Western Washington University
IN-40: Sustainability Projects Fund

The Sustainability, Equity, & Justice Fund is a student-fee funded grant program that supports new sustainability initiatives at Western Washington University. Project teams work to create and implement projects that positively impact environmental, social, health, and economic practices on our campus and in our community. The funding is available to all current Western students, staff, and faculty, as long as the projects are student-focused and fit within the mission and priorities of the SEJF program. Grants are awarded in a three-tier structure:

Small Grants: up to $5,000
Medium Grants: $5,000-$35,000
Large Grants: over $35,000

This program is a co-curricular opportunity: SEJF program staff assist project teams in developing their sustainability ideas, support the research and writing phase of all proposals, and ensure that projects are successfully implemented. SEJF program staff conduct numerous outreach methods to educate the Western community on grant opportunities, one of which is hosting quarterly informational sessions called "Idea Labs." These info sessions are an easy way for students to learn about the grant program, determine whether their idea aligns with the SEJF mission, and ask questions about how to navigate the grant submission process. Each team is also provided with a toolkit - a document that leads teams through every step of the grant process.

For any project proposals larger than $5,000 or with multiple/complex stakeholders, the decision-making process is handed over to the SEJF Committee. This committee is comprised of a mix of students from various campus affiliations (i.e. the Associated Students Vice President for Sustainability, The Environmental Justice Coordinator, an Associated Students senator, etc.). Staff and faculty representatives are also part of the committee, to ensure representation from various stakeholders on campus. Aside from these voting members, the committee also includes non-voting members for program background and advising purposes, such as the SEJF Program Coordinator and the Sustainability Engagement Institute's Associate Director.

Project proposals, once written and submitted, are presented to the SEJF Committee. Once proposals have been thoroughly reviewed and discussed, committee members vote on the proposals in a subsequent meeting. A proposal is approved by a simple majority vote, and then projects are ready for the implementation phase. If a project is denied funding, teams have an opportunity to revise/rewrite the proposal per feedback from the committee and then go through the presentation and review phase for a second chance.