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.

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.

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

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.

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