Environmental Justice Action Grants

Purpose

CalEPA Environmental Justice Action Grant will increase our investments in projects that lift the burden of pollution from those most vulnerable to its effects. We know that too many communities across our state continue to face disproportionate impacts from climate change, including low-income and immigrant communities, communities of color, and California Native American Tribes.

Description

The CalEPA EJ Action Grants will consider funding any project that does both of the following: 1. Supports tribes and community-based organizations and/or residents to engage in at least one of the following four project categories: a. supporting emergency preparedness, b. protecting public health, c. improving environmental and climate decision-making, and d. strengthening enforcement. 2. Serves an environmental justice purpose, as defined in Section 1.2 of the grant guidelines, in California. CalEPA will focus on those projects that meaningfully involve and engage disadvantaged communities to serve environmental justice purposes. Grants programs across state government prioritize projects using a variety of tools and definitions of overburdened communities. Similarly, CalEPA’s EJ Actions Grants Program offers the flexibility to use multiple tools and definitions based on community and project needs. For ideas on what kinds of criteria and methods CalEPA will recognize for identifying impacted populations and communities, see Section 1.2 of the Grant Guidelines. CalEPA welcomes applications that seek to provide technical assistance or build capacity. Applicants must use proven methods of engagement to facilitate direct participation of community residents. CalEPA will prioritize projects that have incorporated community feedback into project design. Applications may be for new projects and/or for existing projects that require ongoing support. For an idea of what an eligible project could look like, visit our website and click on “Examples of Potential Funded Projects.” To reduce the burden on applicants who may be simultaneously seeking multiple funding opportunities (and who have not already been accepted for funding by a CalEPA BDO) CalEPA will allow the applicant to utilize the application submitted for another CalEPA BDO program (see Section 4.3 of the grant guidelines). The materials must set forth the same substantive information requested in the EJ Action Grants application form.