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
Date: Thursday, May 7th, 2026
Time: 12:00pm – 1:30 PM EDT
Location: Online
Virtual Climate Finance Office Hours
Hosted by the Gulf of Maine Research Institute, New England Environmental Finance Center, and Resilience Works, LLC. Connect with climate finance experts to help move resilience and sustainability projects forward. Through monthly virtual sessions and quarterly in-person gatherings, participants can ask questions, explore funding opportunities, and learn practical strategies for securing support for local climate initiatives. These informal sessions are designed to meet communities where they are – whether they are exploring ideas or preparing to apply for funding.
Featured Funding Opportunity
BRIC Program Update
On December 11, 2025, the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Building Resilient Infrastructure & Communities (BRIC) program was reinstated by Congress. Restoring BRIC allows state, tribal, and local governments to continue receiving federal support for mitigation projects that help communities prepare for natural disasters through large-scale infrastructure projects. Use the buttons below to find information for each state or click here to visit the FEMA website.
Looking for more 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.