Delaware Watershed Conservation Fund

Funding Organization Lead: National Fish and Wildlife Foundation

Program Contacts

Erin Lewis, NFWF Delaware River Program Director - [email protected]

Evie Kraner , Program Manager - [email protected]

Ragan Smith, NFWF Coordinator, Northeastern Regional Programs - [email protected]

Available RFP

For detailed instructions on submitting your application, please visit the NFWF's Easygrants Instructions. Be sure to adhere to all guidelines and deadlines stated in the RFP.

Submit a DWCF Application

Applicant Training Videos

2025 DWCF Training Video

Steps to use FieldDoc in your application

To create the FieldDoc portion of your application, first ensure that you have set up an account on FieldDoc. The following identifies the key components. Check out the FieldDoc Documentation for more details about the platform.

1

Create FieldDoc Account

The organization submitting the application must be the "owner" of the related records and Pact within FieldDoc. Collaborators and technical service providers can be added to the organization's workspace to assist with configuring the Pact.

🌱 Learn More: Create Account

2

Create a Pact

FieldDoc allows organizations to share data from their portfolio of nature-based activities with funding programs via Pacts. Each application should have a unique Pact. To create a Pact, you'll need the funding opportunity's unique Pact Code.

🌱 Learn More: Create a Pact

3

Link or Add Activity Records to the Pact

Activity Records represent the work that will be completed through the proposed funding. Review the FAQs for specific guidance on what must be included at the application level.

🌱 Learn More: Activities

4

Add Programmatic Metrics

Once Activity Records are linked to a Pact, you can add programmatic metrics associated with the Funding Opportunity. These metrics should match those submitted in your Easygrants application.

🌱 Learn More: Metrics - Programmatic

5

Hit submit.

For Program Managers to review your FieldDoc data, you must submit the Pact by clicking "Submit."

Follow any additional guidance provided in the RFP to complete your application.

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DWCF Application submission checklist

Pact Overview

• I have created a Pact within the correct funding opportunity RFP to which I am applying. You should have one Pact per application.

• The Recipient on the Pact matches the lead applicant organization in the application.

• The Pact name matches my project proposal title and includes the grant application ID.

• I have linked all Activity records to the Pact.

Check that every Activity record in the Pact includes the following:

• Activity type selected: If applicable, assigned an activity type to the record.

• Geometry added: Each activity record has a geometry that represents a verifiable implementation location or a representative implementation location.

• Programmatic Metrics: The programmatic metrics assigned to each activity record have a planned_value that matches the proposed goal in your Easygrant application

• Modeled outputs: At this time (May 2025), the model that used to be used for the Delaware River Basin has been taken offline by the model developers at ANS. Unfortunately, this means that you cannot calculate load reductions in FieldDoc.

Final submission steps

• Click Submit in FieldDoc.

• Do you need to upload something to your application? To create an uploadable file, use your browser's print option or capture a screenshot of your Pact overview page to upload to your application.

For DWCF Awards: Tracking Implementation

Throughout your period of performance, you will use FieldDoc to meet grant compliance requirements. Specific requirements for the cadance of reporting can be found in your grant agreement. The following provides an overview of the steps that you will take to track implementation.

1

Report progress toward metric targets

Each programmatic metric has two input fields: planned_value and implemented_value. Both fields must be populated by the end of the period of performance. Enter your progress toward the implementation goal (the planned_value) in the implemented_value field.

2

Mark an activity as Complete

Once you have installed an activity to specification, such as installing a BMP or completing a series of planning sessions, that activity can be marked as complete. You will add the completed_ondate and the system will log the user who entered the date as the verifier. This helps track that no more work will be done for this activity which may trigger other actions, such as reporting to States or conducting inspections for verification of functioning

FAQs - Creating an proposal

Do I have to use FieldDoc for my Proposal?

2025 DWCF: P In 2025, all DWCF applicants will be required to enter their proposed projects into FieldDoc at the time of application. When setting up proposed projects in FieldDoc, please be sure to list your application’s 5-digit Easygrants number in the FieldDoc Pact name.

Which BMP should I select as my Activity Type?

The FieldDoc team cannot provide guidance on specific BMPs. Please use the RFP guidance and materials, or reach out to Program Staff for guidance.

What should the geometry represent?

Each Activity record should have a single geometry type associated with it. You can use a point, line, or polygon to delineate your activity area. Aim to have one record represent a single installation footprint.

FieldDoc has lots of options for how to delineate geometries to activity records. Here are a few:

1. If you have a .csv, shapefile, or GeoJSON file, use import. You can import a single geometry or batch import multiple geometries. Each row will create a new activity record.

2. Within the Activity record, navigate to the Edit Activity modal and select the Geometry tab and use FieldDoc's Map editor tools to delineate your point, line, or polygon within your activity record.

I don't think FieldDoc is providing an accurate model output for TN, TP, or TSS?

The model that supported TN, TP, and TSS was taken offline by ANS. The Commons is working to bring a model online that will allow all of the important work in the Delaware River Basin to be modeled. Please add your activity type, but at this time you cannot generate sediment and nutrient load reductions for your work via FieldDoc.

How do I turn on the models?

The model that supported TN, TP, and TSS was taken offline by ANS. The Commons is working to bring a model online that will allow all of the important work in the Delaware River Basin to be modeled. Please add your activity type, but at this time you cannot generate sediment and nutrient load reductions for your work via FieldDoc.

I don't know where I'm working yet. Do I need to put in geometry types?

At the application stage, you can use representative locations for your application if you have not yet chosen the installation locations. Make sure to indicate in the activity name field that this is a representative site. If awarded funding, by the end of the period of performance your FieldDoc records must delineate actual installation sites for restoration work.

