Environmental Justice

Grant Overview
The Thriving Communities Grantmaker Program, funded by the Inflation Reduction Act, signifies a crucial step towards advancing climate and environmental priorities. Our approach involves a strategic alliance of experienced community-based grant-makers with extensive networks in the region. By leveraging the collective expertise of our partners, including SEE’s proficiency in managing government grants and contracts, we seek to streamline the distribution process and maximize the impact of environmental justice initiatives.

Region 9 Eligible Areas
Arizona
California
Hawaii
Nevada
The Pacific Islands of Guam, American Samoa, and CNMI
148 Tribal Nations

Eligible Subrecipients
Nonprofit organizations, community-based and grassroots nonprofit organizations
Tribal governments (both federally recognized and state-recognized) and intertribal consortia
Local governments
Institutions of higher education
Native American Organizations

Ineligible Subrecipients
Individuals
For-profit businesses
State governments

Allowable Activities
Air quality and asthma
Fence line air quality monitoring
Monitoring of effluent discharges from industrial facilities
Water quality and sampling
Small cleanup projects
Improving food access to reduce vehicle miles traveled
Stormwater issues and green infrastructure
Lead and asbestos contamination
Pesticides and other toxic substances
Healthy homes that are energy/water use efficient and not subject to indoor air pollution
Illegal dumping activities, such as education, outreach, and small-scale clean-ups
Emergency preparedness and disaster resiliency
Environmental job training for occupations that reduce greenhouse gases and other air pollutants
Environmental justice training for youth
Please note this list is intended for example purposes.

Disadvantaged Communities
The Project must benefit people in disadvantaged communities as defined by the Inflation Reduction Act Disadvantaged Communities Mapping tool or other Environmental Justice Mapping resources below.
Disadvantaged Area
Areas identified as Disadvantaged and above the 90th percentile in the following categories:
Climate Change
Energy
Health
Housing, Legacy Pollution
Transportation
Water and Wastewater
Workforce Development

Environmentally Burdened
Areas at or above the 80th percentile in one or more Environmental Justice Index indicators in the following categories:
Particulate Matter 2.5
Ozone
Diesel particulate
Air Toxics Cancer Risk
Air Toxics Respiratory HI
Traffic Proximity
Lead Paint
Superfund Proximity
RMP Facility Proximity
Hazardous Waste Proximity
Underground Storage Tanks
Wastewater Discharge

Rural Community
Defined as:
Non-metropolitan counties
Outlying metropolitan counties with no population from an urban area of 50,000 or more people

Indigenous/Tribal Land
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development provides the Tribal Directory Assessment Tool (TDAT) with the ability to:
Link tribes’ geographic areas of current and ancestral interest down to the county level
Perform a variety of queries related to tribes

Quality Assurance
The success of an environmental program or project depends on the quality of the environmental data collected and used in decision-making which will depend significantly on the adequacy of the quality assurance project plan and how it is carried out. EPA Region 9 requires that a systematic process be used wherever possible and appropriate to plan all environmental data generation activities.

Quality Assurance Project Planning (QAPP)
To facilitate the development of objectives, the EPA has developed guidelines to help state and Tribal governments develop Quality Assurance Project Plans (QAPPs) for documenting the type and quality of data needed for environmental decisions and the methods for collecting and assessing those data.

To find more information on the QAPP, please visit the EPA website.

Tier One will consist of grants for $150,000 for assessment, Tier Two will consist of grants for $250,000 for planning, and Tier Three will consist of grants for $350,000 (2 years) for project development. In addition, $75,000 will be available for capacity-constrained community-based organizations through a non-competitive process under Tier One. Each Grantmaker will design and implement a distribution program best suited for their region and communities.

