Grants Fuel Local Watershed Initiatives

Grants Received 2023

Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District (NEORSD) Service Agreement

NEORSD has entered into an $80,000 watershed partners service agreement with TCWP to support stormwater and water quality efforts in the watershed communities. These service agreements support TCWP staff time for grant writing, project implementation, public outreach, municipal engagement, and more. The generous service agreements support work in both Tinker’s Creek and Brandywine Creek watersheds.

Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District (NEORSD) Community Relations Sponsorship

TCWP was awarded a $2,500 Community Relations Sponsorship from NEORSD to support a new research and education program around microplastics in the watershed. The program will involve water analysis with microplastics quantification and public education and workshops in Tinker’s Creek watershed communities around microplastic pollution in the watershed.

Grants Received 2022

Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District (NEORSD) Service Agreement

NEORSD has entered into an $80,000 watershed partners service agreement with TCWP to support stormwater and water quality efforts in the watershed communities. These service agreements support TCWP staff time for grant writing, project implementation, public outreach, municipal engagement, and more. The generous service agreements support work in both Tinker’s Creek and Brandywine Creek watersheds.

ServeOhio Operational Grant

TCWP received a grant for $423,565 to host AmeriCorps members with our partners across Northern Ohio. You can learn more about the AmeriCorps program here.

ServeOhio Get Connected Grant

ServeOhio awarded TCWP at $16,250 grant to establish a Get Connected Volunteer mobilization effort through the building and marketing of a web platform for volunteers in Northeast Ohio. To find out more, access the web platform here.

Dominion Watershed Mini Grant

TCWP received a generous $5,000 donation to plan and install a community demonstration rain garden on site this Spring at our Twinsburg offices. The garden will be installed with the support and participation of our NOWCorps members as a component of their Master Rain Gardener certification course.

Akron Community Foundation

TCWP received a generous donation of $2,500 in funding that will be used for ongoing outreach and partnership building in the Tinker’s Creek and Brandywine Creek watersheds.

Grants Received 2021

ServeOhio Operational Grant

TCWP received a grant for $353,869 to host AmeriCorps members with our partners across Northern Ohio. You can learn more about the AmeriCorps program here.

Dominion Watershed Mini Grant and Ohio Environmental Protection Agency Ohio Environmental Education Fund grant

TCWP received a generous $5,000 grant from the Dominion Watershed Mini Grant and another $5,000 from the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, Ohio Environmental Education Fund, to develop signage to educate local communities about the harmful effects of cigarette butt litter and distribute cigarette butt receptacles to local bars and restaurants. To complement this program, TCWP developed an educational activity booklet that was distributed to local students in grades 4 through 6. TCWP also rented billboards throughout the region to highlight the campaign.

Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District (NEORSD) Service Agreement

NEORSD has entered into contract with TCWP in the amount of $80,000 to support stormwater and water quality efforts in the watershed communities. A portion of this service agreement will provide funding for the watershed coordinator and other contracted positions that helped TCWP serve our communities. This service agreement will also help fund educational outreach to public officials and collaboration efforts to conserve important land parcels. These generous service agreements allow us to work in both the Tinker’s Creek and Brandywine Creek watersheds.

Akron Community Foundation

TCWP received a generous donation of $2,500 in funding that will be used for ongoing outreach and partnership building in the Tinker’s Creek and Brandywine Creek watersheds.

Akron Community Foundation and the Ohio Arts Council

TCWP, partnering with the National Park Service, received $3,000 to present the traveling art exhibit “Wings and Voices of the Cuyahoga: How Birds Connect Us”. This exhibit displays the masterful bird photography of Jim Roetzel, a Summit County native, whose photos have appeared in many local and national publications. The exhibit explores the relationships between people and nature. The exhibit was displayed at more than 20 community partner locations.

Grants Received 2020

ServeOhio Operational Grant

TCWP received a grant for $260,958 to host AmeriCorps members with our partners across Northern Ohio. You can learn all about the AmeriCorps program here.

Dominion Watershed Mini Grant

TCWP received a generous $1,500 grant to purchase supplies needed to educate residents in our watershed about cigarette butt litter. Discarded cigarette butts are common forms of litter often seen in public spaces. In a study conducted by the World Health Organization, tossing a cigarette butt out of a car window or flicking the butt in a parking lot is seen as “acceptable”. In fact, 75% of smokers have admitted to improperly disposing of cigarette butts and nearly 65 % of cigarettes ultimately end up as litter. A study conducted by the BBC found that approximately 4.5 trillion cigarette butts are littered annually globally. This statistic is further supported by a Keep America Beautiful poll which showed that 77% of Americans do not consider cigarette butts litter.

Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District (NEORSD) Service Agreement

NEORSD has entered into a contract with TCWP in the amount of $80,000 to support stormwater and water quality efforts in the watershed communities.  A portion of this service agreement will provide funding for the watershed coordinator and other contracted positions that helped TCWP serve our communities. This service agreement will also help fund educational outreach to public officials and collaboration efforts to conserve important land parcels. These generous service agreements allow us to work in both the Tinker’s Creek and Brandywine Creek watersheds.

Dominion Charitable Foundation

TCWP was awarded $20,000 from the Dominion Charitable Foundation to install green infrastructure at the TCWP offices in Twinsburg. The driveway and parking area will be replaced with a combination of permeable material and native plantings.

Grants Received 2019

ServeOhio Operational Grant

TCWP received a grant for $195,709 to host AmeriCorps members with our partners all across Northern Ohio. You can learn all about this brand new AmeriCorps program here.

Dominion Watershed Mini Grant

TCWP received a generous $2,500 grant to purchase supplies needed to continue educating residents in our watershed including an EnviroScape. The Watershed Mini Grant Award Ceremony & Healthy Watershed Summit took place at the Land Conservancy’s Conservation Center. Dominion Energy and Western Reserve Land Conservancy launched the Watershed Mini Grant Program in 2015 to serve organizations working to protect and improve land around rivers, lakes and streams throughout Ohio. Since the program’s inception in 2015, more than $142,000 has been awarded to 38 different watershed groups across the state.

Bingham Foundation Grant

TCWP was awarded $10,500 as part of a suite of green infrastructure projects awarded through the Central Lake Erie Basin Collaborative. Our project focused on native planting in the Aurora Shores HOA in Reminderville to capture stormwater.

Ohio Environmental Education Fund

Tinker’s Creek Watershed Partners was awarded $5,000 to engage school-age children in watershed stewardship and outreach programs in both classroom and informal settings, like our Watershed Festival. The Bug BioBlitz program will provide students with an introduction to biomonitoring using local aquatic macroinvertebrate populations, identified to order or family level depending on student backgrounds, as indicators of long-term water quality. Potential program implementations include: comparison of water quality in restored vs. impaired stream reaches, comparison of macroinvertebrate populations in natural vs. constructed landscapes, biodiversity and species richness studies, and more. The overarching goal of this program is to get students outdoors and exposed to different aspects of watershed science while providing a holistic understanding of how our actions affect the biology of our surrounding landscapes.

Great Lakes Restoration Grant from Ohio EPA

Tinker’s Creek Watershed Partners (TCWP) has been awarded a nearly $150,000 Section 319 grant from the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency and the United States Environmental Protection Agency with generous matching funds of $80,000 from the Bedford City School District. Funds will be used to restore instream habitat to a degraded tributary of Tinker’s Creek, plant native species along its banks, remove invasive species, create floodplain capacity to store stormwater, and mitigate flooding at the Bedford Heights Bus Garage.

Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District (NEORSD) Service Agreement

NEORSD has entered into contract with TCWP in the amount of $40,000 to support stormwater and water quality efforts in the watershed communities.  A portion of this service agreement will provide funding for the watershed coordinator and other contracted positions that helped TCWP serve our communities. This service agreement will also help fund educational outreach to public officials and collaboration efforts to conserve important land parcels.

Grants Received 2018

ServeOhio Make a Difference Day Volunteer Day Grant

Make A Difference Day is the largest national day of volunteering to meet community needs. TCWP received a grant for $1,000 and partnered with the Cleveland Metroparks to help transition the recently acquired Astorhurst Golf Course from golf course to park. Volunteers helped remove shade structures, tee posts, split rail fencing, cleaned up debris, and dug post holes and set posts for receptacles. Make A Difference Day, which takes place on the 4th Saturday in October, is held in partnership with Points of Light and corporate sponsors.

Native Plant Society of Northeastern Ohio Annual Grant

TCWP Received one of two $500 grants awarded from the Native Plant Society of Northeastern Ohio. TCWP plans to use the grant to purchase plants for the new rain garden that will be installed in the lawn at our new offices behind Twinsburg city hall. We will also have an interpretive educational component to our rain garden and plan to hold workshops about native plants and rain gardens.

