Environmental Justice Grant Opportunities

EPA- ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE GRANTS AND COOPERATIVE AGREEMENTS

The United States EPA offers several grant opportunities through its Office of Environmental Justice, including its the Environmental Justice Collaborative Problem-Solving Cooperative Program and its Environmental Justice Small Grants Program (EJSG). For more information about these opportunities, please visit http://www.epa.gov/compliance/environmentaljustice/grants/index.html.

EPA- THE COMMUNITY ACTION FOR A RENEWED ENVIRONMENT (CARE) PROGRAM

The CARE Program, sponsored by EPA, is a competitive grant program that offers an innovative way for communities to take action to reduce toxic pollution. Through CARE, communities create local collaborative partnerships that implement local solutions to reduce releases of and minimize exposure to toxic pollutants. In 2006, Region 3 awarded $200,000 in grant funding to Penn State for a Philadelphia partnership created to educate Philadelphia rowhouse residents about issues such as safe use of pesticides, lead poisoning prevention, and asthma.

Level I cooperative agreements will help establish community-based partnerships and set priorities for reducing risks from toxics in a community. Past projects include addressing water quality in Puget Sound, helping to rebuild St. Bernard Parish in Louisiana, helping the Cherokee Nation deal with toxic waste, and reducing air toxics in Tucson. EPA anticipates awarding eight to 10 cooperative Level I agreement nationwide, ranging from $75,000 to $100,000.

Level II cooperative agreements are for communities that already have undertaken a comprehensive process to assess toxic risks, formed a broad-based collaborative, have identified risk reduction priorities and are ready to implement risk reduction strategies.

County and local governments, tribes, non-profit organizations and universities can apply for funding. The CARE program, which began in 2005, helps to build broad-based local partnerships for reducing risks from toxic pollutants. For a list of the community profiles, please visit http://www.epa.gov/care/community.htm. For information on how to apply for a CARE grant, please visit http://www.epa.gov/care/agreements.htm.

GRANTEE EXCHANGE FUND

Common Counsel’s Grantee Exchange Fund (GXF) provides discretionary small grants to build bridges between grassroots organizations throughout the United States. The Grantee Exchange Fund was established to encourage social change organizations to seek technical assistance from one another, and to help build regional and national networks among organizations.

The program strives to meet three major goals:

To strengthen the ability of small organizations to participate in public debates;
To strengthen key cross-region and cross-sector movements; and
To contribute to collaborative policy victories in the realms of social, environmental and economic justice.

For general information about the Common Counsel Foundation’s Grassroots Exchange Fund, please visit http://www.commoncounsel.org/Grassroots%20Exchange%20Fund.

MICROSOFT UNLIMITED POTENTIAL PROGRAM

Microsoft Unlimited Potential (UP) is a global initiative designed to help narrow the technology skills gap and aid global workforce development by providing technology skills through Community-Based Technology and Learning Centers (CTLCs).

Unlimited Potential Program Components:

Unlimited Potential Program Components:
UP Grants- UP grants enhance access and training opportunities for individuals underserved by technology. Software Donations. An expanded software donation program provides CTLCs with access to the most current productivity applications necessary to compete in the global economy.

UP Community Learning Curriculum- The UP curriculum emphasizes real-world applications and course material.

Community Technology Support Network. Microsoft will work with others to create a community-based support network delivering technology curriculum, research, tools, and services to CTLCs worldwide.

For more information go to: http://www.microsoft.com/mscorp/citizenship/giving/programs/up/

ALSTON/BANNERMAN FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM

The Alston / Bannerman Fellowship Program is committed to advancing progressive social change by helping to sustain long-time activists ofcolor. The program honors those who have devoted their lives to helping their communities organize for racial, social, economic and environmental justice. The program provides resources for organizers to take sabbaticals for reflection and renewal.

For more information go to: http://www.alstonbannerman.org/

THE FUNDING EXCHANGE

A network of social justice foundations throughout the United States with a national office in New York City, committed to Change, not Charity.™ Go to: http://www.fex.org/index.php

ENVIRONMENTAL SUPPORT CENTER

“ESC provides capacity-building services to environmental justice groups and their allies nationwide, working with them to develop customized assistance plans that will benefit them over the longer term. ESC works with groups to assess their needs, set evaluation benchmarks, and develop a customized assistance plan. This may include small grants for technical assistance from culturally competent local consultants or for training opportunities.”

For more details and for instructions on how to apply, please visit: http://envsc.org/

THE NATHAN CUMMINGS FOUNDATION

“The Nathan Cummings Foundation is rooted in the Jewish tradition and committed to democratic values and social justice, including fairness, diversity, and community. We seek to build a socially and economically just society that values and protects the ecological balance for future generations; promotes humane health care; and fosters arts and culture that enriches communities.”

The Nathan Cummings Foundation is devoted to the following principles in offering grants:

concern for the poor, disadvantaged, and underserved;
respect for diversity;
promotion of understanding across cultures; and
empowerment of communities in need.

For more information about the Nathan Cummings Foundation, please visit http://www.nathancummings.net/

THE SURDNA FOUNDATION

“The Surdna Foundation seeks to foster just and sustainable communities in the United States—communities guided by principles of social justice and distinguished by healthy environments, strong local economies, and thriving cultures.”

To carry out its mission, The Surdna Foundation provides grants in the areas of sustainable environments, strong local economies, and thriving cultures.

For information and qualifications, please visit http://www.surdna.org/ program offering tips and resources to help organizations set and meet their own goals on the path to sustainability.