Catalogue of Eligible Sustainable Items for Sustainability Microgrant Funding

Eligibility Requirements

1. Food must be:
   1. Vegan AND/OR
   2. Vegetarian AND/OR
   3. Locally-grown AND locally-produced AND/OR
   4. Organic
2. Food including catering, produce, meals will ONLY be funded if it:
   1. Directly and clearly aligns with the RSO’s core mission AND
   2. Is central to the educational value of an RSO’s sustainability-oriented event.
3. In the microgrant application, RSOs must:
   1. Provide evidence of vendor’s commitment to sustainable procurement AND
   2. Demonstrate that requested items directly and clearly align with the RSO’s core mission AND
   3. Demonstrate that requested items are central to the educational value of an RSO’s specific sustainability-oriented event.

Restrictions/Prohibited Items

1. Food that does not clearly and directly align with RSO’s core mission AND is not central to the educational value of a sustainability-oriented event (e.g., food for recruiting events, food for executive team meetings is not eligible)
2. Food that is not sustainably sourced and/or locally grown and produced as described above

Eligibility Requirements

1. Cups must be:
   1. Plant-based and compostable OR
   2. Plant-based and reusable (e.g., made of wheat) OR
   3. Aluminum and reusable OR
   4. Glass and reusable OR
   5. Thrifted
2. In the microgrant application, RSOs must:
   1. Demonstrate how all requested items are essential to the operations of the RSO.

Restrictions/Prohibited Items

1. Made of paper, foam, or plastic 

Eligibility Requirements

1. Plates must be:
   1. Plant-based and compostable OR
   2. Plant-based and reusable (e.g., made of wheat) OR
   3. Aluminum and reusable OR
   4. Glass and reusable OR
   5. Thrifted
2. In the microgrant application, RSOs must:
   1. Demonstrate how all requested items are essential to the operations of the RSO.

Restrictions/Prohibited Items

1. Made of paper, foam, or plastic 

Eligibility Requirements

1. Bowls must be:
   1. Plant-based and compostable OR
   2. Plant-based and reusable (e.g., made of wheat) OR
   3. Aluminum and reusable OR
   4. Glass and reusable OR
   5. Thrifted
2. In the microgrant application, RSOs must:
   1. Demonstrate how all requested items are essential to the operations of the RSO.

Restrictions/Prohibited Items

1. Made of paper, foam, or plastic 

Eligibility Requirements

1. Forks and/or Spoons must be:
   1. Plant-based and compostable OR
   2. Plant-based and reusable (e.g., made of wheat) OR
   3. Reusable metal OR
   4. Thrifted
2. In the microgrant application, RSOs must:
   1. Demonstrate how all requested items are essential to the operations of the RSO.

Restrictions/Prohibited Items

1. Made of plastic 

Eligibility Requirements

1. Brand new table napkins must be:
   1. Made of launderable, reusable cloth that is made of natural plant-based fibers OR
   2. Made of undyed, unbleached recycled paper (preferred: post-consumer recycled paper) OR
   3. Thrifted.
2. In the microgrant application, RSOs must:
   1. Demonstrate how all requested items are essential to the operations of the RSO.

Restrictions/Prohibited Items

1. New bleached paper table napkins
2. New cloth table napkins not made of plant-based materials

Eligibility Requirements

1. Brand new tablecloths must be:
   1. Made of launderable, reusable cloth that is made of natural plant-based fibers OR
   2. Made of undyed, unbleached recycled paper (preferred: post-consumer recycled paper) OR
   3. Thrifted.
2. In the microgrant application, RSOs must:
   1. Demonstrate how all requested items are essential to the operations of the RSO.

Restrictions/Prohibited Items

1. New bleached paper tablecloths
2. New cloth tablecloths not made of plant-based materials

Eligibility Requirements

1. Brand new food containers must be:
   1. Reusable glass OR
   2. Plant-based materials OR
   3. Recycled materials OR
   4. Reusable metal OR
   5. Thrifted
2. In the microgrant application, RSOs must:
   1. Demonstrate how all requested items are essential to the operations of the RSO.

Restrictions/Prohibited Items

1. Plastic and foam containers 

Eligibility Requirements

1. T-shirts must be:
   1. Made in the U.S. AND are organic AND/OR
   2. Made in the U.S. AND made with recycled cotton
2. T-shirts must have RSO AND SSC branding but may not be personalized with individual names or numbers.
3. Mockups of the T-shirts must be included with request
4. RSOs are limited to purchasing a maximum of 25 brand new t-shirts per fiscal year.
5. In the microgrant application, RSOs must:
   1. Demonstrate how all requested items are essential to the operations of the RSO.

Restrictions/Prohibited Items

1. New t-shirts that are not both made in the U.S. AND are organic
2. New t-shirts that are not both made in the U.S. AND made of recycled cotton
3. T-shirts purchased without SSC and RSO branding
4. T-shirts customized with individual names or numbers.
5. Student Orgs are limited to 25 brand new t-shirts per year.
6. REMINDER: No SSC-funded items may be resold.

Eligibility Requirements

1. Aprons must be:
   1. Made in the U.S. AND are organic AND/OR
   2. Made in the U.S. AND made with recycled cotton AND/OR
   3. Thrifted.
2. In the microgrant application, RSOs must:
   1. Demonstrate how all requested items are essential to the operations of the RSO.

