FAQ
How do I know if my school is eligible?
Who can submit an application?
Can a school submit more than one project?
Can a school reapply if they didn’t receive a grant in a previous round?
What types of projects does the WWF-Canada Green CommUnity School Grants Program support?
How do I submit an application?
How many grants are given out?
How much money can I get for the project?
When does the project have to be implemented?
How do I enter the project costs in my application?
What is the deadline for submissions?
How will the project be judged?
Who will be judging applications?
When will winners be notified?
If my project is selected to receive a grant, what work will be involved?
How is the grant money allocated?
When will the grant payments be disbursed?
What if all funds aren't granted?
When is the next grant program open?
Who is WWF-Canada?
What is Loblaw’s connection to this program?
Who do I contact if I need help with the program?
I’m having trouble viewing the website, what can I do to fix the problem?
How do I know if my school is eligible?
Any private, public, or independent Canadian elementary or secondary school is eligible to apply for the WWF-Canada Green CommUnity School Grants Program. CEGEPs and daycares are not eligible.
Who can submit an application?
Applications can be submitted by:
- Principals
- School Staff Members (Teacher, Guidance Counselor, etc.)
- Students, and
- Parent Counsel Members
Each project must be supervised by a school staff member AND be approved by the school principal in order to be eligible for a grant.
Can a school submit more than one project?
Yes! A school can submit as many applications as they would like, however the projects must be distinct from one another. WWF-Canada reserves the right to limit the number of grants awarded to each school in a calendar year.
Can a school reapply if they didn’t receive a grant in a previous round?
Yes. We encourage applicants to reapply if they submitted an application for a previous round and were not selected for a grant. Take a look at the
judging criteria and see if you can enhance your application before you submit.
What types of projects does the WWF-Canada Green CommUnity School Grants Program support?
The WWF-Canada Green CommUnity School Grants Program aims to support projects that connect students with nature, help reduce a community’s impact on the environment, increase understanding of environmental issues and solutions, stimulate environmental leadership, and inspire students and communities to take action.
Examples of projects may include: water conservation, sustainable transportation, increased energy efficiency and biodiversity on school ground, local and sustainable food programs, and waste reduction programs. Read more about
past grant winners here.
We encourage you to be creative, and think of new green ideas that we haven’t seen before!
How do I submit an application?
Applications must be submitted online through the application available on this website. We will not accept entries by mail, fax, or e-mail.
How many grants are given out?
Grants of up to $5,000 each will be made to approximately 50 schools per year, across 5 regions in Canada: North, West, Central, Quebec and Atlantic.
How much money can I get for the project?
Each project can be granted up to $5,000. It is important to detail all anticipated costs in your application as you cannot add new costs later.
When does the project have to be implemented?
Projects for the spring program must be implemented between June 1, 2012 and May 31, 2013. Grant funding will not be provided for expenses incurred outside of these dates.
How do I enter the project costs in my application?
Please use the provided chart in the application form to enter your project costs.
In the description, tell us about the item(s) you are purchasing and the quantity, if applicable.
Five lines are displayed but you have the option to add an additional 10 lines. Your individual costs will be automatically totalled for you. Please do not skip lines or leave gaps when entering your costs, and be sure to enter your first description on the first line of the budget chart.
Please note, funds spent outside of the agreement’s terms or time period will not be reimbursed.
Example:
| Description |
Approximate Cost
(including taxes) |
| 3 giant bags of GreenThumb Black Garden Soil |
$471.21 |
| 2 Oz Milkweed Bulk Wildflower Seeds |
$21.69 |
| Vermiculture book |
$36.16 |
| 2 rain barrels (made from recycled food grade barrels) |
$226.00 |
| |
|
| Total |
$755.06 |
What is the deadline for submissions?
All projects for the fall cycle must be submitted by April 2, 2012 at 3:00 pm EST. If you aren’t located in the Eastern Standard Time Zone, please make sure to take note of what your deadline will be:
Pacific: Monday, April 2, 2012 at noon
Mountain: Monday, April 2, 2012 at 1pm
Central: Monday, April 2, 2012 at 2pm
Eastern: Monday, April 2, 2012 at 3pm
Atlantic: Monday, April 2, 2012 at 4pm
Newfoundland: Monday, April 2, 2012 at 3:30pm
How will the project be judged?
Applications from the following 5 regions in Canada will be evaluated together: North, West, Central, Quebec, and Atlantic.
The following criteria will also be evaluated:
-
Opportunities for student engagement and learning
- How well does the project engage the school’s population?
