Urban Sustainability Bulletin

February 2015 Urban Sustainability Innovation Report

USDN's Three Grant Funds for Member Use Topped $1.9 million in 2014, Supporting 43 Projects. USDN is aligning and leveraging grant funds that support member projects (Innovation Fund, Partners for Places, and Peer Exchange). More »

Partners For Places Leverages $2 Million in Local Foundation Investments. Partners for Places (P4P) is a partnership of the Funders' Network for Smart Growth and Livable Communities and USDN. The P4P Selection Committee develops RFPs and selects the recipients of the twice-annual grants. Formerly known as the Local Sustainability Matching Fund, half of all grants go to USDN members, and require matching funds from community foundations. More »

Peer Learning Exchange Provides Face-to-Face Time to Spread Best Practices. The Peer Learning Exchange Selection Committee provided over $30,000 in 2014 to support USDN members to get together to share, teach, and learn about an already developed and highly specific practice in one community - so the other community(ies) can adopt it. More »

Innovation Fund Has Impacted 73 Different USDN Member Communities. The Innovation Fund Steering Committee's mission is to assist USDN members and their partners in collaborating to develop and spread high-impact solutions for advancing urban sustainability. The Fund defines an innovation as the development or scaling of a new way for local governments to solve a problem or take advantage of an opportunity in urban sustainability. More »

USDN Innovation Fund Completes Fifth Year. 17 innovation projects were funded in 2014; $800,480 was awarded to those grants, and $24,000 was provided in technical support for the 2014 General RFP proposal development. There were new highs in USDN member engagement and approval. More »

Fund Gains Ground in Popularity and Impact. The USDN Innovation Fund achieved record highs of awareness, value, and participation in grant projects. The Fund's impact is growing. More »

Funders Support 2015 Investment in USDN-led Innovations. After investing more than $2.5 million in the Innovation Fund to support member awards and projects commissioned to meet USDN focus areas, 4 funders are providing $715,000 for 2015, supporting the Fund's strategic plan. More »

Partnering for Innovation. Innovation Fund projects increasingly team up with NGOs to strengthen projects and have field-building impact. More »

Fund Supporting Multi-Phase Projects. In 2014, the Fund supported "next phase" projects built on earlier grant awards and products - a new way of helping members develop their innovations. More »

USDN now helps partners, sustainability professionals, and our followers stay up to date with USDN members' innovations through the Urban Sustainability Innovation Report. This newsletter highlights our members' work on the cutting edge of urban sustainability innovation.