Restrictions/Prohibited Items

1. New aprons that are not both made in the U.S. AND are organic
2. New aprons that are not both made in the U.S. AND made of recycled cotton
3. Any thrifted purchases that are not accompanied by an itemized business receipt issued by the thrift/secondhand store

Eligibility Requirements

1. Sponges must be:
   1. Made plant-based AND compostable
2. In the microgrant application, RSOs must:
   1. Demonstrate how all requested items are essential to the operations of the RSO.

Restrictions/Prohibited Items

1. Sponges that contain plastic

Eligibility Requirements

1. Dishcloths must be:
   1. Made in the U.S. AND are organic plant-based materials AND/OR
   2. Made in the U.S. AND made with recycled plant-based materials AND/OR
   3. Thrifted
2. In the microgrant application, RSOs must:
   1. Demonstrate how all requested items are essential to the operations of the RSO.

Restrictions/Prohibited Items

1. New dishcloths that are not both made in the U.S. AND made of organic cotton
2. New dishcloths that are not both made in the U.S. AND made of recycled cotton
3. Any thrifted purchases that are not accompanied by an itemized business receipt issued by the thrift/secondhand store

Eligibility Requirements

1. Thrifted clothing, costumes, and fabric must be:
   1. Essential to the operations of the RSO AND
   2. Be central to the educational value of the RSO’s specific sustainability-oriented program or project.
2. Items must be purchased from a reputable/established thrift store or other secondhand store (e.g., Idea Store) to qualify.
3. An itemized business receipt issued by the store with the store’s name digitally printed on it must be submitted in order for RSO to be reimbursed.
4. In the microgrant application, RSOs must:
   1. Demonstrate how each thrifted item directly and clearly aligns with RSO’s core mission AND
   2. Demonstrate how each thrifted item is central to the educational value of the RSO’s specific sustainability-oriented program or project.

Restrictions/Prohibited Items

1. Clothing, costumes, and fabric purchased from non-thrift or secondhand stores
2. Any thrifted clothing, costumes, and fabric purchased by RSO that do not clearly and directly align with the RSO’s core mission AND is also not central to the educational value of a specific RSO sustainability-oriented event
3. Any thrifted items not used for the explicit purpose of RSO operations and events as described above
4. Any thrifted purchases that are not accompanied by an itemized business receipt issued by the thrift/secondhand store
5. REMINDER: No SSC-funded items may be resold.

Eligibility Requirements

1. Thrifted paper items (e.g., decorative papers, magazines, cards, etc.) must be:
   1. Essential to the operations of the RSO
2. In the microgrant application, RSOs must:
   1. Demonstrate how all requested items are essential to the operations of the RSO.
3. Items must be purchased from a reputable/established thrift store or other secondhand store (e.g., Idea Store) to qualify.
4. An itemized business receipt issued by the store with the store’s name printed on it must be submitted in order for RSO to be reimbursed.

Restrictions/Prohibited Items

1. Paper items purchased from non-thrift or secondhand stores
2. Any thrifted purchases that are not accompanied by an itemized business receipt issued by the thrift/secondhand store

Eligibility Requirements

1. Cleaning sprays and detergents must be:
   1. Free of sulfates, parabens, phosphates, phthalates, AND bleach.
2. In the microgrant application, RSOs must:
   1. Demonstrate how all requested items are essential to the operations of the RSO AND
   2. Provide evidence that the requested items do not contain any prohibited ingredients.

Restrictions/Prohibited Items

1. Sprays and detergents/soaps that are used for purposes other than post-event cleanup
2. Sprays and detergents/soaps that contain sulfates, parabens, phosphates, phthalates, or bleach

Eligibility Requirements

1. Rechargeable light bulbs and charger must be:
   1. Intended to be reused consistently AND
   2. Essential to the operations of the RSO
2. In the microgrant application, RSOs must:
   1. Demonstrate how all requested items are essential to the operations of the RSO.
3. RSOs are limited to purchasing rechargeable light bulbs and chargers once every 4 years.

Restrictions/Prohibited Items

1. Non-rechargeable light bulbs
2. Chargers for items other than rechargeable light bulbs

Eligibility Requirements

1. Rechargeable batteries and charger must be:
   1. Intended to be reused consistently AND
   2. Essential to the operations of the RSO
2. In the microgrant application, RSOs must:
   1. Demonstrate how all requested items are essential to the operations of the RSO.
3. RSOs are limited to purchasing rechargeable batteries and chargers once every 4 years.

Restrictions/Prohibited Items

1. Non-rechargeable batteries
2. Chargers for items other rechargeable batteries 

Eligibility Requirements

1. Only wild-type plants native to Illinois are eligible.
2. Illinois Native Plants must be:
   1. Directly and clearly aligned with the RSO’s core mission AND
   2. Be central to the educational value of the RSO’s specific sustainability-oriented program or project.
3. In the microgrant application, RSOs must:
   1. Must provide evidence that plants are wild-type and native to Illinois.
   2. Demonstrate that requested items directly and clearly align with the RSO’s core mission AND
   3. Demonstrate that requested items are central to the educational value of an RSO’s specific sustainability-oriented event.
   4. NOTE: Events involving planting native plants on university property are not eligible for microgrant funding but may be eligible for SSC's other funding pathways.
4. RSOs are limited to purchasing rechargeable batteries and chargers once every 4 years.

Restrictions/Prohibited Items

1. Non-Illinois native plants are not eligible.
2. Cultivars/nativars of Illinois native plants are not eligible.
3. Plants intended for planting on university property are not eligible.
4. Reminder: No SSC-funded items may be resold.