COMMUNITY AND SMALL BUSINESS
GRANT APPLICATION
FISCAL YEAR 2015
Toxics Use Reduction Institute
University of Massachusetts Lowell
Lowell, Massachusetts
TURI COMMUNITY AND SMALL BUSINESS GRANT APPLICATION
FISCAL YEAR 2015
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INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................. 1
WHAT IS TOXICS USE REDUCTION (TUR)? .................................................................. 2
THE MASSACHUSETTS TOXICS USE REDUCTION INSTITUTE ................................ 2
TURI COMMUNITY AND SMALL BUSINESS GRANT PROGRAM ............................. 2
COMMUNITY GRANT DELIVERABLES .......................................................................... 5
GRANT AGREEMENT AND GRANTEE REQUIREMENTS ............................................ 5
PROPOSAL SELECTION CRITERIA .................................................................................. 6
APPLICATION AND PROPOSAL GUIDELINES .............................................................. 6
DEADLINE AND WHERE TO SEND THE APPLICATION ............................................. 8
INTRODUCTION
The Toxics Use Reduction Institute is pleased to invite proposals from community organizations,
municipal departments, small businesses, trade associations, and regional and statewide organizations for
support under our Community and Small Business Grant Program.
Alternatives to toxic chemicals exist. With the support of grant funding, you have the opportunity to
create and promote healthier communities throughout the Commonwealth by raising awareness and
educating people about safer alternatives.
This year we are especially interested in supporting projects that elevate toxics use reduction ideas and
projects to a regional or statewide level; however, we also welcome applications for more local projects.
At the core of the Community and Small Business Program is the creation of partnerships and
collaboration. The Program has fostered the development of unique partnerships around toxics use
reduction (TUR) among many diverse groups. These collaborative efforts have addressed toxics in and
around schools, municipal buildings and operations, households, recreational activities, and small
businesses such as auto body shops and hair and nail salons.
The maximum award amount for regional or statewide projects is $20,000. The maximum award amount
for local projects is $10,000. Funding is contingent on availability of program funds. Applications must
be received by June 30, 2014 at NOON.
For questions at any time during the application process, please contact Joy Onasch, Community and
Small Business Program Manager, at 978-934-4343. You are encouraged to contact the program to
discuss project ideas sufficiently in advance of the June 30 deadline.
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WHAT IS TOXICS USE REDUCTION (TUR)?
TUR is an environmental concept that involves preventing pollution at the source rather than controlling
it once it has been generated. It involves processes and planning tools to eliminate waste in operations
and find suitable less toxic alternatives where possible. This approach, promoted in industry and
manufacturing in Massachusetts since 1990, has reduced the amount of toxic chemicals used by 40% and
released to the environment by 91%. The same approaches can also apply to other areas, such as home
and janitorial cleaning, land care, municipal purchasing, and small business applications.
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THE MASSACHUSETTS TOXICS USE REDUCTION INSTITUTE
The Institute’s mission is to promote reduction in the use of toxic chemicals and the generation of
hazardous by-products in industry and commerce in Massachusetts. The Institute provides training to
industry professionals and the public, conducts research on alternatives, sponsors industry mentoring
programs, and promotes green chemistry. The Institute also houses the largest collection of TUR and
pollution prevention materials in New England and a university-based laboratory that tests and evaluates
safer alternatives to hazardous cleaning solvents. We support community efforts to reduce toxics through
education and grant projects.
The Institute is funded through the Massachusetts TUR Program and is located within the School of
Health and the Environment at the University of Massachusetts Lowell. It maintains a core staff of
scientists, analysts, engineers and educators and draws upon the expertise of community and public
interest groups, industrial managers, workers, government officials, private consultants, and faculty from
the University of Massachusetts Lowell and other universities.
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TURI COMMUNITY AND SMALL BUSINESS GRANT PROGRAM
Eligibility
We are accepting applications from community organizations, municipal departments, small businesses,
trade associations, youth groups, and regional and state-wide organizations. We strongly encourage
partnerships between two or many of these types of organizations. The partnerships should reflect a
shared topic of interest that expands over a region or the entire state.
Examples: These examples are provided only for guidance and are not meant to be all-inclusive. We are
in search of new and fresh ideas and focus areas and new ways to disseminate existing materials:

Youth organizations (such as YMCA or Boys & Girls Club) partnering across the state to develop
and implement youth-oriented workshops on reducing toxics in personal care products.