Dominion Watershed Mini Grant

TCWP received a generous $2,500 grant to purchase supplies needed to continue monitoring the water quality of Tinker’s Creek watershed. On Oct. 3, Dominion Energy and the nonprofit Western Reserve Land Conservancy awarded $37,500 in grant funding to 17 Ohio watershed groups. The Watershed Mini Grant Award Ceremony & Healthy Watershed Summit took place at the Land Conservancy’s Conservation Center. Dominion Energy and Western Reserve Land Conservancy launched the Watershed Mini Grant Program in 2015 to serve organizations working to protect and improve land around rivers, lakes and streams throughout Ohio. Since the program’s inception in 2015, more than $142,000 has been awarded to 38 different watershed groups across the state.

EarthEcho Water Quality Test Kits

EarthEcho International, the environmental education and youth leadership organization founded by explorer and environmental advocate Philippe Cousteau Jr., is helping support the efforts of Tinker’s Creek Watershed Partners (TCWP) to empower the next generation of water scientists and stewards with a donation of water quality test kits through the EarthEcho Water Challenge. These test kits will enable young people working with TCWP to sample the waters of the Tinker’s Creek watershed for a core set of water quality parameters including temperature, pH (acidity), turbidity (clarity) and dissolved oxygen (DO).

Great Lakes Restoration Grant from Ohio EPA

Tinker’s Creek Watershed Partners (TCWP) has been awarded a $191,500 Great Lakes Restoration grant from the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency and the United State Environmental Protection Agency. Funds will be used to restore instream habitat to a historically channelized portion of Tinker’s Creek, plant native species along its banks, remove invasive species, and restore natural flow.

Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District (NEORSD) Service Agreement

NEORSD has entered into contract with TCWP in the amount of $40,000 to support stormwater and water quality efforts in the watershed communities. A portion of this service agreement will provide funding for the watershed coordinator and other contracted positions that helped TCWP serve our communities. This service agreement will also help fund educational outreach to public officials and collaboration efforts to conserve important land parcels.

Grants Received 2017

Western Reserve Land Conservancy and Dominion 2017 Watershed Mini Grant Program

The nonprofit Western Reserve Land Conservancy (WRLC), in partnership with Dominion, launched a Watershed Mini Grant program to serve working watershed groups throughout the state. TCWP received a very generous award totaling $1,500 to purchase an interactive educational tool that will be used at community events to capture individuals’ attention and raise awareness about water quality in the Tinker’s Creek watershed.

Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District (NEORSD) Service Agreement

NEORSD entered into contract with TCWP in the amount of $35,000 to support stormwater and water quality efforts in the watershed communities. A portion of this service agreement provided funding for the watershed coordinator and other contracted positions that helped TCWP serve our communities. This service agreement also helped fund educational outreach to public officials and collaboration efforts to conserve important land parcels.

Grants Received 2016

Ohio EPA Section 319 Grant

Tinker’s Creek Watershed Partners, Big Creek Connects, Mill Creek Watershed Partnership, and West Creek Conservancy collaboratively received a Section 319 grant totaling $25,000. The award will be split between the four organizations to fund updates to the Non-Point Source Pollution Implementation Strategic (NPS-IS) Plan as the watersheds transition from a Watershed Action Plan to the NPS-IS.

Western Reserve Land Conservancy and Dominion 2016 Watershed Mini Grant Program

The nonprofit Western Reserve Land Conservancy (WRLC), in partnership with Dominion, launched a Watershed Mini Grant program to serve working watershed groups throughout the state. TCWP received a very generous award totaling $1,100 to host the Streetsboro Tree Steward Program: Right Tree, Right Place to educate residents about the benefits of trees for stormwater pollution control and to plant a tree at the Streetsboro Police Station as a stormwater control measure.

Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District (NEORSD) Service Agreement

NEORSD entered into contract with TCWP in the amount of $35,000 to support stormwater and water quality efforts in the watershed communities. A portion of this service agreement provided funding for the watershed coordinator and other contracted positions that helped TCWP serve our communities. This service agreement also helped fund educational outreach to public officials and collaboration efforts to conserve important land parcels.

