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 Grant Program Details

Below is a general overview of the Green Fund application guidelines. It is strongly recommended that all prospective applicants read through the program FAQs before submitting an application.

• There is no minimum amount required to submit a Green Fund application. However, the maximum grant amount is $30,000.
• Grant applications will be accepted on a rolling basis throughout the year and will be reviewed by the Green Fund Review Board at their monthly meetings. 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 grants over $10,000 will be required to present their proposal to the Green Fund Review Committee. Applications for grants of this size will likely take more than one month for review and approval.

Applying for a Green Fund Grant

Proposal Criteria

Penn’s Green Fund is available to 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. Grant awards are not eligible to cover any on-going costs or salaries.

The following items are included in the Green Fund application and are required for review:

• A description of the project and its intended outcome, including criteria for evaluating its success in meeting its goals, and an explanation of any independent funding secured by the applicants
• Project participants, identifying project leadership and their responsibilities
• The target beneficiary audience
• A detailed timeline, including a start date and anticipated implementation schedule
• Specific cost and savings estimates, and
• A sponsorship letter, expressing support for the project from the sponsoring department chair and/or center head.

A copy of the current Green Fund application can be found here.

Please send submissions to sustainability@upenn.edu with the subject line “Green Fund Submission.”

Considering applying to the Green Fund? We recommend that you email sustainablity@upenn.edu to schedule a time to meet with our sustainability staff to discuss your project. These meetings are helpful to identify other University partners and to understand the types of projects the Green Fund supports.

Reporting

Recipients of Green Fund grants will be required to report to Penn Sustainability Office upon completion. Reporting requirements are listed below:

• All recipients must submit a written report and a photo within one month of completing a funded project. The report and photo should be submitted to the Penn Sustainability Office at sustainability@upenn.edu.
• Recipients of Green Fund grants exceeding $10,000 will be required to present the results of their projects to Penn Sustainability, the Green Fund Review Committee, and the Vice President of Facilities and Real Estate Services.
• Both reports and final 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