Potential Funding Opportunity through Thriving Communities EPA Grant Program

Below is a message from EPA Region 8 (Mountains and Plains) about a current grant program that some of your partners may be interested in and eligible for.  Note that "water quality" is an eligible use for these funds, which includes almost everything we do.  Also note the $75,000 non-competitive grants for certain groups (not sure what qualifies as "severely capacity-constrained).  If you are not in EPA Region 8, you can find the link to your region's Thriving Communities program at the link at the bottom of this message.  Some have opened their grant process while others have not.

We are excited to announce the first cycle of funding for the Mountains and Plains Environmental Justice (MAP EJ) Grants Hub (mapejgrants.org), part of the EPA’s Thriving Communities Grantmaking Program. This cycle of subgrant applications begins Monday, October 28th and will remain open for 45 days through December 12th. Awards range from $150,000 to $350,000.  With a streamlined application process and reduced administrative burden, Map EJ Grants Hub offers Region 8 eligible entities access to federal funds while alleviating much of the burden of federal grants process.

MAP EJ Grants Hub is hosting two upcoming informational webinars listed below. Webinars will be recorded and available on the website.

October 28, 1:00-2:00 PM MT

November 4, 10:00-11:00 AM MT

The MAP EJ Grants Hub will distribute $40 million over the next three years to fund environmental justice-related projects and programs in EPA Region 8. Entities eligible for EPA grantmaker subawards include:

Nonprofit organizations: Including community-based and grassroots organizations

Tribal governments: Federally and state-recognized Tribal governments, and Intertribal Consortia, Local governments, Institutions of higher education (in partnership with a community-based nonprofit organization), Native American organizations

Grants range from $150,000 to $350,000, with non-competitive grants of $75,000 for severely capacity-constrained communities. Projects eligible for funding include but are not limited to: Air and water quality, Stormwater treatment, Food access, Local cleanup projects, Addressing illegal dumping activities, Healthy housing, Toxin remediation, and more…

The Region 8 Thriving Community Technical Assistance Center (TCTAC), the Mountains and Plains Thriving Communities Collaborative MaPTCC offers free technical assistance (TA) for potential applicants. Possible TA includes providing support with project scoping, budgeting, capacity building and more.

Other EPA Regions' Program Links:

https://www.epa.gov/environmentaljustice/environmental-justice-thriving-communities-grantmaking-program#Map