Student Sustainability Collective
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- The Green Initiative Fund
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The Green Initiative Fund
The Green Initiative Fund, or TGIF for short, is an initiative to give students the opportunity to make an impact on UCSD's campus sustainability while also having the chance to create and implement a project from start to finish.
The Fall 2024 TGIF application is now open Apply Here.
If you have any questions/concerns, please reach out to the Director of TGIF & Finance, Grace Constantian, at ssc-tgif@ucsd.edu.
Funded Projects
2024-2025
No current funding. Please apply!History
The Sustainability Referendum, passed in the Winter of 2009, allows for the use of undergraduate fees to be put into TGIF in order to enable and empower students to take an active role in making the UCSD community a leader in sustainable solutions.
Past recipients of TGIF include campus gardens such as Ellie's Garden and Roger’s Community Garden, Che Cafe, Triton Solar Car, and Yonder Deep.
What kinds of projects?
The projects funded by TGIF are diverse in terms of scale, goals, and social justice issue, but they all have the same theme of sustainability. Some past projects have included expanding Ellie's Garden, the Solar Chill project, and renovations to the Outback Adventure shop on Library Walk.
Fast Track Funding
The Fast Track Funding TGIF application was created by the TGIF committee in order to fund projects that require less than $500. This funding option is ideally for projects that require less funding but also can be used for project maintenance throughout the year.
For Fast Track Applications:
- Recipients are not required to present at the TGIF Symposium and Banquet at the end of the year, although they are encouraged to do so.
- Applicants do not have to fill out the Education, Publicity, and Outreach portion of the application.
- The rest of the criteria expressed in the Fall and Winter Funding Cycles are still upheld. Fast Track Applications are decided upon on a rolling basis.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What is TGIF?
A: TGIF stands for The Green Initiative Fund and was created after a student referendum raised student fees roughly $1.60
Q: What can/cannot fund?
A: TGIF cannot fund, labor, travel, or events. Only materials for self-sustaining projects. Projects are intended to make UCSD more sustainable, whether environmentally, or socially.
Q: Who can apply?
A: Because these funds are allocated from undergraduate students fees, all projects must be rooted in undergraduate student involvement.
Q: When can I apply?
A: There are two funding cycles, one during Fall Quarter and one during Winter Quarter. Projects under $500 dollars are accepted on a rolling basis as part of our fast-track program. Refer to the Fast Track tab for the application.
Q: How can I access my funds if given a grant?
A: All funding is coordinated with the Student Life Business Office. Please contact your fund manager for more detail. To contact the SLBO: https://slbo.ucsd.edu/fund-management/team/index.html.
Q: How much funding is available?
A: As of the academic year 2022-2023, the TGIF program is currently allocated $100,000 each year to be split between recipients.
Q: How much time to I have to complete my project?
A: Funds are available until the end of the school year. The last day funds can be accessed for the 2022-2023 school year will be determined at a later date. Ideally, projects should be completed in this year time frame.
Q: Who can I contact if I have further questions?
A: The TGIF director at tgifucsd@gmail.com
Past Funded Projects
2023-2024
| Project Title | Funding Approved |
|---|---|
| Ecocommuntity | $493.00 |
| Agrihydrobotics | $5,502.93 |
| Food Cooperative | $6,246.25 |
| Green Aero | $455.16 |
| Lock Pod | $26,467.29 |
| Roger's Community Garden | $2,536.75 |
| Triton Racing | $15,519.13 |
