Sustainable Dubuque Community Grant Program Application Update Copyrighted
December 21, 2020
City of Dubuque Consent Items # 15.
City Council Meeting
ITEM TITLE: Sustainable Dubuque Community Grant Program Application Update
SUM MARY: City Manager recommending approval of changes to the guidelines and
application process for Sustainable Dubuque Community Grants
program, to be effective for the March 15, 2021 deadline.
SUGGESTED Suggested Disposition: Receive and File;Approve
DISPOSITION:
ATTACHMENTS:
Description Type
Sustainable Dubuque Community Grant Application City Manager Memo
Update-MVM Memo
Staff Memo Staff Memo
SD Grant Guidelines and Application Supporting Documentation
Dubuque
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TO: The Honorable Mayor and City Council Members
FROM: Michael C. Van Milligen, City Manager
SUBJECT: Sustainable Dubuque Community Grant Program Application Update
DATE: December 15, 2020
Sustainable Community Coordinator Gina Bell recommends City Council approval of
changes to the guidelines and application process for Sustainable Dubuque Community
Grants program, to be effective for the March 15, 2021 deadline.
Due to an increased focus on equity at the City of Dubuque, as well as consideration of
staff time and program clarity, the changes to the application include:
1. Additional focus on equity and inclusion.
2. Better alignment with already created City plans such as Imagine Dubuque, the
Community Climate Action and Resiliency Plan and the (upcoming) Equitable
Poverty Prevention Plan.
3. A simplified budget form.
4. Focus on attracting new grantees and new ideas.
The Resilient Community Advisory Commission suggested and reviewed the proposed
updates and voted at their December 3, 2020 meeting to forward this to City Council for
approval.
I concur with the recommendation and respectfully request Mayor and City Council
approval.
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Mic ael C. Van Milligen
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Attachment
cc: Crenna Brumwell, City Attorney
Cori Burbach, Assistant City Manager
Gina Bell, Sustainable Community Coordinator
Dubuque
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TO: Michael Van Milligen, City Manager
FROM: Gina Bell, Sustainable Community Coordinator
SUBJECT: Sustainable Dubuque Community Grant Program Application Update
DATE: December 11, 2020
INTRODUCTION
The purpose of this memo is to recommend changes to the guidelines and application process
for Sustainable Dubuque Community Grants program, to be effective for the March 15, 2021
deadline.
BACKGROUND
In 2013, the City Council approved the Sustainable Dubuque Community Grant program to
catalyze community leaders in the Sustainable Dubuque initiative. The grants are available to
any residents, non-profits or businesses who propose a project that addresses at least one of
the twelve sustainability principles and includes an element of community engagement or
education in their project.
Since then, twenty-two rounds of grants have been approved for disbursement in the
community. In early 2018, Council approved updates to the Sustainable Dubuque Grant
application to better reflect City Council goals and priorities and to address recommendations by
the Resilient Community Advisory Commission regarding impact of the program. Much of that
update is still reflected in the grant application process and guidelines.
DISCUSSION
Due to an increased focus on equity at the City of Dubuque, as well as consideration of staff
time and program clarity, the changes to the application include:
1. Additional focus on equity and inclusion.
2. Better alignment with already created City plans such as Imagine Dubuque, the
Community Climate Action and Resiliency Plan and the (upcoming) Equitable Poverty
Prevention Plan.
3. A simplified budget form.
4. Focus on attracting new grantees and new ideas.
The Resilient Community Advisory Commission suggested and reviewed the proposed updates
and voted at their December 3, 2020 meeting to forward this to City Council for approval.
The recommended changes would go into effect for the March 15, 2021 deadline. Staff will
support any application questions and provide technical assistance to applicants requesting
assistance.
REQUESTED ACTION
I respectfully request City Council approval to move forward with the updated Sustainable
Dubuque Community Grant program guidelines and application for the March 2021 round of
grants.
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What would you do with $2,500 to make a more Sustainable Dubuque?
Sustainable Dubuque Community Grant Program
In 2006, a community task force was created to define a vision to make Dubuque a more Sustainable
community. After nearly two years of work, they delivered to the City Council and greater community this
definition of sustainability:
"Dubuque is a viable, livable and equitable community. We embrace economic prosperity, environmental
integrity, and social/cultural vibrancy to create a sustainable legacy for generations to come."
Helping to define that vision are 12 sustainability principles:
• Regional Economy • Community Knowledge
• Smart Energy Use • Reasonable Mobility
• Resource Management • Healthy Air
• Community Design • Clean Water
• Green Buildings • Community Health &Safety
• Healthy Local Foods • Native Plants &Animals
For more information on the Sustainable Dubuque initiative, please visit www.sustainabledubuque.org.
