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COMMUNITY TREES |
The Awards of Excellence for Community Trees was created by The Home Depot Foundation in partnership with the U.S. Conference of Mayors in 2006. The purpose of the program is to identify, recognize and showcase the success and benefits of public/private partnerships in developing healthy communities through the strategic use of trees.
The Home Depot Foundation and the U.S. Conference of Mayors understand and recognize the pivotal role trees play in improving quality of life and hope this program encourages nonprofit partners and government officials to appreciate and utilize green infrastructure in our cities.
Award Categories: There are two award categories, Cities with fewer than 100,000 people and Cities with a population of 100,000 or more. Additional applicants may be recognized with Outstanding Achievement recognition. The Foundation awards up to six grants within each category as outlined below:
- Winner – $75,000 grant
- Runner-up – $25,000 grant
- Honorable Mention – $2,500 grant
While both the city and the nonprofit partner will be recognized, the grant will be awarded to the nonprofit partner to be used at their discretion for charitable purposes to further the goal of promoting healthy communities through tree planting and the management of the urban forest.
Award Criteria and Eligibility Standards: The Home Depot Foundation recognizes that cities across the country, in partnership with local nonprofits, are achieving outstanding results in urban forestry both on a project basis and programmatic level.
Awards will be given on the overall excellence of the initiative based on the work completed prior to July 31, 2007 (ongoing projects/programs will be evaluated on the work completed).
Applications will be assessed based on the extent to which the initiative incorporates the following criteria:
- Demonstrated partnership between city government and one or more local nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status
- Exhibited innovation in the development and enhancement of a city’s urban forest
- Demonstrated exceptional city leadership
- Established benchmark measures for evaluating the success of the program/project and an assessment of whether these measures have been achieved
- Incorporation of the urban forest into community revitalization plans and infrastructure improvements
- Engagement of multiple partners
- Enhanced livability of a city or targeted neighborhood
- Demonstrated ecological function of the urban forest
- Provided clear understanding and attention to sustainability
- Replicability of model
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