Sustainable Blacksburg’s mission is to promote and enhance sustainability in Blacksburg and its environs. In 2021, we established a small grant program to enhance the impact of our work by supporting the efforts of others in the community to accomplish sustainability-related projects that align with our mission.
Do you have a sustainability-related project that needs funding support to accomplish? SB will be awarding up to four grants of up to $500 each during calendar year 2023.
| Timeline for first two grant awards: |
| Project proposal submittal deadline: March 31 |
| Project approval date: April 15 |
| Timeline for third and fourth grant awards: |
| Project proposal submittal deadline: June 30 |
| Project approval date: August 1 |
To be considered for a grant, download the application form here and return it by the deadline to sustainableblacksburgva@gmail.com, using the subject header “Grant Proposal for” and the name or abbreviation of your organization. Eligible projects would support Sustainable Blacksburg’s mission and be located within the New River Valley.
We are pleased to announce the recipients of our final two grants for 2022, NLCF and the Market of Virginia Tech.
NLCF, a non-denominational Christian church, requested funds for the purchase of native plants to replace existing non-native plants in their landscaping, which will enhance the year-round appearance of their building as well as promote sustainability in our local area, supporting Sustainable Blacksburg’s focus on ecological integrity.
As described in their proposal,
“We are a registered 501c(3) organization and are involved in a variety of community efforts that seek to meet both spiritual and physical needs. Our church is invested in bettering the NRV community as a whole. Historically we have opened our doors for both church gatherings and community events alike…We have renovated the property’s interior to be an inviting, usable space. We now seek to beautify and improve functionality of its outdoor spaces for the many groups that prefer meeting outside, and for individuals wanting a place to just breathe. We value environmental stewardship, and believe this project will add ecological value to the property through native plant installations that support pollinators, birds, and other wildlife. The current landscaping is almost exclusively non-native plants, including some invasives (e.g. Miscanthus sinensis). Replacing these species with native plants would be a major ecological improvement, and would serve as a model for others in the community.“
The Market of Virginia Tech, which provides groceries to food insecure students, requested a grant to purchase a hydroponics system and seedlings to provide the students access to fresh herbs. This project supports Sustainable Blacksburg’s focus on local foods and social equity.
As described in their proposal,
“Food insecurity is prevalent throughout Virginia Tech, with 29% of undergraduates and 35% of graduate students having low food security. Part of the mission of the Market at Virginia Tech is to provide free food for these students. While The Market has access to mostly non-perishables, with smaller amounts of produce, meat and dairy products, they have very little access to fresh herbs due to their higher cost. They also have very limited space to produce their own food, with potential to move to a different location within the next 3 years. “
Find details on our first two grants for 2022 here
Sustainable Blacksburg’s mission is to promote and enhance sustainability in Blacksburg and environs by promoting clean energy, smart growth and mobility, ecological integrity, social equity, local food systems and reduction of waste, carbon emissions, and pollution.
We work to accomplish our mission by serving as a clearinghouse of sustainability-related information, and collaborating with the Town of Blacksburg, Virginia Tech, other community organizations and businesses to create and cross promote sustainability policies, programs, and projects.