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Community
Innovation Grant
2015 Application Guide
Evergreen
Evergreen
Geoff Fitzgerald
Community groups across Canada are working to activate cities to be hubs of
innovation, sustainability and locally driven action.
Canada’s quality of life and prosperity are directly tied to the health of our cities. Now more than ever, there is
a need to test new ideas and find creative solutions that tackle the systemic urban challenges that hinder the
ability of our cities, and the people in and around them, to thrive.
To support local efforts in cultivating ideas that will transform Canadian cities, Evergreen CityWorks is partnering
with the Montréal Urban Ecology Centre to offer the We Are Cities: Community Innovation Grant. This is a
national grant program that helps to fund initiatives seeking to build more livable cities—exciting and healthy
places to live, work and play.
The We Are Cities grant, generously sponsored by the Cities for People initiative, provides two levels of funding
($2,000 or $5,000) to community groups working to build more sustainable and livable communities through
local action. This grant supports projects addressing issues critical to the success of our communities including,
but not limited to, mobility, the built and natural environment, citizen engagement, multi-sectorial collaboration,
policy design, waste management and energy. Eligible projects must demonstrate the potential to be scalable and
relevant in communities across Canada.
Please note that the deadline for applications is Monday May 25, 2015, 5pm.
Please submit your application online by completing the application form and attaching the
budget template. Late or incomplete applications will not be accepted.
ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS
This grant is open to all non-profit community groups in
Canada. Groups that are not legally incorporated or do not
have charitable status are welcome to apply, and must have
an institutional partner organization that will be responsible
for the administration of any awarded funding; eligible
institutional partner organizations may be registered charities
or not-for-profit organizations, government agencies, First
Nation governments, crown corporations or publicly funded
institutions such as hospitals and universities. A letter of
support from the institutional partner is required. Groups that
are legally incorporated or have registered charity/non-profit
status do not need an institutional partner in order to apply.
Unless represented by a registered foundation, government
departments and agencies cannot apply directly. In these
cases, applications must be submitted by a community
partner.
Evergreen encourages applications from groups working in
under-served or under-represented communities.
ELIGIBLE PROJECTS
Proposed projects must be open to all, provide opportunities for community engagement and volunteerism, and
be located entirely on publicly accessible lands (i.e. lands owned by a government agency, non-profit organization
or public institution). Projects that will make temporary or permanent changes to publicly accessible property or
lands—including events—must submit a letter of permission from the land-owner. Projects should seek to form
collaborative partnerships and include community members by offering them opportunities to get involved. To
be eligible, projects must demonstrate that they will address an urban sustainability issue in an innovative and
scalable way. Projects must demonstrate that they have broad relevance across Canadian communities and illustrate
the long-term impacts of the project. The We Are Cities: Community Innovation Grant funds projects that have a
planned completion date before November 2015. Eligible themes may include, but are not limited to, mobility, the
built and natural environment, citizen engagement, multi-sectorial collaboration, policy design, waste management
and energy. Eligible projects types may include:
77 Public space improvement
77 Citizen science
77 Pilot projects
77 Public events and festivals
77 Community engagement
77 Community workshops
77 Education and skills development
WHICH EXPENSES ARE ELIGIBLE?
The We Are Cities: Community Innovation Grant will cover the eligible project expenses to complete a start-up
project or to contribute to fundraising for large-scale projects to be completed by November 2015. There are
two levels of funding support available ($5,000, $2,000). Please select the level of support you would like to be
considered for and complete the budget template up to the amount of your request. Please list expenses clearly
and completely.
FUNDING CAN BE SPENT ON:
77 costs related to permits/approvals
77 educational, outreach and communications materials such as signage, flyers and press releases
77 native plant material such as plants, trees, shrubs and wildflowers*
77 tools and supplies
77 volunteer expenses such as refreshments, awards and
honoraria
77 health and safety supplies
77 transportation (car or truck rental, delivery of
materials/supplies)
77 staff wages, salary for professional consulting services, or
project co-ordination (to a maximum of 20% of awarded
funds)
*For a list of native plants in your city or town, visit
Evergreen’s native plant database: nativeplants.evergreen.ca.
WHICH PROJECTS AND EXPENSES ARE NOT
ELIGIBLE?
77 projects occurring on privately owned property that is not
publicly accessible
77 capital project expenses, operating costs, or expenses not
related to completing the current project
77 projects (or portions thereof) completed before the
application is reviewed
77 construction and excavation contractor costs
77 technical or scientific reports and studies
77 projects developed on land belonging to a school board—
school ground greening and food garden projects are only
eligible for funding through Evergreen’s School Ground
Greening Program
A NOTE ON PERMITS AND APPROVALS
In some instances, a public space project may require a permit or approval from the local municipality or other
regulatory agency. Please consult with the relevant government agencies to determine which permits and
approvals may apply to your project.
HOW TO APPLY
Please note that the deadline for app lications is Monday May 25, 2015, 5pm. To apply for this grant, please
submit your application online by completing the online application form, and attaching the budget template.
Late or incomplete applications will not be accepted.
If you have questions about submitting an application for this grant opportunity,
or would like to discuss the eligibility of your project, please contact:
Lauren Roberts–Program Assistant
Phone: 416-596-1495 x310, (toll free outside Toronto: 1-888-426-3138 x310)
E-mail: grants@evergreen.ca
All applications must be submitted online by May 25, 2015, 5pm.
NEXT STEPS
A review committee consisting of Evergreen staff as well as external experts will evaluate applications.
All applicants will be notified in June 2015.
GRANT RECIPIENT RESPONSIBILITIES
If your project is selected, you will be asked to sign a
Grant Recipient Contract indicating your commitment to:
77 certify that you will obtain all necessary regulatory
permits and approvals
77 submit a final report to Evergreen upon project
completion, including “before-and-after” photos,
photos of community events, as well as copies of
any news clippings and newsletters
77 agree to participate, if requested, in the promotion
of your project locally and/or nationally, in
conjunction with Evergreen (e.g. press releases or
other media event)
77 submit photocopies of relevant receipts for auditing
purposes, if requested
For all of our grant programs, Evergreen receives more
eligible applications than we are able to fund. While we
would like to support all eligible projects, please note
that we may not have sufficient funds to do so.
ABOUT EVERGREEN CITYWORKS
Evergreen’s newest initiative seeks to change the way we plan and design Canadian cities. We are committed to
transforming the way we live and reducing the environmental impact of urban areas. CityWorks brings together
the public, innovators and decision makers to accelerate the shift to green infrastructure in cities across Canada.
From transportation to housing and city building, we experiment with new ideas and build coalitions behind
them to ensure their adoption.
ABOUT THE MONTRÉAL URBAN ECOLOGY CENTRE
The mission of the Montréal Urban Ecology Centre (MUEC) is to develop, propose, and share urban practices
and policies to help create green, democratic, and healthy cities. Its approach is inspired by social ecology,
which brings together social, economic, environmental, and public health issues. The MEUC is active at the
neighbourhood level. We work with citizens, professionals, Montréal boroughs and Québec regions as well as
municipalities. We also build relationships with national and international change agents.
ABOUT CITIES FOR PEOPLE
The Cities for People initiative is a collaborative experiment that explores the following question: How can
we enhance social, ecological, and economic well-being and help civic cultures thrive? Through the Cities
for People initiative, Evergreen CityWorks, the Montréal Urban Ecology Centre and other organizations
across Canada are engaging multiple stakeholders—citizens, community organizations, policy makers,
municipalities, universities, private companies and foundations—in taking collaborative action to create
more resilient and livable cities. To find out more, visit citiesforpeople.ca.