Green Innovation Awards

Jason Wagar, Donor Services & Marketing Officer
jwagar@tcf.ca
416-921-2035 ext. 211
Charitable number: 13649 1875 RR0001

About this organization

Mission

The Green Innovation Awards program provides one-time seed funding for locally developed new, green ideas for technologies, products and/or services that demonstrate significant potential for market success and in making Toronto a greener, more liveable city.

The Green Innovation Awards are a partnership between the Toronto Community Foundation and the City of Toronto’s Environment Office.

History of Organization

The 2009 Toronto’s Vital Signs^® Report revealed that while Toronto’s environmental footprint is improving, there is still a lot of work to be done, and that there was significant demand amongst local entrepreneurs for seed funding for new, green technologies, products and services.

The Toronto Community Foundation, with the support of four Fundholders, partnered with the City of Toronto Environment Office’s Live Green Initiative to respond to this demand with the Green Innovation Awards.

The inaugural Awards program attracted more than 125 proposals from environmentally-minded Torontonians with a wide variety of ideas. Three winners shared $50,000 for their unique great green ideas.

Accolades and Accomplishments

The Green Innovation Awards program has been recognized as a ground breaking example of environmental grantmaking and has attracted interest from across the country.

We are pleased that the program has served as a model for other community foundations, as well. For example, London Community Foundation has adopted the program for their region.

Programs

>Green Innovation Awards Program

Green Innovation Awards Program

The Green Innovation Awards provide one-time seed funding for new, green ideas for technologies, products and/or services that demonstrate significant potential for market success and in making Toronto a greener, more liveable city by:

reducing greenhouse gases;
improving air quality;
reducing waste;
improving water or energy efficiency;
engaging Toronto residents, businesses, and communities in pro-environmental behaviour change, and/or
helping the city of Toronto adapt to changes caused by climate change.

Toronto-based entrepreneurs, students, and everyday people from across the city are invited to submit their great green idea for consideration for funding.

Application finalists pitch their ideas to a panel of environmentalists, engineers, and entrepreneurs in a format similar to Dragon’s Den, minus the television cameras. Winners are announced at the high-profile Green Toronto Awards in April.

Program Impact

The Green Innovation Awards are assisting innovators in Toronto contribute to a greener, more liveable city, and participate in the growth of a new green economy. The seed funding offered through the program helps build financially self-sustaining projects that improve our community’s environmental sustainability.

Toronto's Vital Signs® indicator(s) addressed by Program

"While Toronto is making great strides towards a greener city, the community still requires greater investment in green technologies, products, and services. Toronto is still below target by 26% on residential waste diversion, has yet to meet the 2010 standards for air quality, and has areas with high levels of toxic air contaminants. " (Toronto's Vital Signs®, 2009)

Participant Vignette

“Winning the Green Innovation Award has been an invaluable boon to my project. GreenHouseTO existed solely in the realm of the conceptual until the Award helped give it the push it needed. Having the support of a program like this has enabled me to get GreenHouseTO off the ground, soliciting further support in the community, and building a great network of collaborators interested in helping me see the project to fruition. The exposure has helped me network, and the grant itself will facilitate the project’s journey from dream to reality. I am thankful to live in such a forward-thinking place, where programs like the Green Innovation Awards are helping make our city one of the most sustainable on the planet.”

- Sarah Lazarovic from GreenHouseTO, one of three inaugural Green Innovation Award winners

Giving Opportunity

Activities a donation will support

With your generous donation, we will be able to deliver another year of the Green Innovation Awards. The demand for seed funding in our city for new ideas that improve our environment is overwhelming. Toronto is fortunate to be home to so many environmentally-minded thinkers, and the Green Innovation Awards provides them the opportunity to get their ideas off the ground and generating positive change. Your contribution will provide additional resources directed to grants for the strongest ideas.

Donation impact

Your support will allow the Green Innovation Awards to foster more local ideas for products, services, and technologies that not only contribute to a green economy, but help make our city a greener and more liveable one.

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