2022-2023
| Project Title | Funding Approved |
|---|---|
| Chem - E - Car | $721.55 |
| Triton Racing - Electric Vehicle Powertrain Development | $21,285.59 |
| Triton Solar Car | $4,576.52 |
| Roger’s Community Garden Maintenance | $2,708.55 |
| Yonder Deep | $9,074.54 |
| The Food Cooperative Repairs, Upgrades, and Sustenance | $4,395.70 |
| The Che Cafe Kitchen Upgrades | $12,818.28 |
| Green New Deal-Khosla Must Commit | $2,751.80 |
| Total | $58,332.53 |
2021-2022
| Project Title | Funding Approved |
|---|---|
| DeliverAERO | $7,360 |
| Bonner Butterfly Garden | $4,011.24 |
| The Che Cafe | $26,775.00 |
| Triton Solar Car | $28,810.65 |
| Yonder Deep | $7,298.38 |
| VYX | $12,480 |
| Food Cooperative | $4,903.10 |
| Vertical Axis Wind Turbine | $506.39 |
| Warren Grow | $320 |
| Aquaponics Restoration | $400 |
| Roger's Community Garden: Maintenance | $500 |
| Roger's Community Garden: Dosatron System | $485.28 |
| Total | $93,850.04 |
2020-2021
| Project Title | Funding Approved |
|---|---|
| Warren Grow! Community Garden | $1,585.53 |
| ESW Solar Car | $6,059.95 |
| Vertical Axis Wind Turbine (VAWT) | $1,450.08 |
| Yonder Deep | $20,793.82 |
| The BioEnergy Project | $19,352.64 |
| Bottles to Models (B2M) | $873.16 |
| MASH Alarms at UC San Diego | $5,200.00 |
| Mushrooms from Campus Waste | $1,992.39 |
| The Chem-E-Car Project | $908.22 |
| Total | $58,215.79 |
2019 - 2020
| Project Title | Funding Approved |
|---|---|
| Triton Solar Car | $25,126.00 |
| Chem-E-Car | $600.00 |
| Warren Community Garden Restoration | $3,127.10 |
| Community Garden Plant Tissue Testing | $2,651.00 |
| Mushrooms from Campus Waste | $515.38 |
| The Bioenergy Project | $7,145.00 |
| Project FogCatchers | $3,519.75 |
| Green Fuel Cell | $215.60 |
| Food Recovery Network | $8,292.59 |
| CommUnity Garden | $1,046.59 |
| Kachieng Project | $471.80 |
| Solar Tile Walkway | $6,301.00 |
| Mushrooms from Campus Waste | $474.00 |
| Community Food Wall | $1,440.00 |
| Portable Wind Power | $243.18 |
| Scripps Coastal Reserve Internship | $442.01 |
| Yonder Deep | $8,697.91 |
| Village Market Sustainable Shampoo and Conditioner Pilot Program | $1,095.55 |
| Environmental Monitoring Drone- Appeal | $7,200.00 |
| Total | $78,604.46 |
2018 - 2019
| Project Title | Funding Approved |
|---|---|
| Aeroponics | $4,443.37 |
| BioEnergy | $15,757.53 |
| Community Food Wall | $5,692.50 |
| CommUnity Garden | $513.31 |
| Computer-Controlled System for Aquaponics Management | $4,174.98 |
| Smog Eating Mural | $1,436.63 |
| Smoothie Bike | $208.00 |
| Soil Toxicant Testing | $2,837.22 |
| Solar Car | $20,642.42 |
| Solex Batteries | $750.00 |
| The Green Fuel Cell | $606.13 |
| Yonder Deep | $4,467.37 |
| Automated Renewables Monitoring Systems (ARMS) | $271.62 |
| Chem E-Car | $358.40 |
| Bottles to Models | $462.96 |
| Mushrooms from Campus Waste | $500.00 |
| Sustainable Menstruation & Sex | $2,644.22 |
| Green Machine | $230.00 |
| Restoration of Warren Community Garden | $4,878.00 |
| Multi-functional Energy Harvesting Team | $500.00 |
| Total | $71,374.66 |
2017 - 2018
| Project Title | Funding Approved |
|---|---|
| Fuel Your Soul | $331.12 |
| Green Fuel Cell | $2,062.43 |
| Aeroponics | $2,606.43 |
| Food Recovery Network | $2,894.02 |
| Aquaponics System Regulation Modules | $2,684.00 |
| Step It Up | $835.76 |
| The Bioenergy Project | $17,920.10 |
| Green Wall Hydroponic | $507.00 |
| Bioenergy Project-Treatment Center | $2,712.30 |
| Triton Solar Car | $30,388.27 |
| Phosphorous Wastewater Treatment | $542.30 |
| Solar Light | $1,622.50 |
| Reflection Garden | $78.00 |
| SMEV Environmental Impact Reduction | $12,009.89 |
| Solex Batteries | $398.16 |
| Cryo-desalinization | $366.83 |
| Total | $77,959.11 |
2015 - 2016
| Project Title | Funding Approved |
|---|---|
| Bottles to Models | $4,383.52 |
| Bell Garden (learning landscape) | $640.05 |
| Fuel Your Sol-enders | $2,008.31 |
| The Green Cell Project | $1,000.00 |
