Environmental Justice Small Grant Program (EJSG)

Federal Agency

Sub-Department

Office of Environmental Justice and External Civil Rights (OEJECR)

Purpose

To improve the environment and public health conditions of low-income communities and communities of color through the advancement of racial equity and environmental justice and address disproportionate environmental or public health harms and risks in minority populations or low-income populations under designated sections of environmental statutes.

Applicant and/or Project Eligibility Requirements

Eligible entities include non-profits, territories, tribal governments, and tribal organizations

Decarbonization Considerations

This funding includes special consideration tracks: priority programs include (1) Public Education, Training, Emergency Planning, and/or Investigations on Impacts of COVID-19 on Underserved Communities and Vulnerable Populations; and (2) Projects addressing Climate, Disaster Resiliency, and/or Emergency Preparedness. Consider exploring avenues to integrate clean energy opportunities such public education, training, surveys and studies, experiments, or demonstration projects incorporating green infrastructure.

Equity Considerations

To address these multiple crises, this announcement places emphasis on projects focusing on COVID-19 impacts, as well as climate and disaster resiliency. Additionally, EPA is emphasizing projects addressing diesel pollution in underserved communities living near ports and railyards as part of EPA’s Ports Initiative (see details further described in this solicitation). Finally, to promote equitable accessibility to EPA grant funding and to assist small entities, approximately half of the total available funding under this announcement is intended to be reserved for small non-profit organizations with 10 or fewer full-time employees subject to the quality of applications received and other relevant considerations.

Helpful Tips

Determine which program – the Environmental Justice Small Grants Program (EJSG) or the EJ Collaborative Problem Solving Program (EJCPS) which is issued separately – to apply for. Be aware, an applicant can receive a grant under only one of these programs – not both – so you need to carefully consider which one to apply for. While you are not prohibited from applying for both, you can only receive an award under one of them. View prior awardees here: https://www.epa.gov/environmentaljustice/environmental-justice-small-grants-program

Other Notes

In short, EJCPS funding under the other competition is designed for organizations that are more established and familiar with federal grants, while EJSG funding is designed for organizations that are: 1) more recently established and/or just starting out, 2) have smaller staffs and operating budgets, and/or 3) have never received a federal grant before.