ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE THRIVING COMMUNITIES

Image

Thriving Communities Grant

The Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Grant Program to launch in the fall of 2024

An unprecedented collaboration between the Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Environmental Justice and dozens of private organizations across the U.S. will deploy $600 Million to disadvantaged communities across the country starting in the Fall 2024.

NDN Collective will serve as an outreach partner for Regions 5, 8, 9, and 10.
Join us as we elevate and amplify the indigenous climate solutions undertaken in frontline tribal and indigenous communities across the Western United States and Pacific Territories

Grassroots community organizing and place-based projects led by and for frontline Indigenous communities are the very bedrock of combating climate change. It is critical that Indigenous leaders are well resourced to take advantage of unprecedented federal investment opportunities.

- Nick Tilsen

Thriving Communities Grant

The Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Grantmaking Program (EJ TCGM) is the result of decades of advocacy by climate justice advocates and activists to empower frontline solutions to combat the impacts of climate change.

The intent of this program is to provide federal resources from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to historically underserved environmental justice communities. Grantmaker collaboratives will provide subgrants to community-based nonprofits, tribal governments, and other eligible entities for assessment, planning, and project development activities.

Grantmaker collaboratives are intended to alleviate much of the burden that the federal grants process place on small, resource-constrained community-based organizations in order to ensure these funds reach underserved communities and marginalized populations.

How is NDN Collective Involved?

NDN Collective will serve as an outreach partner for 2 of the Grantmaker Collaboratives, Region 5 and the National West Region (covers Regions 8-10.) As an outreach partner organization, our focus will be two-fold, first, to ensure that indigenous communities across regions 5, 8, 9, and 10 are well-informed about this program and apply, and second to amplify the impactful stories of Indigenous Peoples and projects who benefit from this program.

NDN is involved because Indigenous Peoples are on the frontline of climate change around the globe and have received a fraction of philanthropic and governmental dollars directed to this work. We are committed to ensuring this program is executed with its intended purpose – to provide federal resources to historically underserved environmental justice communities – while continuing our own grantmaking to resource Indigenous-led solutions to the climate crisis.”

Grant Details

Eligible organizations include: 

  • Nonprofit organizations, community-based and grassroots nonprofit organizations
  • Tribal governments (both federally recognized and state-recognized) and intertribal consortia
  • Local governments: counties, boroughs, municipalities, cities
  • Institutions of higher education
  • Native American/Indigenous-led organizations
  • Local governments: counties, boroughs, municipalities, cities
  • Institutions of higher education

Grant funds will support projects that focus on issues including, but not limited to:

  • Environmental health
  • Air, soil, and water quality
  • Healthy homes
  • Access to healthy food
  • Stormwater and green infrastructure
  • Emergency preparedness
  • Disaster resilience
  • Environmental job training

The grant funds will be distributed by regional grantmakers over the course of 3 years. Once the grant cycles open in each region, the funds will be available in tiers that organizations can apply for based on their project type.

Assessment

One-year grants of up to $150,000 for project assessment. Eligible activities include, but are not limited to: Developing curricula, community mapping and research.

Through a non-competitive process, grants of $75,000 will be awarded to capacity-constrained communities and community-based organizations under Tier One.

Community Education and Planning

One-to-two year grants of up to $250,000 for project planning. Eligible activities include, but are not limited to: Developing communications and outreach plans; conducting workshops and trainings; or other community planning and visioning efforts.

Project Development and Implementation

One-to-two year grants of up to $350,000 for project development. Eligible activities include, but are not limited to: Strengthening cumulative impact, public health, or environmental justice protections, developing community gardens, or creating community resilience hubs.

The Thriving Communities Grantmaking Program will be available depending on the region in which your organization’s services are provided. Please see the regional grantmakers websites below to find out when the grant cycle begins for your region and where to get technical assistance to prepare your application.

How To Apply

Visit the Regional Grantmakers website for your region using the table below and sign-up for important updates on grants in regions 5, 8, 9 and 10 using this form.
Region Location Grantmaker Website Technical Assistance Websites
1 CT, ME, MA, NH, RI, and VT and 10 tribal nations. HRiA (ISC National GM 1-3) ISC
2 Serving NJ, NY, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and 8 federally recognized Indian Nations. Fordham University WeACT, Inter-American University of Puerto-Rico
3 Serving DE, DC, MD, PA, VA, WV and 7 federally recognized tribes. Green and Healthy Homes Initiative National Wildlife Federation
4 Serving AL, FL, GA, KY, MS, NC, SC, and TN and 6 tribal nations Research Triangle Insitute Research Triangle Insitute, CIRC
5 IL, IN, MI, MN, OH, and WI and 35 tribal nations The Minneapolis Foundation BIG, University of Minnesota
6 Serving AR, LA, NM, OK, and TX and 66 tribal nations. Texas Southern University CIRC, South Central TCTAC
7 Serving IA, KS, MO, and NE and 9 tribal nations. Research Triangle Insitute HEJC
8 CO, MT, ND, SD, UT, WY and 28 tribal nations MAP EJ Grants Hub MaPTCC
9 AZ, CA, HI, NV, American Samoa, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Guam, Marshall Islands, and Republic of Palau and 148 tribal nations Social and Environmental Entrepreneurs WEST-EJ CCEEJ
10 10 AK, ID, OR, WA and 271 tribal nations  Philanthropy Northwest NWEJC UW CEHE

What does support look like?

The technical assistance centers or “TCTACs” are a network of diverse partners meant to provide technical assistance and services. Specific TA services based on the region you are located are listed on links in the table above. Some examples of services include but are not limited to:

  • Navigating the federal grant process
  • Obtaining 501(c)3 status
  • Grant writing training
  • Needs Assessments
  • Formatting your quality assurance plan (QAPP)
  • Energy policy and law expertise
  • Connecting your org to other sources of funding

For more information

For more information and updates on the Thriving Communities Grants, please submit your contact information using this form.