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 Winter 2024 TGIF application is now CLOSED.

If you have any questions/concerns, please reach out to the Director of TGIF & Finance, Grace Constantian, at ssc-tgif@ucsd.edu.

Current 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

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

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