Grants Received 2015

Cuyahoga AOC Habitat Restoration Project Planning Grants Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) Fund Grant

Tinker’s Creek Watershed Partners (TCWP) was awarded a $50,000 Cuyahoga AOC Habitat Restoration Project Planning grant from the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency. Funds were used to create plans for seven habitat restoration projects in the watershed.

Four projects were been identified in Hudson, Streetsboro, and Warrensville Heights based on the Tinker’s Creek Watershed Action Plan (WAP), a state endorsed document that identifies the issues in the watershed and projects to improve watershed conditions. TCWP worked with watershed communities to identify three additional projects to receive restoration planning.  This grant helped fund the following projects:  Bear Creek Continuation Project, Bedford Heights Service Department Project, Glenwillow Stream and Floodplain Wetland Restoration, Streetsboro 303 Project, and Streetsboro SR 14 Drainage Ditch Project.

Full press release can be found here.

Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Grant Crooked River Cooperative Weed Management Area Partnership (CWMA) Sub-Grantee

The U.S. EPA continued funding toward the continuation and expansion of the Crooked River Cooperative Weed Management Area Partnership (CWMA) to search for and remove invasive plants within the Cuyahoga River Basin. The grant was awarded to the Cuyahoga River Restoration (formerly Cuyahoga River Community Planning Organization). The project included the partnership between members of the CWMA, including Tinker’s Creek Watershed Partners, Conservancy for Cuyahoga Valley National Park, and Student Conservation Association. The project utilized the CWMA partnership to work across jurisdictional boundaries for on-the-ground eradication of invasive plants and to work with local entities to expand education and awareness of invasive plant prevention measures in the watershed. TCWP assisted with site selection in the watershed as well as education and outreach to the general public and municipalities.

Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District (NEORSD) Operating Support Grant

NEORSD provided $35,000 to the support the organization’s mission in 2015. A portion of this grant provided funding for the watershed coordinator and other contracted positions that helped TCWP serve our communities. This funding also provided assistance for events such as the Watershed Festival and the Minimum Control Measure 6, Pollution Prevention and Good Housekeeping trainings.

KeyBank Foundation Grant

In 2015, TCWP received $500 from the KeyBank Foundation. This Foundation provides funding to employees of KeyBank to encourage and promote employee volunteerism and giving back to the community. Daniel Svoboda, a new TCWP Board Member in 2015, helped secure this funding.

Western Reserve Land Conservancy and Dominion 2015 Watershed Mini-Grant Program

Western Reserve Land Conservancy and Dominion partnered to launch the Watershed Mini-Grant Program to serve working watershed groups throughout the state. TCWP received $1,500 from this grant to help update the website to make it more user and mobile friendly. These updates were set to be completed in 2016.

Grants Received 2014

Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Watershed Coordinator Implementation Grant

Tinker’s Creek Watershed Partners was the recipient of a three‐year, $32,000 per year operating grant from ODNR, Division of Soil and Water. This grant was officially awarded and took effect on February 28, 2012. These grants are provided to local watershed organizations to employ watershed coordinators or specialists. Funding from this grant ended in February 2015.

The grant was used to fund the full‐time position of the Tinker’s Creek Watershed Coordinator, Babette Gowda (formerly Oestreicher), who was appointed in October 2011. In accordance with grant stipulations, Mrs. Gowda’s highest priority was implementing projects identified in the State of Ohio‐endorsed Tinker’s Creek Watershed Action Plan (WAP). Additionally, the grant supported outreach efforts within the 24 watershed communities that encompass Tinker’s Creek to develop and execute restoration projects.

Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District (NEORSD) Operating Support Grant

NEORSD provided $32,314 to the support organization’s mission in 2014. A portion of this grant provided funding for the watershed coordinator and other contracted positions that helped TCWP serve our communities. This funding also provided assistance for events such as the Watershed Festival and the Minimum Control Measure 6, Pollution Prevention and Good Housekeeping trainings. This grant helped fund educational outreach to public officials and collaboration efforts to conserve important land parcels. Additionally, TCWP was able to expand the Sustainable Lawn and Ground Care Program by assisting students in Hudson, Ohio implement a targeted door to door campaign.