Boards of health in a region partnering to develop toxics use reduction guidance and providing
samples of less toxic alternative materials such as nail polishes to salons or perchloroethylene in
dry cleaning.

State-wide automotive trade associations partnering with local shops to reduce their use of
solvents.
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School districts partnering with each other and green cleaning experts to develop and implement
green cleaning practices across their regions.

Municipal water departments partnering within their watershed to educate homeowners and
professional landscapers about organic lawn care practices to reduce the use of pesticides.

Housing authorities partnering together and with integrated pest management experts to create
guidance and workshops statewide on how to reduce the use of pesticides in their buildings.
We also welcome applications from projects on a more local level, though funding will be at a reduced
amount. This type of project would include work performed by community organizations, including any
non-profit group operating at the local level, particularly those involved or otherwise interested in
promoting environmental activities. Participating organization’s primary office and majority of work
must be performed in Massachusetts. Examples include, but are not limited to: environmental
organizations, environmental justice organizations, youth organizations, public interest groups,
neighborhood associations, community development corporations, health centers, hospitals, civic
organizations such as chambers of commerce, local unions and labor organizations. Individuals are also
eligible to apply, with some organizational affiliation.
Municipalities include any office, agency, or department that is operated through a city or town in
Massachusetts. Examples include, but are not limited to: schools, departments of public works, fire
departments, police departments, local emergency response offices, boards of health, planning and zoning
boards, town commissions, and libraries.
Basic Criteria
All projects must meet the following basic criteria:

Involve active partnerships and collaboration

Raise level of awareness, understanding and or implementation of TUR concepts and practices for
communities, municipalities, or small businesses (potentially on a regional or statewide level)

Produce a tangible product such as policies, informational brochures, training workshops, surveys,
or videos

Be feasible within the time period of the grant program (September – June)

Be replicable and transferable to other communities
Examples of projects that do not meet the Community Grants Program criteria include:

