Our previous funding for RainWise Access Grants and GSI Mini Grants has been fully expended (and has supported 65 green infrastructure projects!). We have recently received King County WaterWorks funding and we are actively seeking additional funding to keep making these incentives widely available and fund as many projects as possible in the 2020 calendar year. If you want to be notified as soon as these incentive programs are re-opened, please add your name to our email list by emailing ev@stewardshippartners.org. We anticipate these grant sources will re-open later this spring.

 

RainWise Access Grant

The Problem/Barrier: Even relatively small ($1,000 or less) out-of Pocket costs for RainWise projects pose a barrier to many would-be participants, particularly low-income and underserved communities

The Solution: The RainWise Access Grant provides up to an additional $1,000 for RainWise eligible homeowners and non-profit community organizations (including religious groups) to bridge the gap between rebate amount and actual project costs for income limited and underserved communities.

How it works:

1. 1. Homeowner/Landowner applies to Stewardship Partners with a simple Landowner Agreement form (1pg) (download agreement here)
   2. Homeowner/Landowner submits some form of documentation verifying the following:

a. They own the RainWise eligible property in question (property tax form or printout from county records website)
b. Pre-approval for project from RainWise program inspector and projected rebate amount for project
c. They are under contract with a RainWise contractor
d. They are income limited (For homeowners: Meets HomeWise income

guidelines or verified enrollment in a utility assistance program or food stamps. For non-profits: state or federal registration or non-profit letter of the non-profit organization status)
e. They have a contractor and homeowner approved project budget

     3. Access Grant will cover

a. Not more than $1,000
b. Not more than 25% of the total RainWise project budget
c. No more than the difference between the total project cost and the RainWise rebate amount

Get Started:

• HomeWise Income Guidelines 
• RainWise Access Grant Checklist
• RainWise Access Grant Landowner Agreement
• RainWise Access Grant One Pager

  Access Grant One Pager in Other Languages:

• Access Grant One Pager in Chinese
• Access Grant One Pager in Spanish

 

Submit application materials and questions to: ev@stewardshippartners.org

Examples:

1. A cistern project with a verified budget of $3,800 that is eligible for a $2,800 RainWise rebate, could receive a $950 access grant (25% of total cost, $50 out of pocket cost to landowner).
2. A project with verified budget of $3,000 that is eligible for a $2,800 RainWise rebate could receive a $200 rebate (the difference between total project cost and rebate amount).
3. A project with a verified budget of $6,300 that is eligible for a $5,000 rebate would be eligible for a $1,000 access grant (access grant maximum for any project is $1,000, $300 out of pocket cost to landowner).

This pilot project is supported by a King County Wastewater Treatment Division Green Grant for the Lower Duwamish Watershed with additional funding coming from a King County Council allocation to expand eligibility to all RainWise basins in early 2016.