Grants Received 2013

Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Watershed Coordinator Implementation Grant

Tinker’s Creek Watershed Partners was the recipient of a three‐year, $32,000 per year operating grant from ODNR, Division of Soil and Water. This grant was officially awarded and took effect on February 28, 2012. These grants are provided to local watershed organizations to employ watershed coordinators or specialists. The grant was used to fund the full‐time position of the Tinker’s Creek Watershed Coordinator, Babette Gowda, who was appointed in October 2011. In accordance with grant stipulations, Ms. Gowda’s highest priority was implementing projects identified in the State of Ohio‐endorsed Tinker’s Creek Watershed Action Plan (WAP). Additionally, the grant supported outreach efforts within the 24 watershed communities that encompass Tinker’s Creek to develop and execute restoration projects.

Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District (NEORSD) Operating Support Grant

NEORSD provided $34,000 to the support the organization’s mission in 2013. A portion of this grant provided funding for the watershed coordinator and other contracted positions that helped TCWP serve our communities. This funding also provided assistance for events such as the Watershed Festival and the Minimum Control Measure 6, Pollution Prevention and Good Housekeeping trainings. This grant helped fund BMP projects for our Member Communities and provided educational outreach to public officials. Additionally, TCWP was able to expand the Sustainable Lawn and Ground Care Program.

Science Application International Corporation (SAIC) Engineering Solutions Business Unit

For the second year in a row, SAIC Engineering Business Unit based out of NASA Glenn provided TCWP with a $1,000 grant to help fund the Annual Watershed Festival. This allowed TCWP to provide free booth space to local and national non-profit organizations and to aid them in their outreach and education efforts to the public.

Grants Received 2012 & 2011

Ohio Department of Natural Resource (ODNR) Watershed Coordinator Implementation Grant

Tinker’s Creek Watershed Partners were the recipients of a three‐year, $32,000 per year operating grant from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR), Division of Soil and Water. The grant was officially awarded and took effect on February 28, 2012.

The grant would be used to fund the full‐time position of the organization’s watershed coordinator, Babette Gowda, who was appointed in October 2011. In this role and in accordance with grant stipulations, Gowda implemented the State of Ohio‐endorsed Tinker’s Creek Watershed Action Plan. Additionally, the grant would support outreach efforts within the 24 watershed communities that encompass Tinker’s Creek to develop and execute educational programs, fundraising initiatives, and other awareness campaigns.

Burning River Foundation- Fresh Ideas for Freshwater (FIF)

In early 2012, Tinker’s Creek Watershed Partners were awarded $3,594 from the Burning River Foundation FIF to implement a sustainable lawn care demonstration project at the Hudson Montessori School. The project entailed removal of invasive species, planting of native plants, and installation of two rain barrels and two composting bins. As part of the project, the school also reduced overall chemical usage on their lawn and gardens. Project efforts were incorporated into the sixth grade curriculum and completed by July 2012.

Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District

The Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District (NEORSD) provided $34,000 to support organizations mission in 2011 and 2012. A portion of this funding went to help secure a watershed coordinator and other contracted positions that helped TCWP serve our communities. This funding also helped to fund events such as the Watershed Festival, the Ohio Stormwater Conference, and the Mayors Luncheon. Additionally, funds were used for the Member Community Stormwater BMP Grant, comprehensive stormwater management ordinance review, educational outreach to the community and public officials, and to help sustain and expand the sustainable lawn care program.

Ohio Environmental Education Fund (OEEF)

In May of 2012, OEEF awarded Tinker’s Creek Watershed Partners $4,000 to implement an education signage campaign in the watershed. These signs identify the location of Tinker’s Creek and the boundaries of the watershed. The goal of the signage campaign was to raise awareness and to create a sense of place within the watershed. The project was completed May of 2013 and also included online interactive maps and a fact sheet with the location of the signage.  TCWP worked with the communities of Glenwillow, Macedonia and Streetsboro. Additional communities have signed on to the watershed signage campaign including Bedford, Oakwood, Twinsburg and Walton Hills. For more information and interactive map, visit here.

Coastal Management Assistance Grant (CMAG)

Tinker’s Creek Watershed Partners was awarded $21,500 from the Ohio Office of Coastal Management in 2011 to help continue and extend our efforts for community outreach and education throughout the watershed. A portion of the grant helped to fund educating watershed residents, businesses, school age children, and community decision makers on the importance of the natural resources in the area. The grant also helped to provide educational information on ordinance modifications that support the management of stormwater, stream bank health, and wetlands, along with other valuable water resources in the watershed. Examples of outreach include meetings with community leaders, the Mayors Luncheon, the Watershed Festival, ordinance review, creation of educational materials, and educational presentations for watershed schools and environmental groups. The goals of the grant were completed by July 2012.