Green Fund
The Penn Green Fund is designed to seed innovative ideas in environmental sustainability from Penn students, faculty, and staff.
Green Fund
The Penn Green Fund is designed to seed innovative ideas in environmental sustainability from Penn students, faculty, and staff.
At a Glance
To improve the University’s environmental performance and reduce campus emissions
About the Green Fund
Penn’s Green Fund welcomes ideas from students, faculty, and staff about ways to improve the University’s environmental performance and reduce campus emissions. Since 2009, this initiative of the Penn Sustainability Office, funded by the Division of Facilities and Real Estate Services, has seeded innovative ideas in environmental sustainability from members of the University community.
Proposed projects must support goals and objectives outlined in Penn’s Climate and Sustainability Action Plan 3.0, a long-range strategy, launched in 2009 and updated in 2014 and 2019, to reduce the University’s carbon footprint and enhance its overall sustainability.
Green Fund Details
Below is a general overview of the Green Fund application guidelines. Additionally, it is recommended that all prospective applicants read the FAQs before submitting an application.
There is no minimum award for a Green Fund application and the maximum award is $30,000.
Applications are accepted on a rolling basis and are reviewed monthly by the Green Fund Review Committee. Typically, a maximum of two applications are reviewed each month. Upon submitting your application, you will be notified of your project's estimated review date.
Applicants requesting over $10,000 will be required to present their proposal to the Green Fund Review Committee. Applications of this size will likely take more than one month for review and approval.
Applying to the Green Fund
Proposal Criteria
Penn’s Green Fund accepts applications from all current students, faculty, and staff. The Green Fund is intended to provide financial support for projects that would otherwise not be implemented and that support the University’s Climate and Sustainability Action Plan 3.0 objectives. Awards are not permitted to fund on-going costs or wages.
Prerequisites
The following items are prerequisites to initial review that must be included in your application:
- Description – Provide a detailed project description, including, but not limited to, goals, intended outcomes, criteria for evaluating success, and target audiences. If applicable, include an explanation of any additional, independent funding secured.
- CSAP 3.0 – Describe how the project supports the goals of Penn’s Climate and Sustainability Action Plan 3.0.
- Budget – Provide a detailed budget for the funding received from the Green Fund. If applicable, include any expected returns on investment and other cost benefits.
- Timeline – Provide a project timeline, including a detailed implementation schedule.
- Team – Detail roles and responsibilities of project participants and leadership. If applicable, include any team succession plans.
- Endorsement– Include an endorsement letter expressing support from faculty member or administrator.
Additional Criteria
Preference will be given to projects that incorporate the following:
- Distinctiveness – Provide information on how this project demonstrates a unique idea with significant impact. Preference will be given to projects that have not yet been implemented in some capacity on campus, though applications that build off existing projects and provide significant additional benefits are also welcome.
- Equity – Describe any benefits the project will have to the representation or experience of historically disadvantaged groups within Philadelphia and the Penn community. Preference will be given to projects with observable and measurable benefits to these groups.
- Replicability – Provide information on future replicability and/or scalability. Preference will be given to projects that are replicable at a larger scale.
Email applications to sustainability@upenn.edu using the subject “Green Fund Application.”
Reporting
Upon completion, Green Fund recipients are required to report to Penn Sustainability Office. Reporting requirements include:
- Within one month, a written report emailed to sustainability@upenn.edu using the subject “Green Fund Final Report – Project Name”.
- Projects exceeding $10,000 are required to present the results of a project to Penn Sustainability, the Green Fund Review Committee, the Vice President of Facilities and Real Estate Services, and other relevant parties.
- Reports and presentations should include the following information:
- Project overview
- Key stakeholders
- Implementation procedures
- Project results
- Lessons learned and future recommendations
- Any related articles or sources
- Project photos
Application Support
Meeting with Penn Sustainability staff prior to submitting an application can be helpful to identify other University partners and to understand the types of projects the Green Fund supports. If you have an idea for a project, but you're not sure if it fits in with the scope of the Green Fund, or if you're looking for suggestions, guidance, or feedback, then schedule a time to meet with our staff by emailing sustainability@upenn.edu.
Our Progress
FAQs
Any Penn student(s), faculty, and staff are eligible to apply to the Green Fund. Applicants are required to obtain a letter of sponsorship from the director of their departments or centers.
The award is $0 to $30,000. Funded projects have received awards as small as $500 and others up to the maximum amount.
