Community Grants Program

The 2026-2027 Community Grants Program is Open

The application deadline is 5:00 p.m. EDT on April 24, 2026.

Download the 2026-2027 Request for Applications and required forms:

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NYSP2I Community Grants Program Overview

An informational presentation about the NYSP2I's Community Grants Program.

An annual grants award program

Each year, NYSP2I awards funding to support projects that raise awareness and understanding and lead to the implementation of pollution prevention practices and/or behaviors at the local level with the goal of improving the health, environmental quality, and economic vitality of communities in New York State.

Pollution prevention is reducing or eliminating waste at the source by modifying production processes; promoting the use of nontoxic or less-toxic substances; implementing conservation techniques; efficiently and effectively utilizing resources such as energy, water, and raw materials; and reusing materials rather than putting them into the waste stream.

What kind of projects receive funding?

We give preference to projects that:

  • utilize partnerships and collaborations with other organizations.
  • demonstrate a broad community impact.
  • are easy to replicate and use by other organizations.
  • address populations and communities affected by, experiencing, or susceptible to environmental harms and risk.

Examples of project focus areas:

  • reduction of natural resource consumption
  • reduction of hazardous chemical use
  • food waste reduction
  • pollution prevention in NY State priority areas such as greenhouse gas reductions or waste reduction through adoption of circular economy concepts

Who can apply?

NYSP2I Community Grants are a funding opportunity for community organizations, tribal nations and indigenous governance bodies, and local government agencies based and operating in New York State.

Community organizations

Community organizations are defined as any nonprofit group based in New York State that conducts the majority of its work within the state. Eligible organizations may include, but are not limited to: lawfully incorporated/registered organizations with a focus on environmental, public health, or occupational health protection; academic institutions; neighborhood associations; environmental justice organizations; community development corporations; public benefit corporations; health centers; local unions and labor organizations; groups supporting or serving Indian nations or tribal organizations within New York State; and other nonprofits.

Local government agencies

Local government agencies are defined as offices or departments of a city, town, county, or primary or secondary schools in New York State. Specifically, these may include but are not limited to local environmental agencies, boards of health, departments of public works, local emergency response offices, town commissions, planning and zoning boards, libraries, and schools. In addition, this would also include an Indian nation or tribe recognized by New York State or the federal government seeking to conduct a project on land located within New York State.

Frequently Asked Questions

Responses to questions received during the open request for applications period will be posted here. Check back for periodic updates.

During the open application period, we are unable to comment on specific project concepts. However, you may wish to consider the following as you develop your project concept:

  • Components of larger initiatives are eligible. However, the community grant funding would need to be used for a component of the initiative (a project) that meets the Project Eligibility requirements. Please see the “Project Eligibility” section of the Request for Applications (RFA).
  • Projects must meet the pollution prevention (P2) definition as stated in the RFA. Note: re-using materials rather than putting them into the waste stream is considered P2 (this includes upcycling, repurposing, and repair); recycling is not considered P2.
  • The Community Grants Program provides support for projects that raise awareness and understanding and lead to the implementation of P2 practices and/or behaviors at the local level.
  • You must be able to measure project outcomes, and the project must result in one or more concrete output(s) – See “Definitions of Frequently Used Terms” in the RFA for the distinction between the two.
  • Please see the “Budget Requirements, Size of Awards, and Distribution of Funds” section of the RFA for information regarding restrictions on the use of the community grant funds – this may help you define the parts of your larger initiative that would make sense for a community grant.

Community Grants Program funding amount requested cannot exceed $30,000. Typical grant awards will range from $10,000 - $30,000 per project. The maximum grant award will be $30,000 per project. An organization may submit more than one application; however, each application must be for a separate project. Funding is contingent upon the availability of program funds. NYSP2I may make grant offers at amounts lower than the applicant’s requested amount. Grants are paid through a reimbursement process.

