All in for Berlin

The climate and environment need our help right now – and we need to go all-in. We want to support all the amazing ideas that make Berlin a greener and more eco-friendly place at a community and/or structural level. We know there are lots of motivated people out there who have ideas and are committed to helping the environment and taking climate action. Whether it’s a local neighborhood looking to green their local tree pits or an elementary school seeking to plant tiny forests, a lack of resources shouldn’t stand in the way. We’re allocating a total of EUR 250,000 in funding. Applications are open from July 1 to September 1, 2022.

Why is Ecosia taking this step?

Ecosia was founded in Berlin in 2009. Since then, we’ve been supporting people in the city while continuing to believe in our crazy idea of using a search engine to plant trees. Berlin is one of the cities with the most Ecosia users to date. That’s why we want to say thanks to Berliners and give something back to the community. Now it’s our turn to back your crazy ideas.

Who’s the funding for?

We support not-for-profit organizations such as non-profit private limited companies (gGmbH), foundations and associations with charitable status in the form of earmarked donations.

We also allocate grants to groups and initiatives without charitable status, including individuals and associations that are not charities. For tax reasons, the grant is allocated in the form of a sponsorship agreement and must be declared by the receiving party in their tax return.

What projects will be supported?

We support innovative projects that tackle environmental protection and climate action at the source. These projects should aim to take positive action for the climate and protect the environment, biodiversity, and the communities affected. We will support projects that address at least one of the following aspects at a structural and/or community level and serve as an example to others.

• Raising awareness of environmental and climate-related issues
• Promoting a sustainable lifestyle
• Greening the city
• Contributing to sustainable forest management (regenerative forestry)
• Promoting regenerative agriculture
• Climate and environmental activism
• Promoting the transformation of the mobility and energy sectors
• Promoting intersectionality in climate and environmental activism
• Climate justice
  
  

The projects should be characterized by direct, potentially scalable measures and have a clear strategy.

Applying for funding

Applications will open on this page on July 1, 2022. The closing date for applications is September 1, 2022. During this time, you can apply for a grant by filling out the form. In your application, you’ll be asked to provide detailed information about you and your initiative, the concrete concept for the project, financial planning and how the project’s performance will be measured. If your initiative falls under the umbrella of a charity and you are authorized to represent it, please ensure you can provide us with proof of its status in your application, for example by attaching a notice of exemption, extract from the association register, etc.

A committee internal to Ecosia will decide on the level of funding allocated to particular projects. The project selection and grant allocation process will take place during the application stage. If your idea needs urgent funding, please indicate and state reasons for this in your application.

Got questions?

If you have any questions, email us at info@ecosia.org.