All applications are reviewed on a rolling basis anytime throughout the year. Applications are reviewed by the Green Fund Review Committee at their monthly meeting, and typically a maximum of two applications are reviewed each month.
All Green Fund projects are intended to support new and innovative ideas that enhance sustainability on Penn's campus. Priority is given to projects that are:
- Effective in educating or changing behavior at Penn
- Enhancing overall campus sustainability
- Applicable across campus
- Focused directly on Penn’s campus, including the University City campus, New Bolton Center, and the Morris Arboretum
- Interdisciplinary, and engage multiple stakeholders within the Penn community
- New and innovative ideas not previously awarded
- Able to demonstrate a quantifiable return on investment (if applicable)
Green Fund project teams are required to schedule a midterm check-in meeting with the members of the review committee, and all projects are required to submit a final report outlining the project's full implementation. A final report rubric will be provided by the Penn Sustainability Office staff. The final report is due within 30 days of the project's completion. Please keep in mind that this report may be published wholly or in part on the fund website or in other reporting materials.
The Green Fund Review Board is aware that on occasion changes to the original scope of funded project proposals are warranted given new information or findings. Approval for minor changes that do not impact the basic scope of the original proposal should be obtained from the Green Fund administrator. Changes that modify the original scope of the project significantly may require approval from the full review panel, depending on the extent of change.
Aside from projects that don't meet the above criteria list, the Green Fund does not finance ongoing costs, stipends, assistantships, or salaries. Other ineligible expenses include common building amenities, such as recycling bins and water refill stations. If you are interested in these, please contact your building manager.
No, the purpose of this fund is to provide one-time financial support. Grants are intended to help get projects off the ground and to provide funds for a project that otherwise could not be funded.
The Penn Sustainability Office will assist in finding a school or center to sponsor your project to help transfer funds required for implementation. Please contact sustainability@upenn.edu for assistance.
Yes, if additional funding is required in order to allow your project to move forward, you can submit an application to the Green Fund and explain your financial situation. Penn’s Green Fund is meant to help support projects that would not happen otherwise, so partial funding requests should be necessary to the implementation of the project—not extra money.
The Penn Sustainability Office can assist in determining the environmental benefits of projects, and determining the environmental metric that should be used, such as metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (MTCDE) reduced, gallons of water saved, or energy saved. Please reach out to us with questions at sustainability@upenn.edu and we will gladly help you.
Yes, projects will be considered both on the basis of environmental improvement, education, or behavior change, as well as utility cost reduction.
Estimated data is acceptable, but should be indicated as such in the application.
Funded Projects
Spring 2024
The Penn Ice Rink began its transition from fuel-powered to electric equipment. The grant enabled the purchase of a battery-powered electric ice edger, replacing the fossil-fuelled one. This move signifies a significant step in reducing the rink's carbon footprint, enhancing indoor air quality, and promoting sustainability. Read more.
Fall 2023
With specialized binoculars and birding guides, check out a birding backpack from Vitale Digital Media Lab, Education Commons, or Veterinary Medicine Atwood Library.
Fall 2020
This grant completes the Penn Farm, a project started in 2019-20 under the auspices of the Provost’s Your Big Idea Wellness (YBIW) Challenge.
Fall 2020
New Bolton Center (NBC) retired one of two John Deere 1600T wide area diesel mowers in favor of utilizing a “Mean Green” 60-inch electric zero turn mower. Operations currently require daily operation of the mowers for 7 hours per day and five days per week to maintain the property from April through...
Fall 2019
The Sustainability Skills Series in Stouffer College House aimed to spread awareness about sustainability issues and develop students' skills in sustainable living practices.
Fall 2019
This initiative will allow the School of Dental Medicine to divert nearly 3,500 disposable gloves from the landfill each month.
Spring 2018
This project is a one-month pilot run for Wharton students using MilkCrate, a platform that encourages large organizations to engage in socially responsible activities and track their impact.
Spring 2018
This grant has allowed the Penn Vet New Bolton Center to update its Soil Conservation Plan, last updated in 1997
Spring 2018
Motus is a geospatial wildlife tracking system to track the migratory patterns of small flying organisms like birds, butterflies, dragonflies, and bats.
Fall 2017
Reducing Energy and Improving Health is designed to increase the use of stairs on campus.
Fall 2017
A group of students developed a battery-powered device with occupancy/vacancy sensing capabilities that attach onto pre-existing toggle light switches for instant light automation. Often, the installation costs for occupancy sensors can account for more than 50% of light automation project costs...
