Flagstaff Sustainability Grant

The Flagstaff Sustainability Grant is a City of Flagstaff program that funds creative projects designed to enhance community sustainability and promote climate action through community partnerships. The program is funded through the Environmental Management Fee collected on monthly water bills. For the current grant cycle, the program will award a total of $75,000. Individual grants may be awarded up to $7,500, and the review panel guarantees funding for the top three microgrants of up to $2,500 each when those applications receive an average score of 20 or higher. Projects must further at least one of the program's community goals and should support lasting impact beyond the grant period and align with the Flagstaff Carbon Neutrality Plan. Eligible applicants include individuals, groups of individuals, community groups, educational groups, nonprofit organizations, churches, and locally owned businesses, provided the proposed project is located within Flagstaff city limits. Each applicant may receive a maximum of one Flagstaff Sustainability Grant award, although applicants may remain eligible for other City awards in the same year. Successful applicants may receive one Flagstaff Sustainability Grant award every other fiscal year. Applicants must disclose conflicts of interest. Political or partisan groups, exclusive clubs, sitting Flagstaff City Council members, lead applicants employed by the City of Flagstaff or serving on a City Board or Commission, certain applicants that failed to successfully carry out a prior grant project without appropriate justification, and applicants that discriminate on the bases listed in the guidelines are not eligible. Projects must fall within one of five categories: Community Health and Climate Resilience, Energy, Food, Transportation, or Waste. Projects must also further one or more community goals, including meeting the needs and including the voices of people most affected by environmental degradation and climate change, building community partnerships, and facilitating volunteer engagement. Each project should align with at least one objective for its chosen category, and applications can receive more points for meeting multiple category-specific objectives. Eligible concepts include climate resilience and public health education, neighborhood preparedness, renewable energy and efficiency, water conservation, sustainable food access and agriculture, active and public transportation, recycling, composting, reuse, repair, and other activities consistent with the stated category objectives. Applications must be received by September 30 at 11:59 PM. Applicants may apply online through the Connect Flagstaff Application, which is the preferred method, or submit a completed Word application by email to SustainabilityGrant@flagstaffaz.gov. Paper applications may be obtained from or printed and delivered to the Flagstaff Sustainability Office at 419 N. Mogollon, or mailed to The Sustainability Office, 211 W. Aspen Ave, Flagstaff, AZ 86001. Applicants may also submit a video application under 20 minutes that addresses every application question; the video may be uploaded to YouTube or Google Drive and the link emailed to SustainabilityGrant@flagstaffaz.gov. The guidelines recommend preparing and saving responses and additional documents before entering them into the online application. Applications are reviewed by a committee made up of the Sustainability Commission and other community members using the published scoring rubric. Evaluation covers project rationale; service to people or groups most impacted by environmental degradation and climate change; community partnerships; volunteer engagement; alignment with category-specific objectives; project innovation; alignment with the City of Flagstaff Carbon Neutrality Plan; project longevity; and budget, feasibility, and schedule. The Commission evaluates applications in October and makes final award decisions at its November or December meeting. Awardees are notified after that meeting. In December or January, selected applicants submit required paperwork, including a W-9 tax form and signed grant requirements, and meet with Sustainability staff. Once required paperwork is complete, funds are expected to be disbursed by check within six to eight weeks, generally in January or February. Grant recipients must comply with applicable City, State, and Federal laws and regulations, attend a post-award meeting, and obtain City staff and Sustainability Commission approval for significant changes to an approved budget. Projects must be completed within one year of receiving grant funds, and a final report is due within 30 days after project completion with photo or video documentation and expense documentation such as receipts. Awardees must also participate in a celebratory round-robin presentation and networking event after project completion. Funding generally cannot be used for compensation, salaries, commissions, fees, prizes, premiums, or similar expenses exceeding 50 percent of the award; administrative costs exceeding 10 percent; purchase of land or buildings; or retroactive payment for activities completed before the award. Exceptions may be made at the Sustainability Commission's discretion. Applicants are encouraged to review the evaluation criteria, scoring rubric, application checklist, and grant writing tips before submission, attend a grant writing workshop or support hours, apply early, and ensure proposed budgets are clear and consistent with allowable costs. Past successful application and project examples are available through the program's referenced website, although the guidelines caution that the application and criteria have changed since those examples were prepared. Questions and requests for technical assistance may be directed to SustainabilityGrant@flagstaffaz.gov or 928-666-0988. The source does not state a recurring annual deadline or an explicit application opening date, so no recurrence schedule or opening date is asserted.

Review the Evaluation Criteria and Scoring Rubric before submission; align the project with at least one category-specific objective and note that applications score more points for meeting multiple objectives; prepare and save responses and additional documents before entering the Connect Flagstaff application; apply early; keep the budget clear and within restrictions, including no more than 50 percent for compensation-type expenses and no more than 10 percent for administrative costs; use workshops and support hours for assistance