Getting Started
funding opportunities
Tell Us: How Do You Fund Your Sustainability Staff?
by Don Knapp Feb 27, 2011
ICLEI is compiling a fact sheet and we need your help. Can you take a moment to tell us how your local government funds staffing and operations for your sustainability and climate initiatives? From the general fund? EECBG? Special fees or taxes? Energy savings? Do you have a dedicated sustainability office, or is the work performed by your planning or public works departments? We're putting together a list with local government examples from across the country. In these budget-challenged times, ICLEI wants to help local government staff share their funding approaches, whether typical or innovative. (Watch for the fact sheet in an upcoming issue of the ICLEI Connection e-newsletter.) You need only write a few sentences about your funding approach (see submission form for an example), and if you wish to remain anonymous, we will list you as "a local government in the Midwest" for example, rather than your formal name. Thanks in advance for contributing to the ICLEI Network!
The President’s 2012 Budget, Local Governments, and Sustainability
by Art von Lehe, Senior Policy Officer Feb 14, 2011
Photo credit: Whitehouse.gov The President released his budget proposal to Congress today for FY2012. While today’s proposal will undoubtedly go through many changes given the recent shifts in power in Washington, the announcement provided insight into his priorities for energy, the environment, land use, transportation, and infrastructure. Of interest to local governments advancing sustainability:
Apply for EPA’s Sustainable Communities Technical Assistance
by Don Knapp Feb 12, 2011
EPA is offering quick, targeted technical assistance to help 20 communities jump-start their sustainability efforts. But if you want it, you’ve also got to be quick: Apply by Feb. 23 to participate in the Sustainable Communities Building Blocks program. 
EPA will provide tools to help selected local and tribal governments to “implement development approaches that protect the environment, improve public health, create jobs, expand economic opportunity, and improve overall quality of life.”
Learn More
Remember, whether or not you are selected for the Building Blocks program, your local government can access advanced sustainability planning resources from ICLEI. Below are just a few offerings to help you develop
sustainability solutions that can benefit your community for decades to
come.
Economic Development and Sustainability Resources
by Art Von Lehe, ICLEI Senior Policy Officer Nov 21, 2010
New York City, NY. Photo credit: mgarbowski on Flickr. Did you miss ICLEI’s two-part webinar series, Clean Energy and
Sustainability as a Local Economic Development Strategy? Watch the
recordings or download the PowerPoint slides, filled with key insights
for local governments.
DOT and HUD Announce Winners of $640 Million in Grants
by Art von Lehe, Senior Policy Officer Oct 19, 2010
Today, the Department of Transportation (DOT) announced the winning projects that will receive $600 million in TIGER II Awards, and the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and DOT announced which communities and regions will receive $68 million in awards: $40 million for HUD’s Sustainable Communities Challenge Grants and $28 million as a portion of DOT’s TIGER II Planning Grants. Today, DOT announced that 42 capital construction projects and 33 planning projects in 40 states will share nearly $600 million from the TIGER (Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery) II program for major infrastructure projects including highways and bridges to transit, rail and ports. ICLEI USA members are among the awardees. The level of interest in these grants was tremendous, as DOT received applications totaling $19 billion. Twenty nine percent of the $600 million in awards will go to road projects, 26% to transit, 20% to rail, 16% to ports, 4% to bicycle and pedestrian projects and 5% to planning projects. More than $140 million was reserved for projects in rural areas. One example of a projects funded is ICLEI USA member Atlanta, GA, host of ICLEI USA’s Southeastern Regional Office. The City of Atlanta will receive $47.6 million to construct a new streetcar line connecting many of the most important downtown residential, cultural, educational and historic centers. DOT Tiger II Grants - $600 Million
View the list of TIGER II capital grant recipients Read DOT's Press Release
HUD Awards $100M in Sustainable Communities Regional Planning Grants
by Art von Lehe, ICLEI USA Senior Policy Officer Oct 13, 2010
The long-awaited announcement from HUD is finally out: HUD has designated the 45 regional areas that will receive funding from the $100M Sustainable Communities Planning Grants Program – and ICLEI USA members are among the winners. The grants will be used to help create more livable and sustainable communities: "to build economic competitiveness by connecting housing with good jobs, quality schools and transportation," according to HUD's press release. The awards are divided into two different categories:
These grants will support metropolitan and multi-jurisdictional planning efforts that incorporate housing, land use, economic development, transportation and infrastructure. The awards will be awarded as such: $25.6 million split evenly between regions with populations less than 500,000 and rural places (fewer than 200,000 people). HUD is reserving $2 million to help all of these areas build the needed capacity to execute their plans. View Communities That Received an Award (pdf)
HUD Sustainable Communities Update as Deadline Approaches
by Art von Lehe, Policy Officer Aug 01, 2010
This is an update on the HUD Sustainable Communities Regional Planning NOFA. On August 23, 2010 the application window will close and the review process will get underway. Read on for timely updates and new resources to access as that deadline approaches -- including an updated FAQ on the HUD website, and a new webinar on data and geography needs for the Sustainable Communities program.
Additional $100 Million in Regional Planning Grants for Sustainable Communities Now Available
by Rena Ragimova Jun 24, 2010
This week, HUD announced $100 million in available funding for public/non-profit consortiums aimed at sustainable regional planning efforts. This is a separate NOFA from the HUD/DOT NOFA from earlier this week, which is more geared toward local governments; however, these regional planning grants are applicable for local governments as well -- from a regional collaboration standpoint.
$75 Million in Sustainable Communities Challenge Grants Now Available
by Art von Lehe, ICLEI Policy Officer Jun 22, 2010
On Monday, HUD and DOT announced $75 million in available local government funding for planning and implementation. The agencies issued a joint Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) for two different grant programs, the HUD Community Challenge Planning Grants and DOT TIGER II Planning Grants. Both programs have the same goal: to create more sustainable communities. State and local governments, including U.S. territories, tribal governments, transit agencies, port authorities and others, are eligible to apply for funding. Each agency is contributing about half to the effort: $40M from HUD and $35M from DOT with the goal of better aligning transportation, housing, economic development and land use planning and to improve linkages between each agency’s programs. This opportunity opens June 24 with pre-applications due July 26. Full applications are due on August 23. To apply, please follow directions found in the NOFA. Read on for more background on the grant programs and relevant ICLEI resources—including our recent grant writing webinar—to help you access the funding.
ICLEI Tracking Federal Funding Opportunities for Local Sustainability
by Art von Lehe, Policy Officer Jun 07, 2010
ICLEI USA is now tracking federal funding opportunities for its local government members. In the local sustainability movement there is no shortage of ideas, enthusiasm or willingness to act in many jurisdictions -- however there is almost always a shortage of funding and staff resources. The federal government provides information on local level climate, energy, and sustainability funding opportunities, but the mechanisms for tracking them have never been aggregated into one format. ICLEI USA has created such a format - We are making it easy to see what’s available today from the federal government in a clear, concise way that helps localities quickly decide if a grant opportunity is a good fit for their jurisdiction.
