S. Secretary of State, Senator & Governor of Maine
The NEEFC hosts the Southeast New England Program (SNEP) Network. The SNEP Network provides training and assistance to municipalities, organizations, and Tribes to advance stormwater and watershed management, ecological restoration, and climate resilience in Rhode Island and Massachusetts. The Network’s mission is to meet communities where they are at, and advance their critical climate resilience projects to the funding and financing phase.
As part of the Environmental Finance Center Network (EFCN), the NEEFC is one of 10 regional centers supported by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Together the EFCN is a collaborative of university-based organizations working to create innovative solutions to the difficult how-to-pay issues of environmental protection and improvement.
New & Noteworthy
“CO2 shortages led Maine breweries to adopt this sustainable solution”
The Portland Press Herald
“Remember pandemic shortages? In your household, it may have been toilet paper, flour or chicken wings. For Maine’s about 150 craft breweries, the COVID-19 pandemic engendered scary shortages of CO2, a gas that is essential to make beer.”
– The Portland Press Herald
The Southeast New England Program (SNEP) Network Gears up for 5 More Years!
Press Release: Senator Jack Reed Announces $11.5 Million for Rhode Island’s Regional Environment
The Southeast New England Program (SNEP), funded by Congress and managed by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), works to restore clean water, healthy ecosystems, and sustainable communities in Rhode Island and Southeastern Massachusetts. On September 5th, U.S. Senator Jack Reed announced $11.5 million in grants and technical assistance for local organizations working on high-priority environmental projects throughout the region.
Press Release: US Representative Bill Keating and EPA Announce $11.5 Million for Cape Cod & Southeast New England Environmental Restoration
On Friday, October 4, U.S. Representative Bill Keating joined federal, state and local partners to announce $11.5 million in grants and technical assistance for local organizations working on high-priority environmental projects, provided through the Southeast New England Program (SNEP). SNEP, funded by Congress and managed by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), works to restore clean water, healthy ecosystems, and sustainable communities in Rhode Island and Southeastern Massachusetts.
Featured Funding Opportunity
Urban Community Forestry Planning Grant
CT Department of Energy & Environmental Protection
Submission Deadline: 01/31/2025, at 11:59 p.m
Grant or Loan? Grant
Funding Available: $2,500-$65,000, with 50% match required.
Who’s Eligible? Local governmental entities and non-profit organizations.
Purpose: To collect baseline data that can be used to inform future forest management decisions.
Eligible Activities: Eligible projects may include, but are not limited to, conducting inventories of street and/or park trees, creating urban and community forest management plans, developing programs to document tree condition, and surveys of urban forested natural areas,
Looking for additional funding opportunities?
What We Do
Outreach and Engagement
Community engagement, charrettes, and meeting facilitation that engages all stakeholders and includes their voices in planning decisions.
Technical Assistance
Training and assistance to municipalities, organizations, and tribes to advance stormwater and watershed management, funding and sustainable financing, and improve utility and business operations to achieve resilience to the changing climate.
Education and Training
Capacity building and education of state and local decision makers and utility managers in innovative
financing solutions.
Develop Young Professionals
Engaging student interns in projects to help develop the next generation of environmental finance professionals.