11-2SG New Haven/Leon Sister City Project
Grant Round:
2011 September
Grant Program:
Small Grants
Grant Type:
Other Grants
Grant amount requested:
1,030.00
Attachments
Please provide a brief description of the project for which you seek funding.
WalkBikeTransit, a new grassroots campaign of the Sister City Project's New Haven office, seeks to promote sustainable transportation by raising awareness of the links between transportation choices, climate change, and global food security. Through outreach, special events and alternative advertising it will educate on the health and environmental impacts of auto pollution and climate change, invite people to limit their greenhouse gas emissions by driving less, and increase civic engagement by encouraging elected leaders to support increased resources for sustainable transit.
The links between human behavior, climate change and food security are increasingly clear. Climate change will create "more frequent and intense extreme weather events"...[and] change temperatures and precipitation patterns, which will severely impact "human health, livelihood assets, food production and distribution channels (FAO 2008)." We will focus on transportation as "the fastest-growing source of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions...and the largest end-use source of CO2 (EPA, 2010)."
New Haven remains car-dependant because of personal habits and government policies, which threaten the accessibility of public transit. In August, Gov. Dannel Malloy proposed a 15 percent increase in train fares and reductions in rail and bus services. Some spoke out against these, but there is no coordinated campaign effort and little awareness of the critical links outlined above. WalkBikeTransit will provide a concrete, actionable way for residents to make a difference as individuals, unite as a community, and have a positive influence in New Haven, Nicaragua, and around the world.
Timeline (also see Gantt chart, attached)
May 2011: Climate change decided on as the social justice element of food security in Nicaragua
May-Aug: Campaign outline developed
Sep: Board approved initial campaign plan; Core Volunteer Team established; campaign info on website, to be expanded and updated regularly
Sep-Nov: Campaign materials developed (posters, postcards, logo, brochure, T-shirt design, PSAs, etc.); biweekly tabling-market research questionnaires to inform future decisions
Sep-Sep: Biweekly Core Volunteer Team meetings; biweekly tabling - WalkBikeTransit facts; public art and events once/month; teach-ins once/two months; media, PSAs (posters every two months, bus/transit ads longer)
Nov-Dec: Weekly tabling - New Year's pledge to reduce car use by 5, 10 or 15 percent
Dec: Detailed strategy for Jan-Sep 2010 vetted and in place, part-time staff hired (if grant receive from GNHGF)
Primary Issue Area:
Climate Change & Energy
Please break-down/categorize the program expenses:
| Proposed Item | Estimated $ Amount | Would grant funds be used for this item? | Type Of Expense |
|---|---|---|---|
| Staff (part time - 8 months) (proposal submitted to Greater New Haven Green Fund) | $2,000.00 | Materials | |
| Postcard printing (2000 postcards) | $180.00 | Yes | Materials |
| Fliers/general printing | $400.00 | Yes | Materials |
| Brochures (500) | $270.00 | Yes | Materials |
| Banners (two 3x6 ft) | $100.00 | Yes | Materials |
| Lawn signs (75) | $280.00 | Yes | Materials |
| Other signs/printing/t-shirts | $400.00 | Yes | Materials |
Whom does your group need to make this project happen?
Please explain how your group will engage members from your community in this project.
The group of core volunteers will meet regularly to plan and execute a series of community engagement initiatives related to the Walk/Bike/Transit campaign, which will reach out to New Haven residents through the following activities:
- Tabling. Volunteers will share information, hear feedback, get pledges signed, invite people to join the campaign, and solicit funds to further the campaign at farmers markets, by (and with the cooperation of) local businesses, at community events, and at universities.
- Public Art and Events. To generate energy for the campaign, volunteers will, for instance, organize "Free Coffee Days" to thank walkers as they are walking, exhibit public art to focus attention on auto pollution, and use traditional election campaign signs to encourage residents to "vote with their feet" for the Walk/Bike/Transit campaign.
- Teach-ins. We will collaborate with local schools and organizations to offer talks around the importance of conserving energy and the impact of unsustainable transit on climate change and global food insecurity.
- Media and PSAs. Volunteers will work together to develop and distribute Public Service Announcements via local media outlets and on buses and trains. We will periodically set up posters in stores, churches, and streets, and will seek out opportunities for local media to cover public events.
-Web-based Outreach. We will share information about the links between sustainable transportation, climate change, and food insecurity via an email listserv and on our website.
If your group receives a NEGEF Grow grant, how do you plan to pay for remaining expenses?
| $ Amount | Source |
|---|---|
| $350.00 | Donations (tabling) |
| $250.00 | WalkBikeTransit sign sales |
| $2,000.00 | Greater New Haven Green Fund |
| $1,030.00 | New England Grassroots Environmental Fund |
Please list these materials or services
| $ Amount | Item |
|---|---|
| $7,500.00 | Organizer 10 hr/wk, $15/hr (existing volunteer and student interns), committed |
| $3,750.00 | Graphic Designer 5 hr/wk, $15/hr, committed |
| $2,500.00 | Outreach volunteers 5 x 1 hr/wk $10/hr |
| $2,500.00 | Materials (t-shirts, printing, space) |
| $1,000.00 | Marketing consultation 20 hrs, $50/hr |
Please describe what changes will occur in your community and its environment when your group's project is successful.
The Walk/Bike/Transit campaign will have significantly raised awareness in the New Haven area around alternative cleaner transportation and its importance in mediating climate change and global food insecurity. We will have organized an informed group of citizens who understand that sustainable transportation is good for the community (by contributing to cleaner air and safer streets), for individuals (by fostering a more active and healthy lifestyle), and for the world (by limiting the impact of climate change and its effect on food security).
Specifically, through a pledge signed by at least 200 New Haven residents to reduce their car use by 5, 10, or 15 percent during 2012, we will have achieved reductions in the use of gasoline/cars in New Haven. Through a letter writing campaign sending at least 300 postcards to Governor Malloy, we will have significantly increased pressure on elected leaders to support transportation alternatives.
We will also measure success in terms of the number of people reached through the campaign. We expect to engage at least 2,000 people through personal contact (tabling, pledges, letter-writing, talks, campaign volunteers), at least 50 of which will be volunteers recruited to help distribute information (post signs/posters, use bike ads, table, or participate in WalkBikeTransit street actions). Finally, we expect to reach at least 25,000 through media (public service announcements, alternative advertising, magazine and newspaper articles, and information on our website), for a total of 27,000 people.
Please list how many people in your community your group expects to actively engage in this project.
27 000
What relevant skills does the group need (but does not currently have access to) to help move the initiative forward?
We would love to enhance our social marketing and market research skills even further to ensure that we reach our target demographic in the most effective way possible.
What relevant skills do current members of the group have to help move the initiative forward?
Collectively, the core group of volunteers has extensive experience advocating for community initiatives, working with climate change and food security issues, organizing volunteers, fundraising, and designing traditional and web-based campaign materials. We are also in touch with a number of community groups and organizations that share an interest in climate change, food security, and sustainable transit, such as the New Haven Environmental Justice Network, Elm City Cycling, the Urban Design League, the Yale Student Environmental Coalition, the CT Fund for the Environment, and others.