In partnership with the Midwest Environmental Justice Network, NDN Collective, and RE-AMP Network, the Minneapolis Foundation will award environmental justice grants to organizations working in and for underserved communities throughout the Great Lakes region.
These grants are made possible by funding from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) through its Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Grantmaking Program. Starting in 2024, we will distribute $40 million over three years.
Grants will be awarded to community-based nonprofits and other eligible organizations in the following three tiers:
We will award up to one-year grants of up to $150,000 to understand local challenges, needs, and opportunities. Eligible activities include, but are not limited to: Monitoring, research, and community mapping.
Through a noncompetitive process, we will also award grants of up to $75,000 to capacity-constrained communities and community-based organizations under Tier One.
We will award one- to two-year grants of up to $250,000 to design, inform, and highlight local solutions. Eligible activities include, but are not limited to: Developing communications and outreach plans; conducting workshops and trainings; or other community planning and visioning efforts.
We will award one- to two-year grants of up to $350,000 to pilot or implement project plans. Eligible activities include, but are not limited to: Strengthening cumulative impact, public health, or environmental justice protections; developing community gardens; or creating community resilience hubs.
Grants will support projects that focus on issues including, but not limited to:
– Environmental health
– Air, soil, and water quality
– Healthy homes
– Access to healthy food
– Stormwater and green infrastructure
– Emergency preparedness
– Disaster resilience
– Environmental job training
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The Great Lakes TCGM Partnership is pleased to announce a call for applications from environmental justice leaders interested in serving on a 10-member Regional Community Advisory Committee.
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The Minneapolis Foundation, in partnership with the Midwest Environmental Justice Network, NDN Collective, and RE-AMP Network, has been selected as a grantmaker in its new Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Grantmaking program.
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Grantmakers selected to reduce barriers to federal funds and issue thousands of environmental justice grants over the next three years.
VisitAll applicants must be eligible entities that operate in Region 5 of the EPA. Eligible projects must focus at least 70% of their budget and efforts in one or more areas considered disadvantaged, as defined by the Inflation Reduction Act Disadvantaged Communities Map.
Eligible entities include:
We aim to distribute 30% of grant funding to federally recognized Tribes and Native American organizations, 25% to rural communities, and 45% to urban communities. The partnership anticipates making 206 grants: 83 in Year 1, 85 in Year 2, and 38 in Year 3.
The U.S. EPA has selected 16 Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Technical Assistance Centers (EJ TCTACs) in partnership with the U.S. Department of Energy to remove barriers and increase accessibility to federal funding for communities with environmental justice concerns. These centers will provide training and other assistance to build capacity for navigating federal grant application systems, developing strong grant proposals, and effectively managing grant funding. Learn more about the national network of EJ TCTACs.
These two organizations will offer technical assistance to grant applicants in the Great Lakes region: Blacks in Green (BIG) and Great Lakes Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Technical Assistance Center Hub.
These organizations are places to reach out if you need help getting started with grant support, partnership identification, budgeting, capacity building, translation and more.
First, sign up to receive email updates, and we’ll be sure to notify you when we start accepting grant applications. You can also prepare by: Applying for your unique Entity ID (UEI) through sam.gov; preparing your accounting and record-keeping systems; and planning time to develop your program plan and budget. Once our application portal opens, applications will be reviewed on an ongoing basis. We expect applications to close in the fall of 2026.
If you have any additional questions about this grantmaking program, email greatlakestcgm@mplsfoundation.org. You can also sign up for email notifications to receive funding and news announcements.
The Great Lakes TCGM Partnership is separate from the Minneapolis Foundation's other grantmaking programs. The Partnership will not solicit funding for the EPA.