Urban Sustainability Bulletin

February 2016 Urban Sustainability Innovation Report

USDN 2015 Annual Funds Report

Collective Impacts: USDN’s Four Grant Funds for Members Exceeds $2.4 million in 2015, Supporting 52 Projects - USDN is aligning and leveraging grant funds that support member projects (USDN Innovation Fund, Carbon Neutral Cities Alliance Innovation Fund, Partners for Places, and Peer Exchange). MORE »

Carbon Neutral Cities Alliance Innovation Fund: Focused First Year - The Carbon Neutral Cities Alliance (CNCA) Innovation Fund Selection Committee provided $702,500 in 2015 to support a collaboration among international cities committed to achieving aggressive long-term carbon reduction goals. MORE »

USDN Innovation Fund Year 7 Results: Fund Impacts Member Work 521 Times in 2015 - USDN members identified a total of 521 instances when a completed USDN Innovation Fund product impacted their work (an increase of 360%). $701,090 funded 18 innovation projects in 2015, and $15,000 was provided for technical support. MORE »

Partners For Places: P4P Leverages $3 Million in Local Foundation Investments - The Partners for Places Selection Committee works with the Funders’ Network for Smart Growth and Livable Communities to develop RFPs and select the recipients of the twice-annual Partners for Places grants. Half of all grants go to USDN members, and all 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 $41,000 in 2015 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 »

Tools and Resources: Tool Use Grows Outside of the USDN Membership Base - The Urban Sustainability Innovation Report, featuring USDN members’ innovative work, is sent to 600 partners, funders, sustainability professionals, and followers. In 2015, USDN continued to build its Innovation Products page, a webpage listing all completed grant products for download, which is searchable by topic and publically accessible.

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.