The following is the NEGEF application questions with what I've written so far. Feel free to add or edit or whatever makes you happy :)

I'll be sending it for sure by April 28th. - Anne

NARRATIVE

Narrative should be no more than two pages in length

In January of 2008 a group of students met at the Governor’s Institute Winter Weekend. Many of the students there wanted to see real change in their communities and many of them decided that home heating would be the easiest, most effective way to address greenhouse gas emissions in our area.

A group of about 15 high school students, along with two teachers (myself included) continue to meet every Sunday as we try to figure out how to help Vermont transition away from fossil fuel heating oil. We call ourselves the Vermont Sustainable Heating Initiative.  

Since January we have started a facebook group, which now has over 200 members. We have hosted a march and rally to the State House, which culminated with students testifying at a joint public hearing on the effect of heating fuels on the Vermont economy.  We have also gotten a lot of press since our initial January meeting: We made the front page of the Times Argus (date), the Essex Reporter (date), the channel 3 news, and radio shows on WDEV and WGDR with Carl Etnier (March 19th). We have also spoken before the Vermont House Agriculture Committee, and the House Education Committee. We have met with the Governor and the Lieutenant Governor to discuss our plans, and they have invited us to work with them further about these issues.  Our legislative efforts are wrapping up for the year as the legislative session is nearly over, but we hope to get some language into bills early on next session (which, we found out, is generally how legislative progress works).  

As our attention turns away from publicity and the legislature, we have found ourselves hoping to see real change among Vermonters with enough capital to invest in alternative heating technologies.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Give a brief description of your proposed project. Be sure to include background of the issue.

Our research has led us to believe grass-based biomass pellets are a financially viable and environmentally sound option for Vermonters to heat their homes. Our dream is to have farmers using their nutrient-poor land to grow grasses (land that is unfit to grow food), which could then be pelletized, then sold and burned in pellet stoves or furnaces. Ash from the stoves could go back to the farmers to be used as fertilizer for more grass crops. 85% of every dollar spent on fuel oil leaves the country, where as only 15% of every dollar spent on locally produced biomass leaves the state.

If your project is successful, what changes will occur in your community and its environment?

Please include a timeline/steps for its completion.

PROJECT BUDGET

1) Itemize anticipated expenses and income for the Project Proposal. Also note in-kind services (donated materials and/or labor) you may receive for this proposal. Please specify what expenses will be covered with NEGEF's funds.

Expenses:

Farmer’s Market Booths in Montpelier, Burlington, and Bristol

Canvasing materials

Income:

In-kind Services:

2) Principal sources of support (E.g., Membership dues, individual donations, grants, special events, etc.) Please list any grants that your group has received.

ATTACHMENTS:

    * A list of key volunteers, board of directors and current staff (if any) with affiliations, brief biosketches, and email addresses

    * Financial statement for most recent completed year and budget for current year, if available

    * List of local media and contact person to whom we can send a press release

    * Selected copies of group's newsletter, brochure, and/or press clippings, if appropriate

APPLICANT PROFILE

Completed Applicant Profile should be no more than two pages in length.

1. What is the mission or the goals of your group?

2. How long has your group been in existence?

3. What issue/issues got your group going?

4. How many people started the group?

5. Is this the first time that the group's "founders" had been "activated"?

If not the first time, with what other issues had they been involved?

6. How many people are currently involved as the core group of leaders/workers?

7. Is this a membership organization? If so, how many members do you have? If not, how many names are on your mailing list?

8. Do you have any paid staff?

If yes, how many full-time equivalents?

9. Approximately how many people in your community can be "activated" to support your issue - i.e., go to a meeting, sign a petition, call a selectperson, etc.?

10. Has the focus of your group broadened or changed at all since it first started?

If so, in what ways?

11. Have any members of your group run for or been appointed to public office since they started working on your issue/issues?

If so, for what office?

Elected or appointed?

12. Describe the size and make-up of your community.

13. Have you networked or shared information/resources with other groups?

If so, with whom and how did you find out about them?

14. How have you gained knowledge about your issue?

15. If your organization is more than a year old, can you quantify any of your "successes"? Examples might be number of acres preserved, miles of trails, increase in recycling rates in town, toxic sites cleaned up, greenspaces/community gardens created, amount of money raised, legislation passed, etc.

16. What are the biggest challenges your community faces?

17. What skills do you feel you and/or members of your group could use to help move your issue forward?