What We Do

What does a more resilient and equitable Midwest look like to you?

We think it includes conservation-focused agriculture, reduced risks of climate change by proactively preparing communities, and better regional water quality. We also think that all these efforts must be inclusive to engage and benefit as many Midwesterners as possible—since all of us have a piece of the puzzle.

Through our programs, Delta Institute is creating a more resilient, equitable, and innovative home for all Midwesterners—as we believe acting now is not only a pressing climate change issue, but also an issue of environmental justice.

Explore our projects and impact, and please consider how you can help our home region today.

Nature-Based Climate Solutions

Delta Institute assists municipalities by integrating natural climate solutions and Green Infrastructure (GI) to reduce climate change impacts by capturing 100 million stormwater gallons and leveraging $100 million in municipal GI investment.

We focus on communities that are disproportionately affected by flooding and climate change, to collaboratively improve their environmental indicators, mitigate local impacts of climate change, and strengthen their neighborhoods’ resilience. We are helping our neighbors increase their resiliency and address our changing climate in the Midwest via:

  • Climate Resiliency
  • Flooding and Extreme Weather Mitigation
  • Green Infrastructure
  • Forest Canopy Expansion

Resilient Agriculture

Delta Institute supports 1,000 farmers as they transition to sustainable and regenerative practices, thus improving the environment, mitigating the impacts of climate change, and strengthening a farmer’s bottom line. We forecast that by 2025, one million Midwestern agricultural acres will successfully transition to conservation-focused farming practices, so our region’s primary economic driver can be more environmentally and financially sound. We’re expanding conservation in the Midwestern agricultural economy by focusing on:

  • Soil Health
  • Farmland Valuation and Appraisal
  • Conservation-Focused Farming Practices
  • Carbon Sequestration

Sustainability and Support Services

Delta Institute prides itself on being responsive to the needs of its partners and responding to what they define as being the most important goal, activity, project, or taking a new approach to improving their local environmental and economic outcomes.

Our Sustainability and Support Services are designed to respond to invitations to participate in community-led plans, which include a wide array of sectors in which Delta Institute has sizable experience. We forecast that by 2025, Delta Institute will work with more than 250 partner communities while securing $40 million in external investment and creating 100 practical tools, resources, strategies, and municipal/county-level plans. Our partners span the public, nonprofit and for-profit sectors, and together we address core needs that span:

  • Resiliency and Community Planning
  • Agency Support and Capacity Assistance
  • Brownfields and Coal Plant Redevelopment
  • Deconstruction and Waste Reduction
  • Business Sustainability Planning & Certification Assistance

We’re grateful and thrilled to have so many partnerships related to our programmatic areas. Please take a moment to review the amazing and impactful networks, groups, and persons who we work with to achieve our vision of a more resilient, innovative, and equitable Midwest.

Featured Projects

Nature-Based Climate Solutions

Innovative Municipal Green Infrastructure ESG Financing

Nature-Based Climate Solutions

Restoring The Duck Creek Tributary In Northwest Indiana

Aerial view of Harborside Marsh Pond, alongside Lake Calumet
Nature-Based Climate Solutions

Protecting Water Quality on Chicago’s Southeast Side via Stormwater Wetlands at the IIPD

Resilient Agriculture

Soil Health-focused Land Valuation Market Research in Illinois

Nature-Based Climate Solutions

Expanding and Stewarding Regional Forest Canopy via a Tree Planting Consortium in Northwest Indiana

Support Us

Create a thriving Midwest for tomorrow by supporting Delta today.