Big ideas wanted. The Park City Community Foundation is seeking applications for its next round of climate fund grants.
The foundation is looking to fund projects aimed at developing new ways to reduce emissions or sequester carbon from the atmosphere. The organization’s Climate Fund will accept grant applications through the end of September from people and organizations working toward those goals.
Since the climate fund began, the grants have ranged in size and scope depending on the projects that people and organizations come up with. Grant amounts in past years have been anywhere from $10k to $65k per project.
Diego Zegarra, vice president of equity and impact for the community foundation, highlighted the value of these projects to mountain communities’ futures.
“Environmental issues are directly tied to economic outcomes in mountain towns," he said. "And it feels like we are well positioned to pilot ideas and be the testing ground for some of these innovative projects.”
The Climate Fund was created in 2019 with the goal of helping Park City achieve its goal of reaching net zero carbon emissions by 2030.
In 2020, it distributed two rounds of grants totaling $385,000 to 11 recipients. This year it will grant $250,000 to local organizations, businesses, or entrepreneurs. Zegarra said no idea is too big or small.
“This year the committee is looking for innovative ideas," he said. "Perhaps someone's working in their garage on the next big thing and the committee's interested in looking at it and if it has the potential to scale and reduce emissions or sequester carbon, they would be interested in funding that.”
For example of previous projects that received climate fund grant or information about applying for one, visit the community foundation’s web site at parkcitycf.org