Thank you for your commitment to building a conservation culture in Ontario —and for your interest in the Ministry of Energy’s Community Conservation Initiatives.
The Initiatives program is dedicated to supporting community-based and grassroots projects —with a focus on education, outreach and action-oriented electricity conservation initiatives. This may include education and outreach programs focused on promoting smallscale "behind the meter" renewable energy.
This guide will assist you in applying for Initiatives funding.
It is intended, however, to serve as a summary only. Before you begin, please contact the Ministry of Energy to discuss your project idea. Our staff are a key resource. They can advise you on the eligibility of your group and project, provide you with feedback that will help you to shape your proposal, and answer your questions to better ensure your success.
The Community Conservation Initiatives program is dedicated to advancing the issue of energy conservation in Ontario.
That means that, in order to be considered for funding, your project must:
 Contribute to a reduction in electricity demand —and/or
 Enhance the capacity of individuals or communities to conserve
—and/or
 Promote, through education and awareness programs, smallscale (“behind the meter”) renewable energy.
Priority will be given to projects that can illustrate how they will:
 Foster long-term changes in behaviour —and

Represent a lasting “acorn” planted toward the growth of Ontario’s conservation culture.
A project can be new or underway, as long as the additional funding is required to expand the
1 Application Guide
—12 September 2006

scope of the existing project. Conferences and workshops related to energy conservation are also eligible. Also, please be aware that while there is no specific requirement to obtain matching funds, we encourage you to leverage funds from other sources and will consider this in our evaluation of your proposal.
If your project idea does not meet the strategic objectives of the Community Conservation
Initiatives Fund, we encourage you to explore other funding options. The Ontario Power
Authority, for example, operates the Conservation Fund and the Technology Development
Fund. The Conservation Fund supports sector-specific electricity conservation program pilots that show promise for replication or expansion as province-wide programs. (For more information, visit the Conservation Bureau's website at www.conservationbureau.on.ca.) The
OPA’s Technology Development Fund supports the development and commercialization of technologies that have the potential to improve electricity supply, conservation or demand management. (For more informati on, visit the OPA’s website at www.powerauthority.on.ca.)
Setting clear targets and measuring success are fundamental to a well-designed program.
Whether your project aims to increase awareness or to promote tangible action, the results and outcomes of your project must be in some way measurable —and these factors must be defined within your proposal. This will allow our adjudicators to assess the merits of your proposal.
The measures you develop as you set your goals and plan to measure your results might include one or both of the following kinds of measures:
 Quantitative Measures including such measures of accomplishment as kilowatt-hours saved, numbers of people reached through delivery of your program, or numbers of people reached through the media.
 Qualitative Measures, which are typically defined through follow up surveys of, for example, changes in awareness, knowledge or behaviour.
These examples are acceptable ways to evaluate the success of your project; other methods are invited and will be considered. Please describe them in detail in your proposal.
2 Application Guide
—12 September 2006

Community Conservation Initiatives is intended to support incorporated not-for-profit organizations .
In order to be eligible for consideration, your organization should be an incorporated not-forprofit organization. This includes, for example:
 Environmental Organizations operating at the provincial, regional or local level
 Community Groups including, for example, community-based associations, youth and school groups, or service clubs.
 Aboriginal Associations including, for example, First Nations councils, Inuit and Métis
Associations.
Elements of your project can be sub-contracted to a for-profit entity, and up to $25,000 can be contracted without a competitive tendering process. If you need to clarify your eligibility, please contact us.
The overall budget available to the Community Conservation Initiatives fund for
2006/2007 is just over $750,000.
Here are the key details:
 The maximum funding available: Generally, the maximum available to each individual project is $100,000.
 Project completion: All work supported by the fund must be completed by March 31,
2007
—as 2006/2007 is a short funding year.
The initial application deadline is October 13th, 2006. Proposals received later than this date will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis and as funding permits.
Your request for funding should include —in separate sections—the information outlined below. Please note, the Application and Budget forms are available for download on the
Ministry website at www.energy.gov.on.ca or by contacting Brian Byrnes at 416-212-7919.
1. Application form — completed and signed.
2. Proposal (3 to 5 pages)
3 Application Guide
—12 September 2006

a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.
Project title and brief summary
Name and description of applicant organization, including relevant skills/experience
A brief profile of the sector addressed by the project (e.g. residential, commercial, schools) and how this initiative will benefit the sector
Outline of project goals and deliverables
Description of the specific quantitative or qualitative goals of the project and measures of success
Description of how this initiative will:
 Benefit the sector and/or build community capacity to conserve
 Foster long-term behaviour change by electricity consumers
 Be communicated to relevant sector stakeholders and how the Ministry of Energy will be recognized for its contribution.
3. Budget form a.
Total project budget, identifying cash or in-kind contributions from the Community
Conservation Initiatives program and other sources* (use budget form provided)
*Remember to include volunteer time in your budget. Calculate all volunteer time at fair market value and include it in your budget as an in-kind contribution
4. Project Work Plan —by task and by timeline, highlighting specific Conservation Initiatives deliverables
Two Letters of Reference
How well does your initiative meet the goals of the CCI program?
 Proposals submitted for consideration will be will be evaluated based on how well they meet the following goals of the Initiatives program:

 Raise awareness about electricity conservation options to a specific consumer segment
(e.g., residential customers, small business owners, low income segment)
 Engage participants to undertake real electricity conservation measures
 Foster long-term behaviour change by electricity consumers (potential for long-term impact, or “acorn planting”)
Additional key factors that will be weighed include:
 Proposed audience reach and geographic coverage
 Replicability of project
4 Application Guide
—12 September 2006

 Measurability of results
 Evidence of innovation, extent to which proposal addresses current activity gap

Leveraging impact of public funding (“matching funds”)
 Communications opportunities for promoting electricity conservation in Ontario
 Strength of partnerships with other organizations
 Strength of feasibility analysis
 Experience of organization in proposal area
 Overall strength and quality of proposal
During our review of your proposal, you may be contacted for additional information.
Before submitting your proposal, please thoroughly re-review this guide and ensure that your application is complete.
All inquiries and submissions should be directed to:
Brian Byrnes, Communications Officer
Community Conservation Initiatives
Office of Conservation and Strategic Policy, Conservation Branch
Ministry of Energy
6th Floor, 880 Bay Street
Toronto, Ontario M7A 2C1
416-212-7919
You can also submit your proposal electronically to brian.byrnes@energy.gov.on.ca.
5 Application Guide
—12 September 2006