Openlands is accepting applications for its 2022 ComEd Green Region Grant Program.
Donor Name: Openlands
State: Illinois
Counties: Selected Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline (mm/dd/yyyy): 03/25/2022
Size of the Grant: $10,000
Details:
Purpose
Recognizing that open space in communities is crucial to the quality of life, ComEd and Openlands have committed to supporting non-profit organizations, schools, school districts, housing authorities, townships, counties, park districts, conservation districts, forest preserve districts, and municipalities-including municipal entities such as water reclamation districts- in northern Illinois with their ongoing efforts to protect or improve public spaces for the benefit of all.
ComEd designed the ComEd Green Region Grant in partnership with Openlands to assist local communities in these efforts by providing funding for some expenses towards these goals.
2022 Special Grant Focus
Climate Resiliency and Pollinator Conservation
- ComEd and Openlands are committed to Pollinator Conservation
- ComEd and Openlands are committed to building climate resiliency through local stewardship.
Funding Information
Grants will be for amounts up to $10,000.
Eligible Activities
Priority is given to projects that demonstrate a) a significant impact on the surrounding community by increasing the public’s access to open space and encouraging their engagement with the project; and b) active partnerships within the community. Additional preference may be given to projects that support a special focus area that has been designated for the grant cycle. Eligible activities include:
- Developing or updating open space plans. Expenses may include consultant fees, costs associated with obtaining public input (hall rental, advertising, etc.), and publication costs
- Improving applicant-owned open spaces, including planning costs. Funds may be used for habitat improvements such as installing or improving natural areas such as prairies, woodlands, wetlands, associated buffers, and other native natural communities. The plans also may include the installation of capital improvements for passive recreation, such as trails, boardwalks, kiosks, and observation platforms. Parking lots are not eligible for funding. Expenses related to capital improvements may include consultant fees for landscape architects, park designers, botanists, restoration specialists, engineers, etc.
- Acquisition (by purchase or donation) of parcels of land to be used for open space. Expenses may include land cost, legal or consultant fees, survey, environmental assessments, appraisals, etc.
- Acquisition (by purchase or donation) of conservation easements (also known as “development rights”) on parcels of land to be used for open space. Eligible expenses include legal costs to purchase development rights, consultant fees, survey, environmental assessments, appraisals, etc.
Eligibility Criteria
Eligible applicants include non-profit organizations, schools, school districts, and housing authorities with a letter of support townships, counties, park districts, conservation districts, forest preserve districts, and municipalities-including municipal entities such as water reclamation districts- within ComEd’s service territory in the following counties: Boone, Bureau, Carroll, Cook, DeKalb, DuPage, Ford, Grundy, Henry, Iroquois, Jo Daviess, Kane, Kankakee, Kendall, Lake, LaSalle, Lee, Livingston, Marshall, McHenry, Ogle, Rock Island, Stephenson, Whiteside, Will, Winnebago, and Woodford.
Non-profit organizations, schools, school districts, and housing authorities need a letter of support meeting these criteria to apply.
- On the letterhead of your township, county, park district, conservation district, forest preserve district, or municipality-including municipal entities such as water reclamation districts-providing the letter of support.
- State that the government agency has reviewed your ComEd Green Region project proposal and finds it satisfies the Program Guidelines.
- State that the project would benefit public open space and the government agency fully supports your application for the ComEd Green Grant.
- Signed by an authorized agent of the government agency providing the letter of support.
For more information, visit ComEd Green Region Grant.
