Climate Action Evanston and Evanston Grows won the Sustainable Communities Grant — an environmental solution-based funding program from Northwestern and two other research groups — in September, receiving $2,500 each.

The money will go toward both nonprofits’ mission to make the city more sustainable, NU Director of Evanston Community Relations EL Da’ Sheon Nix said. The grant is backed by Northwestern’s Office of Neighborhood and Community Relations, UL Research Institutes and UL Standards & Engagement.

The grant comes at a time when sustainability efforts in Evanston are facing funding cuts, according to a memo presented to the Evanston Environment Board. The Sustain Evanston grant program, which has helped nearly 80 Evanston organizations implement energy-efficient practices over the last three years, may lose $200,000 in city funding, according to an Oct. 23 memo on Evanston’s proposed Fiscal Year 2026 budget. 

For Climate Action Evanston, which seeks to address the climate crisis by introducing sustainable practices into the community, these city budget cuts may mean less of their projects are being considered for municipal funding, according to Executive Director Jack Jordan (Weinberg ’22). Seeking funds for the Climate Action Coaching program, a peer-to-peer learning initiative focused on helping people incorporate renewable energy into their lives, will be more difficult if the city scales back its sustainability funds, Jordan added. 

“We support the community’s climate goals, so by funding not being allocated, that’s more actions that aren’t being taken this year,” he said.

Sustain Evanston’s budget cuts could also hurt programs that aim to make fresh food more accessible, causing concerns about public health, said Laurell Sims, executive director of Evanston Grows. Having sustainable communities means that people are healthy and nourished, she said.

Since Evanston Grows focuses on fresh produce accessibility, future grants the organization might have applied for may be shut down, Sims explained.

“A lot of organizations are having to tap into a much smaller pot to do all the work that we’re doing,” Sims said. “That’s why I think universities and individual donations really help us sustain our work.”

For Climate Action Evanston, the grant money will be used to kick off Evanston Litter League, a competition-based program that focuses on community cleanups, Jordan said. The league’s first litter cleanup event, called a “game,” will take place on Nov. 22, with students from Evanston Township High School and NU participating, he said.

In order to motivate students, student groups compete to get the most volunteers and pick up the most trash, Jordan said.

“We want climate solutions to be competitive,” Jordan said. “People should be thinking about how they’re the best at supporting the community.”

The Sustainable Communities Grant will allow Evanston Grows to increase its reach through its Evanston Grows farm stands, where the nonprofit gives out free fresh produce, Sims said. By using the money to pay for chef demonstrations, people can see how to cook, store and wash the produce they are given, she said.

Providing free produce is expensive because Evanston Grows has to buy seeds and farm machinery, Sims said. Support from the grant will help grow over 30,000 pounds of food for the farms they work with, she said.

“A big piece of why we do this work is to make sure that folks have access to fresh produce, which is often something that food pantries are not able to give because (their food) is not shelf stable,” Sims said. “For folks to know that they can come, no questions asked, helps create a more sustainable community.”

The Sustainable Communities Grant will double their funding next year, Nix said. NU’s Office of Neighborhood and Community Relations will contribute $5,000 and ULRI and ULSE together will give $5,000, he said. 

This means future recipients will receive a $5,000 grant instead of $2,500, Nix said. 

“We look to grow this program, increase impact (and) have more funding, so we can provide more or have more recipients every year going forward,” Nix said. 

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