Tier One Assessment Projects up to $150,000 (1 year)
Research (incidental to the project design)
Sampling
Testing
Monitoring
Investigations
Surveys and Studies
Public Education

Tier Two Planning Projects up to $250,000 (1-2 years)
Planning
Partnership-building
Public outreach and education
Coordination with community stakeholders to address environmental issues
Training activities for community organizations and community members
Projects and activities to spur community involvement (e.g., cleanups of vacant lots)
Smaller land purchases and acquisitions that require less than half of the total amount of subgrant funding

Tier Three Development of Projects up to $350,000 (2 years)
Project Development
Blueprints for construction or cleanup projects, schematics, and technical development
Work to get permits in place directly related to an environmental project
Smaller land purchases and acquisitions that require less than half of the total amount of subgrant funding
Implementation of project plans
Public outreach and education

A limited number of $75,000 non-competitive fixed-amount subawards will be available for severely capacity-constrained CBOs to access.

Opportunity Overview. Partners for Places enhances local capacity to build equitable and sustainable communities in the United States and Canada. It does this through trust-based grantmaking that supports equitable collaborative partnerships. Partners for Places is hosted by The Funders Network (TFN).

Since 2012, this fund has supported 208 local projects. Lessons from completed work are posted on the Partners for Places Idea Bank. Successful applications can be shared with permission from the grantee. Contact Ashley Quintana if you are interested in any one community’s work.

Funds support the: (1) spreading of local Equitable Climate Action (ECA) and / or Green Stormwater Infrastructure (GSI) practices; and (2) advancing of opportunities for local government, frontline communities, and place-based funders to build trusting partnerships and develop projects together. Each community partnership must signal its collective priorities and collaborative approaches in the application.

Round 22 Funding Description.
This opportunity requires partnerships between (1) a local government sustainability and / or water department, (2) a frontline community partner, and (3) a place-based funder.
• One-year grants ($45,000 - $100,000):
o Use a strong, existing partnership to plan or implement an ECA and / or GSI project that addresses frontline community priorities.
• Two-year grants ($75,000 - $150,000):
o Create or improve collaborative partnerships between a local government sustainability and / or water department, frontline community partner, and place-based funder.
 The budget must either allocate or indicate matching funds for partnership building in year 1 and include the engagement of a facilitator to integrate equity principles.
o Are for planning and / or implementing an ECA and / or GSI project that addresses community priorities.

Award Budget.
There is $863,834 USD available to award in Round 22 to support ~6-8 projects.
• A local foundation match of at least 50% is required. A local funder matching grant letter or grant agreement showing proof of the match must be received within 3 months of award notification.
• The grantee cannot regrant any portion of the award without written permission from TFN.

Partners for Places funds can be used for:
• Personnel costs related to the work, like supporting new local government interns or staff, new or existing staff supporting frontline communities, or consultant fees.
• Other project costs, like community stipends, supplies, administrative expenses, or small capital / equipment expenses directly related to the work.

The California Environmental Protection Agency (CalEPA) is administering the
Environmental Justice Action Grants Program (Program) to provide grant funding to
a wide variety of projects. The Legislature has directed CalEPA to use that money
for grants to support tribes, community-based organizations, and residents to
engage in:

1. emergency preparedness,
2. public health protection,
3. environmental and climate decision-making, and
4. coordinated enforcement efforts affecting their communities.

In addition, the Legislature has set specific deadlines for encumbrance and
liquidation. CalEPA administers this program as part of its overall mission to restore,
protect and enhance the environment, to ensure public health, environmental quality,
and economic vitality

