Inside This Issue:
Important Upcoming Dates
Financial Reporting Due
Website Contact Information Requirement
Spotlight on Clean Water Fund Grants
Clean Water Legacy Partners RFP Open
Tip of the Quarter
Returning Funds
Important Upcoming Dates
April 22: BWSR Board Meeting
April 30: All FY26 batching periods close by 4:30 p.m. for WBIF, 1W1P Mid-Point, PRAP and Soil Health Practices
May 19: FY26 Clean Water Legacy Partners RFP closes
May 27: BWSR Board Meeting
May 29: FY27 Multipurpose Drainage Management quarterly application deadline
June 1: FY27 Watershed-Based Implementation Funding open
June 24: BWSR Board Meeting
June 30: Some grants expire at the end of state fiscal year (please check your grant agreements)
June 30 and/or July 15: Financial Reporting due (see grant agreement)
Aug. 31: FY27 Multipurpose Drainage Management quarterly application deadline
Oct. 20 - 22: BWSR Academy
Financial Reporting
In preparation for the state fiscal year end Annual Comprehensive Financial Report (ACFR), which state agencies are responsible for submitting to Minnesota Management and Budget (MMB), BWSR is required to compile specific financial information on grants that exceed $500,000. MMB uses the ACFR to track expenses coded to the current fiscal year and to forecast funds not yet coded to the fiscal year by close date.
Most financial reporting will be due starting in May but no later than June 30, 2026. Grants awarded and executed on or after July 1, 2025 (those with a “26” in the first three figures of the grant ID; C26/P26) are due no later than July 15, 2026.
Grantee contacts (as identified eLINK) for impacted grants should expect to receive an email with further instructions by the end of April.
Website Contact Information Requirement
Effective July 1, 2025, Laws of Minnesota 2025, chapter 39, section 40, and the Minnesota Office of Grants Management requires that state grant agreements include the following clause:
The Grantee must clearly post on the grantee’s website the names of, and contact information for, the grantee organization’s leadership and employee or other person(s) who directly manages and oversees the grant for the grantee.
This clause is included in BWSR grant agreements awarded and executed on and after July 1, 2025. It does not impact grants awarded and executed before July 1, 2025.
Some examples of how grantees might meet this requirement include, but are not limited to:
- Add the name of the grants (and/or grant programs) to an existing staff contact page (ex. John Doe – main contact for all Buffer Law, Programs & Operations, Soil Health Delivery, Soil Health Practices, Soil Health Staffing, and Watershed Based Implementation grants);
- make a page for all grants (and/or grant programs) and list their contact information;
- add the name and contact information for a grant (and/or grant program) to an existing webpage that mentions the work of the grant and/or grant program.
Contact information for the grantee’s leadership does not need to correlate to grants and/or grant programs and only needs to be listed on the website once.
Further guidance can be found in a memo emailed in early March 2026 to active eLINK main contacts and day to day contacts titled, “Guidance for meeting website contact information requirement.” Contact your board conservationist/grant manager for more information.
Spotlight on Clean Water Fund Grants
As you continue work on a Clean Water Fund grant or begin a new one, please read your grant agreement and the reminders in this Grants Quarterly. Reference the Grants Administration Manual for procedures and guidance, and consult with your Grant Manager if you have any questions.
Grant Periods
The grant period starts when the grant agreement is executed, meaning the workplan has been approved and all required signatures have been obtained. Work that occurs before this date is not eligible for reimbursement with grant funds and cannot be used as match.
Payment Distribution
CWF grant payments are distributed in three installments to the grantee. The first payment of 50% of the grant amount will be paid after execution of the grant agreement. The second payment of 40% of the grant amount will be paid once the grantee has provided BWSR with notification and BWSR has reviewed and approved the reported expenditures of the initial payment. The final 10% will be paid after all final reporting requirements have been completed and BWSR has approved expenditures and reporting.
Match Verification
BWSR requires documentation for any match dollars. If you will be claiming federal funds as match, this may require working with the Farm Service Agency (FSA) office and obtaining a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) waiver from the landowner. Please contact your Grant Manager or Clean Water Specialists if you have questions.
Clean Water Fund Signage & the Legacy Logo
CWF grant agreements from BWSR state that the Grantee will “comply with requirements for project signage.” Legislative language requires that recipients of CWF grantees display the logo “where practicable." This includes printed materials, as well as signage on construction sites or public access points. Read more about the guidelines or download the appropriate logo(s) for print.
Clean Water Legacy Partners RFP Now Open Through May 19, 2026
The Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources (BWSR) is now accepting grant applications for the Clean Water Legacy Partners Program, which seeks to protect, enhance and restore water quality throughout the state.
The RFP contains a grant opportunity for funding from the Clean Water Legacy Partners Grant. Non-governmental nonprofit organizations, Tribal governments, the 1854 Treaty Authority, and the Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission are eligible to apply for this opportunity.
“These grants will support water quality protection and restoration work in even more Minnesota communities,” said BWSR Executive Director John Jaschke. “The program’s flexibility also helps the state of Minnesota support partners outside of BWSR’s typical clientele.”
A total of $1,155,434 from the Clean Water Fund is available and includes $500,000 for nonprofit organizations and $655,434 for Tribal organizations. Grant requests must be between $50,000 and $250,000; a non-state match of at least 10% is required, provided via cash or in-kind services. The grants can be used for a wide range of conservation activities including urban stormwater practices, agricultural best management practices, shoreline stabilization projects, well sealing, and public engagement efforts. Examples of previously funded projects include clean water workshops and trainings, rain gardens, streambank and shoreline protection, and prescribed grazing.
The application period opens on February 18, 2026, and will close on May 19, 2026. For more information on how to apply (including a recording of an informational webinar), see the program’s Request for Proposals on BWSR’s Apply for Grants webpage (https://bwsr.state.mn.us/apply).
Tip of the Quarter
Q: Why is the number of workable hours for a full-time equivalent employee (FTE) set at 2,088?
A: The Legislative Coordinating Commission calculates FTEs based on a denominator of 2,088 workable hours in a year. See Minnesota Statutes, section 3.303, subdivision 10.
Returning Funds
If you need to return grant funds at closeout, please follow the additional steps below. After completing all reporting — including final expenditures in eLINK, click the Add New Progress Report button on the Progress Reporting tab:
- Answer these questions “Is this a final report?” and “Are you returning funds?”
- Complete the following fields Confirm the Amount to be returned, Enter check # (if known), Narrative
- Check the attestation box
- Click the Save button
- Click the Generate Returned Funds Form button
If you forget to generate this form on the progress report page, you can still generate it from the progress report page or the generate reports on either the eLINK grant activities tab or the progress reporting tab - Click the Submit button
- Make the returned funds check payable to BWSR (return the check and returned funds form to the address listed on the form). Returning the form with the check helps us attribute the funds to the right grant.