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
Apply Now for NEEFC Summer Internships
Five Internships Now Available (Undergraduate or Graduate)!
Detailed descriptions of each internship, including the work and desired skills, are available here. Summer 2025 internships include:
• Outreach & Communications, SNEP Network
• Water Infrastructure
• Climate Justice Funding
• Pollution Prevention
• Pet Waste Mapping
How to Apply: Please email your resume and cover letter to efc@maine.edu. Applications will be reviewed as received.
Upcoming Events
May 6th Webinar! Pollution Prevention 101
More often than not, point source pollution can be prevented or reduced without spending large amounts of money. At the same time, internal efforts to do so help refine project scoping, leading to clearer and more competitive funding applications. This webinar will cover the following:
- Pollution explained in a manner that redefines the value of prevention
- Examples of successful and innovative pollution prevention efforts
- Funding sources available to achieve organizational goals
June 3rd Webinar! Show and Tell: Communications to Advance Resilience
Climate change is reshaping our communities, with disproportionate impacts on low-income populations, rural communities, tribal nations, and communities of color. A crisis of this scale can leave people feeling helpless, unable to act due to the enormity of the issue. How can local leaders effectively communicate present and emerging environmental challenges in a way that leads to real-world action and funded tangible projects?
This webinar will explore the power of storytelling and share real-world examples of successful communication campaigns that led to meaningful outcomes—such as infrastructure improvements, funding for climate adaptation, and community-led initiatives.
Looking for 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.