Reasons to Celebrate
As we wrap up May, with its unpredictable weather, we’re looking forward to the month of June. It’s the month where we welcome summer, have a break from school, and maybe take a vacation.
It’s an extra special month every year at our organization because for thirty days we announce the Green Grant awards – one on each day of the month. Green Grant applications were accepted in April, and our panel of experts read, evaluated, and scored the proposals in May. Now it’s time to reveal the projects and programs that groups across the state will accomplish in their communities.
Here are some statistics about the applicants we had this year and the projects or programs they submitted for evaluation:
The grant application categories:
Community Beautification: 45%
Cigarette Litter Prevention: 12%
Litter Prevention: 23%
Recycling: 20%
The types of groups that applied:
Schools: 8%
Nonprofits: 54%
Civic organizations: 4%
Faith-based institutions: 4%
Municipalities: 28%
Private business: 2%
The areas in which the program or project will take place:
Rural: 33%
Suburban: 16%
Urban: 51%
This is a good representation of the communities that make up Commonwealth. There were applications for projects in 63 different ZIP Codes. (There are about 850 ZIP Codes in the state of Virginia, in case you were wondering.) Many of the groups focus on serving their communities with a great awareness of diversity, equity, and inclusion. Several schools and municipalities aim to educate youth and teach them that we’re each responsible for the keeping our environment clean and green.
The judges mentioned that there were so many good projects that it was difficult to determine the awards. They were impressed with the creative ideas, and the power of modest-sized organizations who are willing to make a big difference. We wish we could fund them all!
There was one thing, however, that they all had in common with our organization: ALL of them want to make improvements in the natural and scenic environment of our Commonwealth. We’re grateful for the work they’re doing, and we hope that you’ll enjoy seeing the announcements each day in June.
Check back here on our Latest News post beginning on June 1st to see the announcements. You’ll be inspired by the projects and programs they have planned! Follow us and comment on social media too.