Since their work, numerous community-led initiatives have helped us move toward our goals, including
programs led by the public and private sector and actions taking place in individual homes and businesses.
About the Sustainable Dubuque Community Grant Program
The goal of the Sustainable Dubuque Community Grant Program is to provide small amounts of funding to
assist non-profits, businesses, clubs, organizations, and groups of passionate residents in implementing
their ideas to make Dubuque a more sustainable place and to support community leadership in the
Sustainable Dubuque initiative.
Grants may be awarded to any group of individuals to implement a project that helps to achieve the
Sustainable Dubuque vision and includes a component of community education and/or engagement. We
encourage new groups or individuals to use this funding!
Amount of Award
Grants will be awarded up to a maximum of$2,500 per project. Grants are reimbursement-based.
Grant Availability&Application Timeline
Grants can be submitted at any time during the year, although they will be reviewed on a bi-annual basis
and application deadlines are available at www.cityofdubuque.org/sustainabilitY and listed below.
Applications will be reviewed by the Resilient Community Advisory Commission, which then forwards their
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recommendation to City Council for approval and funding. Recipients generally are notified of their status
within five weeks of the grant deadline.
Grants will be scored and awarded during bi-annual reviews (September and March), and money will be
available on a "first come-first serve" basis beginning July 1 each year to coincide with the City's fiscal year.
This means that if all funding is allocated at the September review, new funds would not be available for
this program until July 15Y of the following year.
Action Date
Grant application open Ongoing, rolling basis
Spring grant application deadline March 15th
Spring grant awards made "'April 2ptn (2na city council meeting April)
Fall grant application deadline September 15th
Fall grant application awards made "'October 2ptn (2nd city council meeting of October)
Grant Guidelines
1. Grant must align with a City Council Priority and address one of the Sustainable Dubuque
principles.
2. Grant must include an education and/or engagement component.
3. Any marketing, advertising or educational materials produced should acknowledge Sustainable
Dubuque support by including the Sustainable Dubuque logo.
Grant Preference
The Resilient Community Advisory Commission has identified the following area as a priority for
grantmaking:
• Projects that align with existing City of Dubuque plans, specifically Imagine Dubuque
Comprehensive Plan and the 50% by 2030 Community Climate Action & Resiliency Plan.
• Projects that address actions identified in the 50% by 2030 Plan and/or Imagine Dubuque Plan and
can demonstrate alignment will be given preference during the scoring process.
Eligibility
Any person or group of individuals located within Dubuque city limits is eligible to apply. "Group" can refer
to a non-profit, business, club, organization, neighborhood association, or group of individuals, provided
one individual is willing to be the primary contact who is responsible for fiscal interactions and
measurement of impact.
Prior applications:Applicants who have received funding are not eligible for additional funding for one
calendar year from the date of their application. Additionally, prior grantees' ability to fulfill grant
requirements (reporting/reimbursements/Sustainable Dubuque acknowledgement) will be considered
during scoring process. Groups who were unsuccessful in previous applications may compete in future
rounds with the project originally proposed, or with new projects.
Target Audience
Proposals must target, at a minimum, residents or businesses located in Dubuque. It is acceptable to target
individuals in addition to this audience, such as Dubuque County residents. Proposed projects that target a
traditionally unengaged or underserved population are encouraged.
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Grant Budget
Grant applications should clearly indicate how the funds will be used.
Reimbursement Method
The preference of the City is to reimburse grant recipient for approved expenses following the completion
of the project. All receipts and a copy of the required performance report must be submitted in order to
receive the final payment. If this financial arrangement is a challenge, please contact Sustainability
Coordinator,Gina Bell,to discuss other options. Inability to pay for reimbursable grant expenses should
not be a barrier to applying, and we are able to work with recipients to identify alternatives within reason.
Required Measurement of Impact/Success+ Reporting
We want to share your successes and lessons learned with others! One requirement of this program is to
measure the impact of your project. Recipients will be required to complete a final report or present the
information to the Resilient Community Advisory Commission.
In addition to the required reporting metrics, applicants are encouraged to define your own measure of
success in the application. You can tell your story through numbers, stories, photos, or video. This could
mean calculating the greenhouse gases avoided when individuals biked instead of driving their cars to an
event or asking attendees at an event to complete a pre-and post-survey to identify increased knowledge
of a topic. We can help guide you to determine what information to collect, and final reimbursement will
not be made until this information has been received. Let us know if you would like assistance in measuring
your impact.
How to Apply
Only online applications are accepted and should be complete by 11:59 p.m. on the relevant deadline.To
apply, visit www.sustainabledubuque.or�/sustainability and click the "Apply Now" button.
Additional Grant Information
For more information or questions, please contact Sustainability Coordinator, Gina Bell at
�bell@cityofdubuque.or�or 563.690.6038.
