2008 Application Form

Purpose:
One of the Olympia City Council's four primary goals is to Put Sustainability into action so that we save the planet. 

To help accomplish this goal, the Olympia City Council will make grant funds available to recognized neighborhood associations. The City Council firmly believes that community participation and commitment to accomplish improvements within our city are mutually beneficial to all Olympia residents.

The sustainability grant is intended to encourage residents to work collaboratively and creatively to find ways to improve the environmental health of our neighborhoods, and ultimately, our community.

The grants play a vital role in achieving the vision and aspirations of the Comprehensive Plan, which states:

• Olympia is striving to be a sustainable city. The City is committed to closing the gap between the demands of a growing population and environmental goals.
• The principles of sustainability promote development and actions which meet the needs of the present without compromising the future. Maintaining balance between the needs of people and the environment requires acknowledging the ecological and economic interdependencies.
• Conservation is defined as the act of conserving or saving--in this case our natural resources--from abuse and overuse.
• Development needs to sustain us as people, as well as provide us with opportunities to experience beauty and nature.

• Applicants must be a recognized neighborhood association within the City of Olympia.
• The project must directly enhance the environmental quality of some aspect of the neighborhood or the city as a whole.
• The project must relate to sustainability goals expressed above or one or more of the Comprehensive Plan goals and polices contained in Chapter 2 “Environment”
• The project must be nonprofit in nature.
• The project must have lasting and/or direct benefit to the neighborhood.
• The general purposes to be accomplished by the applicant must be within the City's legal authority and be an improvement for the public benefit.
• The recipient must provide back-up documentation to the City as proof of program expenditures.

Project Ideas (all projects will need to be approved)

• Identify areas for native plants
• Conduct inventory of neighborhood resources available for sharing (tools, lawnmowers, etc)
• Build a neighborhood kiosk with carpooling opportunities, service and goods exchanges and energy-saving tips
• Create a neighborhood map with safe pedestrian and bike paths, local community amenities and neighborhood businesses
• Organize a community Bike Ride or Bike-In Movie
• Organize a community event centered on climate protection
• Conduct a feasibility study of collecting discarded cooking oil and converting it to bio-diesel for fuel
• Host skill-sharing workshops like: how to construct a home compost bin using donated materials
• Weatherize a community building, host a workshop and share information on where to find energy efficiency and insulation resources
• Make your annual community event carbon-neutral

Funding:

• Maximum grant is $4,000.00 per year. (No project will have a vested right to future funding.)

Awards:
Applications will be reviewed by administrative staff with a recommendation to the City Council for approval of final award.

Priority ranking will be given to projects, programs or services which:

• Are easily accomplished volunteer projects, which require minimal or no city staff support.
• Encourage neighborhood “sweat equity” projects that enhance working together as a team, rather than mostly contracted-out labor.
• Allow timing to be consistent with the City’s budget process (to ensure appropriate project liaison is provided).
• Disperse projects throughout neighborhoods.

Jennifer Kenny
Associate Planner
City of Olympia Community Planning & Development Department
P.O. Box 1967
(837 – 7th Ave SE)
Olympia, WA 98507-2067
(360) 753-8031
email