The BLM California Wildlife Program advances the Department of the Interior's priorities to address the climate crisis, restore balance on public lands and waters, advance environmental justice, and invest in a clean energy future. Specific BLM California Wildlife Program priorities include:protect wildlife habitat, migration, habitat connectivity that supports biodiversity; increase resilience to climate change and help leverage natural climate solutions; contribute to conserving at least 30 percent of our lands and waters by the year 2030; support State agencies to meet State wildlife population objectives; engage communities of color, low-income families, and rural and indigenous communities to enhance economic opportunities related to wildlife; and use the best science and data available to make decisions. The BLM California Wildlife Program works with partner organizations to meet the goals above on national or regional scale through: Activities that maintain or restore habitats for upland game, waterfowl, big game, pollinators, sensitives species, and watchable wildlife species. Conserving priority wildlife habitat (vegetation communities, water resources, or connectivity) or reducing threats to habitat or species.Monitoring and inventorying wildlife populations and habitats to provide complete, current, and accurate information on the distribution, abundance, and habitat of wildlife that depend on BLM managed public lands.Assessing wildlife habitat and measuring related resource management goals and objectives.Enhancing the understanding of opportunities to conserve wildlife populations that depend on BLM managed lands.Improving how BLM uses and integrates coordinated wildlife monitoring data such as Integrated Monitoring in Bird Conservation Regions (IMBCR) and North American Bat Monitoring Program (NaBat). Doing new research on success in meeting the objectives of wildlife habitat and land use plans at the ecosystem and watershed level.Performing education projects (including citizen science and student-based science) to facilitate wildlife stewardship and conservation for species that depend on BLM managed lands.Increasing public awareness of wildlife resources, conservation challenges and successes on BLM managed lands, including with a targeted focus on communities of color, low-income families, and rural and indigenous communities.

These grants support general operating cost or specific projects and applicants must be registered as (or fiscally sponsored by) a 501(c)3 organization. The Foundation reviews applications twice a year; the deadlines are March 1 and August 1. Grant announcements occur approximately four months after the deadline. Typical grants range from $5,000 - $50,000 and last for one year.

Priorities
Regenerative and Organic Farming: Accelerate the adoption of regenerative farming practices, including organic, climate-resilient, equitable, and agroecological approaches.
Food Production Workers’ Health and Safety: Amplify efforts to secure healthy, safe, just, and empowering working and living conditions for food production workers.
Climate Justice: Expand community-centered solutions to climate change that build resilience and empower those who have been historically marginalized.
Healthy Food Access: Advance food systems’ changes that make healthy and sustainably produced food accessible, affordable, and culturally appropriate.
Inclusive Outdoor Access: Catalyze solutions that expand access to safe places to enable healthy physical activity and improve mental health.
Indoors and Outdoors Safe from Pollution: Promote preventative health approaches by identifying and eliminating toxics from our air, water, soil, and human-made materials.

Guidelines
Priority is given to applicants that:
Advance our strategic priorities and align with our values
Focus their work primarily in the United States and its organized incorporated territories
Demonstrate strong community ties
Have operating budgets under $3MM
Operate at the grassroots level to implement change at the local, state or national stage

Areas not funded
Capital construction
(construction, demolition, renovation, or renewal of a public building)
Deficit funding
Endowments
Faith-based or religious organizations
Fundraising events (e.g., fun run, challenges, annual gala)
Individuals
Local and state public sector or government agencies
Media projects (such as films, books, radio)
Medical Centers
Product donations
Sponsorships

The BLM Headquarters Wildlife Program advances the Department of the Interior's priorities to address the climate crisis, restore balance on public lands and waters, advance environmental justice, and invest in a clean energy future. Specific BLM Headquarters Wildlife Program priorities include:protect wildlife habitat, migration, habitat connectivity that supports biodiversity;increase resilience to climate change and help leverage natural climate solutions;contribute to conserving at least 30 percent of our lands and waters by the year 2030;support State agencies to meet State wildlife population objectives;engage communities of color, low-income families, and rural and indigenous communities to enhance economic opportunities related to wildlife; anduse the best science and data available to make decisions. The BLM Headquarters Wildlife Program works with partner organizations to meet the goals above on national or regional scale through: Activities that maintain or restore habitats for upland game, waterfowl, big game, pollinators, sensitives species, and watchable wildlife species. Conserving priority wildlife habitat (vegetation communities, water resources, or connectivity) or reducing threats to habitat or species.Monitoring and inventorying wildlife populations and habitats to provide complete, current, and accurate information on the distribution, abundance, and habitat of wildlife that depend on BLM managed public lands.Assessing wildlife habitat and measuring related resource management goals and objectives.Enhancing the understanding of opportunities to conserve wildlife populations that depend on BLM managed lands.Improving how BLM uses and integrates coordinated wildlife monitoring data such as Integrated Monitoring in Bird Conservation Regions (IMBCR) and North American Bat Monitoring Program (NaBat). Doing new research on success in meeting the objectives of wildlife habitat and land use plans at the ecosystem and watershed level.Performing education projects (including citizen science and student-based science) to facilitate wildlife stewardship and conservation for species that depend on BLM managed lands.Increasing public awareness of wildlife resources, conservation challenges and successes on BLM managed lands, including with a targeted focus on communities of color, low-income families, and rural and indigenous communities.

