Penn State Sustainability provides limited, supplemental funding support for initiatives at other Penn State units that intersect with the broad range of issues that comprise sustainability. We are especially looking for initiatives that connect with aspects of sustainability as articulated in the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Initiatives that not only solicit funding from other sponsors but also try to leverage their initiative to connect with the programming/events/efforts of other units will be more favorably reviewed.

Co-sponsorship is available for:

• public events (e.g. films, speakers, panels, conferences);
• equipment (e.g. necessary materials that support sustainability efforts at your campus like equipment for a campus garden);
• program support (e.g. co-curricular field trips or learning opportunities for Penn State students)

Funding is contingent on the Outreach Fund’s balance and we try to share funding as evenly as possible across campuses and units, so coordinating requests within your campus or college is STRONGLY encouraged. Proposals should be submitted using this new online form. We will consider applications on a rolling basis and make our funding decision within two weeks of your submission. Submissions must be made AT LEAST three weeks before any planned event in order to be considered.

1. Funding Range: Funded requests typically are for no more than $500, except in exceptional circumstances, and frequently will be less, depending on the nature of the request. For atypical award amounts, we would only consider if they support an initiative of exceptional cost and value and if they build larger synergies of events and programming beyond a single event.
2. Funding Limitations:
   • For requests for event co-sponsorship, the event in which the funded speaker(s), films, or exhibitions are featured must be free and open to the public. If a speaker or panel is part of a large fee-based program (such as a conference requiring paid registration), the specific event co-sponsored by Penn State Sustainability must be free and open to the public.
   • For equipment and program support requests, we are looking to support new and ongoing initiatives that support: Penn State student success; Penn State’s land-grant mission of service to our neighbor communities; ways to make operations more sustainable and efficient; and efforts that support diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging at Penn State.
   • These funds may not be used for expenses related to classroom presentations or individual course-related expenses.
   • All initiatives funded by Penn State Sustainability must make a commitment to reduce material use and energy consumption as such as possible. This includes issues both of waste/recycling/composting but also limiting needless unsustainable swag (e.g. t-shirt giveaways or plastic freebies).
   • Penn State Sustainability serves the entire Penn State system and aims for equity in our funding across campuses–so priority will be given to campuses we have not already funded in the same schoolyear. If we have unspent funding towards the end of the schoolyear, we will consider repeat requests from campuses. To avoid competition of proposals within a campus, we encourage you to contact your campus’s Sustainability Council prior to submission of an application to determine if there might be multiple proposals coming from your campus and to determine how best to prioritize applications.
3. Submission and review schedule: Applications are considered on a rolling basis and must be submitted at least three weeks before any event for which you are seeking funding. The review committee will consider all applications within two weeks of submission and notify all applicants of the decision. If your application is not funded initially, resubmissions will be considered if you change your application in response to SustainPSU feedback (there is not a guarantee that resubmissions will be funded, however).
4. Funding Period: Arrangements for payment must be made within six months of the date of the confirmation email.
5. Reporting: To receive funding, within two weeks of use, you must submit a simple report about how the funding was used. For events, we will want basic data about number of attendees, outcomes of the programming, quotes from speakers or attendees about the event, and photos of the event that we can feature in later publications about sustainability activities at Penn State. For other requests, we will seek photos wherever possible and/or quotes about how the funding benefitted the initiative.

1. Application: Complete the online application form. There is a separate section only for event requests that will ask you to think through plans for waste minimization and diversity and inclusion plans. As part of all applications, we will ask for an overall budget, with a breakdown of major expenses and a specific indication of which budget item(s) SustainPSU’s funds would be put towards.
2. Vita: If applicable and available, attach the vita of any speaker. Add any links to product catalogs, websites, trailers, supplementary materials, or descriptions of proposed speakers, films, programming, equipment purchases, or anything else that will give us a better sense of your request.

An email will be sent indicating approval or rejection and, if approved, the amount of funds approved and the process for distribution of funds.

1. Publicity: For events or public initiatives being funded, please distribute copies of all publicity–including flyers, news releases, and other forms of publicity–to Penn State Sustainability so that we can help cross-promote any event. Submit your event to SustainPSU’s online web calendar of events.
2. Acknowledgement: Acknowledge support from Penn State Sustainability in all publicity including any news releases. This will include adding our Penn State Sustainability mark to print materials and digital materials (including, but not limited to, websites, social media, and digital signage). Additionally, any website or digital media should have our mark hot-linked to our website (www.sustainability.psu.edu). After you receive approval of you co-sponsorship, we will send you the appropriate mark files. Please contact Sierra Keller (sac5137@psu.edu) with any questions about or materials for cross-promotion of your initiative.