Grants

FOR NONPROFITS, GOVERNMENT AGENCIES, SCHOOLS, ENTREPRENEURS, LOCAL BUSINESSES, AND TRIBAL NATIONS

What is Circular Arizona?

Circular Arizona, formerly the Arizona Recycling Coalition, is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit membership-based organization with a mission to “foster an equitable circular economy and connect Arizonans through innovation, education, and collaboration.”

Circular Arizona members enjoy free and discounted networking and education events, a private LinkedIn networking group, an exclusive monthly email with grant and scholarship opportunities, access to our grant and scholarship applications, the ability to nominate themselves or others for annual awards, and more.

Purpose

Since 1993, Circular Arizona has awarded nearly $300,000 in funding to nonprofits, government agencies, schools, entrepreneurs, local businesses, and tribal nations to increase recycling and divert waste from landfills. As we broaden our vision to include all aspects of the circular economy, we are excited to continue our grant program for measurable initiatives to foster an equitable circular economy for Arizonans. Circular Arizona will award up to $5,000 in grant funding to one eligible applicant.

Eligibility

Applying organizations must:

✔ Work to foster a circular economy in Arizona.

✔ Be a nonprofit, government agency, school, entrepreneur, local business, or tribal nation (nonprofits must provide proof of nonprofit status).

✔ Be a Circular Arizona member before applying.

✔ Demonstrate a commitment to sustaining the project beyond the grant term and explain how that commitment will be maintained.

✔ Use the grant to fund a project or program that results in a measurable reduction of materials that would be landfilled (or otherwise contribute to Arizona’s circular economy).

Winning organizations must:

✔ Provide a high-quality organization logo for Circular Arizona to promote the grant winner and its grant program.

✔ Attend the Circular Arizona annual meeting in Phoenix in early 2025 (typically on a Thursday in February) and provide a five-minute presentation about your project or program.

✔ Provide photos of the project or program funded by the Circular Arizona grant.

✔ Provide a video interview or testimonial about receiving the grant and how it helped foster an equitable circular economy in your sphere of influence.

✔ Credit Circular Arizona where relevant and include the Circular Arizona logo on appropriate project materials.

✔ Provide Circular Arizona with a project or program update by June 30, 2025.

The Town of Queen Creek received a grant to expand its smart public space recycling program in 2024.

Guidelines

Circular Arizona board members select grant recipients via a blind scoring process. Any board member with a conflict of interest with any applicant abstains from scoring that applicant.

We review applications based on the following rubric:

  • Impact: The impact the project or program will have on circular economy efforts in Arizona.

  • Plausibility: The likelihood that the goals outlined in the project proposal can be completed.

  • Creativity: The project or program promotes new, innovative, or replicable ideas for circular economy efforts in Arizona. Preference is given to projects and programs that haven’t previously received awards.

  • Financial viability: The ability to demonstrate financial need for the project and sustain and operate after Circular Arizona grant funds have been expended.

Application Timeline

Grant applications must be submitted by Friday, Oct. 4, 2024, at 11:59 p.m. After submission, all applicants will receive an email confirmation of receipt. All applicants will be notified of their application status by Friday, Dec. 15, 2024.

Circular Arizona will announce the grant winners via a news release and at our annual meeting in early 2025. Have questions? Email us at Hello@CircularArizona.org.

Ready to join Circular Arizona?

  • Network at in-person and virtual conferences

  • Discounts on annual meeting and event registration fees

  • Apply for grants, scholarships, and awards

  • Connect with Arizona circular economy professionals and industry leaders

  • Get the latest circular economy news and trends from local and national experts