Evanston is Awarded the Youth Climate Action Fund

Mayor Daniel Biss announced that the City of Evanston will join the Bloomberg Philanthropies Youth Climate Action Fund, a global initiative supporting municipalities in empowering young residents ages 15–24 to design and deliver solutions aligned with citywide priorities.

Evanston joins more than 300 cities participating in the initiative. The expansion—tripling the program’s reach since its launch in 2024—builds on successful efforts across 34 countries, where participating municipalities implemented youth-led projects that delivered tangible community improvements and strengthened trust between residents and local government.

Empowering Youth-Led Solutions

The program includes $50,000 in direct project funding to support youth-driven ideas that address local climate and community challenges. In addition to funding, participants will receive technical assistance and guidance from Bloomberg Philanthropies and City staff throughout the entire process, from proposal development to project implementation and completion.

The City will support young residents in developing and leading projects focused on:

• Climate action
• Public space improvements
• Disaster preparedness and mitigation
• Community resilience
• Infrastructure enhancements
• Environmental sustainability
• Community-building initiatives

Selected proposals will receive grants ranging from $1,000 to $5,000. The City anticipates funding a minimum of eight projects, with the potential to support up to 50 projects depending on project scope and funding distribution.

City Support and Mentorship

To help ensure project success, the City will assign staff to assist participants with planning, coordination, implementation, and ongoing support throughout the program.

The City is also seeking interest applications from:

• Community sponsors
• Mentors
• Schools
• Nonprofit organizations
• Local community partners

These partners will play an important role in supporting participating students and youth teams during the competition and implementation process.

Additional Funding Opportunity

Municipalities that move quickly to deploy their initial funding may qualify for an additional $50,000 to expand participation and support even more youth-led projects.

Interest Applications 

Interest applications for both student participants and community sponsors are now available.