Keeping UNC Charlotte green with the Charlotte Green Initiative
Many campus sustainability projects are supported by students through the Student Green Fund, known as the Charlotte Green Initiative. It began in 2008, when the Earth Club petitioned the Student Government Association to dedicate $1 per student each semester to the fund. Since then, the CGI student-led committee has allocated approximately $60,000 annually to sustainable campus projects, ranging from awareness-raising events to physical additions that encourage environmentally friendly behavior.
The CGI committee is composed of undergraduate and graduate students from diverse academic backgrounds who share an interest in sustainability. The Office of Sustainability members mentor the committee, which holds weekly meetings to review proposals.
UNC Charlotte students may apply to join the committee. Students, faculty and staff may submit proposals, which can range from small-scale events hosted by a single organization or employee to large-scale campus projects requiring collaboration among multiple campus entities.
Funded projects in 2024-25
CGI funds small grants ($500 or less), large grants (more than $500) and event grants (any amount). During the 2024-25 academic year, CGI funded various large grants including upgrading 73 water fountains to bottle-filling stations across nine academic buildings. This $50,000 project supports the use of reusable water bottles, reduces the need for single-use plastic water bottles and promotes hydration and healthy lifestyles for the campus community.
Other large grants included the installation of five bike repair stations, three Weird Recycling Stations and additional sunscreen dispensers for outdoor recreation on campus.
CGI also supported multiple event grants throughout the year including the Biological Sciences Bat Week Social — hosted by the Pollinator Club, Mycology Club and Biology Club — which featured educational programming to raise awareness around bats’ roles as pollinators and the threat White-nose Syndrome poses to bat populations. A Zero Waste event, using materials left over from previous events to reduce waste, was funded, too.
Anything That Rolls, a group bike ride held last spring, was a collaborative event series funded by CGI. Hosted by the Student Government Association, Parking and Transportation Services, the Office of Sustainability and the Campus Sustainability Alliance, students used LIME bikes and scooters, for free, to ride on a pre-determined route across campus. CGI supported the cost of marketing materials and route signage to direct participants.
CGI’s small grants for student organizations enabled the annual April Party for the Planet to celebrate Earth Day. Organizations table at this event to promote their missions and highlight environmentally friendly initiatives on campus. A CGI grant supported tabling materials for student organizations, the Charlotte Youth Climate Coalition and Plants for People.
Have an idea? Apply for funding
Applications for CGI grants for the 2025-26 academic year are being accepted through Niner Engage. All Charlotte students, faculty and staff with project ideas that support campus sustainability initiatives are encouraged to apply. Learn more about CGI and its previous funded projects at cgi.charlotte.edu.