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New Round of Partners for Places Released – Deadline to Apply Sept. 18

August 7, 2020 by Kasey Armstrong
New Round of Partners for Places Released – Deadline to Apply Sept. 18

The Funders Network (TFN), in partnership with the Urban Sustainability Directors Network (USDN), is pleased to announce the opening of the latest round of the Partners for Places grant program. As in previous grant cycles, PFP is excited to partner with the Green Infrastructure Leadership Exchange to support outreach efforts and participate in reviewing stormwater infrastructure project proposals. The deadline to submit proposals is Sept. 18.

This latest round of funding includes Invitations to Apply for two funding opportunities:

Invitation to Apply: General Grant

Invitation to Apply: Green Stormwater Infrastructure (GSI) Grant

Partners for Places is a successful matching grant program that improves communities by supporting equitable sustainability projects that build partnerships between local government leaders, community groups and place-based foundations in the U.S. and Canada. National funders invest in local projects developed through these partnerships to promote a healthy environment, a strong economy and well-being for all residents.

Exchange Webinar: GSI on Schoolyards

October 18, 2019 by Kasey Armstrong

The webinar GSI on Schoolyards: Barriers and Solutions was held on Thursday, October 31, 2019.

In this webinar, presenters shared the results of a new report outlining known challenges and solutions to implementing Green Stormwater Infrastructure (GSI) on schoolyards. The webinar featured presentations from representatives of each of the four case studies included in the report. This report is a project of the Green Infrastructure Leadership Exchange Collaborative Grant Program.

Here is the link to the webinar recording and the accompanying presentation slides. You can access the report directly here, or on the Resources page of our website.

Email Kasey at kasey@giexchange.org with any questions.

2019 Collaborative Grant Projects

October 3, 2019 by Kasey Armstrong

In August, the Exchange Collaborative Grant Program awarded $100,000 to fund two new projects. The Collaborative Grant Program is a key tool for Exchange members to work on common problems together. The program is designed to support the Exchange’s goal to improve the speed, cost, and impact of green stormwater infrastructure (GSI) programs through member collaboration.

2019 Awarded Projects:

  • Led by the City of Gresham, OR, members of the Details and Specifications Workgroup were awarded a grant to develop a library of green infrastructure details, specifications, and policies related to GSI that can be used as a reference throughout the country. Collaborating members include Seattle, Portland OR, Omaha, Vancouver, Toronto, and Ft. Lauderdale.
  • The City of Tucson is leading an initiative to develop an equity lens for GSI to better recognize and address GSI programs, policy and implementation practices affecting the quality of community engagement, workforce development and distribution of assets. Collaborating participants include Philadelphia, PA, Grand Rapids, MI, Seattle, WA and Vancouver, BC.

New GI Evaluation Framework from NRPA

July 26, 2019 by Kasey Armstrong

Please see the following announcement from the NRPA:

Measuring the benefits of green infrastructure just became easier. NRPA’s new Green Infrastructure Evaluation Framework can help you collect data and share how your projects are benefitting the community!

The NRPA Great Urban Parks Campaign helps parks implement green infrastructure projects and build vibrant, climate resilient communities. Green infrastructure (GI) in parks provides many powerful benefits, and now local governments have a tool to collect data on these benefits.

The Framework provides a set of online, downloadable tools and research information to develop a measurement plan throughout a GI project. Measure the environmental, social, economic and health benefits of GI, while dedicating only a realistic amount of time, budget and experience to the effort.

Follow the resource’s three simple steps to:
-Define a project’s goals
-Collect data
-Use data to improve future GI work

Webinar: Workforce Development Program Scan and Case Studies (Recording Available)

July 9, 2019 by Kasey Armstrong
View the recording of this webinar here.
Webinar Information:
Workforce Development Program Scan and Case Studies Webinar
July 18, 2019 1:00 PM EDT

Join us to learn about workforce development programs in Milwaukee, New Haven, Philadelphia, and Washington, DC. Based on research led by NEORSD and Bush Consulting, this webinar will feature key lessons for communities seeking to build their GSI workforces. Amy Solomon will also describe potential private funding opportunities to support workforce development programs. The final report is available here.

Contact Kasey at kasey@giexchange.org with any questions.

Our heartfelt gratitude to our funders for their support of our mission, which makes our work possible.