The Alliance is excited to share the announcement of the Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Grantmakers Program! $48 million in grants of up to $350,000 are available to fund projects across EPA Region 9 (Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada, the Pacific Islands, and 148 Tribes) over the next three years. Learn more about the program and find resources to support applicants on today’s blog.
The Climate Science Alliance team is excited to share the announcement of the Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Grantmakers Program and resources to support applicants! $600 million in funding is available nationwide, with $48 million set aside specifically for EPA Region 9 (Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada, the Pacific Islands, and 148 Tribes).
Grants up to $350,000 will be awarded to fund projects over the next three years to support nonprofits, local governments, grassroots organizations, and Native, Indigenous, rural, border, and urban communities tackling unsafe housing, pollution, lack of access to clean water, reducing extreme heat, and more.
If eligible, your organization can receive between $150,000-$350,000 in funding to help your community access the resources they need to solve problems, build resilience for the future, and create healthier neighborhoods for everyone. Applications are now open, and multiple resources are available to support interested applicants—keep reading to learn more.
This post includes communications materials adapted from our partners at the Center for Community Energy and Environmental Justice, Environmental Protection Network, and International Community Foundation.
Grantmaking for EPA Region 9
$48 million in grants of up to $350,000 will be awarded to fund projects in Region 9 over the next three years, on a rolling basis. These grants are intended to be capacity-building grants centered in disadvantaged or underinvested communities in EPA’s Region 9 (Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada, the Pacific Islands, and 148 Tribes). Because these grants are intended for capacity-constrained communities, they are far easier to apply for than other federal EPA grants have been in the past.
Social and Environmental Entrepreneurs (SEE) serves as the EPA Region 9 Grantmaker, and is working collaboratively with partners at the International Community Foundation, Liberty Hill Foundation, Resources Legacy Fund, and Community Foundation for Southern Arizona to streamline environmental justice grant awards.
Resources and Technical Assistance
The following resources are available to potential applicants to the Grantmakers program:
1:1 Assistance from CCEEJ: For 1:1 assistance, reach out to the Center for Community Energy and Environmental Justice (CCEEJ), a Region 9 EPA Thriving Communities Technical Assistance Center, via their intake form here.
Native and Tribal Communities: As part of CCEEJ, the Climate Science Alliance joins our partners at the Institute for Tribal Environmental Professionals, Desert Research Institute, and University of Guam in providing technical assistance to Tribal and Indigenous communities in EPA Region 9. Our comprehensive network has decades of experience providing technical assistance and is ready to work with your organization to develop an individualized plan of action to leverage your organization’s existing assets and identify opportunities to expand capacity. We are here to support you—for 1:1 assistance, complete the CCEEJ intake form here.
U.S.-Mexico Border Communities: As part of the Region 9 Grantmakers, International Community Foundation (ICF) will be accepting applications from organizations in San Diego, Orange, and Imperial counties in California, and has conducted outreach to Spanish-speaking and U.S.-Mexico border communities throughout Region 9. If you have any questions, you can reach out at thrivingcommunities@icfdn.org
Step-by-Step Guide from EPN: The Environmental Protection Network (EPN) created a Step-by-Step Guide to Applying to the Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Grantmakers Program, which includes two AI modules to assist applicants in creating draft language for their proposals and a Budget for Beginner’s presentation that introduces key concepts of budgeting for federal grant opportunities and provides you with questions to ask as you develop your budget. Additionally, as a reminder, recipients of grantmaker grants must have a UEID number acquired through SAM.gov. EPN hosts bi-weekly SAM.gov office hours. To register click here.
Overview and FAQs: The Region 9 Grantmakers’ Grant Overview page contains information and FAQs applicants should review. We recommend watching their January 13th webinar and/or reviewing the slides.
Apply Today!
Region 9 Grantmaker, Social and Environmental Entrepreneurs (SEE), released their grantmaker application for The Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Grantmaking Program on January 15, 2025. Funding will be awarded over the next three years, and reviewed as they come in on a rolling basis.
Access the portal here: https://socialandenvironmentalentrepreneurs.submittable.com/submit/304099/environmental-justice-thriving-communities-region-9-grantmaking-program-mailing-l
About the Nationwide Initiative
The EPA Thriving Communities Grantmaker Program (TCGM) is a $600 million nationwide initiative from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), funded by the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act, that aims to help organizations who are working to address critical environmental and health challenges that impact quality of life.