In honor of their 60th anniversary, YSI, Inc. will award a special $60,000 grant to an organization focused on protecting water resources. Since 1990, YSI has publicly demonstrated commitment to its core values and being a good corporate citizen through its 501(c)(3) foundation. The foundation grants have funded a variety of projects, including university environmental science scholarships, large-scale restoration projects, a wetlands data center and equipment for fishermen who lost their livelihood in the December 2005 tsunami. This year the foundation is pleased to recognize the important work local volunteer monitoring organizations are doing to improve the quality of the nation’s water.
Goals of Grant
The YSI Foundation will award $60,000 to an organization that demonstrates a need for capacity building in a volunteer monitoring organization whose work focuses on activities throughout an entire watershed. The YSI Foundation defines capacity building as any of the following:
1. assistance with staffing,
2. the development or enhancement of outreach and training programs, or
3. infrastructure development.
Examples of the types of projects and programs that are eligible for funding with this grant include:
• New watershed volunteer monitoring programs that are being developed and implemented,
• Existing watershed volunteer programs in need of additional staffing such as a coordinator or administrative support,
• Existing watershed volunteer programs that have an opportunity to extend their program through community outreach, training, and education, and
• Existing watershed volunteer programs in need of office space, supplies, equipment, etc.
The grant will be awarded at the National Water Quality Monitoring Conference in Atlantic City, N.J., May 18-22, 2008. The grant award recipient will be notified prior to May 19 so arrangements can be made to accept the award at the conference.
Eligibility for grant:
• Must be a 501(c)(3) organization or in partnership with a 501(c)(3) organization,
• Organization must conduct work in area(s) relevant to grant theme and on a watershed scale,
• At least 80% of grant must go toward direct activity as written in the application,
• Preference will be given to those organizations that demonstrate an ability to attract matching funds and have a sustainability plan in place, and
• Preference will be given to those organizations that can demonstrate an ability to publish or present their work to the larger water monitoring community.
Applications are due by April 15. Full details and criteria can be found at YSI’s website: www.ysi.com/EventDocumentServer/EventDocumentServer?eventID=YSI_MTPGRANT.
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