Small Monthly Grants to Support Concrete, Tangible Action
Crocus Power
How can one person or even a small group of people make a difference in the face of political decisions that put money and power above long-term sustainability for all living creatures on the planet?
But it’s spring, the season of birth and renewal. A fragile crocus is undaunted in the face of fierce prairie winds. Grains of wheat will soon be transformed into tall, sturdy plants. If they can do it, so can we – one small step at a time.
Prairie People Power
Prairie folks are pretty wonderful. In fact, Saskatchewan leads the country in volunteer hours, and much of that effort goes to protecting our environment.
Native plant lovers spend hot, sweaty hours digging up invasive weeds. Wildlife rehabbers feed orphaned baby birds every 20 minutes until they are strong enough to feed themselves. Small groups of people plan an environmental film festival, a winter cycling workshop, or a Park(ing) Day event. Others share their love of nature by taking groups of children out to hunt for crocuses or tadpoles.
There are bigger gestures as well. A farmer hires a researcher to study the impact of the gas and oil industry on his farm. A family builds a straw bale house and then holds a workshop to teach other people the technique. A community group sets up a volunteer fruit harvesting program.
EcoFriendly Action Grants
Sometimes people have a great idea, but they need additional financial resources. We want to help.
EcoFriendly Sask will provide a grant of up to $500 every month to support a local project that will benefit the environment.
Send us an email outlining your dream project and explaining what you need to help make it happen. Tell us why it’s important, and keep it practical; we’re interested in concrete, tangible actions. We’ll consider environmental projects from across the spectrum: from cleanup, recycling and habitat restoration; to plants and gardening; environmental education; planet-friendly urban design; wildlife and energy conservation.
Grant recipients will be expected to start working on their project within a month of receiving the funding. You will be asked to write a short report on the outcome of your project, which may be posted on EcoFriendly Sask’s website so that others can learn from your experience.
Individuals or groups can apply. You don’t have to have charitable status. You just need energy and a commitment to protecting and promoting the world around us. You can apply more than once, but new applicants will have precedence over applicants who have recently received funding. If there is more than one eligible proposal in a particular month, the ones that don’t receive funding will be considered in future months.
EcoFriendly Sask will accept proposals on a continuous basis. Email us at ecofriendlysask@gmail.com when your proposal is ready. At the end of each month we’ll report back on the entries we’ve received and tell you which one has been selected. Then we’ll send a cheque to that month’s grant recipient.
The first grant will be awarded at the end of May.
“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world.
Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” (Margaret Mead)
