Awards of over $333,000 brings GCEF’s total investment in “Greening” Greenpoint to almost $68 million.

The Greenpoint Community Environmental Fund (GCEF) is pleased to announce that 18 projects addressing the environmental improvement priorities of Greenpoint residents have been selected to receive grants totaling $333,810. This funding brings GCEF’s total investment in Greenpoint’s environmental priorities to almost $68 million dollars. View list of projects as PDF: GCEF 2020 Grant Awards

The projects being awarded GCEF funding in the 2020 grant round are:

Project Title: REUSABLE GREENPOINT: BAG PRINTING AND GIVEAWAY
Grant Recipient: North Brooklyn Neighbors (aka Neighbors Allied for Good Growth)
Project Location: Greenpoint-wide
GCEF Grant Award: $7,500

Project Title: SAFE SOILS IN GREENPOINT
Grant Recipient: North Brooklyn Neighbors (aka Neighbors Allied for Good Growth)
Project Location: Greenpoint-wide
GCEF Grant Award: $9,280

Project Title: GREENPOINT ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION CENTER – LOCAL HISTORY AND STEM PROGRAMMING AT BPL
Grant Recipient: Brooklyn Public Library-Greenpoint Branch
Project Location: 107 Norman Avenue @ Leonard Street
GCEF Grant Award: $2,722

Project Title: NEWTOWN CREEK SAMPLES III
Grant Recipient: Newtown Creek Alliance
Project Location: Newtown Creek with educational programming throughout Greenpoint
GCEF Grant Award: $7,366

Project Title: GREENPOINT ECO-SCHOOLS: GREENPOINT SCHOOLYARD HABITAT PROJECTS
Grant Recipient: National Wildlife Federation
Project Locations: P.S. 31 Samuel F. Dupont, P.S. 34 Oliver H. Perry, and John Ericsson
M.S. 126
GCEF Grant Award: $26,218

Project Title: GREENPOINT ECO-SCHOOLS: MANHATTAN AVENUE STREET END PARK GARDEN UPGRADES
Grant Recipient: National Wildlife Federation
Project Locations: Manhattan Avenue Street End Park
GCEF Grant Award: $10,762

Project Title: GREENPOINT SEED KIT ACTIVITIES AND CURRICULUM
Grant Recipient: National Wildlife Federation
Project Locations: P.S. 31 Samuel F. Dupont, P.S. 34 Oliver H. Perry, P.S. 110 The Monitor and John Ericsson M.S. 126
GCEF Grant Award: $53,612

Project Title: PS 110 GARDEN RENOVATION UPDATE
Grant Recipient: P.S. 110 PTA
Project Location: P.S 110, The Monitor, 124 Monitor Street
GCEF Grant Award: $21,295.20

Project Title: ECO SCHOOLS: REUSABLE BAG GIVEAWAY
Grant Recipient: P.S. 110 PTA
Project Location: P.S 110, The Monitor, 124 Monitor Street
GCEF Grant Award: $21,609

Project Title: GREENPOINT PUBLIC PADDLE AND KAYAK EVENTS
Grant Recipient: North Brooklyn Community Boathouse
Project Locations: Newtown Creek
GCEF Grant Award: $46,228

Project Title: NORTH BROOKLYN COMMUNITY BOATHOUSE CAPACITY BUILDING
Grant Recipient: North Brooklyn Community Boathouse
Project Locations: 51 Ash Street, Greenpoint
GCEF Grant Award: $15,000

Project Title: HORTICULTURAL MAINTENANCE AT MCGOLRICK PARK
Grant Recipient: The Horticultural Society of New York
Project Location: McGolrick Park
GCEF Grant Award: $11,000

Project Title: FOR THE BIRDS! ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION PROGRAM RECORDED LESSONS & ACTIVITIES
Grant Recipient: National Audubon Society/Audubon New York
Project Locations: P.S. 31 Samuel F. Dupont School and also available on the GCEF website
GCEF Grant Award: $1,555

