SFI COMMUNITY GRANTS RFP PROCESS

Proposed SFI Community Grant Projects must specify how they will address and lead to positive outcomes in at least one of the following SFI priorities:

1. SFI Implementation Committee (SIC) coordination on SFI 2022 standard requirements related to Climate Smart Forestry, Fire Resilience and Awareness, Conservation of Biological Diversity, and Recognize and Respect Indigenous Rights, with focus on training and best practices that can be replicated.
2. Community uptake of the new SFI Urban and Community Forest Sustainability Standard, to further equitable access to human health and climate benefits, through support to municipalities, universities, and other entities that are preparing for certification audits or seeking progress on select objectives in the standard, such as Climate Smart Management or Human Health and Well-being.
3. Indigenous community uptake of the SFI Small-Scale Forest Management Module for Indigenous Peoples and Families through tool kits, administration support, training, and other methods.
4. SIC coordination with PLT partners on implementation and distribution of PLT resources and tools (e.g., the Forest Literacy Framework, Journeys of Black Professionals in Green Careers, and PLT Activity Collections, such as Nature of Fire) and SFI standards.
5. Outreach to the architecture, engineering, and construction community about the environmental and social benefits associated with building with SFI-certified forest products.

The Lead Organization in the Project must be one of the following:

• SFI Implementation Committee (SIC)
• Registered, tax-exempt non-profit, and/or charitable organization (for example, a 501(c) (3) in the US or registered with the Charities Directorate of the Canada Revenue Agency in Canada). Applicants must submit a tax identification number as proof of tax-exempt status within the Online Application Form.
• Indigenous Organization/Community
• College/University

If an SIC is not the lead organization, Projects must include an SIC or SFI-certified organization as a Project Partner (see links below). Letters of support from an SIC or SFI-certified organization should be included with the application. You are encouraged to reach out to the SIC or SFI-certified organization with whom you intend to partner AT LEAST two weeks prior to the proposal deadline to ensure sufficient time to collaborate on the proposal.

• • Find SFI Implementation Committees and contacts
  • Find SFI-certified organizations with Forest Management Certification
  • Find SFI-certified organizations with Fiber Sourcing Certification
  • Find SFI-certified organizations with Chain of Custody Certification

Community Grants are typically completed within a year of the initiation of the SFI funds but may be allowed for up to a two-year timeframe. Community Grants are awarded in the range of $5,000 to $20,000 dollars per project. Projects must be located within Canada or the United States.