Last updated: April 30, 2026 | Feature image by: Maureen Knepp
Across the Great Bay watershed, communities are stepping up to address climate challenges—from extreme heat to water quality to marine debris. But getting from a good idea to a fundable, actionable project isn’t always straightforward.
That’s where Project Builder comes in.
Project Builder is PREP's grant proposal incubator designed to help communities develop strong, fundable climate resilience projects. Through a mix of mentorship, strategy-building, and creative problem-solving, the program supports participants in refining their ideas, building partnerships, and identifying funding opportunities.
Whether someone comes in with a clear vision or just the seed of an idea, Project Builder helps answer some of the most common challenges we hear across the watershed:
- Where do we start?
- Who should we partner with?
- How do we build a project that can actually get funded?
Over a 4–6 month period, participants work with a facilitator who helps guide brainstorming, shape project scope, and connect teams with the resources they need. While Project Builder does not directly fund projects, it prepares them to pursue opportunities such as Adapting Together’s Climate Impact Grants (run by PREP) and other local, state, and federal funding sources.
The result? Stronger ideas, stronger teams, and projects that are ready to move forward.
If you’ve been thinking about a project like this, now’s the time. The next round of Project Builder is now open with applications due July 1, 2026, 5PM EST.
Have questions about the program or want talk over your ideas? Book office hours with Annie Cox to learn more about Project Builder or to discuss your application.
Learning from Successes: Project Builder Program Round 1
As part of New Hampshire Charitable Foundation’s Great Bay 2030 initiative, Annie Cox of PREP, in partnership with Roca Communications and New Hampshire Coastal Adaptation Workgroup, launched the 2024 Adapting Together pilot program to better understand how communities across the Great Bay Watershed* want to make a difference. Through a series of listening sessions held across the watershed, they met with local leaders, volunteers, and residents to hear firsthand about each community’s challenges, goals, and capacity needs.
"At each event," Annie tells us, "people shared that they have project ideas they would like to fund, but they hesitate to apply because grant applications are overly complicated, the odds aren’t great, and they don’t know what a budget should look like, especially if they’ve never applied before."
Two years later, PREP is thrilled to have supported this first cohort of Project Builder, helping to turn community ideas into actionable and funding-ready projects. All applications addressed extreme heat or flooding in Great Bay Watershed.
*A watershed is an area of land where all the water from rain and snow drains into a common body of water, like a river, bay, or ocean.
City of Somersworth: Planning for a Cooler, More Resilient Downtown
Photo credit: UNH Cooperative Extension
Photo credit: UNH Cooperative Extension
The City of Somersworth partnered with Project Builder to explore a downtown tree inventory as a foundation for long-term climate resilience. The effort focuses on expanding tree canopy to reduce extreme heat while proactively managing risks from pests, disease, and climate stressors.
Through working sessions with City staff and the Conservation Commission, the project evolved to connect with broader planning goals and funding opportunities. With support from Project Builder, Somersworth also explored a Climate Impact Grant, gaining valuable experience in shaping a competitive proposal.
Participation strengthened internal collaboration and helped the City build a feasible, community-focused project.
“Having someone well-versed in grant opportunities and programs to bounce project ideas off has been incredibly helpful."
Earth Tones: Connecting Art and Climate Resilience
Photo credit: Athena MacFarland
A partnership with Earth Tones, a subgroup of the New Hampshire Art Association, demonstrates how Project Builder can spark creative, cross-sector collaboration.
Through the program, Earth Tones explored ways to create artwork from marine debris and connected with a Climate Impact grantee focused on debris removal and education. This collaboration is now bringing collected materials into an upcoming art exhibition, linking environmental action with creative expression.
The effort is also serving as a pilot for future exhibits and expanding opportunities for artists to engage in regional climate conversations, including the New Hampshire Coastal Adaptation Workgroup's Coastal Climate Summit.
These project images show volunteers with Earth Tones and the Seacoast Paddleboard Club removing over 50 pounds of marine debris from Pirates Cove—including ropes and discarded beach toys.
This fall, Earth Tones artists will repurpose collected materials into artwork, transforming marine debris into a powerful story of stewardship and creative reuse.
Photos by Athena MacFarland.
New Durham: Protecting Shaw’s Pond
Shaws Pond in New Durham, New Hampshire. Like many water bodies in our region, it reflects broader challenges related to public access, water quality, and stormwater runoff in a changing climate. Photo by Maureen Knepp.
In New Durham, Project Builder is supporting a community-driven effort to restore water quality and public access at Shaw’s Pond.
Facing increasing erosion, runoff, and nutrient loading, the Town and local partners worked to refine solutions such as stabilizing the access road, redirecting stormwater, and restoring native vegetation. Project Builder supported the team as they explored funding pathways and applied to the Land and Water Conservation Fund.
This work has helped build momentum around a project that will protect a valued community resource while improving resilience to future storms.
Building the Foundation for What Comes Next
Project Builder is about more than individual projects—it’s about building the relationships, skills, and confidence communities need to take action on climate challenges.
By supporting early-stage ideas and connecting people across sectors, the program is helping grow a network of partners working toward a more resilient Great Bay watershed.
Have an idea but not sure where to start? Project Builder is here to help you take the first step.
Adapting Together's Project Builder and Climate Impact Grants are funded by the NH Charitable Foundation’s Great Bay 2030 initiative. Partners from the Piscataqua Region Estuaries Partnership (PREP), New Hampshire Sea Grant, and New Hampshire Coastal Adaptation Workgroup lead or support both programs and provide direct assistance.
This product has also been funded in part by the United States Environmental Protection Agency under Assistance Agreement 4T00A01778 to the recipient. The contents of this webpage do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, nor does the U.S. EPA endorse trade names or recommend the use of any products, services or enterprises mentioned in this document.