The CSF Committee members hold weekly Virtual Office Hours dedicated for drop-ins throughout the semester! Please utilize them for anything CSF-related. No appointment necessary. Learn more on our webpage!
About Mini Grants
Mini Grants fund time-sensitive, off-cycle, small-scale projects in both the fall and spring semesters. The minimum allocation for a single Mini Grant project is $250 and the maximum allocation is $5,000. Mini Grant funding will be transferred on a rolling basis and the project must be completed by the end of the fiscal year, June 30. Funding dispersal for approved projects is dependent on when the application is submitted and when all project team members have signed our Letter of Agreement.
To apply for a Mini Grant, applicants must submit both a Preliminary Application and a Final Application which include written responses, project contacts, and a budget template that details funding requests and proposed project expenditures. The responses to the questions in the written application must be thorough, thoughtful, and accurate. Only project applications that have made the effort to obtain all necessary preliminary information, research, and contacts will be considered.
Please ensure you have reviewed our Grant Application Info page fully in addition to what is detailed below.
All proposals must include a project budget using our Mini Grant Budget Template. Please download this template as an Excel file and complete it in Excel. To review the application questions for Annual Grants, please review our application form on our "Apply Here" page or you can view them here in a document to work offline.
Seed Funding
The CSF believes their role on campus is to help kick-start projects, programs, and initiatives that otherwise do not have funding. In this way, awards from the CSF act as seed-funding, rather than long-term funding. For Mini Grants, Project Managers and partnering departments must wait one year after their third award to be eligible again. In other words, if a project applies for three Mini Grants consecutively that have a similar goal and project plan, the team must wait one year to be eligible to apply again.
Fall 2024 Mini Grant Timeline Overview
- Preliminary Application: September 9 - October 6, 2024
- Review and feedback: Rolling basis
- Final Application: October 7 - November 3, 2024
- Review and funding decisions will be made on a rolling basis as applications are received
- Projects should expect funding no sooner than mid-November - plan accordingly
All deadlines are 11:59 p.m. unless otherwise noted.
Mini Grant Process Overview
- Complete preliminary work and drafting
- Submit Preliminary Application
- Await feedback from the Committee
- Integrate feedback in Final Application
- Submit Final Application
- Applicant will be notified if their application has been approved or not approved
Additional detail on each step of this process is provided below. Please do not hesitate to contact Emily Haworth, CSF Coordinator, at emilyhaworth@arizona.edu with any questions.
Virtual Office Hours
The CSF Committee members hold Virtual Office Hours dedicated for drop-ins! Please utilize them for anything CSF-related. Drop into Virtual Office Hours on Zoom when you have questions on your proposal idea and whether or not it fits within the scope of the Fund, how to strengthen your proposal’s application or impact, and anything else!
The CSF Committee strongly encourages applicants to connect with a member of the CSF Committee through Virtual Office Hours as soon as possible to increase the likelihood that each team will be able to secure the approvals, letters, documentation, or quotes that might be necessary to procure prior to the submission of the Final Application.
Preliminary Mini Grant Application
The Preliminary Application period opens at 8:00 a.m. on Monday, September 9, and closes at 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, October 6, 2024.
The Preliminary Application is a lower stakes application that will allow the CSF Committee to give feedback on the proposal prior to the submission of the Final Application. The Preliminary Application should demonstrate a strong, well-thought-out proposal with a solidified plan, but does not need to have solidified implementation objectives as is required in the Final Application. For example, the budget sheet and quotes from Facilities Management or other vendors do not need to be finalized, but should be in the works in order to meet the Final Application requirements and deadline.
The Committee will provide feedback on Preliminary Applications on a rolling basis, meaning Project Managers can expect to hear back from the Committee on the Preliminary Application within two to three weeks. All Preliminary Applications will be reviewed, but not all Preliminary Applications will be provided the go-ahead to submit a Final Application should the project proposal fall outside of the scope of the Fund.
Final Application
The Final Application period opens at 8:00 a.m. on Monday, October 7, 2024 and closes at 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, November 3, 2024.
Once applicants have received and integrated feedback on their Preliminary Application, applicants may submit their Final Application.
Following the Final Application submission, Project Managers can expect to receive a funding decision via email within two to three weeks.
Final Applications must include:
- A completed written application, submitted through the CSF’s form
- An official quote from any relevant party, including but not limited to Facilities Management and/or or other vendors/businesses
- Letters of commitment, partnership, or ongoing collaboration if any such relationship is noted in the proposal
- A complete and detailed budget sheet
Please consider what application requirements and details need to be identified in advance. Any project proposal that alters or makes modifications to campus requires University Facility Services consent and coordination as well as a quote through their online Estimate Request service portal. Please review our Estimate Request Guide for University Facility Services to get started. The timeline to receive authorization and a quote for the modification can take several weeks to several months from start to finish. Applicants should plan accordingly. The process and management of the quote or service request is the responsibility of the applicant. Projects that require a quote must have one at the time of submitting the Final Application and must be attached as a Supporting Document.
Applications must be completed and submitted to the Campus Sustainability Fund by the designated dates above to be considered for funding. Once the window for completing applications closes, materials will not be accepted or considered. Applicants should budget enough time to deal with any potential technological challenges that may arise as it will not be considered as a valid excuse if a proposal cannot be submitted before the deadline.
Funds may never be used for reimbursement for items that have already been purchased, for projects that have already begun, or for projects that are already completed. This includes requesting funding for items (including capital equipment) or for labor already purchased or completed. Funding also cannot be requested to pay for any expenses (labor or otherwise) that were going to be purchased regardless of the Committee’s funding decision. Therefore, a realistic amount of lead time should be given in order for proposals to be eligible for review. Tight timelines are potential grounds for disapproval, as the proposal could lack logistics and feasibility. The CSF highly recommends that projects that are set to take place in early spring with specific timelines apply in fall to allow themselves enough time.
Indigenous-Centered Mini Grants
With the generous support of the Agnese Nelms Haury Program, the CSF has two Indigenous-Centered Mini Grant opportunities for the 2024 – 2025 school year. Each Mini Grant is $5,000 and is reserved for funding Indigenous-focused projects that are oriented toward environmental and/or social sustainability.
Please read more about these grants and how to apply on our Indigenous-Centered Mini Grants page.
Earth Day Mini Grants
The CSF encourages Earth Day-related grants to be submitted in the fall to allow ample time for funding transfers and to ensure project success.
