Elgin Area Chamber Of Commerce: City Of Elgin Launches Sustainable Community Grant Program

Press release from the Elgin Area Chamber of Commerce:

May 13, 2021

Elgin, IL— The City of Elgin Sustainability Commission (ESC) announces a new grant program⏤the Sustainable Elgin Community Grant Program⏤to provide individuals and groups reimbursement grants on projects that work to achieve a more sustainable community and involve community engagement and/or education. Awardees will receive up to $1500 for their projects, and applications will be accepted through October 31, 2021. 

“We hope this program will help to spark action in the community to reduce our carbon footprint and educate our community on healthy, sustainable lifestyles and practices," said ESC Chair Tom Armstrong. 

Any group of individuals located within the Elgin corporate limits is eligible to apply. “Group” can refer to a non-profit, business, club, organization, neighborhood association, or a group of individuals, provided one individual is willing to be the primary contact who is responsible for fiscal interactions and measurement of impact.

Funds are available on a first-come, first-served basis this year. The ESC allocated $10,000 to the grant program for 2021. Once all funds are dispersed, new funds will not be available for the grant program until the start of the following fiscal year, pending budget approval.

The ESC will review and evaluate each application. The ESC will not fund more than 50% of a proposed project. Approved projects are awarded grants in the form of a reimbursement payment. Recipients will be required to complete a project report before receiving their final grant reimbursement to highlight the impact of the project.

The grant application and more information including grant guidelines, eligibility restrictions, scoring criteria and reimbursement methods are available at cityofelgin.org/secgrant. For more information, contact Sustainability Commission Liaison Jan Monell at 847-531-7012. About the Elgin Sustainability Commission

• To create a self-sustaining community.
• To ensure that future generations can enjoy at least the same natural resources that we do.
• To preserve, minimize and restore.
• To accept that we are one species among many.
• To evaluate current practices and policies to lessen our environmental footprint.

This press release was produced by the Elgin Area Chamber of Commerce. The views expressed here are the author’s own.