Deadline: 19-Jul-22
The Illinois Clean Energy Community Foundation (ICECF) has announced Community Stewardship Challenge Grant Program to provide support in the following categories:
- Cash Donation Match: The Foundation provides 3 dollars for every 1 new dollar raised by a nonprofit organization over the 18-month grant period, not to exceed a contribution of $21,000 from the Foundation, to be applied towards stewardship of an eligible project site. The 3 to 1 match applies to net donations only and will not match any fundraising costs, fees, or service charges incurred during donation transfers.
- Volunteer Labor: Grantees are eligible to receive $4,000 for stewardship activities upon verification that volunteers have logged 400 hours or more on stewardship activities during the 18-month grant period. An additional $2,000 may be awarded upon verification that volunteers have logged a total of 100 hours on establishing and/or updating social media accounts to publicize stewardship workdays and public events at the project site.
- Equipment Purchase: For nonprofit-owned sites, the Foundation will reimburse up to 80% or $5,000, whichever is less, of the capital cost of stewardship equipment purchased during the 18-month grant period. This category of support is not available to government-owned sites.
Funding Information
- Grants of up to $32,000 are available for sites owned by nonprofit organizations and grants of up to $27,000 are available for government-owned natural areas.
- Actual payment is dependent on the result of fundraising and volunteer activity during the grant period. Payments requests are considered and paid out on a TBD schedule during the grant period. No funds will be awarded after 18 months.
Eligible Projects
- Solicit funds from members and followers to support the care of the project site
- Challenge volunteers to log a total of 400 hours in habitat care over 18 months
- Use grant funds to improve the health of the natural habitat.
Eligible Activities
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Examples of the types of activity that can be supported under the grant include:
- Contracts to conduct a prescribed burn, engineering work and hydrological improvements, removal of invasive species, and/or creation of burn breaks
- The purchase of plant materials including seeds, trees, plants
- The purchase of supplies including gasoline, herbicide, gloves, goggles, tree protectors, Nomex suits, etc.
- The purchase of monitoring equipment such as magnifying glasses and nets
- The purchase of wood duck or bluebird houses
- Grantees may spend up to $1,000 of the Cash Donation award on hand tools
- Grantees may spend up to $1,000 of the Volunteer Hours award on hand tools
- Hand tools can include backpack sprayers, loppers, hand saws, small chain saws, rakes, Pulaski axes, water backpacks, etc.
- Grantees may spend a total of $1,000 of the dollars received from the Foundation on the purchase of interpretive signage if the signage highlights the stewardship work and the grant
Eligibility Criteria
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Applicants:
- 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organizations that actively engage volunteers in the management of a publicly-accessible natural area
- Applicants are required to provide a Federal Employer Tax ID/Employer Tax ID Number (FEIN/EIN).
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Site Criteria
- Natural area and wildlife habitat that is open to the public
- Cared for with the help of volunteers
- Owned by a non-profit organization, local government, or government agency
- Located in Illinois
For more information, visit Illinois Clean Energy Community Foundation.
For more information, visit https://www.illinoiscleanenergy.org/natural-areas-program/community-stewardship-challenge-grant/