Purpose
The BIA Branch of Tribal Community Resilience and the Institute for Tribal Environmental Professionals are seeking videographer(s), animator(s), and/or graphic designer(s) to produce a series of 3-5 minute videos, infographics, and 2-3 minute animations to accompany a report, The Estimated Unmet Need of Coastal Tribes in the Lower 48 States Facing Relocation Due to Climate Impacts. The purpose of these outreach materials is to enhance the awareness and understanding by Congress and broader audiences about the challenges faced by coastal Tribes in the lower 48 states as they address climate-related relocation and protection-in-place issues. We encourage potential contractors to apply to complete either part or all of the project deliverables.

Project background
The Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) Branch of Tribal Community Resilience (TCR) received a directive from Congress to produce a report, The Estimated Unmet Need of Coastal Tribes in the Lower 48 States Facing Relocation Due to Climate Impacts. The report was produced in collaboration with the Institute for Tribal Environmental Professionals (ITEP) and completed in December 2023. The report is undergoing a variety of review processes prior to its submission to Congress. Given that the directive was provided to BIA, the report only considers federally recognized Tribes. The draft report will be provided to hired contractors upon their signing of a confidentiality agreement.

General Information

Posted Date: December 10, 2024

Closing Date: Proposal reviews will start immediately. RFP will remain open until filled.

Deliverables due date: Fully edited videos, infographics, and animations will be due on or before March 14, 2025.

Storytelling Videos

TCR and ITEP anticipate a series containing up to 5 videos with each video being approximately 3-5 minutes in length and would like the videos to emphasize storytelling with individuals sharing their experiences, challenges, and successes related to relocation and to protection-in-place. Video topics may be adjusted in consultation with the Tribes themselves, TCR, and ITEP.

TCR and ITEP will assist with introducing videographer(s) to individuals who have indicated that they are interested in participating in this effort and all individuals will be asked to sign informed consent forms detailing how videos will be used, stored, and owned.

New footage: If desired by the individual, videographer(s) may travel to Tribal sites to film on location. However, if filming on Tribal lands, approval of either the Tribe's film office or Tribal Council will be needed.

B-roll footage: B-roll footage taken on Tribal lands may be used with the permission of the the entity who has copyright of the footage and the Tribe’s film office or following their policies

Photos: Photos on Tribal lands taken by individuals, for which they have the copyright and provide permission to use, are able to be included without Tribal Council approval.

*Note: Videographer(s) are responsible for providing all equipment to be used for filming purposes.

The videos produced will ultimately be housed on the TCR website and may become part of a storymap developed to accompany the report. The videos will be owned by the Tribal participants involved in the particular video and by TCR, and the Tribes and TCR will be able to use the videos on their websites, for meetings, presentations, conferences, and more with proper attribution to the videographer. While videographers will be able to link their websites to the TCR website, they do not have permission to share the videos in any other fashion without the express permission of the Tribes in the video and TCR.

Infographics

TCR and ITEP anticipate a series of up to 5 infographics displaying relevant information, data and/or key points from the draft Unmet Need report. Examples of infographics may include: types of risks associated with relocation and protection-in-place; key points from the Executive summary; number of coastal tribes per region; etc. The decision about which infographics to produce will be made in collaboration with TCR and ITEP.

Animations

TCR and ITEP anticipate a series of up to 5 animations with each animation being approximately 2-3 minutes in length describing how coastal Tribes are faced with relocation and protection-in-place due to climate change impacts. Specific topics will be decided in collaboration with TCR and ITEP.

