The Environmental Justice (EJ) Fund is a grant opportunity to support efforts led by or co-developed 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: 06/03/2025
Size of the Grant: $10,000 to $100,000
Grant Duration: 2 Years
Details:
Environmental Justice Fund aims to improve environmental conditions, address climate change impacts, and advance environmental justice. It is administered by Seattle’s Office of Sustainability & Environment (OSE) and is funded through the Seattle Payroll Expense Tax, a local revenue source not connected to federal funding.
Funding Information
There is a total of $740,000 available for grants via three funding options:
- Mid-Size
- Award Sizes: $10,000 – $40,000
- Total Funding: $160,000
- Large-Size
- Award Sizes: $40,001 – $90,000
- Total Funding: $400,000
- Duwamish Valley Projects
- Award Sizes: $10,000 – $90,000
- Total Funding: $180,000.
Grant Period
Eligible Project Period: November 2025-April 2027.
Eligible Activities
The EJ Fund seeks to support a variety of projects and programs that advance climate justice or environmental 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 and/or resilience
- Climate or environmental justice education
- Climate or environmental justice engagement, and/or outreach
- Coalition building to advance climate or environmental justice
- Community organizing
- Cultural knowledge preservation and/or education
- Neighborhood and community planning or visioning, including the design phase
- Skills building and trainings related to green jobs.
Eligible Projects
- Focus on advancing climate and/ or environmental justice
- Be led by or co-developed with those most affected by climate change and environmental hazards (as previously defined)
- Benefit people who live, learn, work, worship and play in Seattle.
Eligibility Criteria
- Tribes, tribal organizations, non-profit organizations, or community groups whose work is led by or co-developed 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
- Have a fiscal sponsor with 501(c)3 nonprofit status
- Be willing and able to secure a fiscal sponsor with 501(c)3 nonprofit status within four (4) weeks of grant award and before project begins
- Fiscal sponsors often charge a fee of 8-15% of the total grant award. This fee may be included in your project budget.
- During the contracting period, EJ Fund staff can help connect groups to potential fiscal sponsors if needed.
For more information, visit SOSE.
