Pollution Prevention Institute at RIT accepting Community Grants Program applications

The New York State Pollution Prevention Institute (NYSP2I) is accepting applications for the organization’s 2022-2023 Community Grants Program.

Founded in 2008, the program is part of the NYSP2I’s ongoing efforts to continue improving the health and environmental quality of New York state. Eligible applicants—which must be New York state-based community organizations and/or local governmental agencies—are invited to apply for funding to support community-based projects that promote public awareness, understanding, and implementation of pollution-prevention practices. The application deadline is 5 p.m. EDT on April 15, 2022.

“The Community Grants Program is designed to support local initiatives that raise public awareness and understanding of environmental issues, and that lead to adoption of sustainable practices,” said Charles Ruffing, NYSP2I’s director.

“The goal is to support communities at the grassroots level across the Empire State by providing much-needed financial and technical support for projects and initiatives, and to create a toolbox of resources that can be easily shared and replicated by other organizations,” he added.

According to NYSP2I, competitive applications utilize partnerships and collaborations with other organizations; demonstrate a broad community impact; address populations and communities that are affected by or susceptible to environmental harms and risk; easy to replicate and used by other organizations; located in Environmental Justice (EJ) communities; and demonstrate an ability to obtain funding from additional sources.

The 2022-2023 grant year marks the 15th round of program funding from NYSP2I. Since its inception, the program has funded 121 projects totaling more than $2 million for organizations all across New York state. Case histories and awarded projects are available on the NYSP2I website.

For information on the Community Grants Program, contact Ambika Walker, NYSP2I’s program manager, Outreach and Education, at apwgis@rit.edu or 585-475-2399.