2009 Aveda Earth Fund Grant Recipients. Click here
EARTH FUND
EARTH FUND GRANTMAKING PROGRAM
Commitment to earth and community care is a cornerstone of Avedas corporate culture. This has been true since the companys founding in 1978 and has continued throughout our 30 year history.
The Aveda Earth Fund is part of our mission to give back to society and is an example of our longstanding commitment to social and environmental leadership and responsibility. Aveda demonstrates our commitment to earth and community care by partnering with nonprofit organizations focused on caring for the earth and protecting biodiversity. Grants made through the Aveda Earth Fund reflect our environmental sustainability policy and work to address the following threats to biodiversity:
Global Climate Change
Loss of species and habitat destruction
Toxins in the environment
Waste generation
Air pollution
*At this time we are not accepting proposals for water-related projects due to our current level of support for water projects through the Aveda Earth Month program.
It is the aim of the Earth Fund to:
Support projects that protect the ecological and social wellbeing of communities where Aveda does business. This includes the geographic areas in which Aveda sources ingredients, as well as the communities where we market our products.
To help protect natural resources and ecosystems essential to our business.
Seek collaborations that combine environmental, economic and social benefits at a local level.
Priority is given to projects that provide opportunities to engage and educate Aveda employees, our professional salon, spa and retail Network and consumers.
FUNDING CRITERIA
Please know that Aveda receives far more requests for funding than we can possibly fulfill. While there are many worthy and important projects that we would love to support, due to inherent limitations in funding dollars, we must unfortunately turn down many respectable projects. To guide us in evaluating the high volume of proposals we receive, priority is given to projects that demonstrate the following criteria:
Community-based environmental projects that are results-oriented, achieve measurable results, and enhance local capacity to create more sustainable communities.
Projects that focus on activities that change the systems that are causing the environmental problems or social/community challenges and are not just focused on direct service.
Projects that have a plan for long-term financial sustainability or adequate funding to see the project through to completion.
Projects that ensure that the basic infrastructure of environmental programs is sustained or enhanced (e.g., recycling programs, sustainable agriculture, forestry certification programs).
Projects that combine the above environmental work with socio-economic responsibility.
WHAT WE DO NOT FUND
Philanthropic programs can be most effective by concentrating their resources in a few areas. Inevitably, this means that we cannot support many worthy projects outside our focus areas. The Aveda Earth Fund does not provide support to the following:
Grants to individuals or scholarship programs
Organizations without 501(c)3 status in the USA or equivalent internationally
Political organizations or campaigns
Government agencies or programs
Religious organizations or direct religious activities
Social service agencies
Schools including Colleges or Universities
Athletic scholarships, teams or events
Beauty pageants, fashion shows, or similar events
Medical or disease-specific projects
Endowment funds
Debt retirement
Capital campaigns
TYPES OF GRANTS
Grants made through the Aveda Earth Fund are generally between $5,000 - $25,000 and are one year commitments.
HOW TO APPLY
Start by submitting a one to two page Letter of Interest (LOI). We accept Letters of Interest at any time, but we review them only twice per year.
Letters of Interest Due:
Grants are awarded in:
September 1st
December
March 1st
June
Letter of Interest (LOI) – Complete the LOI cover page and send it with an LOI on your organization’s letterhead. Include a legible copy of your latest IRS letter of determination, or equivalent internationally. The LOI should not exceed two pages in length and should employ a readable font size (no less than 12 pt.) and one-inch margins. Included within the LOI should be the following:
A brief description of your organization’s mission and major accomplishments
A brief description of the goals and design of the project for which you are seeking funds
A brief outline of the project budget including sources of income other than the amount you are requesting from Aveda.
An explanation of why you want to partner with Aveda and how your project is aligned with Aveda’s earth and community care concerns.
In an effort to conserve natural resources, we prefer to receive applications via email. Please send your completed LOI and cover page to avedaearthfund@aveda.com. We recognize that this is not feasible for all organizations, so if absolutely necessary, paper copies can be submitted through regular mail at the address below. Do not use binders, plastic covers or sheet protectors. Do not include glossy photos, videos, cassettes or other back up materials with your LOI. They will not be reviewed and will not be returned. All LOI materials must be printed double-sided and should be on paper with a minimum of 50% post-consumer content.
Aveda Earth Fund Program
4000 Pheasant Ridge Drive
Minneapolis, Minnesota 55449-7106
Full Proposals – If your request for funding is accepted for further consideration, we will notify you within four weeks of the LOI due date and invite a full proposal. Proposal guidelines will be sent along with your invitation notice and a due date by which we will need to receive your complete proposal.