Project Title: ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION PUBLIC EVENTS AT KINGSLAND WILDFLOWERS
Grant Recipient: Newtown Creek Alliance
Project Location: 520 Kingsland Avenue
GCEF Grant Award: $18,590

Project Title: 61 FRANKLIN ST. COMMUNITY GARDEN IMPROVEMENTS AND WORKSHOPS
Grant Recipient: North Brooklyn Parks Alliance (aka Open Space Alliance for North Brooklyn)
Project Location: 61 Franklin St. Community Garden
GCEF Grant Award: $7,500

Project Title: UNDER THE K BRIDGE PARK EQUIPMENT AND CELEBRATION AND OSA CAPACITY BUILDING
Grant Recipient: North Brooklyn Parks Alliance (aka Open Space Alliance for North Brooklyn)
Project Location: Under the new Kosciuszko Bridge as it arches over Newtown Creek, on the Brooklyn side along Cherry Street bounded by Scott and Seward Avenues to the west and east respectively
GCEF Grant Award: $56,475

Project Title: INTRODUCTION OF HERBACEOUS PLANTS TO RAFT PLANTER BOXES AT NORTH HENRY STREET INLET
Grant Recipient: Fiorello H. LaGuardia Community College Foundation
Project Location: North Henry Street Inlet along Newtown Creek
GCEF Grant Award: $5,350

Project Title: ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY EQUIPMENT PURCHASE FOR EVENTS IN GREENPOINT
Grant Recipient: Town Square
Project Location: Greenpoint-wide
GCEF Grant Award: $11,777.52

In December of 2019, the Greenpoint Community Environmental Fund (GCEF) gave notice of its intention to conduct an additional round of funding that would be available to all past and present grantees for the purchase of supplies and materials, and staff time and related expenses for one or more activities that would have a significant benefit to the Greenpoint environment. On February 5th, 2020, GCEF issued a “Request for Proposals” (RFP) for the GCEF’s 2020 grant round. In the interest of meeting the GCEF’s program’s end date – slated for December 2020 – the RFP required that all proposed activities to be completed by August 31, 2020.

In response to the RFP, GCEF received 22 proposals for restricted donation grants for a total of $614,833.35 in requested funding.

While applications were being considered in March, the Novel Coronavirus Disease, COVID-19, was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization, and related emergencies were declared by the federal and New York State governments. These declarations resulted in school and business closures, stay-at-home orders, and other measures to combat the outbreak.

Subsequently, several organizations that had applied for funding expressed concern to GCEF that on-going Coronavirus-related restrictions would inhibit their ability to meet the August 31, 2020 activities completion deadline. The organizations requested that GCEF extend this deadline so that the community would be best served by the proposed activities. GCEF agreed with this concern and, in anticipation of an easing of coronavirus restrictions over time, GCEF extended the date by which all funded activities must be completed by a full year – to August 31, 2021.

2020 GCEF Grant Awards: More Investments in a Greener Greenpoint

On October 7th, 2020, GCEF announced that 18 projects addressing the environmental improvement priorities of Greenpoint residents had been selected to receive grants totaling $333,810. This funding brings the total investment in Greenpoint’s environmental priorities being made by GCEF to almost $68 million dollars.

GCEF Grant Evaluation Process and New York State Decision Making

Upon receipt, the GCEF General Administrator – the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) – screened all grant proposals to ensure they met minimum standards (i.e., they were complete and met GCEF grant guidelines outlined in the RFP).

All proposals meeting minimum standards and deemed feasible were then evaluated by NFWF based on whether the activities would provide a significant benefit to the Greenpoint environment, were feasible in terms of methods, budget, and timeline, and the applicant’s past performance as a GCEF grantee, if applicable.

The screening and evaluation results, and NFWF’s related funding recommendations, were provided to the State (New York State Office of the Attorney General and Department of Environmental Conservation) and the State made final selections of the grant proposals to receive GCEF funding.