A few things to consider

Executive summary topics

The executive summary includes key points made about:

Continued stewardship of and access to places no longer inhabited as a key component of Tribal self determination

Staffing and funding challenges faced by Tribes trying to relocate and protect-in-place

Integrity of evacuation routes and shoreline protection infrastructure in the face of increasing climate extremes

Need to establish a lead entity to support Tribal relocation and protection-in-place efforts

Challenges around terminology

Complicated history and trauma around the term “relocation” including its usage in relation to climate impacts.

Solicitation Requirements

Applicant proposal must include the following:

1. Cover letter with contact information and signature

2. Resume

3. References (3 total)

4. Examples of videos, infographics, animations you have completed (include links as needed)

5. Cost Proposal. Please note: ITEP will arrange and pay for travel to Tribal locations as needed. You do not need to include travel costs in your proposal.

Again, please note that contractors can apply to complete either part or all of the project deliverables.

Evaluation

All responsive proposals will be opened, reviewed and rated based upon the following evaluation factors:

Price

Compliance with solicitation requirements

Experience, quality and/or past performance

Experience working with Tribes

Points of Contact

Elisha Flores, Regional Tribal Community Resilience Coordinator, Branch of Tribal Community Resilience, Bureau of Indian Affairs, elisha.flores@bia.gov, 510-504-8998

Colleen Cooley, Consultant, Tribes and Climate Change Program, Institute for Tribal Environmental Professionals, colleen.cooley@nau.edu, 928-523-1625

Submission of Proposals

Proposals must be submitted by email to Elisha Flores and Colleen Cooley. Please see email addresses provided above.

Purpose
The BIA Branch of Tribal Community Resilience and the Institute for Tribal Environmental Professionals are seeking a contractor to develop regional summaries of climate change projections for approximately 30 federally recognized Tribes currently located along the shores of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, Puget Sound, Gulf of Mexico, and the shores of the Great Lakes. These regional summaries would accompany a report, The Estimated Unmet Need of Coastal Tribes in the Lower 48 States Facing Relocation Due to Climate Impacts. The purpose of the projections would be to support Tribal climate change adaptation planning efforts and provide supplemental information for the report describing anticipated climate change impacts for coastal Tribes and associated timeframes that the impacts might take place.

General Information

Posted Date: December 10, 2024

Closing Date: Proposal reviews will start immediately. RFP will remain open until filled.

Deliverables due date: March 20, 2025

Project background and summary
The Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) Branch of Tribal Community Resilience (TCR) received a directive from Congress to produce a report, The Estimated Unmet Need of Coastal Tribes in the Lower 48 States Facing Relocation Due to Climate Impacts. The report was produced in collaboration with the Institute for Tribal Environmental Professionals (ITEP) and completed in December 2023. The report is undergoing a variety of review processes prior to its submission to Congress. Given that the directive was provided to BIA, the report only considers federally recognized Tribes. The draft report will be provided to hired contractors upon their signing of a confidentiality agreement.

Project scope
Key questions for Tribes include:

How might sea level rise, high tide flooding, storm surges, and coastal erosion affect Tribal infrastructure and lands, where, and by when?

What are the protect-in-place options and how much would they cost?

The contractor hired would make use of existing datasets to produce deliverables that could include regional summaries of:

Sea level rise, high tide flooding, storm surge, and coastal erosion scenarios of Tribal lands and the timing of the expected impacts.

Shoreline protection options and potential costs of developing protection options, such as berms and levees under different climate change scenarios.

In order to protect Tribal data sovereignty, Tribal-specific data would be summarized according to regions, and the summaries would then be provided to TCR and ITEP. Please note that it is not expected that proposals will seek to produce all of the deliverables specified within the time available, thus the review team looks forward to learning more about the feasibility and expected level of effort for the proposed deliverables.

Solicitation requirements

To submit a proposal, please describe or provide the following:

Project team, capabilities, and past related projects, and resumes for senior personnel.

