Grants, Other Funding, & Awards
There are many opportunities for CT Green LEAF Schools to apply for small project grants. Many grant opportunities are available annually. We encourage you to search online, even if you missed a current deadline. You can be ahead of the game for next year, and the funder might even have a new offer available. As you learn about other new opportunities, please let us know at ctgreenleaf@coeea.org and we will post them on our site.
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New!
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Is your town participating in the SustainableCT program? Check out their Community Match Grant Funding page. This process has been streamlined and is very accessible even for inexperienced grant writers.
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For the latest grant and funding opportunities be sure to visit us on Facebook.
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Ongoing Grant Funding Opportunities
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CT Outdoor & Environmental Education Association: COEEA offers annual mini grants each year to its members. Anyone is welcome to become a COEEA member, and we encourage Green LEAF School participants to explore this affordable opportunity. Projects should, by their nature, benefit the environment and increase environmental literacy among Connecticut residents. Applications are typically due in October.
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PLT GreenSchools! The Project Learning Tree GreenSchools! program has a yearly GreenWorks grant. For previous grant, funds up to $1,000 were available. Applicants must have attended a Project Learning Tree training either online or in person. To learn more about PLT in CT, click here.
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Captain Planet Foundation: K-12 classroom teachers and informal educators interested in receiving support for students to design and implement hands-on environmental solutions are eligible for project funding. Click the link to learn more about Captain Planet Grants that include eco-solutions, eco-technology and eco-STEM projects.
United Illuminating/AVANGARD: This grant funder’s priorities include STEM, youth, and the environment.
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Eversource: Community Grant Program
Rockfall Foundation: Funding includes environmental education. Organizations or projects must be based in one of their focus towns: Chester, Clinton, Cromwell, Deep River, Durham, East Haddam, East Hampton, Essex, Haddam, Killingworth, Lyme, Middlefield, Middletown, Old Lyme, Old Saybrook, Portland, or Westbrook. Proposals that focus on the Connecticut River corridor or Long Island Sound will be considered if there is a demonstrated impact in at least one of the focus towns.
School Bus Rebates: Diesel Emissions Reduction Act program (DERA)
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Other Relevant Funding Sources:
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As we learn of specific funding opportunities, we will share this information with CT Green LEAF Schools via the listserv. Check your CT Green LEAF emails regularly, and check out some additional resources below:
Captain Planet Foundation recommends additional grant funding opportunities for gardens, STEM projects, pollinators and birds, health and wellness and more.
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Community Foundations: Every county or region in Connecticut has a community foundation that offers many local funding opportunities. Learn more about your local community foundation on the Directory of Community Foundations Serving Connecticut
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Sustainable CT: This organization works with Connecticut municipalities to become more sustainable, vibrant and resilient through a voluntary certification program. In 2019, they created a Community Match Fund program that Green LEAF Schools have chosen to participate in. Visit their website to learn more about the Community Match Fund and to see if your school or program is eligible.
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Foundation Center: The Foundation Center maintains an online Foundation Directory. Access requires membership, but most public libraries have memberships and can give you access to this national database.
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School Gardens Grants: As these emerge, we will share with Green LEAF Schools via the listserv. CT Audubon posted this link of opportunities: http://ct.audubon.org/sites/default/files/schoolyard_habitats_grant_opportunities_-_2017.pdf
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DonorsChoose: DonorsChoose is a simple yet innovative platform created specifically for educators seeking funds for classroom projects.
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Awards
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Green Ribbon School Award: The aim of U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools (ED-GRS) is to inspire schools, districts and institutions of higher education (IHEs) to strive for 21st-century excellence by highlighting promising school sustainability practices and resources that all can employ. CT Green LEAF Schools program works directly with schools to submit applications on their behalf for the national recognition award. Applications are typically due to CT Green LEAF Schools each November. Visit the About Green Ribbon page on this website for more information.
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National Wildlife Federation’s Eco-Schools USA program has awards available to celebrate major milestones towards sustainability.