A New Micro-Funding Program For Environmental Action
Over the last handful of years, the St. Louis Earth Day Festival has become a successful fundraiser for our organization which shares the same name. Funds raised through the production of the Festival help support our programs like Recycling On the Go and the Green Dining Alliance. These programs and our educational initiatives help us bring sustainability to individuals in the region every day of the year.
As a small non-profit, we understand better than anyone that good ideas are abundant but funding is not. We apply for many grants and know how it can be a time-consuming task with many hoops to jump through, for only a chance at receiving funding. We also know there are TONS of exciting projects and programs that are happening all over St. Louis, which would flourish with a little cash injection.
Then we got to thinking – what if we could take advantage of the April Earth Day focus, build excitement in our Festival community for supporting grassroots projects, and then encourage people and companies to give generously? How much money could we raise? How many projects could we help?
Say goodbye to online voting, social media campaigns and other time-consuming hoops many grant programs ask applicants to jump through; and, say hello to a new funding program from St. Louis Earth Day with a simple application process. Earth Day Action Grants will fund multiple small-scale projects throughout the St. Louis region beginning in April 2013. Applications are now being accepted, and must be received by March 29, 2013.
Earth Day Action Grant projects should focus on encouraging environmental action and everyday sustainability, and must be implemented in the City of St. Louis, St. Louis County, St. Charles County, or East St. Louis. Currently $10,000, donated by Boeing, will be distributed as grants to successful applicants. Individual grant amounts will be determined by project need and the distribution of funds among successful applications.
The application process involves filling out an online form available from the St. Louis Earth Day website. The deadline for applications is March 29, 2013. After the application period has closed, a committee of St. Louis Earth Day staff, board members and volunteers will review applications and make award decisions. Awardees will be recognized at the 24th annual St. Louis Earth Day Festival on April 21, 2013.
Non-profit organizations, schools, governmental entities and community groups are all encouraged to apply. Examples of eligible projects are available on the St. Louis Earth Day website, and include funding proposals to cover speaker fees, supplies for a trash pick-up, rain barrel installation, or native plants for a public garden.
St. Louis Earth Day is a non-profit 501c3 organization whose mission is to make every day earth day by cultivating environmental stewardship and engaging individuals, governments, businesses, schools and the non-profit sector in celebration, education and action to support a healthy and sustainable future.
For full details on the Earth Day Action Grants, and to apply, visit www.stlouisearthday.org.