What is TGIF?
The Green Initiative Fund (TGIF) is a student-funded grant program that gives UC Davis undergraduates a direct role in advancing sustainability on campus. Supported by undergraduate student fees, TGIF is governed by a majority undergraduate committee. Our committee evaluates proposals and stewards these funds toward projects that advance sustainability and enrich the undergraduate experience.
Each year, the TGIF Committee awards approximately $150,000–$250,000 to students, staff, faculty, and other eligible partners to turn sustainability ideas into action. While the program is supported by the UC Davis Office of Sustainability, undergraduate students lead the funding decisions and help shape how TGIF invests in the future of UC Davis.
Take a gander at a some of the projects we funded:
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What do we fund?
Have an idea for making UC Davis more sustainable? TGIF supports projects in many forms. Our four Project Types offer a starting point for understanding the kinds of projects we fund, but your idea doesn't have to fit neatly into one category.
Projects Less Competitive for TGIF Funding
Reoccurring Requests
TGIF prioritizes funding new project ideas over recurring requests for the same project. TGIF aims to diversify its impact and help innovative sustainability projects get off the ground.
Unrelated to sustainability
TGIF does not fund projects unrelated to sustainability, those that demonstrate a weak connection to sustainability, or that do not consider implementing project ideas sustainably.
No undergrad benefit
Projects that do not demonstrate a strong and meaningful benefit to UC Davis undergraduate students are unlikely to be competitive for TGIF funding.
Routine Maintenance
TGIF generally does not fund routine maintenance after a project is completed; anticipated long term maintenance costs should be planned and supported proactively.
TGIF is funded by a quarterly undergraduate student fee established through student advocacy and renewed through undergraduate voting in student elections. Because students fund TGIF, they also have a voice in how these resources are used. A majority-undergraduate TGIF Committee helps steward the funds by reviewing proposals and supporting sustainability projects that involve and benefit the UC Davis undergraduate community.
Your vote matters. When undergraduate students participate in student elections, they help shape the fees they pay and how those resources can support their campus experience.
Annual TGIF Undergraduate Student Fee Amount
💡 Fun Fact: Because it is paid for by student fees, 25% of the total funds raised goes directly back into student financial aid.
Sustainability Takes Many Forms.
We welcome proposals from across the university. Regardless of project scope, proposals should demonstrate meaningful sustainability outcomes and clearly articulate how undergraduate students will benefit through leadership, employment, education, research, or other meaningful opportunities. TGIF recognizes three interconnected pillars of sustainability and welcomes projects that advance environmental, social, and economic areas for a more sustainable UC Davis.
Sustainability Should Be Accessible to Everyone.
We believe that participating in sustainability work shouldn’t depend on whether a student can afford to volunteer their time. Since TGIF is funded by undergraduate student fees, we aim to reinvest those funds in students by creating paid opportunities to learn, lead, and contribute to sustainability efforts at UC Davis. From student employment on funded projects to serving on the TGIF Committee, these opportunities help make sustainability engagement more accessible to students from a range of financial backgrounds. Oh, that's SDG 10 and 16!
Sustainability is viewed through a global, UC system-wide, and campus lens.
TGIF Legacy
TGIF is part of a legacy of students using their collective resources to create a more sustainable UC. Beginning with UC Santa Barbara in 2006, students across the University of California have established student-funded sustainability programs that give them a direct role in deciding how resources are invested in their campuses and communities. UC Davis students established TGIF in 2016, carrying that tradition forward at Davis.
TGIF's History at UC Davis
TGIF was created at UC Davis through a student-approved referendum during Winter Quarter 2016 requiring renewal in the Spring of 2021, with undergraduate students voting to establish a quarterly student fee dedicated to supporting campus sustainability initiatives. Fee collection began in Fall 2016 at $3 per undergraduate student per quarter , and TGIF awarded its first grants during the Fall 2017 application cycle.
Following the shift to remote instruction and virtual student engagement in 2020, student participation in Spring 2021 was insufficient to renew the TGIF fee. As a result, TGIF did not receive student fee revenue during the 2021 academic year. By 2023–24, the program was operating on its remaining reserves. With those reserves nearing depletion, renewing the student fee became essential to sustaining TGIF and continuing to fund student-led sustainability projects.
To renew the fee, TGIF needed at least 20% of the undergraduate population to participate in the Spring 2024 ASUCD election, with at least 60% of voters supporting the measure. Undergraduate students exceeded both thresholds, with 23.7% voter turnout and 87.9% voting in favor of TGIF. This strong show of student support secured a new ten-year funding stream for the program. The renewed referendum reinstated a $3.50 per-quarter fee, scheduled to increase by $0.50 annually, reaching $8.00 per quarter by Spring 2034.
With this renewed funding comes a new chapter for TGIF. As of Fall 2024, TGIF will be focused on growing the program, strengthening its foundation, and exploring new ways to invest in student-led sustainability. Recent efforts include updated grant applications, a revised proposal evaluation rubric, improved project management processes, website and bylaw revisions, and new committee procedures. These changes lay the groundwork for a stronger, more responsive program—one that can grow alongside the interests of UC Davis students and support an increasingly ambitious portfolio of sustainability projects.
See our granted database to see what we have funded since 2016!