Not on time: 2023 Environmental Justice Giving Challenge Grant

In the spirit of transparency, we want to share an update regarding our recently announced 2023 Environmental Justice Giving Project Grant. We have decided to delay the start of the EJ Giving Project until early 2024. This is a difficult decision as it will mean pushing back the awarding of those grants until the second half of 2024.

We are working to ensure that organizationally we are prepared to facilitate and carry out this Giving Project in a way that centers the spirit of abundance and staff wellness. To that end, our commitment is to provide support to our Project Manager team especially given that two of the members are very new to SJF. As some of you know, the amount of energy and labor it takes to recruit, prepare the curriculum, and plan the detailed sessions of a Giving Project is immense.

We hope that you remain excited about and continue to plan your EJ Giving Project grant proposal. We will provide specific dates and new deadlines for grant submissions as we come up with an updated timeline on our end. Please visit our website via this link for more information about current opportunities. Additionally, to get direct access to timely updates, please sign up for our newsletter via this link if you have not already done so. 

Details:

• Grant amount: Two-year grants of $30,000 ($15,000 per year)
• Eligibility: Environmental justice organizing in Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington, and/or Wyoming
  • Priority consideration: Black, Indigenous, and people of color led organizations (51% or more); Organizations conducting most of their work with reservation communities, and/or in rural/small towns (as defined by the U.S. Census Bureau)
• Application open: Winter 2023
• Application deadline:  TBD
• Questions? Click here to email the SJF team

What we will fund

The 2023-2024 Giving Project will focus on Environmental Justice, making grants to support organizing work that aims to achieve equitable access to a clean and healthy environment for frontline communities most impacted by the climate crisis, environmental racism, and environmental injustice.

The “environment” in the context of the environmental justice movement is defined as the spaces where we live, work, learn, play, pray, and heal. This grant will fund rural and urban organizations working at the intersection of environmental, racial, and economic justice to create sustainable, self-determined and just communities.

We will prioritize funding organizations with Black, Indigenous, and/or POC leadership, and/or who conduct most of their work in reservation communities, and/or rural, small town communities.

Some examples of organizing work that is eligible for this grant include:

• Resource mobilization for affordable and healthy housing
• Organizing efforts supporting access to clean and healthy food, water, and air
• Leadership development programs for environmental justice and health equity
• Facilitating just transition and climate resilience work
• Developing community processes, practices, or civic engagement addressing neighborhood blight

What is a Giving Project?

Click here to learn about Social Justice Fund’s Giving Project model.

Note for past recipients of Giving Project grants: Due to applicant feedback and organizational capacity, this grant cycle will not include the site visit process. In the spirit of our organizational values coupled with our upcoming strategic plan, we will revisit our grant application processes, sharing new information when it becomes available.

Eligibility

Eligible organizations must meet the following criteria:

• Organizations that work within SJF’s community organizing framework
• Nonprofit organizations, tribal agencies, or groups sponsored by a nonprofit organization or tribal agency
  • This grant can fund:
    • Organizations with 501(c)3 or 501(c)4 status as determined by the IRS
    • Federally recognized American Indian tribal government or agency
    • Organizations that are fiscally sponsored by 501(c)3 or 501(c)4 organizations or by federally recognized tribal governments
• Organizations that carry out their work in Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington, and/or Wyoming

Priority

We will prioritize organizations in both the prescreening and final decisions process that:

• Have leadership (at least 51%) from Black, Indigenous, and people of color communities, and/or
• Conduct most of their work/organizing in reservation communities, and/or rural, small town communities (as defined by the U.S. Census Bureau)