Environmental Justice Small Grants Program

Provides grants for up to $20,000 to assist community-based organizations that sponsor or execute projects to address local environmental justice issues

The Environmental Justice Program of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) provides financial assistance to grassroots community-based groups to support projects to design, demonstrate, or disseminate practices, methods, or techniques related to environmental justice. Specifically, EPA will grant up to $20,000 in funding assistance for projects. EPA identifies the following factors as particularly important in evaluating proposals:

The applicant's ability to manage the grant in compliance with EPA grant regulations
The degree to which the health and economic well-being of the environment are harmed by environmental hazardous exposure
The applicant's ability to inform others in the community of the information gathered
Broad representation of affected groups and individuals in the community
The applicant group is incorporated. In general, the applicant must show awareness of the time commitment, resources, and dedication needed to successfully manage a grant

Project Examples

The Penobscot Indian Nation at Old Town, ME, received a $15,300 grant for "A Strategy for Controlling Toxics into the Penobscot Nation Reservation." The project will develop information for the Penobscot Nation to use while dealing with sources of toxic pollution that are beyond the Nation’s territorial jurisdiction.
A grant of $17,400 is enabling the "Earth Force Inner City Youths: Creating Sustainable Change Project" of Erie, PA, to help young people learn the effects of air and water pollution and to make a civic-minded decision on their effect on the local watershed.
The Colorado Criminal Justice Reform Coalition will use a grant of $3,284 to address the environmental effects of correctional facilities in rural Colorado. Accurate information about the impact of correctional facilities on a rural town's infrastructure (such as wastewater, drinking water, light pollution, and economy) will help rural communities make informed decisions about the benefits and/or the burdens of allowing such a facility in their town.

Application and Financial Information
The new Application Guidance will be available each October 1. The application period opens October 1 and ends at midnight December 18. All applications must be postmarked by midnight to be eligible. The solicitation outlining the grant guidelines for each year is published in the Federal Register. Full details about application and financial matters are available on the Environmental Justice Small Grants website at www.epa.gov/Compliance/ej/grants/ej-smgrants.html

Eligibility, Uses, and Restrictions
Community-based grassroots organizations, other incorporated nonprofit organizations, and federally recognized Tribal Governments are eligible. Individuals may have their organizations, institutions, government agencies, or associations apply. To receive funds, nonprofit organizations must be incorporated.

Grant funds shall be used to support projects, programs, or activities that promote environmental justice. Projects may include:

Design, demonstration, or dissemination of environmental justice curricula, including development of education tools and materials
Design and demonstration of field methods, practices, and techniques, including assessment of environmental and ecological conditions and analysis of environmental and public health problems
Identification, assessment, or improvement of a specific local environmental justice issue or a specific environmental problem
Provision of environmental justice training or related education for teachers, faculty, or related personnel in a specific geographic area or region.

Priority will be given to community-based/grassroots organizations, tribes, and organizations whose projects will help improve the environmental quality of affected communities by a) developing an environmental justice project, activity, method, or technique that has wide application; b) enhancing the community's skills in addressing environmental justice issues and problems; and c) establishing or expanding environmental and public health information systems for local communities.

Funds cannot be used to acquire real property (including buildings) or construct or substantially modify any building. Funds also cannot be used for lobbying or underwriting legal actions.

Contact
Contact information for Environmental Justice Program offices is included on the website listed in this entry.

Barry E. Hill, Director
Office of Environmental Justice
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Mail Code: 2201A
1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW
Washington, DC 20460-0001
Phone: (202) 564-2515
Toll Free Number: (800) 962-6215

Headquarters Office:
Office of Environmental Justice (3103)
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
401 M Street SW, Washington, DC 20460
Phone: (202) 564-2594; Fax: (202) 501-0740

Internet
www.epa.gov/Compliance/ej/grants/ej-smgrants.html

Last Updated June 16, 2007