Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

The Green Action Fund is a fee-funded student organization that awards grant funding to UCCS student, staff, and faculty projects seeking to reduce the ecological footprint of UCCS through sustainable environmental, social, and economic values. 

The Green Action Fee is a semesterly assessment collected from students to support and fund sustainability initiatives on campus. In 2024, the Green Action Fee was elected into permanence by the student body at $6.39 per student per Fall/Spring Semester, and $3.20 per student per Summer Semester. 

Current fee-paying students and members of UCCS faculty, staff, or administration are permitted to apply for grant funding from the Green Action Fund. Project proposals must align with the Green Action Fund mission and adhere to funding guidelines for grant consideration. 

Sustainability refers to the alignment of economic development with environmental protection and human wellbeing. The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969 introduced the concept of sustainability as an ongoing federal priority "to create and maintain conditions under which humans and nature can exist in productive harmony, that permit fulfilling the social, economic and other requirements of present and future generations" (United States Environmental Protection Agency, 2024). 

Sustainability represents the fundamental interdependence between humans and the natural environment, and how human decisions related to the natural environment affect this interdependence. 

The Three Pillars of Sustainability — Environmental, Economic, and Social — form the fundamental framework for evaluating decisions and actions based on their ability to promote harmony between humanity and the natural environment (United States Environmental Protection Agency, 2024).

The Environmental Pillar represents the natural world: native animals and plants, minerals, water, soil, and air. 

The Economic Pillar represents activities that provide services and products to people: agriculture, power generation, manufacturing, wastewater, health care, waste management, and other services and products.  

The Social Pillar represents humans, their actions, and quality of life: health and wellbeing, transportation, utilities, infrastructure, recreation, government, and other institutions. 

New General Committee members are accepted on a rolling basis. Those interested in becoming a voting member must be elected by current or outgoing committee members through a formal application and interview process. Applicant must receive a 2/3 majority vote of total General Committee membership to be accepted. 

All project proposals are evaluated by the General Committee based on how well they align with the Three Pillars of Sustainability and the benefits they offer to UCCS and/or the broader community.

Upon completion of a Grant Application, project stakeholders will receive confirmation from the Grant Coordinator. If necessary, the Grant Coordinator will suggest adjustments or revisions to the Grant Application to help fortify the proposal and ensure relevancy to the Green Action Fund mission and funding guidelines. Once the Grant Application is approved by the Grant Coordinator, it will be submitted to the General Committee, and project stakeholders will receive a date and time to present their proposals to the committee. 

Grant applicants will receive 10 minutes to present to the General Committee, followed by a 5-minute Q&A session. Upon completion of all presentations, General Committee members will discuss and vote to approve or deny funding for each project. Projects must receive a 2/3 majority vote to receive a grant award. 

Projects receiving General Committee approval will be notified by the Grant Coordinator. The Project Coordinator (if applicable), Project Sponsor, and any other relevant project stakeholders will be required to meet with the Grant Coordinator to review and sign the grant agreement. The grant agreement outlines the terms and conditions projects must adhere to when accepting grant award monies. 

Upon acceptance and signing of the grant agreement by all parties, a Project Speedtype (account number) will be generated by the UCCS Controller's Office. All expenditures must be allocated to this unique project Speedtype. Some expenditures may require additional processes and procedures per UCCS fiscal and/or procurement guidelines. These will be addressed by the Grant Coordinator prior to finalizing the grant agreement. 

Once a project is approved, it takes a minimum of two weeks for grant funds to become available. However, depending on the nature of the expenditures and the procurement systems through which purchases must be processed, it may take up to 30 days for funds to be fully accessible. Therefore, we strongly encourage all project proposals to plan for purchases to be made no earlier than 30 days after project approval.

Yes, there are restrictions on how grant funds may be spent, including expenditures related to travel, research, conference registrations, equipment, and others. Please refer to the Grant Funding Guidelines document for a complete list of grant funding restrictions.

Grantees must submit a progress report at the end of each semester during which the project is active, and a final report within thirty (30) days of the project’s completion date according to the approved project timeline. Failure to meet reporting expectations may result in consequences including, but not limited to: withholding of grant funding, revocation of grant awards, and/or denial of future grant applications.