5 Tips for Planning your Green Grant Project over J-term

Have you been thinking about applying for a Green Grant? J-term is a great time to finally think through your project idea and get all your ducks in a row before the February 4 deadline. 

Here are some tips on how to use J-term wisely:

drawing different ideas on a chalkboard1. Know your NYU stakeholders. We love projects that educate the broader NYU community and pull in different stakeholders from students to faculty to administrators. For example, if you’re a student considering a project for your residence hall, discuss your idea with your Building Leadership Team and your Faculty in Residence; bridging these connections before getting into your proposal will help ensure the long-term success of the project. 

2. Consider an idea that will outlast your time at NYU. If you’ve ever lived on campus, you may be familiar with the Green Apple Move Out donations program or the NYU Bike Share. Did you know these originated as Green Grants? Think of ways your project can continue to flourish at NYU past the grant funding stage to become an integral part of NYU’s programs and operations.

3. Make your next steps meaningful. If you want to organize and event, what will participants leave with that they can continue to use in their everyday lives? If you’re conducting research, what can the data you collect be used for beyond your own project? Think about the value of your project and its potential to impact the NYU community.

4. Measure impact! Ensure your project includes a thorough and thoughtful plan for using metrics to measure success. We receive many promising proposals that are not approved because they lack a plan for measuring results.

5. Submit an Expression of Interest form as early as possible (at least 2.5 weeks ahead of a deadline). This way you can get feedback from our office on whether your idea is something that falls within the scope of our grant program, and how you can improve your proposal to have a better chance at being funded!

Still working out the idea? Browse past projects to see what has been funded before. Email green.grants@nyu.edu with any questions.