We’ve joined Bloomberg Philanthropies’ new Youth Climate Action Fund, which will provide technical assistance and funding for 100 mayors to activate young people ages 15 to 24 around the world to design, produce and govern urgent climate solutions in their cities.
On this page:
- About the fund
- Eligibility
- Apply
- Requirements
- Types of projects supported
- Our climate action priorities
- Consultant
About the fund
Through Bloomberg Philanthropies’ new Youth Climate Action Fund, the City of Kitchener has received $100,000 USD to distribute as microgrants ($1,500 CDN to $6,500 CDN) to fund youth-led climate initiatives. We are administering this grant in consultation with the GreenHouse, a social impact incubator.
From tree-planting or public education campaigns to recycling or waste reduction initiatives to climate change mitigation planning or preparedness programs, efforts funded by the new Youth Climate Action Fund will advance community goals like meeting decarbonization commitments or reducing consumption-based emissions.
Eligibility
Applicants and projects must be:
- led by youth ages 15 to 24
- Kitchener-serving and support our climate action priorities
- run by a formally incorporated organization (with a bank account to receive funds) or be a youth-led team partnered with a fiscal sponsor
- complete by October 31, 2025
Apply
Applications are open now, and close on Monday, April 7, at 11:59 p.m.
Requirements
Your application must include a simple budget. The Youth Climate Action Fund can cover project costs between April 1 and October 31, 2025.
- examples of eligible costs: food costs, transportation costs, materials and equipment, equipment or space rentals, gift cards for participation
- examples of ineligible costs: services covered by existing city initiatives, speaker honorariums, and partisan political organizations, political candidates, fundraisers, or projects
Timeline
The Youth Climate Action Fund applications and projects will follow this timeline:
- applications open on Monday, March 3
- idea generation workshop on March 7
- application workshop on March 20
- applications close on Monday, April 7 at 11:59 p.m.
- we will contact successful candidates by email in April
- Successful projects will be announced on April 22, Earth Day
- we will disperse funds by June 1
- we will host a showcase of all the YCAF projects at Kitchener City Hall in fall 2025
- all projects must be complete by October 31, 2025
- project reports are due to City of Kitchener by November 15, 2025
Assessment criteria
The assessment committee (made up of three adults and three youth) will choose projects based on:
- alignment with our community climate action goals (25 points)
- the extent the project is led and driven by youth (15 points)
- budget (10 points), timeline (10 points) and resource (10 points) feasibility
Types of projects supported
Successful projects should be aligned with our community climate action priorities.
Youth-led awareness, education, research, and development initiatives, including:
- youth-led climate education programs
- youth climate hackathons
- youth-developed climate surveys and research
- youth-informed clubs or curriculum
- youth-designed public art and awareness campaigns
Youth-driven climate mitigation and adaptation projects, including:
- youth-led community gardening
- tree planting
- reforestation
- urban farming campaigns
- youth-managed recycling and waste reduction programs
- youth-produced climate resilience workshops
- disaster preparedness programs
Co-governed youth climate action plans, including:
- partnerships between city leaders and youth groups to inform climate-related policy ideas and decisions
- actions or the formation of youth climate ambassadors
Winning projects and their fiscal sponsors for 2024:
- Food Waste Project, Canadian Wildlife Federation
- Kitchener Community Compost Project, Waterloo Region Green Solutions
- Protected winter garden and enclosed growing space, Eastwood Collegiate Institute
- EcoSwap: Trade Today, Save Tomorrow!, GreenHouse - United College
- Future Ecoleader Youth, Camino Wellbeing + Mental Health
- GreenLog: Empowering Youth for Comprehensive Environmental Action, GreenHouse - United College
- Harvest to Garnish, Greenway Chaplin
- Native Plant Revival Project, GreenHouse - United College
- Roots for tomorrow: planting a better future, Kinbridge Community Association
- Drizzle to Downpour, Waterloo Wellington Children's Groundwater Festiva
- Tree Carbon Project, Canadian Wildlife Federation
- Microgrants for Student Eco-Clubs, Waterloo Region District School Board
- Youth Climate Hackathon, Young Eye Initiative
- Young Eye International Podcast, Young Eye Initiative
- Public Art Installation Meets Youth-Led Waste Reduction Initiative, GreenHouse - United College
- Invasive Species Removal and Native Plants Re-Introduction, Kinbridge Community Association
Our climate action priorities
Projects funded by the grant should advance our climate action priorities:
- community climate action: TransformWR
- corporate climate action: Pivot: Net-Zero
- community climate adaptation: Community Climate Adaptation Plan, Climate Change and Health Vulnerability Assessment
If you have any questions or need help with your application, send us an email.
Consultant
GreenHouse, located at the University of Waterloo, is a social impact incubator for students and community members who want to create social or environmental change. We’re working with GreenHouse to support youth climate action through the entire grant application and project process!
