FUNDING OUR FUTURES
The New Jersey Environmental Justice Alliance is excited to announce the Funding Our Futures: Navigating State and Federal Grants seminar, created in collaboration with the NJDEP’s Office of Environmental Justice. Participants in the seminar will hear about state and federal funding opportunities for community initiatives, and will learn key strategies for acquiring and managing grant money at the organizational level.
Seminar topics will include:
- Key DEP funding sources and strategies for applying;
- Funding water infrastructure projects;
- Funding parks and open space;
- Funding clean air, clean energy, and climate mitigation projects;
- Roundtable discussion with community-based organizations on managing federal funding: challenges and lessons learned;
- Overview of EPA grant programs and strategies for applying.
Agenda
10:00 – 10:15 AM
Welcome & Opening Remarks
- Kandyce Perry, Office of Environmental Justice, New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP)
- Melissa Miles, New Jersey Environmental Justice Alliance (NJEJA)
- Sarita Turner, Jumuiya Consulting
10:15 – 12:30 PM
Applying for and Managing Federal Funding
10:15 – 10:35 AM
United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Environmental Justice Funding Opportunities
Learn about a variety of federal environmental justice funding and technical assistance opportunities made possible from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Inflation Reduction Act. The presentation will highlight the unique differences between each of the programs and provide clarity on eligibility.
Iris Crawford, Senior Communications Advisor, EPA Region 2
Dave Kluesner, Supervisor for Strategic Programs & Community Funding, EPA Region 2
10:35 – 10:45 AM
Q&A
10:45 – 11:00 AM
WE ACT Thriving Communities Technical Assistance Center (TCTAC) EPA Region 2: NY & NJ
WE ACT for Environmental Justice has launched the EPA Region 2 Thriving Communities Technical Assistance Center (TCTAC), serving New York and New Jersey. The WE ACT TCTAC can help underserved communities gain access to grant and funding opportunities so that they are better positioned to advance and address environmental, climate, and energy justice issues. The TCTAC offers training and TA to build capacity for navigating grant application systems, writing strong grant proposals, effectively managing grants, and engaging in environmental and energy justice decision-making.
Sarah Salem, TCTAC Director of Community Engagement, WE ACT
Sherine Cox, TCTAC Grants Specialist; WE ACT
11:00 – 11:10 AM
Q&A
11:20 – 11:35 AM
Break
11:35 – 11:50 AM
EPA Region 2 EJ Thriving Communities Grantmaker
Fordham received $50 million from the EPA to serve as a pass-through entity through the Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Grantmaking Program (EJ TCGM). They will provide subgrants to community-based nonprofits and other eligible subrecipients for assessment, planning, and project development activities. This aims to alleviate much of the burden that the federal grants process places on small, resource-constrained community-based organizations supporting underserved communities and marginalized populations by designing competitive application and submission processes, awarding environmental justice subgrants, implementing a tracking and reporting system, and providing resources and support to communities.
- Fordham University
11:50 AM – 12:00 PM
Break
12:00 – 12:30 PM
Discussion: Managing federal funding challenges and lessons learned
Panel discussion with local community-based organizations (CBOs) on their experience managing federal funding. The CBOs will share insights including best practices and lessons learned.
Melissa Miles, Executive Director, NJEJA (Moderator);
Hazel Applewhite, CEO of Ironbound Community Corporation;
Jon Compton, Executive Director, Center for Environmental Transformation;
Dwaign Tyndal, Executive Director, Alternatives for Community and Environment
12:30 – 12:55 PM
Participant Reflections
Participants will be asked to share their reflections, lingering questions, and takeaways from the day.
12:55 – 1:00 PM
Closing Remarks
- Melissa Miles, NJEJA
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