Mayor Bhalla has announced an open call for proposals for microgrants from the Youth Climate Action Fund. 

The Youth Climate Action Fund will provide microgrants of $1,000 to $5,000 to organizations that are youth-led or have a strong focus on youth. The microgrants will fund projects led by youth ages 15 to 24 in designing, producing, and overseeing urgent climate solutions. 

The application window closed on June 1, 2024. Please contact climate@hobokennj.gov with any questions.

Youth are encouraged to propose new and ambitious climate efforts. Project ideas may include, but are not limited to:

• Youth-led awareness, education, research, and development initiatives, such as: youth-led climate education programs; youth climate hackathons; youth-developed climate surveys and research; youth-informed clubs or curriculum; and youth-designed public art and awareness campaigns.
• Youth-driven climate mitigation and adaptation projects, such as: youth-led community gardening, tree planting, reforestation, and urban farming campaigns; youth-managed recycling and waste reduction programs; and youth-produced climate resilience workshops and disaster preparedness programs.
• Co-governed youth climate action plans, such as: partnerships between city leaders and youth groups to inform climate-related policy ideas, decisions, or actions or the formation of youth climate ambassadors or advisory boards. See more here.

The Youth Climate Action Fund is powered by Bloomberg Philanthropies in partnership with United Cities and Local Government and the Bloomberg Center for Public Innovation at Johns Hopkins University, at no cost to taxpayers.

To be eligible to apply:

• Organization receiving microgrant must be youth-led or have a strong focus on youth.
• Project leader must be a young person between the ages of 15 to 24 who lives, goes to school, or works in the City of Hoboken. 
• Project must design, plan, oversee, manage, and/or implement a, urgent climate solution.
• All grants are subject to vetting and pre-approval by relevant fiscal sponsor(s), as well as applicable laws, rules, and regulations.
• Applicants must have a formal incorporation or status of some kind (not neccessarily an NGO or chairty), a bank account in its name, and ability to manage the funds. 

How to apply:

• Please complete one application per project. 
• Organizations may apply for more than one project, but different groups within that organization are encouraged to apply (e.g., two clubs at Hoboken High School could each apply for one project).

Microgrant agreement requirements:

• Funds must be used for the puposes in the approved application.
• Projects must be completed and all funds must be spent by December 31, 2024.
• Microgrant recipients will need to submit one (1) final report by January 15, 2025.
• Comply with all applicable laws and regulations.