Triangle Community Foundation announces “Our Impact: Sustainable Communities (Environmental Resilience)” Grant Program

Deadline: 19-Apr-21

Triangle Community Foundation is seeking applications for its “Our Impact: Sustainable Communities (Environmental Resilience)” grant program to support economically and environmentally resilient communities.

This shift to Sustainable Communities reflects a natural evolution of their grantmaking activities. Last year, informed by program evaluations and shifting environmental priorities in the Triangle, they added a climate change lens to their Environmental Conservation program. They realized that it was short sighted to treat environmental outcomes as separate from economic outcomes since they often influence one another. So, they decided to consider them under one Impact Area: Sustainable Communities.

This spring cycle of the Sustainable Communities program, Environmental Resilience, will focus on funding organizations doing work at the intersection of environmental conservation and climate change.

They look forward to continuing to fund work that will help conserve the Triangle’s land and natural resources and make their communities, particularly their most vulnerable ones, more resilient as climate-related events impact their region.

Objectives

Increase awareness of and education around conservation and/or climate issues;
Increase climate resiliency, particularly of low-income communities.

Funding Information

Grants will be available in the amount of $15,000 – 20,000. Funding will be for one year’s duration and will provide unrestricted support.
They anticipate making +/- 15 grants through this grant cycle to organizations whose work has historically and continues to be in alignment with their program goals.

Funding Criteria

Fund organizations implementing nature-based strategies that allow communities to adapt to climate change threats (with priority on low-income communities);
Fund organizations providing education & communications around conservation and/or climate issues;
Fund organizations that are engaging in local advocacy efforts related to conservation and/or climate issues.

Eligibility Criteria

The Foundation invites 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations based in Chatham, Durham, Orange and Wake counties to apply.
Religious congregations, governmental agencies, and organizations operating under fiscal sponsorship of a tax-exempt nonprofit are eligible to apply.
Organizations must meet the Foundation’s non-discrimination policy.
One application per organization will be considered.

Note: If your organization was previously eligible for the Awareness and/or Public Benefit programs of the Environmental Conservation grant cycle in years past, you are likely eligible for this cycle, too!

Evaluation Criteria

Foundation staff work with volunteer advisory committee members to review proposals and reach grant making decisions. In reviewing grant proposals, the Foundation will use the following evaluation criteria:

Organizational alignment with program goals:
- How strong is the organization’s historical track record of delivering programming that aligns with the program goals?
- How well do the organization’s current programs address the goal(s) of the grant program?
- How strong an impact is this organization likely to have on the program goals?
Commitment to equity and community engagement:
- To what degree is the organization committed to staff and board reflecting communities they serve?
- To what degree are the organization’s programs benefiting communities most impacted by climate change including communities of color, low-income groups, people with limited English proficiency (LEP), and immigrant groups?
Organization financial health:
- Are there any organizational financial red flags (e.g. surplus or deficit greater than 10% of the overall budget?)
Overall recommendation:
- How strong is your recommendation that this application be funded?