| Waste Energy-enders | $934.00 |
| G-Store Lighting | $857.13 |
| Triton Racing (TR-16) | $2,661.91 |
| Outreach Aquaponics | $5,304.20 |
| Biogas Generation | $3,406.57 |
| The Self Monument | $464.31 |
| Comparative Compost | $2,340.00 |
| Solar Powered Aquaponics (Divergent Engineering | $11,000.00 |
| Materials Engineering | $112.48 |
| Biosand Filtration Demo Workshop | $277.00 |
| Oceanic Phosphorous Recovery | $277.00 |
| ESW Student Sustainability Outreach Day | $500 |
| Food Waste Diversion Study | $250 |
| University Centers Pre-Consumer Waste | $462.23 |
| Total | $37,049.66 |
2014 - 2015
| Project Title | Funding Approved |
|---|---|
| The Algae Project | $311.60 |
| Waste to Energy | $964.00 |
| Sustainability & Education Projects (Roger’s Garden) | $7,406.27 |
| Cutting out the AC | $850 |
| Ambient Heat Engine | $3,713 |
| Biofuels Production/Analysis & Green Chemistry Research | $4,255.40 |
| Learning Landscape | $742.95 |
| Ellie’s Garden Expansion | $1,819.00 |
| Bottles to Models | $7,696.19 |
| Outback Adventures Energy & Waste Reduction | $2,426 |
| Study for Sustainability | $2,556 |
| UCSD Global Pavilion | $6,011.75 |
| Solar Chill | $20,500 |
2013 - 2014
| Project Title | Funding Approved |
|---|---|
| Pepper Canyon Farm | $800 |
| Biofuels Research and Production | $615 |
| Waste to Energy | $578 |
| Solar Chill | $6,000 |
| Bringing Education to Roger’s Community Garden | $8,560 |
| Outback Adventures Rental Shop Washer/Dryer Retrofit | $3,433.20 |
2012 - 2013
| Project Title | Funding Approved |
|---|---|
| Che Cafe Renovations | $35,000 |
| Preuss Composting Bins | $650 |
| Solar Slider V2 | $1,424 |
| ESW Waste to Energy | $1,508 |
| Reconfiguration of Second Life Batteries | $2,781 |
| Smart Garden | $1,030 |
| Ellie’s Garden Expansion | $1,800 |
| Solar RC Plane | $486.07 |
Spring 2011 - 2012
| Project Title | Funding Approved |
|---|---|
| UCSD Disorientation Manual (New Indicator Collective) | $1,500 |
| Report on Privatization (New Indicator Collective) | $1,765 |
| Thailand Water and Energy Project-Irrigation (ESW) | $613 |
| Preuss Bottle Bench (ESW) | $3,085 |
| Biodiesel Refinery Project Pilot Plant (BAAN) | $10,355.14 |
| UCSD Outback Surf Shop Lighting Replacements (Green Campus) | $2,700 |
Fall 2011 - 2012
| Project Title | Funding Approved |
|---|---|
| UC Box Art Project | $2,000 |
| Neighborhood Community Garden Compost Integration (ESW) | $483.89 |
| Thailand Purification Project (ESW) | $493.86 |
| Marshall Garden (ACT/SCORE) | $7,876.50 |
| Bottle Brick Bench (ESW) | $1,800 |
| Solar Shade (IDEA) | $500 |
| Biofuels Awareness and Action Network (BAAN) Refinery Plant | $19,730.84 |
| Thailand Bioenergy Project (ESW) | $1,400 |
| Aquaponics Project (ESW) | $2,800 |
| Books for Prisoners (Groundworks Books) | $700 |
2010 - 2011
| Project Title | Funding Approved |
|---|---|
| Biofuels Awareness and Action Network (BAAN) Dry Wash Project | $2,664.40 |
| Coffee Diesel | $896.50 |
| Food Co-op Energy and Water Use Reduction | $568.95 |
| Formula Hybrid | $34,700 |
| Human Powered Vehicle | $2,123.33 |
| Neighborhood Community Garden | $4,889.17 |
| Sunshine Market Night Covers (Green Campus) | $1,025.00 |
| Thailand Irrigation Project (Engineers for a Sustainable World) | $500 |
| Thailand Purification Team (Engineers for a Sustainable World) | $500 |
| Smart Living at UCSD | $400 |
| Trash Can Art Beautification Project | $2,300 |
| UCSD Natural History Guide | $412.20 |
| W.O.R.M. Composting Bin | $438.19 |
| ReRev-ASUCSD/UCSP Athletics | $7,500 |
| Undergraduate Scientific Glass Blowing Workshop (BAAN) | $1345.84 |
| Shower Timers | $988.35 |
| Food Co-op Retrofit (UCSD Food Co-op) | $1,160.50 |
| Solar Charging Station (Engineers for a Sustainable World) [ESW] | $1,424.00 |
| Preuss Rain Barrel and Table (ESW) | $500 |
| Aquaponics Project (ESW) | $700 |
| Wastewater Treatment (Society of Structural Engineers) | $169.88 |