The Climate Action Grant Program supports community involvement in reducing energy use, encouraging low-emissions transportation, reducing waste, conserving water, and utilizing nature-based solutions.
Donor Name: City of Ames
State: Iowa
City: Ames
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 04/04/2025
Size of the Grant: $1000 to $10,000
Grant Duration: 1 Year
Details:
Climate Action Grant program, City grants of up to $10,000 are available for community-led projects or initiatives that meaningfully advance the City’s sustainability goals, including the Climate Action Plan and EcoSmart Programs.
A few examples might include projects that:
- Reduce greenhouse gas emissions associated with energy use in buildings or transportation, such as solar, energy efficiency, and electric vehicle charging
- Increase pollinator habitats, native tree canopy, or local food production. Projects could include establishing a community garden, native prairie, or a tree planting initiative
- Explore or utilize innovative technologies and/or practices to reduce carbon emissions
- Education and outreach campaigns focused on specific topics or areas of concern such as waste diversion, clean transportation, or resiliency
- Sustainable placemaking, improving social and environmental resiliency in public spaces.
The grant program does not limit the nature of proposed projects, but the primary purpose should include one or more of these concepts:
- Physical change or improvement of a structure that improves energy efficiency long-term sustainability.
- Education or outreach, building community partnerships, understanding, inclusion, and awareness.
- Introduction of a new project or program.
- Improvement and/or expansion of an existing project or program.
- Volunteer engagement or management.
Grant Period
Projects will have up to 1 year to complete the project from the notice to proceed.
Eligibility Requirements
- All organizations and businesses within the city of Ames geographic limits are eligible for funding. Partnerships between multiple organizations are encouraged, but only one lead applicant can receive funding for each project. The project must benefit Ames residents. Any applicant or group partnering with an applicant located outside of Ames must demonstrate that the population or area served will primarily be people or places within Ames
- Successful applicants are eligible for one grant award and the project must be completed within the specified timeframe for each grant cycle, typically one year. All application materials and outcomes from awarded projects will be considered public information. Applicants are required to abide by all City, State, and Federal laws and regulations
- The project must align with the program’s purpose. Funding will go to projects that are:
- Focused, planned, and reasonable in scope
- Innovative and impactful, directly related to the City’s Climate Action goals
- Sustainable past the project period and/or replicable in the future
- Impactful and measurable (kWh, MT CO2e, number of people reached, etc.)
- Locally focused and beneficial to residents of Ames
- Projects must also include an education or outreach component. For example, this could include an event promoting the project’s completion, a promotional video, or social media posts. City staff are available to assist with this component if needed
- Applicants proposing projects for buildings or property they do not own are required to submit a letter of support from the property owner. Applicants proposing a collaboration with other community partners are encouraged to submit letters of support from those partners.
For more information, visit City of Ames.