For the purposes of the NYSP2I Community Grants Program, pollution prevention (P2) is defined as reducing or eliminating waste at the source by modifying production processes; promoting the use of nontoxic or less toxic substances; implementing conservation techniques; efficiently and effectively utilizing resources such as energy, water, and raw materials; and re-using materials rather than putting them into the waste stream.*

*Learn more about pollution prevention: https://www.epa.gov/p2/learn-about-pollution-prevention

All submitted applications will undergo an initial screening by NYSP2I to confirm that the application is complete, and the applicants and proposed projects meet eligibility requirements. Applications that do not meet the requirements or are incomplete will not be reviewed.

Eligible applications will be evaluated by a committee under the direction of NYSP2I. The committee will review and score the applications, including the project proposal, project scope of work, budget and all other components of the application. Proposed projects recommended for award by the committee will then be sent to NYS DEC for final review and approval.

NYSP2I will not review or consider applications submitted after the submission deadline, or incomplete submissions.

See “Evaluation Criteria” in the RFA instructions for scoring categories along with the point allocation for each.

Yes, NYSP2I will notify all applicants by email to communicate whether their project has been selected for award. See “Application Timeline” in the RFA instructions for the timeframe of project award announcements.

The community grants are set up as contracts. A partner receiving funds from the award is typically considered a contractor of the grantee and would fall under “Other Direct Costs” in your project budget. Regarding the use of funds, grantees will be required to establish and maintain complete and accurate records pertinent to the performance of the funded project. Expenses must be auditable to their original source and documentation must be maintained. Grant recipients will be required to provide periodic financial status reports, including backup documentation for all expenses, when requested.

Any contractor receiving grant funds would also need to provide backup, if requested. A contractor could potentially provide funding to a third entity as part of their work on the project, if they are able to provide backup to show how the funds were spent. The grantee, the contractor, and the third entity(ies) receiving funding will be required to maintain records for 6 years after the end date of the project for audit purposes.

As per the RFA, grant funds may not be used for the following:

  • Alcoholic beverages
  • Entertainment
  • Goods or services for personal use
  • Cost of selling or marketing products
  • The purchase of equipment*, machinery, land, renovation, or construction costs

*For purposes of this program, equipment is defined as real property, equipment, or tangible personal property having a useful life of more than one year and an acquisition cost of $1,000 or more per unit.

The community grants program cycle is typically annual – in the spring.

If the PBC is a not-for-profit, it would be eligible to apply and you would select “community organization” on the Project Proposal – Part 1 form. If it is for-profit, it is not eligible to apply.

The applicant must meet the eligibility requirements noted in the RFA. A partner receiving funds from the award is typically considered a contractor, regardless of their status as a for-profit or not-for-profit entity. A contractor would fall under “Other Direct Costs” in your project budget.

We do not anticipate extending the application due date.

We are unable to comment on specific project concepts at this stage of the competition. Project eligibility information is provided in the RFA. If your application meets the eligibility requirements, your proposal will be scored based on the Evaluation Criteria listed in the RFA.

Project eligibility information is provided in the RFA. We are unable to comment on specific project concepts at this stage of the competition. However, you may wish to consider the following as you develop your project concept:

  • Projects must meet the pollution prevention (P2) definition as stated in the RFA.  Note: re-using materials rather than putting them into the waste stream is considered P2 (this includes upcycling, repurposing, and repair).
  • As stated in the RFA, NYSP2I encourages applicants to review case studies of past projects on the NYSP2I website. The case studies are only provided as examples of past funded projects. New project ideas are welcome.

RIT can apply for Community Grants Program funding as the lead applicant. However, RIT cannot receive funds as a participant in another organization’s Community Grants Program award.

Please submit the latest version of Form W-9 that is provided in the application package link.

Sending the W-9 form and the budget form as separate attachments is preferred. The budget form can be sent in Excel format. For the rest of the components, they can be combined into one pdf file or sent as separate attachments.

