The Office of Sustainability and Environment is currently accepting applications for its Environmental Justice Fund to support efforts that benefit and are led by, or in partnership with, those most affected by environmental and climate inequities: Black, Indigenous, People of Color, immigrants, refugees, people with low incomes, youth, and elders.
Donor Name: Seattle Office of Sustainability and Environment
State: Washington
City: Seattle
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 07/26/2023
Size of the Grant:
- Mid-Size Project Fund: $10,000 – $40,000
- Large-Size Project Fund: $40,001- $90,000
Grant Duration: 1 year
Details:
Community members and Seattle City Council worked together to create the Environmental Justice Fund which launched in 2018 to improve environmental conditions, respond to impacts of climate change, and get us closer to achieving environmental justice.
The EJF is administered by Seattle’s Office of Sustainability & Environment (OSE). OSE partners with Seattle’s Environmental Justice Committee (EJC) to make funding recommendations to the City of Seattle. EJC members are individuals with deep community roots working closely with communities to advance environmental and climate justice. Members understand how to advance racial equity, environmental justice, and climate justice for communities who have been disproportionately impacted by environmental issues and climate change.
Funding Information
In 2023, there are two funding options available.
- Mid-Size Project Fund
- $250,000 total funding available 7-9 awards anticipated
- Grant sizes: $10,000 – $40,000
- or the Large-Size Project Fund
- $750,000 total funding available 8-12 awards anticipated
- Grant sizes: $40,001- $90,000
Project Period
Projects will begin January 2024 and must be completed by June 2025.
Eligible Projects
Eligible projects/programs must:
- Focus on advancing climate and/or environmental justice
- Be led by or in partnership with those most affected by environmental and climate inequities
- Benefit people who live, learn, work, worship and play in Seattle
Eligible Activities
The Environmental Justice Fund seeks to support a variety of projects and programs that advance environmental or climate justice. The following activities are eligible for funding and proposals may incorporate more than one activity.
- Arts and storytelling
- Capacity building for the organization, group, and/or community
- Climate change adaptation
- Climate change resilience
- Climate or environmental justice education
- Climate or environmental justice engagement, and/or outreach
- Coalition building to advance climate or environmental justice
- Community health
- Community organizing Cultural knowledge preservation and/or education
- General operating support
- Neighborhood and community planning or visioning, including the design phase
- Organizational strategic planning or visioning
- Skills building and development for green jobs pathways
Eligibility Criteria
Tribes, tribal organizations, non-profit organizations, and community groups whose work is led by or in partnership with Black, Indigenous, people of color, immigrants, refugees, people with low incomes, youth, and/or elders.
Eligible applicants must:
- Have 501(c)3 nonprofit status; or
- Have a fiscal sponsor with 501(c)3 nonprofit status; or
- Be willing and able to secure a fiscal sponsor with 501(c)3 nonprofit status by December 1, 2023 if awarded a grant
- For groups that must hire a fiscal sponsor, a fee of 8% to 15% of the total grant award is often charged. This fee may be included in your proposed budget
- During the contracting period, EJ Fund staff can help connect groups to potential fiscal sponsors if the group has not already selected one.
Note: Only one proposal per organization is allowed, except if the organization serves as a fiscal sponsor for multiple projects.
Ineligible Activities and Funding Restrictions
- Scholarships
- Purchase of land or buildings
- Capital projects including construction and renovation of facilities or site improvements
- Maintenance of existing facilities and physical improvements to non-natural areas of parks or existing recreational facilities that do not have a clear environmental justice purpose. This includes things like park benches, shelters, and sidewalks.
- Projects that are not accessible by the public
- Purchase of equipment including cameras, video recording equipment, laptops, tablets, phones, cellphones, etc. The Fund can support rental of this equipment.
- Organization’s overhead costs not related to the Environmental Justice Fund project or program
- Individuals are ineligible for funding
For more information, visit OSE.
