The Story of Stuff Project established its Grassroots Grants Program in 2017 to support grassroots movements working to protect fresh water resources and fight plastic pollution. This program grew out of a successful grassroots campaign in Cascade Locks, Oregon, which banned large-scale water bottling facilities with a county-wide ballot measure. Through small grants to traditionally under-funded organizations and communities, we’re working with a grassroots network that’s tackling some of the most pressing social and environmental justice issues of the 21st century. We support projects that value local community involvement and organizing, creative interventions, strategic thinking, and both defensive “fight-back” and offensive solutions-focused projects. Please contact Campaigns Manager Miranda Fox for eligibility information if you are interested in applying for a grant.

This grant program is made possible by the generous donations of our Community members.
Please support The Story of Stuff Project’s Grassroots Grants Program!

Featured Grassroots Grant Recipient

Our Water Campaign – Pittsburgh United

The Our Water Campaign is a coalition of eight social, environmental, and community groups that launched at the beginning of 2017 to support public solutions to Pittsburgh’s Water & Sewer Authority’s problems, and ensure safe, affordable, publicly controlled water for all Pittsburgh residents. The Campaign has successfully shifted the narrative in Pittsburgh around water privatization and public control and accountability. The campaign has fought for these values by organizing large community townhalls, knocking on over 5,000 doors and moving hundreds of people to take action, building relationships with decision makers and stakeholders, and implementing a media and communications strategy.

In 2017, the Campaign successfully advocated for the halting of dangerous practice of partial lead line replacements, pushed the City to give away 20,000 free lead-filtering water filters, won a winter moratorium on water shutoffs for low-income residents, and won a customer assistance program to help low-income residents pay their bills. Finally, campaign efforts paid off when the Mayor’s Blue Ribbon Panel released its recommendation that the Water and Sewer Authority remain under public control.

Grants have been awarded to the following organizations:

Community Water Justice
Genesee County Hispanic Latino Collaborative
Juniata Watershed People Before Pipelines
Los Angeles-Area Justice and Ecology Retreat
McCloud Watershed Council
Michigan Citizens for Water Conservation
Patagonia Area Resource Alliance
Pittsburgh United – Our Water Campaign
San Antonio Bay Estuarine Waterkeeper
Texas Environmental Justice Advocacy Services (t.e.j.a.s.)
Water for Citizens of Weed
We Advocate Thorough Environmental Review
Wellington Water Watchers