The Canopy for Kids Grant is intended to improve tree canopy coverage at public schools, 501(c)(3) schools, and properties managed by 501(c)(3) organizations that provide services to youth within Qualified Census Tracts throughout Phoenix.
Donor Name: City of Phoenix
State: Arizona
City: Phoenix
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: Ongoing
Size of the Grant: $10,000 and $75,000
Details:
The City of Phoenix, through the Office of Heat Response and Mitigation, invites public school districts, nonprofit schools, and nonprofit organizations that provide services to youth within the City’s Qualified Census Tracts to submit applications for funding to implement tree planting projects. These grants are designed to assist schools in increasing their tree canopies and grow a more resilient, sustainable, equitable, healthy, and thriving environment.
The City of Phoenix (“City”) Office of Heat Response and Mitigation (“OHRM”) Canopy for Kids Grant is part of the American Rescue Plan Act (“ARPA”) Residential Tree Equity Accelerator and Trees and Shade for Schools Program.
The Canopy for Kids grant program will:
- Advance justice, equity, and fairness of the local urban forest.
- Reduce the impact of the urban heat island effect and extreme heat of the changing climate (mitigation).
- Strengthen the resiliency of the youth in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic’s various shocks and disruptions (adaptation).
- Enhance play areas, green space, and corridors for students and school personnel to use comfortably throughout the year (mitigation).
Funding Information
- Total available grant funding for 2023-2024 will not exceed $2,000,000.
- The minimum grant request is $10,000, the maximum grant request per site is $75,000.
- Districts and nonprofits can bundle multiple locations into one grant application. Total grant requests must not exceed $249,999.
Uses of funds
Funds may be used for the following items:
- School or organization staff time for administrative and landscape services etc. to support tree planting.
- Supplies, including trees, arbor ties, lodge poles, tools, etc.
- Contractual services, such as:
- Landscape or General Contractor to provide planting services such as purchasing trees, planting trees, digging holes, installing or amending irrigation etc.
- Arborist to support planting event.
- Organization or consultant hired to support community involvement, educational goals or technical work for a school-lead tree planting event.
- The scope of work for this organization can include, but is not limited to:
- Volunteer coordination and management
- Provide information to volunteers on how to sign up, what to expect from an event, what to bring, driving and parking directions.
- Facilitate the signing and collection of waivers.
- Inform volunteers on required tasks, how to ask for help, what tools they will need and how to use them, etc.
- Event coordination and management
- Coordinate with maintenance departments, school staff, community groups, etc. for a tree planting event.
- Coordinate with media contacts for possible media coverage of event.
- Create an event timeline and carry out all activities for the planning and implementation of a successful event.
- Provide all tools needed for a successful event.
- Right tree, right place practices
- The location of the trees will be the grantees responsibility, but the non-profit groups can provide consultation on tree locations, which species are the best for each particular planting location, best tree locations for optimal shade, etc.
- Organizations will conduct a site visit with maintenance staff and other personnel to establish potential tree planting locations.
- Species selection
- Share knowledge on native and/ or drought tolerant species options and where to procure trees.
- Education: Groups can assist or run the education of volunteers, students, and other participants of all ages on the following subjects:
- Tool safety
- How to properly plant, stake, and tie a tree
- Proper maintenance practices
- Irrigation education
- Importance of trees
- Urban Heat Island Effect.
- Volunteer coordination and management
- The scope of work for this organization can include, but is not limited to:
Eligibility Requirements
- Project must be located within the City of Phoenix.
- Project must be located within a Qualified Census Tract.
- If you are not located within a QCT, but 80% or more of the students you serve receive free or reduced lunches, you may still apply for funding.
- However, you must provide us documentation showing the percentages of your students on free or reduced lunches before you will receive grant funding.
- Grantee must be a public school district, nonprofit school or nonprofit organization that provides services to youth.
- Youth must receive services at the location requesting the tree planting project.
For more information, visit City of Phoenix.