Projects conducted for a municipality or community organization solely by a consultant
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Lobbying or environmental enforcement activities
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Training programs or materials that focus on community or household recycling
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Training programs or materials that do not have TUR as the primary focus
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Any activity that falls outside of the realm of the Toxics Use Reduction Act
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Focus Areas
The TURI Community Program strongly encourages future grantees to replicate and expand on
previously executed projects. Many resources exist, such as trainings, brochures, flyers, posters, and
networks, that can be utilized to implement projects in additional communities. It is TURI’s hope that
many of the past projects can be self-sustaining at a statewide level. This year we are interested in
projects that expand beyond community or municipal borders and take successful TUR projects to a
regional or statewide level. Organizational collaborations and including statewide organizations in your
project are strongly encouraged. It is also recommended that resources already created under past projects
be used to implement statewide projects. Examples of areas where TURI has a particular interest include:
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Solvent and lead use in auto shops
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Solvent and other hazardous material use in art and artist studios
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Formaldehyde use in specimen preservation or mortuaries
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Solvent use in furniture refinishing
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Methylene chloride use in bathtub refinishing
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Solvent, such as formaldehyde and methylene chloride, use in schools and science laboratories
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Indoor integrated pest management (IPM) – a subject covered in the state-wide asthma plan
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Household cleaners – a subject covered in the state-wide asthma plan
NOTE: the state-wide asthma plan can be found here http://www.mass.gov/eohhs/docs/dph/comhealth/asthma/state-plan.pdf
Examples of areas where past projects, both locally and regionally, have been completed can be found on
our web site. You are encouraged to visit http://www.turi.org/Projects and look at materials created
under past projects in your category of interest, and use the brochures, training slides, flyers, posters,
videos, etc., that have been created by other grantees.
Grant Funding
Regional or statewide projects will be funded up to $20,000. More local projects will be funded up to
$10,000. Note: All grant awards are contingent upon availability of funding.
Project Timeline
Deadline for proposals ............................. Monday, June 30, 2014, NOON
Notification of awards ............................. August 2014
Grant kick-off meeting ............................ August/early September 2014
Project duration ........................................ September 2014 through June 2015
State House recognition ceremony .......... June 2015
Resources
We strongly encourage people who are considering applying for a grant to make a pre-application phone
call to TURI to discuss your ideas and help fine-tune your projects. Please call the Community and Small
Business Program at 978-934-4343 at any time in your application process.
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Resources available to you at the Institute include the TURI library, TURI laboratory, chemical fact
sheets and reports, the TURI website (www.turi.org) and the Community and Small Business Program
resources.
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COMMUNITY GRANT DELIVERABLES
Information about the following deliverables and sessions will be coordinated with grantees once projects
are under way.
August 2014
Awardees contacted
August 2014
Grantees return completed contracts
August/early September 2014 Grant kick-off meeting in Lowell, 3-4 hour meeting/training
September 2014
Projects officially begin
September 2014 – June 2015
Monthly phone call check-ins with grant administrator
Mid-February 2015
Interim project meeting in Lowell, 3-4 hour meeting with status updates
from grantees
Mid-February 2015
Interim progress report, interim expense report and invoice due
Mid-June 2015
State House event and presentations
Late June 2015
Project materials due
Late June 2015
Final progress report, final expense report and invoice due
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GRANT AGREEMENT AND GRANTEE REQUIREMENTS
The contract between TURI and the grantee will be based on the Commonwealth of Massachusetts State
Standard Contract. The contract will be sent to grant recipients to review and complete at the time they
receive notification of the grant award. Award recipients will be required to:
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Attend all of the above-listed meetings and events.
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Prepare an interim and final progress report.
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Develop a project poster for the State House event.
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Submit all project materials for review throughout the grant project. The Institute must review
any materials developed under the grant prior to their dissemination and all materials must contain
language regarding the funding source.
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Submit all final project materials in electronic format or hard copy if electronic is not feasible. We
encourage electronic materials so that they may be easily used by other entities in the future.
Failure to meet these requirements may result in a reduction in the final grant payment.
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The final report and other information generated through the project become public documents
and may be published without prior notice by the Toxics Use Reduction Institute and/or be used by
future grantees in their projects.
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PROPOSAL SELECTION CRITERIA
