October 2024 – Your Members-Only Newsletter

RCC small members only

Welcome to the October Green Umbrella Members-Only Newsletter! Read on for more Member Benefits, special events and training, and more.

By Nobi Kennedy,

Published October 8, 2024

RCC small members only
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Last month, Green Umbrella hosted the Cultivate + Connect event at Urban Artifact. The event had over 125 food advocates gathered to celebrate the connections between food, climate, and community. Green Umbrella also launched the second cohort of the Climate Research Incubator, involving scholars from regional academic and research institutions. The first training session, held on September 20th, focused on public engagement, participatory action research, and interdisciplinary collaboration. Additionally, the national 2030 District Networks Summit took place in Cincinnati, hosted by the Greater Cincinnati 2030 District. There’s some great events coming up this month, including Banters + Brews: Decarbonization and Wellness on October 24th and Clean Energy Funding webinars.


Your Benefits at Work

Food Systems Circularity Series: Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Food Waste

October 29 @ 4:00 pm – 5:00 pm

Join us for a 1- hour webinar where we’ll discuss the climate impacts of food systems with Tony Staubach, Food Waste Diversion Coordinator at Hamilton County R3Source, leader of Wasted Food Stops With Us, and key member of Green Umbrella’s Food Policy Council. Discover opportunities for building circularity in Greater Cincinnati through effective food waste reduction and diversion and learn how to track greenhouse gas emissions savings with a nationally-recognized food waste conversion calculator. This is the third session in Green Umbrella’s “Food Systems Circularity” series, amplifying the regional efforts of the Food Policy Council and the Common Orchard Project. Register today!

Get the most out of your Membership:

  • Submit your events to our Public Events Calendar
  • Submit your jobs, internships, and volunteer opportunities to the Green Jobs Board
  • Stay tuned: Green Umbrella’s Climate Health Equity Toolkit

Upcoming Events

RESCHEDULED! Slow Food Live: Your Role as a Stakeholder in School Wellness

October 24 @  4 – 5:30 pm

Mark your calendars (again!) for “Slow Food Live: Your Role as a Stakeholder in School Wellness,” rescheduled for October 24th from 4:00-5:30 pm. This webinar will take a fresh look into the USDA-required Local School Wellness Policies, which hold transformative potential for food, health, and environmental systems within schools. Whether you’re a student, parent, school employee, or community partner, your voice is vital in crafting these impactful policies. Join experts Cynthia Walters of Green Umbrella’s Green Schoolyards program, Anneliese Tanner of Boston Public Schools, and Jackie Sharpe of the Ohio Department of Education & Workforce as they guide you through building effective committees and share a new toolkit.

Clean Energy Funding Opportunities – WEBINAR

October 17 @ 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm

Discover a range of clean energy incentives such as tax credits, direct payments, grants, and low-interest loans designed to support your property’s clean energy upgrades in this one hour webinar hosted by Green Umbrella’s Greater Cincinnati 2030 District. Navigating these options can be complex, but Nikki Vandivort, energy policy expert from the City of Cincinnati’s Office of Environment and Sustainability, will guide you through the current funding landscape and eligibility criteria. If you own or manage a commercial, public, or multi-family property and have been thinking about a clean energy upgrade, this webinar is for you. Also offered on November 14th!

Banter + Brews: Decarbonization and Wellness

October 24 @ 7:30 am – 9:30 am

Banter + Brews is back and better than ever! Returning for the first time since 2020 as a breakfast event, Banters + Brews offers a morning of engaging conversation paired with local coffee, tea, and light bites. This month’s event is co-hosted by Green Umbrella and MA Design and will delve into cutting-edge topics around Decarbonization and Wellness in the Built Environment.


Collaboration & Connections

First Cultivate + Connect Event Brings Together Food System Champions Across the Region

Green Umbrella’s Food Policy Council and the Common Orchard Project hosted an unforgettable event earlier this month to celebrate the intersections of food, climate, and community in Greater Cincinnati. Attendees cultivated new connections, heard from regional food system champions, and participated in an interactive activity that mapped each of our vital roles in the local food system. A delicious menu also showcased 18 local businesses – curated in partnership with Findlay Kitchen, Incubator Kitchen Collective, and Edible Ohio Valley. It was a night of connection, creativity, and community that highlighted the power of collaboration in shaping a sustainable food future – read more about it on our blog, and we hope to see you there next year!

RE-AMP Action Team: Urban Food Systems Resource Sharing Session 4

October 7 @ 3:00 pm – 4:30 pm

Cities across the Midwest are digging into urban agriculture and building resilient urban food systems. With support from the RE-AMP Network, a coalition working to enable collaboration on climate solutions in the Midwest, the Urban Food Systems Resource Sharing Action Team is building a network to strengthen collaborative relationships, share ideas and resources, and gather best practices based on lived experience. Monthly resource sharing sessions will be held on Zoom, at  3-4:30pm ET on Mondays. Registration is required.

Green Drinks with Green Umbrella & Last Mile Food Rescue

October 24 @ 5:00 – 7:00 pm

Little Miami Brewing in Milford, OH, will host this month’s Green Drinks in collaboration with Last Mile Food Rescue for a dynamic networking event that brings together sustainability advocates from across Greater Cincinnati. This free gathering is perfect for anyone passionate about climate action and local sustainability.


Funding & Grant Opportunities

Great Lakes Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Grantmaking Program

The Minneapolis Foundation will be awarding $40M over three years for environmental justice work in underserved communities (applicable to OH and IN). The RFP should be released in the coming week… check out the website for more details!

Clean School Bus Program

The 2024 Clean School Bus Rebate Program is accepting applications through January 9th, 2025, at 4PM ET. The EPA anticipates awarding up to $965 million to fund new, zero-emission and clean school buses!

More opportunities & resources:

More funding opportunities can always be found at Green Umbrella’s Member Funding and Technical Assistance Tracker.


Climate Health Equity Series

Green Umbrella’s Climate Health Equity series is a public service campaign aimed at informing communities of regional climate issues and impacts to our health. It builds upon a recently completed report in partnership with Scioto Analysis, “Climate Health Equity – Analyzing the Impacts of Climate Change and Health Outcomes in Greater Cincinnati.” Join in on the conversation and learn more with the following resources:


Meet a Member: City of Covington

Situated in Kenton County at the confluence of the Ohio and Licking rivers, Covington is strategically positioned for regional collaboration, lying just south of Cincinnati and west of Newport. As a Leading Member of the Green Umbrella Regional Climate Collaborative, Covington exemplifies leadership in climate action through its determined and proactive initiatives. The city recently hosted a Green Umbrella Climate Action Fellow, who played a key role in advancing environmental efforts. Following a successful climate action workshop, Groundwork Ohio River Valley and Green Umbrella are set to launch a multi-week Climate Advisory Group in October within the city as part of the Climate Safe Neighborhoods initiative.

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