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Youth Mini Grant Program

Do you or a club/group have an idea that will benefit the environment? We made this grant in order to promote youth involvement in North Carolina towards reducing waste and educating the public. Waste can include more than just trash. It can be excess greenhouse gases, space, energy, etc.. We wanted to see how teens would make an impact in their community and are looking to award the best projects that show the most promise. This grant is important as it encourages teens to think about how their ideas can influence change in their community and the world.

We look forward to seeing what you all come up with and can’t wait to see what you will inspire!

Here is the link to apply. The deadline is November 20th, 2022 at 11:59 pm ET

Photo by Anna Shvets from Pexels
Photo by Anna Shvets from Pexels

Entry Guidelines

In order to be considered for the grant, these are the requirements you need to fulfill:

  1. The proposal can be submitted by an individual or by a group of students
    1. If the proposal is being submitted by a group of students, choose one student to share the contact information. If possible, a group email would be preferred.
    2. There is no limit to the number of students that can be involved in a group
  2. In the upcoming 2022-2023 school year, student(s) must be 11-18 years old.
  3. Each project will need an adult mentor/sponsor that is not a parent or sibling to any of the participants
    1. Mentors should offer advice to the participant(s) and supervise/oversee the project. They will also be the ones who receive the grant money if the proposal is chosen
    2. If the participant(s) would like an exception to this rule please send an email to youth@towardzerowaste.org and we will consider this request
  4. The application period is open now until November 20th, 2022. Any submissions after this time will not be accepted
  5. Grants will be awarded on a rolling basis. Grant money SHOULD ONLY  be used for the project and the project must be completed within a year of the money being awarded
    1. The participant(s) and the mentor will sign a contract to make sure the money is appropriately used. If found that the money is not used for the project, appropriate action will be taken, such as returning all money awarded through the grant
  6. Grants will be split into three categories based on the project, and the amount of money awarded will be based on these categories
    1. Small Grants: awarded under $250
    2. Medium grant: awarded between $250 – $500
    3. Large Grants: awarded between $500 – $1000
  7. Grant money will be transferred to the mentor either through Zelle or a check
    1. If the participant(s) would like another adult to recieve the money please send an email to youth@towardzerowaste.org and we will consider this request
  8. If any questions arise please email youth@towardzerowaste.org

Grant Expectations

All proposals will be submitted through the form and they will be evaluated by members of Toward Zero Waste.

    1. The proposal should be submitted on google form by the deadline and all required questions must be answered
    2. If selected, participant(s) should expect the following:
      1. We will set up an initial kick-off meeting to go over grant application, documentation, and money transfer details. Additional meetings will be set up as necessary.
      2. Check-in emails
      3. Have an actively updated schedule that grant coordinators can follow
    3. After Project is completed, participant(s) should submit the following:
      1. A complete timeline of the project
      2. Members that were involved and their roles
      3. Proper documents for minors
      4. Video or presentation of project details and impact
      5. Total money that was spent and what it was spent for
        1. Receipts for expenses that were 10% or greater of total money granted should be submitted. For example for a $250 grant, expenses $25 and above should have receipts
    4.  We ask for a signed financial agreement before transferring the money which highlights the terms indicated on the webpage.

Need Ideas?

Here are some ideas you can build upon for your proposal! Try to build on these ideas and make sure not to copy the examples. We would love to see your creativity and thoughts!

  1. Start with a waste audit then figure out what materials or products are thrown away the most and come up with a project to decrease the waste
    • Ex.) Create a waste awareness diversion plan
  2. Build something using EcoBricks
  3. Start a program of some sort to reduce waste
    • Ex.) Find a replacement for a certain product (eg. paper rolls)
  4. Make an event zero waste
  5. Partner with an organization, school, or non-profit and work on/create a project
  6. Get ideas from books such as Regeneration

Example Financial Plan and Timeline

Here is an example plan for what a timeline and financial plan would look like. We used an eco-brick garden as our example project.

Ready to Apply?

Click on this form to get started on your application. We wish you the best of luck. If you have any questions please email youth@towardzerowaste.org. Make sure to completely finish the application by the deadline: November 20th, 2022 at 11:59 pm ET