Founded in 2011 by SPEAR and VSG, this $150,000 annual fund invests in initiatives that promote sustainability at Vanderbilt University. The Green Fund drives Vanderbilt toward a more sustainable future, with projects ideated by students.

The Vanderbilt Green Fund provides up-front capital to projects with three primary focuses listed below: 
Innovation Proposals: on-campus projects that increase utility efficiency and promote sustainability efforts in an attempt to reduce utility consumption on campus.

Academic/Educational Proposals: projects and initiatives that focus on sustainability enrichment and experiential education.

Laboratory Proposals: projects that improve the sustainability of laboratory operations.

Proposal Requirements

Each Green Fund proposal must have the following components and should be submitted as a pdf to the proposal form. Here is an example of a successful proposal:  Low Flow Showers in Branscomb Proposal.
Basic Information: Name of project, proposer(s), email info, class year(s), major(s)
Project Description: A basic description of the project that identifies preliminary material, location and informational requirements.
Project Goal & Environmental Impact: A statement on the intended goals of the project along with an estimated impact the project will have on the university’s energy consumption, carbon footprint, and general sustainability. 
Project Costs & Payback Period: An estimate of the project budget including construction costs, design costs and other expenses. Also include the anticipated monetary savings and projected payback time based on estimated costs and savings. 
Project Schedule: Ideal timeline for the implementation of the project. This does not have to be precise, but rather a goal for the project. 

For examples of past projects, click here