No. The Community Grants Program does not fund projects that are solely focused on planning activities. (This includes projects solely focused on feasibility studies or strategic plans.) While planning is an important part of any initiative, funded projects must include actionable steps (implementation) and deliverables that occur during the grant period and lead to measurable community impact.

Our goal is to ensure that grant funds result in tangible outcomes and measurable benefits for the community within the grant period. Planning-only projects often lack immediate impact, which is why they are not eligible.

Implementation refers to activities that move your project beyond planning and into action. Examples include:

  • Launching a pilot program or service
  • Conducting community engagement or outreach events
  • Delivering training or distributing educational resources to community members

Yes, planning activities are allowed if they are directly tied to implementation steps within the grant period however, they should not exceed 25% of the project effort. For example, developing a strategic plan that will immediately inform the implementation of a pilot program or community event during the funded timeframe is acceptable.

No. Due to the high volume of applications the Community Grants Program does not provide individualized feedback, reviewer comments, or scoring details for proposals that are not selected for funding.

To support applicants in strengthening future submissions, the Program web page provides a summary of common factors that tend to result in lower application review scores. This summary does not reference any specific applicant or proposal but highlights typical areas where proposals often lose points, such as unclear project descriptions, incomplete sections, or misaligned budgets.

Applicants are encouraged to consult the summary when preparing future submissions and to carefully review all RFA instructions before applying.

Yes. Community Grants are no-match grants, meaning applicants are not required to provide matching funds to receive an award.

Grant funding is issued on a reimbursement basis. Grantees must pay project expenses upfront and then submit documentation to receive reimbursement.

Yes. In addition to direct project costs, a portion of the approved budget may be used for allowable ancillary expenses, including administrative staff time, project management, and travel that is necessary to carry out the funded work.

Common Reasons for Lower Application Review Scores

To support applicants in strengthening future submissions, the Community Grants Program has compiled the following frequent issues that tend to result in lower reviewer scores. These items reflect common themes identified across multiple grant cycles and are provided to help applicants prepare more competitive proposals in the future. They are not specific to any single applicant or project.

  • Missing or incomplete application materials
  • Unclear goals and objectives
  • Insufficient definition of outputs, outcomes, and metrics
  • Limited clarity on community impact
  • Project plan and timeline not feasible
  • Budget lacks detail or reasonableness
  • Team qualifications and level of effort are not persuasive

View Community Grants Case Studies

To view past grantee projects, including focus areas and descriptions, click here for a pdf with past grantee projects click this link

Contact us to learn more: Ambika Walker, apwgis@rit.edu

Featured Awardees

Resources for Grantees

NYSP2I Community Grants Program Step-by-Step Guide to Quarterly Invoicing

A guide for grantees completing their quarterly invoices and financial reports.

Definition of Terms for Grant Recipients (“Contractors”)

The contract period refers to the one-year timeframe or timespan for the awarded project.
On invoices, it should be indicated in the following format: mm/dd/yy-mm/dd/yy

Example: For a contracted project that begins September 1, 2024, the contract period would be:
09/01/24-08/31/25

Reporting is required to be completed on a quarterly basis; therefore the reporting period refers to the 3-month timeframe of the quarter respective to your project’s contract period. On invoices, it should be indicated in the following format: mm/dd/yy-mm/dd/yy

Example: For a contracted project that begins September 1, 2024, the quarterly reporting periods would be:
(Q1): 09/01/24-11/30/24
(Q2): 12/01/24-02/28/25
(Q3): 03/01/25-05/31/25
(Q4): 06/01/25-8/31/25

The voucher refers to an invoice that has been approved (or has yet to be approved). The voucher # directly corresponds to the invoice frequency. It will not necessarily correspond to the reporting period.

The 1st invoice submitted will become voucher # 1;
the 2nd invoice submitted will become voucher # 2;
the 3rd invoice submitted will become voucher # 3; and so on.

Building on the example above, for a contracted project that begins September 1, 2024, expenses may not be incurred until the 2nd quarter. Therefore, the 1st invoice could potentially be submitted in February, and the voucher # will be 1. The 2nd invoice could be submitted in June, and the voucher # will be 2.

