Climate Change Solutions Grant Program

Posted by on June 20, 2011

Mertz Gilmore Foundation Accepting Letters of Inquiry for Climate Change Solutions Grant Program
Deadline: August 5, 2011 (Letters of Inquiry)

Letters of Inquiry for its Climate Change Solutions program, which seeks to help bring about substantial reductions in global warming pollution through sustainable policy and practice. The program is largely focused on state and regional initiatives that will help catalyze the development of a national regulatory framework for global warming pollution.

Priorities include effective implementation of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative through state and regional efforts in the Northeast. Because cities account for 75 percent of global warming pollution worldwide, the foundation also is interested in New York City-based efforts that can serve as models for large metropolitan initiatives elsewhere. Another area of interest is preventing the construction of coal-fired power plants, which already account for over 40 percent of U.S. carbon dioxide emissions.

The program will consider grant requests that address three areas of interest:

Northeast regional efforts: The foundation is interested in initiatives at a state or regional level that complement RGGI, particularly those that add to the growing momentum and pressure for national climate policy, help set important policy precedents and thus expand the possibilities for national climate policy, and engage valuable new constituencies in the effort to develop national policy.

New York City: The foundation seeks to support innovative efforts to address global warming in the tri-state metropolitan area. The foundation is particularly interested in initiatives that will help achieve significant, long-term reductions in global warming pollution; serve as a model or useful demonstration for metropolitan initiatives elsewhere; complement other environmental justice priorities; and inspire the public imagination.

Alternatives to new coal-fired power plants: The foundation will support a limited number of campaigns to challenge the need for new coal-fired plants and promote alternative energy solutions. Priority will be given to inquiries addressing plant initiatives in Eastern states and those from a coalition or network uniting around a common problem or approach. Grants for campaigns by a single organization on an urgent or especially important initiative will also be considered. Grants may be small for projects still in the exploratory or planning stage, and larger at the implementation stage.

Applicants must be nonprofit 501(c)(3) organizations. The foundation does not accept proposals from individuals; for endowments, annual fund appeals, or fundraising events; or for conferences, workshops, sectarian religious concerns, scholarships, fellowships, research, loans, travel, film or media projects, or publications.

Grants awarded in the spring 2011 grant cycle ranged from $10,000 to $100,000 for durations of up to two years.

Letters of Inquiry for the fall 2011 grant cycle are due by August 5, 2011.

Visit the foundation’s Web site for complete program guidelines, LOI requirements, and information on previously funded programs.

http://www.mertzgilmore.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=20&Itemid=42