Become a Community Partner – Fall 2021

What is the Community Yard Tree Giveaway Grant?

The Community Yard Tree Giveaway program empowers Philadelphia community groups to host free yard tree giveaways in their neighborhoods. Through this program, groups can partner with TreePhilly to help green their neighborhood by engaging their community and distributing free trees to plant in their yards. TreePhilly provides FREE trees, event support, mulch, education, and a $200-500 grant award. Partners are responsible for hosting and promoting the event and connecting with their community.

The Fall 2021 Yard Tree giveaway season is starting to take shape, and we are once again opening our Community Partner Grant Applications. Applications are accepted based on quality of application, environmental justice priorities, neighborhood context and canopy loss.

COVID SAFETY

Note: With the continued uncertainty and risk associated with public events during the Covid-19 pandemic, we’ll closely monitor and follow the advice of the CDC, Philadelphia’s Health Department, and other experts. Due to the rise in the Delta variant, we’ve decided that our Fall giveaways will again be contactless drive through style events.

Partners will have two Contactless Distribution Options:

1. Contactless pick-up hosted in their region
2. Door-to-door delivery program

For information on previous events, check out Community Yard Tree Giveaways. For photos, check out our Flickr page. Read more about the Community Yard Tree Giveaway Grant below.

The deadline to submit applications for Fall 2021 Community Yard Tree Giveaway Grants is Sunday, August 29th, 2021. Scroll down to learn more or Fill out the Application Here!

Grants Provide:
• 25, 50, 75, or 100 yard trees in 5 gallon containers (first time applicants are only eligible for 25 or 50 trees)
• An award of $200 for a 25 tree event, $300 for a 50 tree event, $400 for a 75 tree event, or $500 for a 100 tree event upon successful completion of event and submission of deliverables*
• Mulch and paper bags for each participant
• Tree and mulch delivery to giveaway location
• Event planning support
• Expert tree knowledge, resources, and advice
• Training workshop for event organizers
• Educational materials and tree tags
• TreePhilly staff members at the event to provide planting demonstrations and event support

Guidelines:
• Trees given away must be planted in Philadelphia.
• Trees given away must be planted in the ground on private property.
• Trees CANNOT be planted in the sidewalk or in containers.
• Tree recipients must commit to watering, mulching, and caring for their trees.

Community Partner Requirements
• Applicants must serve a Philadelphia community— Nonprofits, faith-based organizations, civic associations, CDCs, Tree Tenders groups, local businesses, school associations, and similar organizations.
• We accept applications authored by multiple groups. If more than one group is applying, no more than three groups may be listed on the application. If you’re applying with multiple groups please designate:

• Groups must have the staff or volunteer capacity to plan, promote, and run an event.

Event Requirements
• Giveaway events must be held in Philadelphia.
• Giveaways must be held between October 9th and November 21st 2021.
• Location should be able to facilitate a contactless, drive through style event

GIVEAWAY OPTIONS

Option 1: Regional Pickup Event, plus Delivery

Organizations will be paired with up to three other grant recipients from their region to distribute trees at a contactless pick-up organized by TreePhilly staff. TreePhilly will collaborate with grant recipient to determine a location is accessible to each co-hosting organization’s communities. The event will be a contactless, drive-thru-style tree pickup where pre-registered tree recipients arrive in a vehicle to receive their tree. Organizations are responsible for pre-registering all tree recipients by a designated registration deadline. There will not be an option for walk-in registration. A limited number of door-to-door tree deliveries will also be available as an option for community members who are unable to access an event due to lack of a vehicle or an increased vulnerability to COVID-19.

Each grant recipient will be expected to promote the regional event within their community, register their community members for at least 25 trees (up to half of these trees may be registered for delivery executed by TreePhilly), and supply 1-3 volunteers on the day of the event.

Option 2: Door-to-Door Delivery Only

Organizations will sign up community members to receive a tree that will be delivered directly to their doorstep. Organizations must promote the tree delivery program and register community members for 25 trees by a set registration deadline (see application for deadline options). Organizations have the option of TreePhilly delivering the trees or, if they have an organization-owned vehicle and insured drivers, they may select to run the deliveries themselves in exchange for an increased grant award.

*Please note that you may not receive the number of trees you request. All first-time grantees will be awarded 25 or 50 trees, returning grantees are eligible for 75 or 100 trees. Final number of trees awarded will be determined by TreePhilly based on availability and the group’s capacity. TreePhilly will select tree species for each partner based on the parter’s expressed desires and their neighborhood’s capacity for large trees. Species are generally native to this land, well suited for urban environments in a changing climate, and include shade trees, smaller ornamental trees, and/or fruit trees.

*Only not-for-profit organizations are eligible to receive the monetary award. Other organizations are invited to apply with a not-for-profit fiscal sponsor.