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Sustainable Dubuque Grant Application
PLEASE NOTE: This pdf version of the grant application is provided for grant planning purposes only. All
applications should be submitted through the electronic form at www.cityofdubupue.orp/sustainability.
Click on the APPLY NOW button to ensure they are received and reviewed. Paper copies or scanned versions
of this pdf will not be accepted nor considered for funding.
We are excited to read about your idea!The questions below will help us better understand what you want
to do, why and with whom. Please be as specific as possible.
Lead person/community group/organization(s):
Have you received prior Sustainable Dubuque Grant funding?Y/N
Project leader/Grant contact:
Phone:
Mailing Address:
Email:
Project Title: 7 words or less
Grant Purpose: In 50 words or less, describe how the Sustainable Dubuque Grant will be used.
SD Grant Narrative: In 400 words or less, briefly describe the project/idea,the goals of the project,who will
benefit,your experience impacting your community,your capacity to complete this project and why you are
confident you will be able to produce results if awarded an SD grant.
Amount of Sustainable Dubuque Grant Request: Name an amount up to $2,500 that is requested from
Sustainable Dubuque.
Total Grant Budget,Deliverables,and Timeline:The total budgeted amount can be higher than$2,500 if any
matching fund leverage is present.A match is required for SD grants and we do track matching resources for
all awards. The match does not have to be 100% of requested funds and can be volunteer time, supplies or
a cash match. Complete Table 1. Use $0.00 in any SD or other sources line item that is not being asked to
cover an expense item. Once complete, this table should show a clear record of total projected budget by
funding source and a project timeline.Add explanatory text after the table if needed.
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Table 1. Project Budget by Deliverables and Timeline.
Amount
Amount
Delivery Total Cost from Other
Expense Item Deliverable from SD
Date(s) of Expense Sources
grant
(Match)
Example: wood, Example:create a May 2021 .$638.00 $500.00 .$138.00
screws and produce stand to
other supplies share food grown in
community garden
with the neighbors
$ $ $
$ $ $
Project Totals: $ $0* $
*not to exceed $2500
Project Location:
❑ Downtown ❑ Point Neighborhood
❑ North End ❑ South End
❑ Hill/College ❑ West End
❑ City Wide ❑ Other:
Physical address or intersection if applicable:
Does your project address an action identified in the 50%by 2030 Plan, Imagine Dubuque Plan or
another adopted City plan?
❑ Help to meet the 50% by 2030 Climate Action and Resiliency Plan goals to reduce community-wide
greenhouse gas emissions, adapt to a changing climate, and grow a sustainable, resilient
community by addressing an action from the plan.
❑ Help to further actions or in direct alignment with the Imagine Dubuque Plan.
❑ Help to further actions or in direct alignment with another adopted City of Dubuque plan. *
*Plan:
Explain how your project is in alignment with the plan(s) above: (50-word max)
Minority Impact Statement: Please choose the statement(s)that pertains to this grant application.
Complete all the information requested for the chosen statement(s). (300-word max)
❑The proposed grant project programs or policies could have a disproportionate or unique POSITIVE
impact on minority persons.
Describe the positive impact expected from this project:
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Indicate which groups are impacted: (Women, Persons with a Disability, Blacks, Latinos,Asians, Pacific
Islanders,American Indians,Alaskan Native Americans, Other )
❑ The proposed grant project programs or policies could have a disproportionate or unique NEGATIVE
impact on minority persons.
Describe the negative impact expected from this project:
Present the rationale for the existence of the proposed program or policy:
Provide evidence of consultation with representatives of the minority groups impacted:
Indicate which groups are impacted: (Women, Persons with a Disability, Blacks, Latinos,Asians, Pacific
Islanders,American Indians,Alaskan Native Americans, Other )
❑ The proposed grant project programs or policies are not expected to have a disproportionate or unique
impact on minority persons.
Present the rationale for determining no impact:
All projects must include community engagement and/or community education. Please explain how you
will incorporate one or both in your project. (100-word maximum)
How will measure your impact and what does project success look like?All grantees will be required to
complete a performance report summarizing basic impacts, such as number and demographics of people
reached through the project. Who will be better off?What change will you see? How will you measure
impact of your project? Good performance measures include not only who was served but how it impacted
their life/experience/situation. (300-word maximum)
Experience Applying for this Grant—Please help us continue to improve the Sustainable Dubuque Grant
Program. Please check the box that best describes your experience filling out this form and use the
additional space to explain anything else we should know about your experience filling out this grant
application.
❑ Delightfully easy! Clear, concise and I was able to share my idea without being over-burdened. (Positive)
❑ Pretty typical grant application. If you've done one,you've done them all. (Neutral)
❑ That was awful. I needed help, it didn't make any sense and the application isn't worth the funding. (Negative)
Additional explanation:
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