Deadline: 1-Jan-22
The City of Portland has announced Portland Clean Energy Community Benefits Fund (PCEF) Mini Grants Program to reduce barriers for organizations engaging in climate and racial justice work by offering this quarterly grant opportunity that is responsive to small, time-sensitive funding needs through a simple application.
Mini Grants provide an opportunity for organizations to fund a wide range of activities, including grant writing support, small projects, events, and training.
Purpose
- The Portland Clean Energy Community Benefits Fund (PCEF) provides dedicated funding for climate action that advances racial and social justice.
- In the face of climate change, racial injustice, economic insecurity, and COVID-19, PCEF offers a community-led vision, grounded in justice and equity, that builds citywide resilience and opportunity.
- The Fund is anticipated to bring $44 – $61 million in new annual revenue for green jobs, healthy homes, and a climate-friendly Portland. As the nation’s first-ever climate-fund created and led by communities of color, PCEF is for and by the community. PCEF centers Black and Indigenous people, and other disadvantaged and marginalized groups in addressing the climate crisis.
Funding Information
- The mini grants program has a total annual budget of $400,000.
- $100,000 is available each quarter.
- Applicants can apply for one grant of up to $5,000 per quarter.
Eligible Expenses
All funding requests must support PCEF’s goals of tackling climate change while advancing racial and social justice. Applicants will be asked to describe their funding requests using the following funding categories:
- Buying Goods: Examples include printed materials, food for events, technology, website subscriptions, gardening tools and materials, equipment
- Staff Time and Community Participation: Examples include paying for staff to write grants, conduct community engagement, community events and projects, project planning, administrative tasks, internal organizational development
- Attendance Costs for Trainings, Workshops, and Education: Examples include paying the costs for staff to participate in educational workshops, trainings, events, and conferences
- Contracted Services: Examples include paying for grant writing services, translation and interpretation, meeting facilitation, graphic design services, artists/performers, technical assistance, assessments, energy audits
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Costs associated with PCEF requirements:
- Fiscal sponsorship fee: up to 10% of total funding amount
- Additional insurance expense: if your insurance provider requires a fee to provide required insurance documents.
Eligibility Criteria
- Only non-profit organizations, including fiscal sponsors, may apply.
- Projects that are physical improvements must be done within the City of Portland to benefit residents of the City of Portland.
- Projects that do NOT include any physical improvements must benefit residents of the City of Portland.
- Funding request must advance PCEF goals of tackling climate change while advancing racial and social justice.
- Organizations can submit a maximum of one mini grant application per quarter.
- Each application must be for a unique request.
- Requests cannot add funds to other funded PCEF grant projects.
For more information, visit City of Portland.
For more information, visit https://www.portland.gov/bps/cleanenergy/pcef-mini-grants/apply