Overview and relevant details of the proposed project, identifying the specific proposed assessments to be completed by the specified deadline using existing datasets for the Coastal Tribes. If certain datasets are not available for some of the geographic areas specified, please identify those limitations.

Experience working with Tribes, Tribal organizations, and tribally relevant data sovereignty issues, including how your team will address any Tribal data sovereignty concerns that arise.

Cost estimate and project timeline.

Evaluation

All responsive proposals will be opened, reviewed and rated based upon the following evaluation factors:

Price
Compliance with solicitation requirements
Experience, quality and/or past performance
Experience working with Tribes

Points of Contact

Elisha Flores, Regional Tribal Community Resilience Coordinator, Branch of Tribal Community Resilience, Bureau of Indian Affairs, elisha.flores@bia.gov, 510-504-8998

Chas Jones, Consultant, Tribes and Climate Change Program, Institute of Tribal Environmental Professionals, Chas@picea.group, 815-456-4173

Submission of Proposals

Proposals must be submitted by email to Elisha Flores and Chas Jones. Please see email addresses provided above.

The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) is requesting proposals to restore, protect and enhance populations of Mojave desert tortoise and their habitat in California’s western Mojave Desert. Up to $1 million in funding is expected to be available through support from the U.S. Marine Corps.

GEOGRAPHIC FOCUS/PROGRAM FUNDING PRIORITIES
This Request for Proposals (RFP) is part of NFWF’s Mojave Desert Tortoise Recovery Partnership, and will provide funding to projects that produce measurable outcomes for the threatened Mojave desert tortoise in California’s Western Mojave Desert Recovery Unit focal areas (Figure 1). Priority projects will address the leading factors in Mojave desert tortoise decline such as habitat alteration and fragmentation, environmental change and direct tortoise mortality. The primary goal of this program is to marshal resources in a coordinated manner to work to recover the species by protecting Mojave desert tortoises from reducing or eliminating threats to the tortoise and restoring critical habitat. Conservation activities referenced in NFWF’s Mojave Desert Tortoise Recovery Implementation Plan will be most competitive. Projects that address desert tortoise conservation needs should be located in one or more of six focal areas in the Western Mojave Recovery Unit (Figure 1). However, highway exclusion fencing projects will be prioritized along priority road sections within the Western Mojave Desert identified in Figure 1.

In FY25, the Partnership is specifically soliciting projects in areas where contemporary linear disturbance density is less than or equal to 0.6 km/km2, the approximate and best available maximum linear disturbance density threshold for positive tortoise population expansion. The FY25 Recovery and Sustainment Partnership (RASP) Priority Project Areas comprise tortoise habitats with a minimum linear disturbance density of less than or equal to 0.6 km/km2 and are intended to further direct project proposals within existing focal areas (Figure 2). This strategy intends to make the greatest impact with existing resources in the near term.

The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) and the Wildlife Habitat Council (WHC)—in cooperation with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), USDA Forest Service (USFS), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) USDA Office of Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production, FedEx and Southern Company—are pleased to solicit applications for the 2025 Five Star and Urban Waters Restoration program. This program will award approximately $2.5 million in grants nationwide.

The Five Star and Urban Waters Restoration grant program seeks to develop community capacity to sustain local natural resources for future generations by providing modest financial assistance to diverse local partnerships focused on improving water quality, watersheds and the species and habitats they support.

Projects include a variety of ecological improvements along with targeted community outreach, education and stewardship. Ecological improvements may include one or more of the following: wetland, riparian, forest and coastal habitat restoration; wildlife conservation, community tree canopy enhancement, wildlife habitat, urban agriculture and community gardens, wildlife and water quality monitoring and green infrastructure best management practices for managing run-off.

Projects should increase access to the benefits of nature, reduce the impact of environmental hazards and engage local communities, particularly underserved communities, in project planning, outreach and implementation. This program expects that applicants will represent a mixture of urban and rural communities. NFWF may use a mix of public and private funding sources to support any grant made through this program and we expect that more than half of projects awarded will engage underserved communities.