Purpose
Bloomberg Philanthropies has selected the City of Somerville to participate in the 2026-2027 Youth Climate Action Fund cohort, which provides capital and capacity to support municipalities in mobilizing young residents ages 15–24 in designing and delivering climate solutions aligned with citywide priorities. Through the Youth Climate Action Fund, Somerville has been awarded $50,000, which will be distributed as microgrants of up to $5,000 to youth-led climate action projects.
The application period for YCAF funding closed on October 15th. The City and the YCAF Project Selection Committee are currently reviewing proposals. Projects will be awarded in November.
Contact Information
Overview
Youth (Somerville community members between ages 15-24) were invited to propose projects and partner with the City and local nonprofit partners to implement microgrant-funded projects. Microgrant awards are between $1,000 - $5,000.
Projects address one or more goals or priorities identified in Somerville’s community climate action plan, Climate Forward. Project priority areas include: buildings & energy, community health & resiliency, natural resources & waste, transportation & mobility, and leadership.
Read the YCAF program flyer:
Project teams must include:
- at least two (2) Somerville youth
- local partner organization (the City can help connect you to organizations, reach out if you need help!)
- City staff
- optional: community mentors; individual, vetted community members with applicable knowledge and skills
Program Timeline
This program will disburse grant funds to youth-led climate action projects. In order to receive funds, project teams (led by Somerville youth ages 15-24) must submit a project application. The application period ended on October 15th. The Project Selection Committee is currently reviewing applications and will make awards in November. There are four phases to this program: the application period, notification period, implementation period, and project completion.
-
Application Aug–Oct 2026
Develop project
idea and apply -
Notification Nov 2026
Get notified
of award -
Implementation Dec 2026–March 2027
Implement project with
project team -
Completion April 2027
Complete
project
Key Dates:
- Applications open: Tuesday, September 1, 2026
- Applications close: Thursday, October 15, 2026
- Project funds disbursed: Friday, November 13, 2026
- Project must be completed: Thursday, April 14, 2027
Project Criteria
Microgrant project applications must address one or more goals or priorities identified in Somerville’s community climate action plan, Climate Forward. Project priority areas include: buildings & energy, community health & resiliency, natural resources & waste, transportation & mobility, and leadership.
Project applications must include the following to be eligible for a microgrant:
Project Team
- The project team includes at least two (2) Somerville youth (ages 15-24)
- The project team includes a local community partner organization - reach out to the City for more information! If you don’t have an organization in mind (they must be a registered non-profit), then the City can partner you with a partner organization
Project Topic
- The project idea supports Climate Forward and is related to at least one of the five Climate Forward topic areas
- See this list of draft project ideas to help you brainstorm a project
Project Feasibility
- The project outlines a budget, with the total budget being between $1,000-$5,000
-
The project can be completed by April 15, 2027
Check out this project eligibility matrix for more details.
Project Application
The application period for YCAF funding closed on October 15th. The City and the YCAF Project Selection Committee are currently reviewing proposals. Projects will be awarded in November.