EPA is issuing this solicitation to request applications for the design and management of a new Environmental Justice (EJ) competitive pass-through program where EPA will competitively select multiple pass-through entities to provide grant funds via subawards to community-basednonprofit organizations and other eligible subrecipient groups representing underserved and disadvantaged communities.
Donor Name: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
State: All States
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 05/31/2023
Size of the Grant: $50,000,000
Details:
Mission
The mission of the EPA is to protect human health and the environment for all people with an emphasis on assisting those communities adversely and disproportionately affected by environmental, climate, and human health harms and risks. Under the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2022, and the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023, EPA received significant investments for environmental justice and in the health, equity, and resilience of these, and all communities, to address past, current, and future environmental health and justice challenges. Additionally, the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) created the Environmental and Climate Justice block grant program in section 138 of the Clean Air Act (CAA) and provided EPA with $2.8 billion in grant funding for the program for projects to benefit disadvantaged communities. To maximize these significant investments, new and innovative strategies and approaches for issues such as community engagement and participation in environmental programs, equitable distribution of financial resources, capacity-building and outreach, and technical assistance and training to enhance access to financial assistance opportunities and promote effective grants management and performance, are necessary. This is especially true for underserved and disadvantaged communities that have, and continue to be, plagued by environmental pollution and health, and environmental justice, challenges.
New EJ Thriving Communities Subgrants Program – The Grantmakers will design and manage the new EJ Thriving Communities Subgrants program, in collaboration with EPA, as a pass-through competitive subaward program. The Agency provides extensive guidance to pass-through entities in the EPA Subaward Policy and related materials. EPA will award cooperative agreements with Grantmakers who will collaborate with EPA to design and build their own processes to receive and evaluate competitive community project applications from communities for EJ Thriving Communities Subgrants for projects and capacity building efforts addressing local environmental and public health issues.
Communication Planning and Outreach Activities
Applicants should demonstrate how they will provide substantive communication and conduct outreach to Eligible Subrecipients from underserved communities, communities in remote and rural areas, and community stakeholders with the highest degree of burden and capacity constraints to facilitate their full participation in the new EJ Thriving Communities Subgrants Program. This should include describing the process and approach to coordinate directly with the Regional and/or national EJ Thriving Communities Technical Assistance Center (TCTAC). Communications and outreach activities may include:
- Hosting pre-application conference calls, webinars, and/or in-person meetings accessible to all underserved communities to the maximum extent practicable, especially urban, rural, and remote communities, making them aware of the availability of the EJ Thriving Communities Subgrant funding, deadlines for submitting applications, guidance to aid in understanding the Grantmaker’s application and subawards process, and to give potential Eligible Subrecipients opportunities to ask questions.
- Developing mass mailers, online listservs, websites, printed materials, as well as conducting site visits and/or in-person workshops to communicate the goals and availability of the EJ Thriving Communities Subgrant funding.
- Ensuring communications and communication materials are available in multiple languages reflective of the needs in the target service area. Applicants should describe how they will provide translation and other interpretive services to make the information and funding available to those not fluent in English or that have limited English proficiency.
- Any other outreach and communications activities the Grantmaker believes will be effective in facilitating the participation of underserved communities, urban, rural and remote communities, and capacity constrained CBOs in funding programs for environmental justice and in the environmental decision-making process.
Funding Information
- Estimated Funding Amount: $550,000,000
- Maximum Funding Amount: $50,000,000
Eligible Applicants
The entities eligible to apply under this assistance listing and serve as an EJ Thriving Communities Grantmaker are as follows:
- a community-based nonprofit organization (includes philanthropic organizations and community foundations); or
- a partnership of community-based nonprofit organizations
- a partnership between— a federally recognized tribal government and a community-based nonprofit organization
- a partnership between— an institution of higher education and a community based nonprofit organization;
For more information, visit Grants.gov.
