Announcing the 2026 Sanctuary Community Fund Recipients

National Marine Sanctuary Foundation logo. Credit: National Marine Sanctuary Foundation

National Marine Sanctuary Foundation Celebrates Robust Second Round of Sanctuary Community Fund Grantees

Silver Spring, Md. – April 2, 2026 – The National Marine Sanctuary Foundation is proud to announce the 16 community-led projects awarded funding in the second round of the Sanctuary Community Fund. Funding will support marine sanctuary communities through stewardship projects in Chumash Heritage, Lake Ontario, and Papahānaumokuākea National Marine Sanctuaries. 

As the official nonprofit partner of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Office of National Marine Sanctuaries (ONMS), the Foundation’s Sanctuary Community Fund invests directly in marine sanctuaries to help wavemakers spark change and lead economic development in their communities.