The Environmental Protection Agency announced $600 million in grants through the 2023 Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Grantmaking (EJ TCGM) Program. The EJ TCGM Program was created to reduce barriers to the application process and increase the efficiency of the awards process for environmental justice grants.
Climate Justice Alliance (CJA) was selected to receive a $50 million grant for its UNITE-EJ (United Network for Impact, Transformation, & Equity in Environmental Justice Communities) application and to serve as a National Grantmaker for EJ TCCGM to provide support to the Western United States (EPA Regions 8-10). CJA led and submitted the UNITE-EJ proposal with skilled and highly-respected partners: The Chisholm Legacy Project, NDN Collective, Fund for Frontline Power, JustFund, Amalgamated Foundation, Tishman Environment and Design Center at The New School, and the Center for the Urban Environment at Kean University. CJA and UNITE-EJ are excited and ready to serve as a bridge, model, and catalyst among organizations nationwide to confront the legacy of environmental harms; strengthen the environmental justice movement; mitigate the effects of climate change; support frontline communities in enacting their localized visions for thriving communities; and pilot co-governance between the EPA and frontline communities hit first and worst by environmental injustice and the climate crisis.
“This is a key milestone for Chisholm Legacy Project and Climate Justice Alliance in our respective journeys to ensure the arc bends toward justice and systems change, particularly around the vast resources at the disposal of the government. We look forward to ensuring that thousands of $150,000 to $350,000 EPA grants move to marginalized, environmental justice communities to address historic harms.” -Jacqueline Patterson, Founder and Executive Director, The Chisholm Legacy Project
“The climate and environmental investments through the Inflation Reduction Act implemented over the next few years will set the groundwork for generations to come. We are excited to partner with UNITE-EJ to ensure that Native communities can access EPA grants, including through Thriving Communities, lead with vision and experience, and move policymakers, tribal governments, and grassroots communities to not only dream but also lean into sovereignty.” -Nick Tilsen, President and CEO, NDN Collective
“Climate Justice Alliance (CJA) and Communities First Fund were central in pulling environmental justice organizations and their trusted allies together from across the country to help us understand this historic opportunity. Through their leadership, resources, and hours of technical assistance and support, we at Alternatives for Community and Environment (a CJA member) were able to submit our own application for EPA Region 1 with lead applicant Health Resources in Action and other trusted partners. We also were awarded a $50 million grant – a transformative milestone and just the beginning of investment in environmental justice communities and our visions for local, regenerative economies.” -Dwaign Tyndal, Executive Director, Alternatives for Community and Environment (ACE), and Board Member, Climate Justice Alliance
“The UNITE-EJ’s successful application and approach offers a unique opportunity for the EPA to not only meet their Justice40 commitment, but also create room for community-led and accountable institutions to use their infrastructure and trust in communities to support BIPOC leaders on the frontlines of the climate crisis to lead with vision and ample resources.” -Marion Gee, Co-Executive Director, Climate Justice Alliance
“JustFund is proud to partner with CJA and UNITE-EJ to ensure the application process for thousands of frontline environmental justice organizations is values-aligned and streamlined through our common application platform saving applicants dozens of hours and democratizing access to hundreds of additional funding opportunities.” -Iara Peng, Founder and CEO, JustFund
“The Tishman Center at The New School is honored to be in deep collaboration with the UNITE-EJ partners to implement this historic co-governance model and ensure that frontline environmental justice organizations get the support and investments they need to implement transformative environmental solutions on the ground and throughout the western United States.” -Dr. Ana Baptista, Associate Professor & Co-Director, Tishman Environment & Design Center at The New School
