Assistance Listing 15.686
National Fish Habitat Partnership
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service · Department of the Interior
The verdict for a small nonprofit
Worth applying, even as a first-time applicant. 71% of awards go to organizations new to this program, and nonprofits win 58% of them.
Based on 169 new awards in FY2023–25. Organizations under $1M in revenue won 23% of the awards that went to nonprofits. The median award is $75,526.
- First-time winners
- 71%
- of new awards, last 3 FYs
- Nonprofit share
- 58%
- 9% higher ed · 24% gov't
- Under-$1M orgs
- 23%
- of nonprofit awards
- Median award
- $76K
- $48K – $110K middle half
- New awards, FY2025
- 49
- $4.7M committed to them
Open right now under this program
Nothing open · from Grants.gov, checked every 10 minutes
Who won in FY2025
Largest recipients by dollars. From USAspending.
| Recipient | Type | State | Awards | Awarded |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trout Unlimited, INC. | Nonprofit | VA | 18 | $1,388,704 |
| Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission | Government | OR | 7 | $1,768,030 |
| The Nature Conservancy | Nonprofit | VA | 5 | $290,602 |
| Kenai Watershed Forum | Nonprofit | AK | 4 | $482,517 |
| Alaska Department of Fish & Game | Government | AK | 4 | $224,758 |
| Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies | Nonprofit | DC | 3 | $864,689 |
| Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, INC. | Nonprofit | ID | 3 | $335,000 |
| Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission | Government | VA | 3 | $295,025 |
| Southeastern Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies | Nonprofit | SC | 3 | $295,000 |
| American Rivers INC | Nonprofit | DC | 3 | $269,412 |
New awards by fiscal year
Awards first made in each fiscal year; dollars are the total committed to that year's new awards over their life.
| FY | New awards | Committed | Median | Middle half |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 55 | $4.0M | $60K | $41K – $83K |
| 2024 | 65 | $4.5M | $50K | $41K – $85K |
| 2025 | 49 | $4.7M | $76K | $48K – $110K |
Common questions
How hard is it to win a grant under 15.686?
Worth applying, even as a first-time applicant. 71% of awards go to organizations new to this program, and nonprofits win 58% of them. Based on 169 new awards in FY2023–25. Organizations under $1M in revenue won 23% of the awards that went to nonprofits. The median award is $75,526.
How much does National Fish Habitat Partnership award?
In FY2025 the median new award was $76K; the middle half ran from $48K to $110K. 49 new awards were made, with $4.7M committed to them.
When does 15.686 usually post?
Posting history is irregular; watch this page for the next round.
Who runs this program?
Department of the Interior (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service). Assistance Listing 15.686 on SAM.gov describes the authorizing statute and standard terms.
Sources: USAspending FY2021–25 award archive (2026-10-06); Grants.gov Search2 (fetched 2026-10-28); IRS EO BMF (fetched 2026-10-28). Award counts are new awards by fiscal year of first action. Shares are computed from award counts, not dollars; the under-$1M share covers the 85% of nonprofit awards that matched an IRS revenue record. Recipient type comes from the award record's business-type codes. Always confirm details in the official announcement.