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City presents ‘Seeds of Change’ community grants; staff report 273K invested in 68 projects in 2024 pilot
Summary
Office of Environment & Sustainability staff updated committee on the Seeds of Change grant pilot: $273,000 invested across 68 projects in 2024, two grant rounds plus urban agriculture funds, and preliminary metrics on resident leaders and neighborhood reach; staff invited continued referrals and noted upcoming grant deadlines.
The Office of Environment & Sustainability (OES) presented an update on the Seeds of Change grant program, which funded community-led projects tied to the Green Cincinnati Plan.
Molly Robertshaw, OES sustainability manager, and Director Kroner described the program as a pilot that funded 68 projects across two Seeds of Change rounds and an Urban Agriculture round in 2024. Robertshaw said the program distributed about $273,000 in grants ranging from $500 to $20,000 and that the Greater Cincinnati Foundation matched city funds in the open-call round.
Staff presented examples: Mount Washington CDC used funding for bike racks and community bike-safety events tied to the Crown Trail; Don Peebles’ Brick Gardens and Xavier University are piloting compost partnerships with a dining hall to reduce food waste; Pleasant Street Community Garden built a shade structure (presented by Alexis Marsh); and Sunlight Power installed a roughly 15-kilowatt solar array at Horses On The Hill, an equine-assisted therapy barn run by Block Ministries in Price Hill.
Kevin (surname as presented in the meeting) described the solar installation and estimated the system will enable approximately $115,000 in lifetime savings for Horses On The Hill. OES said the program engaged 530 resident leaders across 37 Cincinnati neighborhoods in the last six months of 2024 and reached about 5,800 residents; 74% of funds landed in neighborhoods identified with environmental justice concerns.
Staff noted the Youth Climate Action Fund round—funded by Bloomberg Philanthropies—had high demand and that additional youth funds were awarded to Cincinnati for a larger round. OES said the first open-call round for the current year accepts applications through April 30, with a second deadline on October 30; staff said they hope to provide at least $150,000 per round working with the Greater Cincinnati Foundation.
Committee members asked about eligibility, sustainability, measurement and how Seeds of Change projects connect to the Green Cincinnati Plan and ClimateView. Staff said eligibility favors city-based, smaller-budget nonprofits (annual budgets under $500,000) and that the program emphasizes project feasibility and alignment with plan focus areas. Staff acknowledged that ClimateView does not currently capture the GHG reductions of individual Seeds of Change projects in depth and that some metrics remain qualitative. The committee filed the presentation.