On the NYSP2I Invoice & Financial Reporting Form, only approved invoice amounts should be entered in the appropriate Q1 Voucher, Q2 Voucher, or Q3 Voucher columns.

An interim voucher is an invoice submitted that is not your final/last invoice. It could be voucher #1, 2, 3, etc. A contracted project may have multiple vouchers that would be indicated as an interim voucher.

The final voucher is the very last voucher submitted. Only one voucher, submitted at the end of the contract period, should be indicated as the final voucher.

Abbreviation that stands for “Scope of Work”. This refers to the details of the contracted work to be performed, including any milestones, reports, deliverables, and end products of the project.

NYSP2I uses the term “Contractor” to refer to the organization that is awarded the grant funding. The organization may also be referred to as a “Grantee” or “Awardee”.

Personnel are staff members directly employed by the awarded organization. Consultants or other sub-contracted individuals should not be included under the “Personnel” section.

When invoicing for personnel salaries, the amount entered in the “Personnel” column should only cover the quarterly time-period you are invoicing for, not the total annual salary.

Only staff from the awarded organization should be included in the “Personnel” section. Individuals from external organizations, such as consultants, guest speakers, facilitators, and sub-contracted individuals who are doing project-related work for the awarded organization should be included in the “Other Direct Costs” section (not Personnel).

“Fringe Benefits” refer to any additional compensation a staff member receives that is separate from their salary, for example, health insurance, paid time off, a retirement plan, etc. The “Fringe Benefit” expense amount is determined by the pre-set percentage rate associated with the project personnel.  

All materials and supplies purchased with NYSP2I funds must be accounted for. For printing services, please include quantities and costs.

Example: printed handouts, flyers, posters, banners, and other educational or promotional materials.

Covered travel expenses include mileage, tolls, fuel, meals, lodging, and others, such as bus rental.
Travel costs are allowable in accordance with NYS travel guidelines, which can be found at: www.gsa.gov/travel. Travel outside of New York State is not covered under this program.

This section includes any other costs associated with the project that are not covered in the previous sections. This is typically reserved for any contracted costs, including vendors, event spaces, food, and other services. Any contracted personnel or services should be listed in this section.

The maximum overhead recovery (indirect costs) is limited to 5% of the total direct costs.

Example: office equipment; insurance; accounting, HR, or general administration expenses; facilities expenses such as rent or utilities; software; etc.

Contractors will be required to submit quarterly progress reports. Progress reports must include a list of all project tasks and deliverables and their completion status to date. All reports should include narrative detail to clearly illustrate the progress for each task and deliverable. Reports, and any other grant materials, will only be accepted via email submission as attachments unless otherwise approved by NYSP2I. Reports should not be submitted via Google Docs or any other document collaboration service.

Metrics reports are required to be submitted on a quarterly basis (every 3 months throughout the contract period). Contractors will track and submit the following metrics, as applicable to the project:

  • Number of events, trainings, workshops, webinars, tabling, meetings, conferences, and/or roundtables conducted (i.e., any planned event drawing attendance from multiple facilities and designed to disseminate P2 information)
  • Number of attendees at each session (e.g. workshop, training, etc.) conducted as part of the project
  • P2 information developed (i.e., any publication designed to be disseminated (hardcopy or electronically) to inform others about P2 or related events)
  • Number of P2 informational materials distributed (in hardcopy or electronically)
  • Number of clients reporting that they implemented P2 suggestions
  • Number of clients reporting adoption of P2 policies
  • Number of clients reporting increased awareness and understanding of P2 opportunities
  • Any measurable environmental outcomes such as pounds of waste or emissions reduced

A Metrics Form will be provided by NYSP2I and must be submitted with each quarterly progress report.

A final report is due no later than 15 days after the project's end date. The final report consists of a set of general questions to include a brief overview of the project activities, its challenges, and its achievements.
A Final Report template will be provided by the Program Manager.