Fall 2017
Project sponsors of the Penn Closet hope to foster an economy of reuse and shared resources, as well as provide everyday essentials to students at a lower cost.
Fall 2017
The Sustainable Beekeeping Initiative seeks to educate Penn students on proper, sustainable beekeeping practices, with the overarching aim of protecting and fostering healthy environments for honeybees. Through a Green Fund grant, the project team was able to build a wooden hexagonal apiary – or bee...
Spring 2016
Drying racks are being piloted in Harnwell College House thanks to a Green Fund Grant, in order to see if they result in energy savings. Giving students access to air drying their clothes rather than using an electric dryer could lead to energy and cost savings. Twenty nine racks will be purchased...
Spring 2016
Through a Green Fund Grant the Morris Arboretum will pilot managing invasive plants in an environmentally sustainable way – with a herd of goats! Project leader and intern Willa Rowan will examine the use of targeted goat grazing as an alternative to the use of herbicides and power equipment for the...
Spring 2015
A spring 2015 Green Fund Grant funded the research of a food waste audit at the Hill College House dining hall. The student-led project built upon the work of an audit conducted at King’s Court English House dining hall in the fall of 2014. The goal of this project was to create advisory data for...
Spring 2015
The glass windows at the Johnson Pavilion and the Vet School’s Hill Pavilion have been retrofitted in order to reduce bird strikes. The retrofitting involved treating the exterior or the glass with horizontal lines spaced no more than 4 inches apart vertically. The spring 2015 Green Fund Grant...
Spring 2015
June 2015 Standing wooden book receptacles were purchased and installed in the law school in three locations (Golkin Hall, near the Registrar’s office, the first floor of Tanenbaum Hall, and on the ground floor of Gittis Hall) thanks to a Green Fund Grant. This encourages students to re-use...
Spring 2015
Glass petri dishes have been piloted in Murray Lab thanks to a Spring 2015 Green Fund Grant. The reusable glass petri dishes save energy in transport and delivery costs, and reduce the amount of waste sent to landfills. Penn researchers purchase 400,000 disposable petri dishes per year in Fisher...
Spring 2013
To further the goal of reducing single occupancy vehicle travel to Penn as part of the Sustainable Transportation Initiative, Penn’s Business Services Division has provided bicyclists with two repair stations near areas of bike storage concentration. These bike repair stations provide a valued...
Spring 2013
“To Go” food containers are widely used on campus, and have become more sustainable through the support of a Green Fund grant to Penn Hospitality Services and Bon Appétit. The funds were used to purchase re-usable eco-containers for students who use residential dining halls on campus. The microwave...
Spring 2013
Conceived during the 2013 Penn Apps hackathon, GreenVote is a smartphone app designed by three Penn undergrads that will be used to collect real-time thermal comfort data of occupants in Penn buildings. The data can then be used by facilities managers to help make decisions on heating and cooling to...
Spring 2013
The Ben’s Attic website, developed by Purchasing Services for the exchange and purchase of surplus University-owned property, received a software update and a number of user enhancements thanks to a Spring 2013 Green Fund grant. The enhancements were proposed in response to valuable feedback that...
Fall 2012
This project will develop a Shoemaker Green monitoring plan that can support the mission of extending the classroom to the landscape while also contributing knowledge of lessons learned to the greater community of professionals and regulators. The goal of the monitoring is to test the assumptions...
Fall 2012
The Lenape Botanical Garden establishes and reinforces a sense of place for Penn's Native American community. It will also build awareness and allow the larger community to learn more about the Lenape Nation by explaining how the Lenape people lived off of the land and the plants that were part of...
Fall 2012
The Civic House received funding for a feasibility study to investigate what would be required to bring Civic House to the Passive House standard. “Passive House” concept; an energy‐efficient building design implemented throughout Europe, but only recently gaining a toehold in the United States. A...
Fall 2012
The Penn Museum received a Fall 2012 Green Fund grant to begin composting food waste from its cafes.
Spring 2012
The School of Arts and Sciences Facilities, Planning and Operations group recieved a Green Fund grant to purchase an electric Columbia ParCar Mega Van to replace a 21 year old, fossil fuel powered van that is used for on-campus equipment pickups and deliveries. The vehicle will be a highly visible...
Spring 2012
To accommodate the growing recycling needs of the School of Engineering and Applied Science (SEAS), the SEAS Green Team redesigned an existing trash room in the Towne Building with the assistance of a Green Fund grant. Creating a space for recycling collection out of an area already designated for...