A team of representatives from community organizations, industry, labor, municipalities, and the TURA
Program will review the grant applications and recommend proposals to be funded. Final decisions on
grant awards are made by the Institute. The following criteria and points will be used in selecting projects.
The maximum number of points is 100.
A. Ability to raise the level of awareness, understanding or implementation
of TUR practices at the regional or statewide level
(40 points)
B. Feasibility/achievability of the proposal
(20 points)
C. Level of collaboration
(20 points)
D. Potential to transfer the end product(s) to others of similar mission
(10 points)
E. Measures for evaluating project success or outcome(s)
(10 points)
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APPLICATION AND PROPOSAL GUIDELINES
Proposals should be no longer than seven single-spaced pages using 12-point font, excluding the proposal
cover sheet, title page, and budget and budget justification pages. Proposals that do not follow the
required format, or address the required areas as identified below, will not be reviewed. The proposal
format and contents should be as follows:
1. Proposal Cover Sheet (Complete the form provided at the end of this section)
2. Project Description:
Describe the goals and objectives of the project, including:
 What toxic(s) you are addressing
 How the goals/objectives will be met
 Who will participate in developing and implementing the project
 Who/what will be affected, trained and/or impacted by the project and how
 What the short and long term impacts of the project are
 What the end product(s) of the project (e.g., flyer, training program, brochure, site visit, video,
etc.) are
3. Partnership and Collaborative Efforts:
List the project partners and contact information.
Submit Letters of Commitment from each project partner describing their commitment to the project,
their role, and estimated time on the project. Grantees should clarify roles and expectations with
proposed partners early in the project development process.
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(note: a partner is an individual or organization who commits to execute some portion of your project
– either for payment or as an in-kind service. e.g. a cable channel that agrees to air your educational
video; a subject expert that will be conducting a workshop for your project; an organization that will
be promoting your events through their networks, etc.)
4. Information Dissemination:
Describe how you plan to disseminate your project materials to others of similar mission and purpose,
including:
 To whom they will be disseminated
 How they will be disseminated
 What you will need to execute the plan (printing costs, email distribution lists, etc.)
For instance, if you are having a community training, who will be your audience and how will you get
them to the training (through Chamber of Commerce outreach, press releases, public cable
announcements, targeted mailing or phone calls, etc.)?
5. Project Evaluation:
Describe what will define success for your project, including:
 How you will evaluate whether your project is successful
 What evaluation criteria or measures you will use
 Who will conduct the evaluation. (note: for trainings you can develop evaluations)
6. Applicant Description:
Briefly describe the lead organization’s history, mission, and some of your accomplishments. Briefly
describe the Project Leader and participating staff’s capabilities to carry out the project. Describe
your organization’s familiarity or experience with TUR.
7. Timeline:
Outline/list project activities (milestones) and indicate their start and completion date.
8. Budget:
Detail how and for what the grant money will be used. Please use the budget sheet in this application
packet, and provide a brief justification. Do not include figures associated with overhead costs as
those costs are not supported through this grant program.
9. Training Needs:
Please describe the type of training and assistance that you believe would best benefit your project.
(This will not be used to evaluate proposals. You are not required to have any background in TUR. It
is intended only to help the Institute prepare an appropriate level of training for grantees.)
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DEADLINE AND WHERE TO SEND THE APPLICATION
Mail your completed proposal along with a proposal cover sheet, budget, and budget justification to:
Toxics Use Reduction Institute
Attn: Community and Small Business Grants Program
University of Massachusetts Lowell
600 Suffolk St., Wannalancit Mill, Suite 501
Lowell, MA 01854
Applications must be received at the Institute office by NOON on Monday, June 30, 2014.
For more information concerning the Community Grants Program contact Joy Onasch at 978-934-4343.
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FY2015 TURI COMMUNITY AND SMALL BUSINESS GRANT APPLICATION
PROPOSAL COVER SHEET
Lead Organization:
Contact Person /Project
Manager:
Address:
Telephone:
Fax:
Email:
Focus Area:
(e.g., auto shops, mortuaries,
pesticide reduction, household
cleaners, etc)
Project Title:
Total amount requested: $
____________
Is the project part of an already existing project?
yes
Are other funds being sought to support this project?
If yes, please indicate how much $
no
yes
__________ and from whom:
no
____________________
Please identify all partners* and attach Letters of Commitment.
Name
Organization
1.
2.
3.
4.
*A partner is defined as a person, agency, organization, program, etc. who/that will participate in the
development, implementation, and/or evaluation of the proposed project.
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FY2015 TURI COMMUNITY AND SMALL BUSINESS GRANTS PROGRAM
PROPOSAL BUDGET
I.
Personnel/Salaries
1.
$
2.
$
3.
$
4.
$
Subtotal: $
II.
Materials and Supplies
1.
$
2.
$
3.
$
4.
$
Subtotal: $
III.
Other Costs (printing, travel, postage, etc.)
1.
$
2.
$
3.
$
4.
$
Subtotal: $
Total Budget Request:
$
BUDGET JUSTIFICATION:
On the following page, please include a brief justification of expenses; in other words, indicate how the
money will be used. For example, if you list supplies as an expense item, name specific supplies and
how they will be used. Please use additional pages if necessary.
NOTE: Grant money cannot be used to purchase equipment such as computers, printers, etc., or furniture
such as desks, storage cabinets, etc.
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PROPOSAL BUDGET JUSTIFICATION
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