Overview
The University of Tennessee is excited to announce support available to participating Tennessee Smart Yards Communities through funding provided by the Tennessee Valley Authority. The aim of these Community Action Grants is to equip communities with the tools necessary to carry out their stewardship goals towards protecting Tennessee’s water and natural resources through education, stewardship, and connection. Participating Tennessee Smart Yards are eligible to apply. A participating Tennessee Smart Yard Community is one that has an identified Community Champion and a submitted Community Action Plan. A Community Action Plan may be submitted as part of the application process. To become a participating community, visit https://tnyards.utk.edu/communities to submit an action plan.
Community Action Grants are intended to help communities meet their goals in education, stewardship, and connection, the three pillars on which Tennessee Smart Yard Communities is built. There are two levels of support available:
1) Education and Connection support for efforts such as obtaining promotional materials, such as a table set up, printed materials, etc; events that bring communities together around sustainable landscaping, like seminar series, garden tours, etc; and other efforts to educate within the community. A tabling kit contains a branded table cloth, a free-standing retractable banner, and a metal yard sign, a pamphlet holder, and a tote bag. A kit costs $600. Rack cards and stickers are also available at designated quantities. Tabling kits must be stored at the County Extension office or municipal government office. The maximum requested amount is $2,000.
2) Stewardship support for efforts such as installing demonstrations in publicly accessible spaces that demonstrate sustainable landscaping practices promoted through Tennessee Smart Yards; holding community stewardship events such as stream cleanups, invasive species removals, etc; and other efforts towards increasing the number of certified Tennessee Smart Yards in the community. Examples of expenditures under this category are tools, plants (must be native or native cultivars), soil amendments, weed wrenches, demonstration materials, and pre-paid certification signs. All tool requests must include a detailed plan for storage that ensures longevity and that they are readily available for community events. The maximum requested amount is $4,000.
Evaluation of Applications
Applications will be evaluated based on the demonstrated level of commitment of the community and Community Champion, level of development of the ideas proposed, and the stated level of need in the community. Only complete applications will be evaluated. Applications for the. Applications for the 2025 funding cycle are being accepted and considered on a rolling basis.
Administration Terms and Conditions
Applications for the 2025 funding cycle are being accepted and considered on a rolling basis. All funding will be held in University of Tennessee accounts and allocated in the form of purchases (e.g. there will not be a check sent but rather purchases will be made by UT on behalf of the community). Purchases will be completed through the UT Extension and may be limited to the approved vendor list. Support must be utilized within 12 months of the award unless otherwise stipulated through the project agreement.
How to Apply
A complete application includes a complete application form and a letter of support from their County Extension office as well as any pertinent municipal government (e.g. local stormwater program, city/county office). The Smart Yards team can connect Community Champions with these entities upon request.