I want to use an alternative sediment and nutrient load reduction estimate. How do I associate those with my activity records?

You do not need to 'turn on' the adapted CAST model for any of your activity records if you have alternative outputs that you would like to use. Once your activity record has been associated with the Pact, find the following programmatic metrics in the available list:

Total Nitrogen (custom)

Total Phosphorus (custom)

Total Suspended Solids (custom)

Enter in the values that you have calculated in the planned_value field. NFWF may ask that you provide the calculations to defend your alternative values. You can upload your calculation documentation to the Documents tab within the Activity record or Pact.

I have a technical service provider creating my proposal. How should we proceed?

FieldDoc is optimized for collaboration! The Pact must be owned by the organization that is submitting the proposal, which means that the organization submitting the proposal must configure a FieldDoc account. Once created, an organization user can invite collaborators from outside of their organization to their workspace. Once in the organization's workspace, collaborators can create, edit, and delete records on behalf of the organization. Refer to our User Account guidelines for more details.

🌱 Learn More: Workspaces

Is my proposal ready to submit?

• I have created a Pact within RFP to which I am applying.

• The organization name on the Pact matches the lead applicant organization in Easygrants.

• The Pact Name matches my Project Proposal Title and includes the five-digit Easygrants ID.

• Activity records have been linked to the Pact that represent the proposed activities that will be completed, if funded.

  • The programmatic metric `planned_values` in FieldDoc match those in Easygrants.

  • Geospatial data has been added for each activity record.

• Hit submit.

FAQs - Sharing data to NFWF

How do I create a PDF of my Pact?

FieldDoc does not have an in-app PDF generation function. If you need to capture any views from FieldDoc, we recommend using your browser's print function and printing to pdf. Alternatively, capture the screen with a Print Screen command.

How do I get my FieldDoc geospatial data into NFWF's Easygrants system?

Easygrants will only accept shapefile imports. Because FieldDoc projects can include geospatial data in point, line, and polygon geometry types, we do not export data in the shapefile package. The .csv, .GeoJSON, and Geopackage formats which allow for more analytical flexibility.

NFWF has created guidance on how to convert a FieldDoc GeoJSON files for use in Easygrants. You can reach out to [email protected] for assistance.

FAQs - Tracking Implementation

How do I replace representative records with my actual work?

You can create or link new activity records to your Pact at any time during your period of performance. Make sure to follow the activity configuration steps for any newly created records. You will also want to de-link or delete the representative records once you no longer use them.

TIP: It is better to create a new activity record than to try to update an existing record to reflect a changed location.

Do I need an activity record for every location where we conducted work?

Yes. The activity records in FieldDoc should represent on-the-ground installation locations. If you feel this is unachievable, reach out to your Program Officers for guidance.

Do I need to create records for my Match?

The activity records in your Pact and the programmatic metrics should align with the work that is documented in your Easygrant report.

How do I update the TN, TP, and TSS measurements?

The FieldDoc models that estimate the TN, TP, and TSS assume installation of the activity (BMP). Therefore, there is no way to track implementation progress on these modeled outcomes. Once you run the model, you are finished.

When do I need to use FieldDoc for implementation tracking?

SWG Tracking Implementation – Upon grant award, NFWF will require all projects submitted under this solicitation to utilize FieldDoc for tracking and reporting of on-the-ground conservation and restoration activities resulting from their grant project.

FAQs - System Updates and the impact on my project

FieldDoc 2.0 builds on the legacy FieldDoc platform that was in operation until November 2024. All of the data that was entered into the legacy system is preserved and accessible in FieldDoc 2.0. The following answer some common questions about the migration and platform update.

What is a Pact?

Legacy FieldDoc had limited functionality, automatically sharing all project data immediately with funders. This approach significantly restricted usability for our most important audience—on-the-ground restoration professionals.

In FieldDoc 2.0, we've redesigned the structure so organizations can build comprehensive portfolios of their nature-based activities and selectively share these records with funders. Organizations can now share the same records with multiple funders.

If your organization primarily uses FieldDoc to fulfill reporting requirements and you're familiar with the legacy system, you can continue using FieldDoc 2.0 similarly: create a Pact, then add activity records to that Pact.

The key point to remember is that only records attached to a Pact are visible to the Funding Program manager.

Why do I have a Project and a Pact with the same name?

When The Commons released FieldDoc 2.0, we ensured that all existing data was migrated into the new system and made available within the new data model structure. Because all activity records (formerly called practices) were initially created through Projects, and all Projects were associated with funding programs, we automatically created a Pact for each Project during migration.

If you have activity records that did not receive funding or were never intended for a funding application, you may now delete the associated Pact. The activity records and their project classifications will remain intact.

I created a new practice (now called activity record) in my Project. Why can't I add programmatic metrics?

Projects are no longer automatically shared with funding program managers. Projects no longer automatically include access to programmatic metrics. Therefore, in order to add programmatic metrics to an activity record, make sure to link the activity record to the correct Pact first. Once the activity record is linked, you can access the programmatic metrics and assign the correct ones to your activity.

How do I turn on the models?

In Legacy FieldDoc, models were automatically turned on for every practice. We have removed the automation to give users more autonomy over the data associated with their portfolio. To turn on models, in an activity record:

1. Open the Edit Activity modal

2. Assign an activity type,

3. Select the Models tab, enter the Unit Value

4. Click Save.

You can also turn off models by selecting the Clear button or Reset button.

I can't find a project that I used to be able to see. Where did it go?

If you cannot find a project that you used to have access you, then you need to reach out to your collaborators and ask for them to add you as a Workspace Collaborator.