Environmental Dispute Resolution Program

Controversial environmental issues can polarize a community, leading to an inability to take action, bitter rifts and loss of trust among community members. The Musser Fund seeks to support programs that:

• Engage in a collaborative process that works to build consensus instead of confrontation, where parties may be able to resolve a conflict and move forward without resorting to litigation; and


• Particularly where both the environmental health and economic livelihood of a community are at stake. The Fund recognizes that collaborative decision making complements, and does not replace existing legal frameworks.

To apply for a grant under the Environmental Dispute Resolution section of the program:
Please construct your application in the following format, and include a cover sheet when you submit it. The proposal body can be no more than 5 pages. Complete proposal packets must be received in the Musser Fund office by February 18, 2009. Funding decisions will be announced June 2009.

1. SUMMARY: Provide a three sentence summary of your project at the top of your application; Include the application cover sheet as well.
2. BACKGROUND: What is your organizational background? What is your experience in this area?
3. ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUE AT STAKE: Please describe clearly the environmental issue which is disputed, including the history of the conflict.
4. GOALS AND ACTIVITIES: Describe the overall goals of this project and the activities planned that will accomplish these goals; Provide a timeline for the activities that indicates schedule and completion for the project.
5. STAKEHOLDERS: Describe the stakeholders to be involved in this process in detail; indicate how many have already announced support for your project and include letters of support from them in the appendix to this application.
6. PROCESS: Describe the process you will employ to bring parties to a discussion and possible consensus; Will you use an outside facilitator to help? Why or why not? If you choose an outside facilitator, what are that person or organization's credentials to help in this project? (Be specific.)
7. COMMUNITY IMPACT: Describe the impact this project will have on the economic and ecological health of the community.
8. BUDGET: Include a budget with the project income and expenses and list any other income sources, actual or pending.
9. OUTCOMES: List outcomes expected.

The Directors of the Laura Jane Musser Fund continue to be interested in the replicability of projects requesting funding.  If you have plans to share your project results, please include them in your proposal.

• BUDGET: Include a budget for the project with projected income and expenses; also include a budget for your organization for the current year.
• MAP: Include a map that indicates the location of your project and local community, and which places your project in the context of the larger community or state.
• LETTERS OF SUPPORT: Please include letters of support from at least two (but not more than six) community members and institutions involved in your proposed project. In addition, please provide a letter of support from the local government entity that is most closely involved in your project. The Fund is only able to consider letters that arrive in the same packet with your proposal and before the submission deadline.

Please include a copy of your 501(c)(3) statement, or if you are a unit of local government, please provide a letter on letterhead stationary, signed by a head officer of your unit of government, indicating awareness of and support of this proposed project.

PROPOSAL FORMAT: Electronic proposals will not be accepted. Please send your application packet in single-sided, unbound format. Please only send one copy. No materials other than those listed above will be included in the proposal review process. Only complete application packets will be considered.