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Campus Sustainability
Green Fund

Green Fund Application

Have an idea for an SU Green Fund project? Here’s how you can submit it! For information about the types of proposals accepted, visit the SU Green Fund Projects homepage.

Developing Your Project Idea

Projects submitted for funding consideration may include, but are not limited to, natural resource conservation, energy conservation, carbon emissions reduction, recycling and waste reduction, and education and outreach initiatives. Educational and outreach projects are eligible as long as they clearly encourage sustainable behaviors or support the goals identified in SU’s Climate Action Plan.

Current SU students, faculty and staff may apply. Students may apply for funds on behalf of a student organization or to fund their own projects. A student applicant must have a faculty or staff advisor for his/her project. Similarly, staff and faculty applicants must have student participation for their applications to be considered. The roles of the students must be clearly defined.

When developing a proposal, keep in mind that projects must be completed within one year from the date funding is allocated. Multi-year projects will be considered, but only one year of funding will be awarded. Additional years of funding will require re-submission each year. At the end of a project, all deliverables outlined in the application must be documented and submitted to Green Fund chair. It is the responsibility of the primary contact and the faculty/staff to fulfill those obligations.

Doing the Legwork

Once your idea is in place, the next step is to determine if the project requires involvement or approval from any campus departments. If so, contact the supervisor of that department and discuss your idea. From this discussion, verify that the project is feasible and make modifications to the plan if needed. The affected department’s supervisor must approve the project by signing the Green Fund application form; otherwise, the application will be rejected.

If your project involves:

Understanding the Application

Have all your approvals in place? Time to do the paperwork! If you haven’t already done so, download the application. It can be a little confusing, so be sure to read through this page for helpful hints.

Download the Green Fund Application

Section I: Objective and Implementation Plan

In this section, provide a clear overview of the project. In other words, what are you planning to do, and how will you do it? Your narrative should:

  • Describe the objective(s) and what will be accomplished
  • Describe how each objective will be achieved (listed as steps or goals, with anticipated timeframes for each)
  • Explain how the project will be implemented (who does what?)
  • If this is a long-term project, identify who will take over the project in the future. Be sure to verify the acceptance of that responsibility and name the person or identify the group.
  • If there is equipment or materials involved, state where they will be stored and how they will they be maintained
  • If success can be measured or verified, describe the metric and what is planned (Remember, any surveys must be approved by the SU Institutional Research Board for human subject research. Approval can take several weeks and is required before the survey may be administered.)
  • If you are proposing the purchase of specific equipment or materials, include supplier information and images from a website, or comparable information. The University’s purchasing / procurement rules may require obtaining quotes from several vendors, depending on the purchase price.

If these factors are not adequately addressed in the application, funding may be denied or delayed.

Section II: Is This Project Related to the Current Priorities of the Campus Sustainability Committee?

This is the project justification section and should answer the question, “Why is this project important?” Describe the relationship between the project objectives and the goals of SU’s Climate Action Plan. The current priorities of the SU Sustainability Committee include energy, water, transportation, materials management (waste, recycling, purchasing and supply chain), sustainability education, sustainability communications and carbon offsets. While these topic areas are high priority, this is not a prerequisite for funding.

Section III: Does This Project Have a Financial Payback? 

Explain if the project will provide some type of financial savings (a reduction in utility costs, a reduction in cost to dispose of waste, etc.). If the estimated savings can be determined, calculate the payback period. [(the project cost) / (the amount saved per year) = number of years until payback]

Section IV: Deliverables

This section should answer the question, “What will be delivered by this project?” Develop a bullet list of everything that will result from the project. This may include equipment, research, event participation, website information, signage, etc. This list will become the checklist of what will you will be expected to complete by the project’s conclusion. Your project will not be considered complete until all items are fulfilled.

Applications must include a description of how the results will be reported to the committee. The report format may vary and may range from a brief description of the project experience to a report of findings from a research project. Most project participants also expected to participate in SU’s annual Earth Week event (typically the week of April 22) with a table display, posters or other presentation.

Section V: Budget

This section should answer the questions, “How much funding do you need and what is the detail of each expense?” Describe each expense and be sure that the costs are based on quotes from suppliers, service contractors, or manufacturers, as applicable. Be sure the itemized costs also list a shipping expense (if applicable) as quoted from the supplier(s).

When you discuss your project with any affected campus department, determine if tools or supplies might be available. Green Fund awards should not be used to purchase items that are available for loan. Remember to be thorough when developing the projected budget because once the project is approved, it is expected that you will complete it within the budget you proposed.

If matching funds are secured for the project, identify the source and amount in this section, and detail the impact of the matching funds on your overall budget. A commitment letter from an outside organization or an email from a chairperson or dean is sufficient documentation.

Remember to get accurate pricing for your project. This may require contacting a vendor and requesting a quote that will include shipping costs to campus. Be sure to discuss your proposal with the vendor. They usually will assist with identifying any related items you may need to complete your project and may also help with selecting the best item for the intended function.

Show Us What You've Got!

All done? We can’t wait to see your idea! Email the application and any attachments to greenfund@salisbury.edu before the application deadline. (Deadlines are announced each fall via campus-wide email and posted on the Green Fund website.) Late submissions will not be considered. If funds are available, proposals also be accepted in the spring.

Applications are reviewed in the order they are received and must meet the minimum criteria for consideration. If the committee has questions regarding an application, the primary contact will be notified that a brief presentation is needed. The student(s) involved with the proposal will need to provide a short overview of the project and answer questions posed by the committee. Once all questions are answered satisfactorily, the applicant will be excused and notified later whether his or her project has been accepted.

Thank you for helping to make SU a greener, more sustainable campus!