- Does the project aim to connect students with nature and the environment? Could the project be incorporated into a Lesson Plan / School Curriculum?
-
Effectiveness of the project
- How strong is the short term and/or long term impact of the project on the school and community environment?
-
Relevance and Ease of Impementation
- Is the need for the project well explained?
- Is it clear who will be involved in the project and the steps needed to go from idea to action?
-
Ability for others to replicate the project in their own school and community
- How well can the project be adopted by other schools, students and communities for even greater impact?
-
Broader community engagement potential
- How well will the project reach the community, beyond the school?
-
A plan for measurable results
- Is it clear what "success" means?
- Originality and creativity of project plan
- Overall quality of submission
Who will be judging applications?
WWF-Canada has teamed up with Studentawards Inc. to manage the WWF-Canada Green CommUnity School Grants Program. Studentawards Inc. is responsible for accepting, processing and judging all online applications. WWF-Canada representatives will be involved in decision making for grant allocation.
When will winners be notified?
Successful applicants will be notified in May 2012.
If my project is selected to receive a grant, what work will be involved?
If your project is selected to receive a grant, the supervising staff member is required to:
- Manage and execute the project
- Update WWF-Canada Green CommUnity School Grants Program’s administrators by submitting a kick-off and interim progress report, which must include 2 high quality photos with rights to distribute, a testimonial, and a video if possible
- Upon completion of the project, submit a final report with at least 2 high quality photos, and a video if possible with rights to distribute.
How is the grant money allocated?
If selected as a grant recipient, schools will receive 75% of the funds upfront.
WWF will issue the final payment (remaining 25% of the grant) after receipt of a satisfactory progress report detailing how at least 50% of the project has been completed. If less than 50% is complete, due to the nature of the project, then the report must outline the next steps, and how the final payment will enable project completion.
When will the grant payments be disbursed?
Each project may have a different payment schedule. Schedules for the fall program will be confirmed in June 2012.
What if all funds aren't granted?
Any funds that are not granted due to lack of applications or lack of quality applications will be rolled over to the next granting period.
When is the next grant program open?
The spring cycle of the WWF-Canada Green CommUnity School Grants Program will open in September/October 2012.
Who is WWF-Canada?
WWF-Canada (World Wildlife Fund Canada) is a member of WWF, one of the world's largest independent conservation organizations, active in more than 100 countries. WWF is creating solutions to the most serious conservation challenges facing our planet, helping people and nature to thrive. In Canada, we create solutions to conservation issues important to Canadians and the world. WWF-Canada works collaboratively with governments, businesses and the public to help fight climate change, the single biggest environmental threat to our planet; conserve our oceans and freshwater resources; and educate and mobilize people to build a conservation culture. WWF-Canada's main office is in Toronto, with regional offices located in Vancouver, Prince Rupert, St. Albert, Ottawa, Halifax, Montreal and St. John's. For more information, visit
wwf.ca.
What is Loblaw’s connection to this program?
WWF-Canada is proud to be working with Loblaw Companies Limited to further encourage Canadians to demonstrate their support of the environment. Loblaw provides a corporate donation and partial proceeds from the charge on plastic shopping bags from corporate stores to WWF-Canada. These funds support the development of WWF-Canada’s national program to help Canadians reduce their daily environmental footprint through simple planet-friendly actions, including this Green CommUnity School Grants program.
Who do I contact if I need help with the program?
You can send your questions or comments to our
Help Centre.
Or, you can reach us toll-free at 1-877-859-2737. Please reference the WWF-Canada Green CommUnity School Grants Program when speaking to a Program Administrator.
I’m having trouble viewing the website, what can I do to fix the problem?
Here are some suggestions to fix any potential issues in viewing the website. If problems persist, please contact our
Help Centre and inform them of the issue.
JavaScript
Ensure you have JavaScript enabled on your browsers. Most browsers are set to run JavaScript by default. Please access your browser’s online help function to check whether your browser supports JavaScript or to find out how to configure your browser to run JavaScript.
Optimization
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Windows OS
- Mozilla Firefox 1.0+
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Mac OS
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- Microsoft Internet Explorer V. 5.0+
Cookies
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Security
To submit an application, you’ll need to have a 128-bit encryption pack installed in your browser. The 128 bit Secure Socket Layer (SSL) certificate provides strong encryption for Internet transactions and is a worldwide standard for securing online e-commerce and banking transactions. 128 bit Secure Socket Layer (SSL) is standard on all of the above browsers.