This source of funds could benefit some recent activities in the city, like refuse recycling at the landfill, the Barrett Street Marsh beaver woes, the Bleiman land gift or the preservation of the North Street wetlands among others. I’m sure the Broad Brook Coalition and the Friends of Northampton Trails and Greenways must have some proposals in the works too.
Thanks to Gerrit Stover for bringing this fund to our attention some time ago. Grants awards range from $500 to $2,500.
Sustainable Milton received a grant in 2007. From the NEGEF website:
The purpose of Sustainable Milton is to create a model sustainable community to help preserve the ecosystem as a whole. The group aims to raise awareness, educate and motivate the residents of Milton, MA to take action to reduce waste of all forms at home, at work and while traveling, and to inspire others to do the same.
The group’s successes so far include: launching a website with over 110 links; building a 100 lb. CO2 cube to raise awareness about global warming on Earth Day; screening Inconvenient Truth for 7 groups in town; beginning Can & Bottle Recycling in the Milton Public Schools to recycle 25% of schools’ total trash; partnering with the Milton Bike Advisory Committee to procure 22 state-funded bike racks; attaining chapter status with parent organization (Massachusetts Climate Action Network); forming a Low Carbon Diet team to reduce household energy use; having three members working with Selectmen on the Wind Energy Advisory Committee; and planning monthly events and movie series.
The group, located in Milton (MA), received its latest NEGEF grant in November 2007 to launch a program “Recycle Up” to increase paper and cardboard recycling in residential, town and school buildings by 10%. Milton’s total FY06 paper/cardboard recycling was 2,797 tons, so this program would eliminate a minimum of 280 tons of paper and cardboard from the waste stream.
Small Grants
Next deadline: Tuesday September 15, 2009
NEGEF’s small grants program provides grants to groups working on community level issues in Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island. The Fund interprets the word ‘environment’ broadly and will provide funding for a wide range of activities. Whole systems-thinking is critical to initiatives focused on making our environment better, healthier and more sustainable.
Small grants are intended to support community groups who represent the most exciting energy in the environmental movement that are not being reached by traditional funders.
Successful applicants will have:
- Earned credibility as a grassroots organization through community work which strengthens the role of local citizens in solving environmental problems or developing sound environmental policies;
- Identified a significant community need and developed a clear plan for translating that need into action;
- Developed a vision of the long-range impacts of their work; and
- Demonstrated an ability to account for the expenditure of funds.
NEGEF does not fund the following proposals:
- Educational curriculum and/or in-school projects
- Publication of books or reports
- Lobbying or partisan political activities
- Studies with no follow-up action
- Acquisition of land and/or buildings
- Individuals
- For-profits
- Micro- or mini-grant programs
The goals of the Small Grants program are to:
- Increase civic engagement, volunteerism, emerging leaders and community initiatives that create health, just, safe and environmentally sustainable communities at the neighborhood and town level in New England;
- Help community leaders move single issue, backyard debates to positive, inclusive, systemic, constructive, and lasting community solutions;
- Link community-based advocacy with the work of state-wide and national organizations without losing local identity; and
- Establish and maintain informed networks of activists across the region that are committed to building a just and equitable society.
For more details see:
http://grassrootsfund.org/
