Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Grantmaking program (EJ TCGM)
Federal Agency
Sub-Department
Office of Environmental Justice and External Civil Rights (OEJECR)
Purpose
To reduce barriers to the federal grants application process communities face and increase the efficiency of the awards process for environmental justice grants. Eligible activities include but are not limited to project development, blueprints for construction or cleanup projects, schematics, and technical development, work to get permits in place directly related to an environmental project, smaller land purchases and acquisitions, implementation of project plans, and public outreach and education.
Applicant and/or Project Eligibility Requirements
Eligible applicants are community-based nonprofit organizations and partnerships with them. Note that there are both grantmaker awards and subrecipients of grants. Eligible subrecipients include non-profit organizations, community-based organizations, Tribal governments, Native American organizations, local governments, institutions of higher education, territories, and Freely Associated States.
Decarbonization Considerations
Grants can be used to plan community-wide residential home retrofit projects that promote energy-efficient homes to help residents save energy bills, lower carbon emissions, and live healthier lives. Besides, consider using this grant to plan cleanup projects and help transition brownfields to brightfields: developing community solar farms to supply clean energy to the community.
Equity Considerations
This opportunity will help transform disadvantaged and underserved communities into healthy, thriving communities capable of addressing the environmental and public health challenges they have historically faced, as well as current and future challenges. Applications are required to describe how the proposed project will ensure the process to be accessible to underserved communities, communities in urban, remote and rural areas, and community stakeholders with the highest degree of burden and capacity constraints.
Helpful Tips
EPA will make awards to up to 11 Grantmakers that coordinate nationwide coverage to provide support and funding opportunities to Eligible Subrecipients. Subgrants include: Phase I assessment proejcts up to $150,000, Phase II planning projects up to $250,000, and Phase III development projects up to $350,000. Subgrant applications will be posted in Fall 2024.
Other Notes
EPA plans to award approximately 10 Regional Grantmaker awards and one nationwide award to a National Grantmaker who will provide coordination services for the Regional Grantmakers and fill gaps in coverage. Applicants can submit up to two applications as long as each application is for a different Geographic Area, which can be a EPA Region or National Geographic Area. See selected applications here: https://www.epa.gov/system/files/documents/2023-12/2023-environmental-justice-thriving-communities-grantmaking-program-selectees.pdf