Applications sought for projects that will improve the environment, public health in the Tonawanda community
Buffalo, N.Y. – The Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo announced today that it is now accepting grant proposals for the Tonawanda Community Environmental Benefits Program (Tonawanda Community EBP). The Tonawanda Community EBP is an environmental grant program established from $1 million in funding obtained as part of a consent decree between the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, the New York Office of the Attorney General (collectively referred to as the State) and the Tonawanda Coke Corporation (TCC) regarding various environmental violations at TCC’s former facility in Tonawanda, New York.
The primary goal of the Tonawanda Community EBP is to fund environmental projects that will improve the environment or public health in the Tonawanda community, geographically defined as: Town of Tonawanda, City of Tonawanda, North Tonawanda, Village of Kenmore, the southern part of the Town of Grand Island, as well as Buffalo’s Riverside neighborhood.
There will be two tiers to the grant funding:
• Tier 1: Grants ranging from $5,000 to $25,000 to fund small-to-medium scale projects. Such projects could include air or water quality monitoring, installing a rain garden at a park, installing rain barrels, creating environmental education opportunities, developing new community gardens, expanding tree boxes on a block, or planting native trees or plants at a school.
• Tier 2: Grants ranging from $25,001 to $250,000 to fund projects in larger scale and scope. These projects could involve multiple sites or integrate multiple environmental benefits at a single site. They could include green street projects, large-scale site or neighborhood-wide planning projects, environmental design or engineering projects, neighborhood-wide education and environmental stewardship programs.
Grant applications can be submitted through March 26, 2021. Eligible grant recipients are not-for-profit organizations, local governments, and academic and educational institutions. The proposed project must be located in the Tonawanda community.
Information about how to apply for grants, including the link to submit an application, can be downloaded here: www.tonawandafund.org.
The Tonawanda Community EBP grant process was designed to engage the community to assist the State in selecting projects for funding. Because of the State’s fiduciary obligation under the settlement, the State will make final selections of projects to receive funds from the program.
The Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo was selected by the State through a competitive process to serve as Tonawanda Community EBP’s general administrator. The general administrator is responsible for managing the day-to-day operations of the program for the State.