Office of Environment & Sustainability

Thank you for your interest in the GCP Seeds of Change Youth Climate Action Grant Program! Online applications are encouraged, but paper or email submissions will also be accepted using this downloadable document template. The template can also be used to prepare content for online submissions. Complete applications must be submitted by September 25th, 2026, at 11:59 pm.  Incomplete applications or applications arriving after the submission deadline may not be considered. 

Submission Checklist 

The Program Overview Packet is a great place to start and contains all the grant program details. All are encouraged to attend the Info Session August 25th or the Idea Jams (Transportations& Neighborhoods Idea Jam September 3rd) (Zero Waste Idea Jam September 12th) to workshop ideas. OES team members will be available for drop-in office hours Mondays 10AM-12PM and Wednesdays 2PM-4PM to help answer questions and provide additional support. If questions remain unanswered or you need assistance to apply, please reach out to OES@cincinnati-oh.gov and a team member will get back to you as soon as possible. 

APPLY TODAY

• Youth-Led and/or Youth Serving – Applicant’s project must feature at least two individuals between the ages of 15-24 in leadership positions who actively participate in decision-making and/or be a part of an organization that provides core programs and resources specifically designed for youth. 

• New – The efforts must create a new project or initiative; not expand an existing activity. 

• Actionable – The efforts must be fully completed within the six-month grant period. 

• Nonprofit Status– Applicants must be a non profit organization or must apply with the help of a fiscal sponsor. Non profit organizations include schools, PTAs, foundations, community councils, etc. See Fiscal Sponsorship Tab for more information.  

• Impact Cincinnati – The efforts must impact one or more neighborhoods within the city limits. 

We're looking for projects that relate to the goals and strategies outlined in the Green Cincinnati Plan. Check out some of these project ideas and don't miss the upcoming Idea Jams for more opportunity to innovate and workshop ideas with local partners:

Transportation & Neighborhoods Idea Jam 

• Thursday September 3rd 2026 4:00 pm - 6:00 pm
• Village Green Foundation Community Room - Click here to RSVP

Zero Waste Idea Jam

• Saturday, September 12th 2026 10:30am-12:30pm

  Walnut Hills Branch Library - Click here to RSVP

• Project supplies and materials, including rental and purchase of items directly needed to carry out the project, such as equipment, tools, art supplies, or technology. 

• Costs for organizing community events, workshops, or educational sessions, including venue rental, printing of materials for participants, and basic refreshments. 

• Costs for any necessary permits to implement the project in accordance with local regulations. 

• Reasonable ground travel expenses for youth participants or team members directly involved in project implementation. 

• Promotional materials to raise awareness about the project, encourage engagement from stakeholders and the greater community, and share project results including photography, editorial support, and videography. 

• Reasonable fees for training and mentorship offered in workshops with youth participants 

• Project sponsorship costs that local NGOs, civic groups, neighborhood clubs, schools or other organizations may charge for receiving a microgrant on behalf of youth project leads. The costs should be no more than 15% of the microgrant value. 

• Funds to enable youth participation such as bus fare, per diems for food, or gift cards are permitted, but they should not make up the majority of microgrant. Microgrants are not intended as stipends or salary for the youth leads, but rather to encourage volunteerism and civic engagement in the greater community.

• Services covered by existing city initiatives 

• Rent or utilities

• Nonprofit/NGO incorporation fees 

• Speaker honorariums and speaker fees 

• Scholarships 

• Salary or stipends for youth participants and leads

• Direct support to individuals or families 

• Partisan political work 

• Political campaigns, fundraisers, or projects 

• Capital campaigns, endowments, or endowed chairs 

• Events or fundraisers not related to youth climate action 

In order to get grant funds for your project, you need to BE or WORK WITH some kind of nonprofit organization. Examples of nonprofits are local organizations, schools, universities, after school programs, community councils, and foundations. If you are part of one of these organizations, you can get started with your application. Just make sure you talk with someone at the organization before applying, since there will be some information and steps they need to follow.

If you are not part of one of these organizations, you can still apply! But first, you need to find an organization to work with to be your "fiscal sponsor". This means that the nonprofit will handle the funds for your project and make sure they are used in alignment with the project application. If you already have a connection with a nonprofit, you can ask them to be your fiscal sponsor. If not, you can contact OES at oes@cincinnati-oh.gov for more information on how to find a fiscal sponsor.

All groups using a fiscal sponsor must have a signed Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the two groups. You can find a template MOU and more details about fiscal sponsorship HERE.

Fiscal sponsors may charge for their services, if so, the cost should be no more than 15% of the microgrant value.

8-15 grants will be awarded from $1,000 to $5,000 each, for a total of $40,000. Projects that match the following priorities will be the strongest: 

• The project will benefit communities most impacted by climate change (heat, flooding, poor air quality). Check out the Climate Equity Indicators Report to find climate equity indicator information and priorities for each neighborhood. 

• Youth from communities most impacted by climate change (heat, flooding, poor air quality) are leading or have contributed to the project’s design 

• The group applying for the grant can carry out the project 

• Alignment with at least one of the Green Cincinnati Plan strategies

A group of 6-8 youth community members will review the applications and make decisions based on these priorities.  Interested in being on the review committee? Fill out the short interest form HERE by September 9th.  The commitment will involve approximately 10 hours of your time between September-October 2026. This commitment will be volunteer. Many thanks for your interest! 

After being selected for a grant, the grant recipient will be notified by email and the project will be eligible to begin implementation. If the grant is given to a nonprofit organization other than the one carrying out the project, a written fiscal sponsorship agreement must be made between the two organizations and submitted with the initial application. You will find a fiscal sponsorship agreement template with the other resources below. The awarded organization will also need to register as a vendor of the city as part of the application process. This is a necessary step in order for the awarded organization to receive grant funds promptly following award. The organization must keep proof of payments in the form of receipts for final reporting. 

Grant recipients are asked to document the impact of funded efforts by photos, stories, numbers, and any other means desired. In January 2027, a mid-project update will be requested that maps out the project's progress so far. Final grant reporting is due April 15th, 2027. Templates for reporting will be provided. 

• Program Packet-start here!
• Application
• Budget Spreadsheet
• Fiscal Sponsor Overview and Template 

• Example Project Ideas 

• Green Cincinnati Plan Website 

• Climate Equity Indicators Report 

• Climate Safe Neighborhoods Resilience Plans 

• GCP Equity Framework 

Other related funding: 

• City Competitive Grant Programs List 

• City Community Budget Request 

• Keep Cincinnati Beautiful Safe & Clean Neighborhood Fund 

• Hamilton County Resource grants 

• Hamilton County INSPIRE Youth Initiative Grant​

Contact the Youth Climate Action team at oes@cincinnati-oh.gov and we will reply as promptly as possible. 

Or drop in during Office Hours: Open August 24-September 25!  Mondays 10AM-12PM (join here) and Wednesdays 2PM-4PM (join here)