The application period for Orange County’s Community Climate Action Grant is open for FY23-24. An estimated $282,042 in funding will be provided to support community expansion of climate change mitigation and resilience projects that build on Orange County’s long history of sustainable actions. An additional $282,042 in funding will be set aside to fund applications from either of Orange County’s two public school districts.
All public and non-profit entities and small businesses are eligible to apply. Details on grant eligibility, scoring and application materials are available at the grant program website. The deadline to apply is Aug. 18, 2023.
More Background
As part of the FY20 budget, the Board of Orange County Commissioners (BOCC) created the Orange County Climate Action Fund dedicated to accelerating climate change mitigation and resilience projects in Orange County. The first round of projects were proposed by the Commission for the Environment and approved by the Commissioners. These projects funded solar projects for each of the school districts, a LED lighting campaign for lower-income residents, and affordable housing weatherization.
The BOCC considers social justice and racial equity in funding, so that those who benefit most directly from the county’s actions and investments are those that have been historically overlooked. The scoring formula used to rank potential projects reflects these priorities and will be used to rank climate action grant applications.
Applications are scored using a 26-point scale based on the following weighted criteria:
- Social Justice and Racial Equity (6pts)
- Greenhouse gas emissions reduced (4 pts)
- Efficient use of Funds (4 pts)
- Capacity of Applicant (3 pts)
- Local Economic Development (3 pts)
- Amount and Duration of Engagement (3 pts)
- Time to complete (3 pts)
For more information, visit www.orangecountync.gov/CCAG or contact Orange County Sustainability Programs Manager, Amy Eckberg at aeckberg@orangecountync.gov.