USCAN Catalyzing Grants

Program Name: US Climate Action Network (USCAN) Catalyzing Grants (Formerly known as Empowerment Grants)

Purpose: To build trust and alignment among USCAN members and help build long-term grassroots power. Enables alignment between clusters of members to build critical mass for climate action. Aims to direct more funding to frontline and traditionally underfunded groups.

Funding Overview

• Historical Allocation: Over $3 million allocated since 2017 to over 100 members
• Recent Grant Period (Oct 2023 - 2026): 10 grants funded for $520,000
• Previous Period (Oct 2022 - 2023): 15 grants funded for $700,000

Eligibility

• Applicants: USCAN member organizations
• Budget Restriction: Organizations with budgets under $600,000 per year
• Focus: Faith, environmental justice (EJ), youth, and green groups prioritized

Funding Uses

Grants can fund:

• Member operating costs
• Campaigns
• Programmatic needs
• Work relating to one or more network priorities

Review Process

• Overseen by: Review Committee of USCAN members from faith, environmental justice (EJ), youth, & green groups
• Platform: Submittable (online grant management platform)
• Review Method: Randomly assigned proposals reviewed using scoring rubric
• Transparency: Review team rubric is open with all applicants

Key Program Features

• Application Burden: Grant applications designed to take less than 3 hours
• Flexible Formats: Accepts proposals in varying formats (handwritten, videos, PowerPoint, etc.)
• No Line-Item Budgets: Focus on organization's work and outcomes
• Decision-Making: Authority ceded to communities affected by the Climate Crisis
• Reporting: One-page update at end of grant period or between years for multi-year grants; presentation at USCAN Annual Meeting

Support for Applicants

• Webinars
• Virtual office hours
• Dedicated point person for questions
• In-person meetings to answer questions
• Assistance with proposal submission if needed

Contact

For questions about the Catalyzing Grants program, contact USCAN directly through their website or attend hosted webinars and office hours.

Application Process

1. Pre-Application Phase
   • USCAN co-creates a Request for Proposals (RFP) document with the Review Team
   • RFP is shared with members for input and feedback before application process begins
   • Application questions are developed by the review team and shared with members
2. Support Before Applying
   • Attend webinars to learn about the program
   • Attend virtual office hours
   • Contact the dedicated point person with questions
   • Attend in-person meetings if available
   • Request assistance with inputting proposals into the online platform if needed
3. Submission
   • Submit proposal through Submittable online platform
   • Application should take less than three hours to complete
   • Proposals can be submitted in multiple formats: handwritten, videos, PowerPoint, written narrative, etc.
4. Application Requirements
   • Questions developed by review team (specific questions vary by grant cycle)
   • No line-item budgets required — focus on organization's work and outcomes
   • Information about organization's work and expected outcomes
5. Review Phase
   • Proposals reviewed by Review Committee members using scoring rubric
   • Rubric is transparent and shared with all applicants before submission
   • Review conducted through Submittable platform
   • Proposals randomly assigned to reviewers
6. Post-Award Reporting
   • Submit one-page update at end of grant period
   • For multi-year grants: submit one-page update between years
   • Present work at USCAN Annual Meeting
   • Reporting focused on practices that do not burden grant recipients