Ford marks Earth Day with call for its Environmental Grants 2024 program
This year, $46,000 will be awarded to community initiatives that have a positive impact in Puerto Rico.
Ford has announced the opening of its annual Ford Environmental Grants program, which aims to promote sustainability and accelerate the conservation of natural resources by empowering communities toward a more sustainable future.
The call for applications period, during which nonprofit organizations can submit their projects, will remain open until May 31.
This year, the program will distribute $46,000 among the winning community initiatives that have a positive environmental impact in Puerto Rico and contribute explicitly to the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Ford said that throughout the previous 22 editions of the program, it has contributed more than $2 million to hundreds of environmental projects across Central America and the Caribbean.
“We’re very proud that through our annual Ford Environmental Grants program, we can continue to promote community initiatives that work to achieve a sustainable future for Puerto Rico and the planet, while also promoting socioeconomic progress,” said Vivian T. Dávila, public affairs and communications manager for Ford in Puerto Rico, Central America and the Caribbean. She invited organizations that are carrying out an environmental community project to participate.
The program welcomes proposals in four categories. The first category, Conservation and Recovery of Biodiversity, includes projects that focus on the protection, recovery and conservation of ecosystems, flora, fauna and water resources. Another category is Food Security, which concentrates on ecological agriculture projects and sustainable ecosystem management, both necessary for ensuring access to healthy food in vulnerable communities.
Additionally, the program targets Waste Management, aimed at projects that promote reducing, reusing, recycling and recovering community waste, while fostering a culture of proper waste management. The final category, Renewable Energies, is for projects that utilize renewable natural resources to combat climate change.
Community environmental projects that are submitted for evaluation must already be in the execution stage in Puerto Rico and must have relevant preliminary results that can be included in their proposal, Ford officials said.
Participants may register for a webinar on May 10, at 11:30 a.m., designed to guide them through the participation process and address any questions.
A jury composed of experts in the environmental field, including distinguished professionals who have previously served as judges in the program, will select the winners. The criteria for selection will include the projects’ contribution to sustainable development, community impact, ability to foster multisector alliances and their multiplier effect.
