Available now! Circular Cleveland Community Grants

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The Circular Cleveland Community Grants provide financial assistance to grassroots neighborhood groups, faith-based organizations and small non-profit organizations (with an operating budget of less than $250,000) to support their community work related to the circular economy.

WHAT IS A CIRCULAR ECONOMY?

A circular economy diverts waste from the landfill and reduces pollution, keeps products and materials in use and restores and renews the natural system.  

For more information about the circular economy and Circular Cleveland, visit these Sustainable Cleveland blogs:

Watch this video explaining the circular economy and providing some national and local examples.

https://youtu.be/Oy1t9h1SBn8

 

APPLYING FOR A GRANT

Before you begin your grant application, please make sure that this is the right application for your project by considering how this project contributes to transitioning Cleveland to a circular economy. If your project idea is not a good fit for this grant, please check out our other Neighbor Up Action Grants here.

Please answer the following questions to determine if your project idea is a good fit for the Circular Economy grant:

  • Is material being diverted from the landfill?

Some examples of how materials might be diverted are:

  • reuse 
  • repurpose
  • share
  • repair 
  • redistribution
  • redesign
  • repackage
  • restore
  • refurbish
  • remanufacture
  • recycle
  • upcycle
  • recover
  • refuse
  • rethink
  • reduce
  • other

If materials ARE being diverted, what are those materials? 

  • textiles and clothing including body shapewear
  • food
  • metals
  • electronics
  • plastic
  • construction materials
  • other
  • Or, is energy from fossil fuels being saved?
  • Or, is a natural system being restored or renewed?

If you can answer yes to some of the above questions, your project DOES contribute to the circular economy. Please read the Grant Guidelines below. 

GRANT GUIDELINES

  • Team members must all live, work or worship in Cleveland.
  • Applicants must demonstrate their connectedness to their community.
  • Proposals must be from grassroots neighborhood groups of at least three persons, faith-based organizations or small non-profit organizations (with an operating budget of less than $250,000).
  • Applicants must demonstrate their capacity to make change in their community.
  • Applicants must show the need in their community.
  • Projects must build off the assets in the community (wisdom, skills, talents, and networks of individuals in the community, civic groups, institutions, physical space, local economy, and/or community culture).
  • Only one proposal can be submitted by a group or organization at a time.
  • Groups and organizations with or without 501(c)(3) designation are eligible for funding and encouraged to apply. Groups and organizations without 501(c)(3) designation will need to find a fiscal sponsor. If you need assistance finding a fiscal sponsor, please contact us.
  • These grants do not fund individuals, large non-profit or large faith-based organizations, religious organizations for religious purposes, political campaigns, endowment funds, fundraising campaigns, for-profit entities, single businesses, or government entities.
  • Grant applicants will be notified of funding decision via email by early June. If approved for funding, you will receive an email letting you know, and you will be required to fill out some simple paperwork to receive your funding. If your proposal is declined funding, we are available to talk through the reasons why.
  • Funds are GENERALLY dispersed within two weeks from when approved grantees complete their paperwork. 
  • Grants will cover a 6 month period and will range between $250 and $3,000.

READY TO APPLY?

1. Watch this “How to Apply” video for more information about these grants.

2. Start the application process by clicking the ‘Apply’ button below.

QUESTIONS

If you or someone you know does not have access to a computer and/or to the Internet but wants to apply or if you have questions about the application, please contact one of the people below:

GRANTMAKING COMMITTEE

APPLY NOW FOR A CIRCULAR CLEVELAND GRANT