LOC News
EPA Offering Community Change Grants & Free Technical Assistance
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Community Change Grants Program is the largest single environmental justice investment in history and directly supports disadvantaged communities. The EPA’s overarching goal is to advance collaborative efforts to reduce pollution, increase climate resilience, and build community capacity to address environmental and climate challenges.
The EPA will award approximately 150 grants between $10-20 million, and 20 ranging from $1-3 million. Applications are being accepted now through November 21.
Free technical assistance is also being offered! Fill out the one-page request form as soon as possible to receive technical assistance for this opportunity. The deadline to apply is August 16.
Applications for the grants and technical assistance will be accepted on a rolling basis. If you apply and the application is not accepted initially, you will have a chance to learn why, make changes, and submit again.
Who Can Apply:
A partnership between a community-based non-profit organization (CBO) and one of the following:
- Another CBO;
- A federally recognized Tribe;
- A local government; or
- An institution of higher education.
Example Projects:
Some examples of potential $10-20 million projects are highlighted below, but a much more exhaustive list can be found in Appendix F, page 83 of the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO):
- Increased green space, sidewalks, impermeable surfaces replaced with vegetation, shade tree canopies, community gardens, and greenhouses;
- Electric vehicle or bicycle sharing programs;
- Water infrastructure;
- Streets improved to encourage walkability, bike-ability, or transit use;
- Increased number of homes connected to a resilient power source;
- Increased community awareness of emergency preparedness;
- Cleaner communities with less trash/waste on land and in waterbodies;
- Increased literacy among community members about how to pursue environmental jobs;
- Increased number of high-quality workforce training programs;
- Reduced exposure to radon;
- Space built or converted into a community resilience hub;
- Waste diverted from landfills, recycling, and composting programs;
- Lead paint remediations; and
- Completed site assessments and cleanups.
Learn More about Community Change Grants:
- Community Change Grants Program
- Is My Organization Eligible?
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO)
- Application Assistance
- Frequently Asked Questions About the NOFO
Learn More about EPA’s EJ Program and Tools:
- EPA’s Environmental Justice Homepage
- Other Grant Opportunities and Technical Assistance
- EPA’s Environmental Justice Screening Tool
If you have any questions about the EPA grants, technical assistance, tools, or their EJ program, please contact Scott Schlief: Schlief.Scott@epa.gov.
Contact: Nolan Pleše, Lobbyist – nplese@orcities.org
Last Updated 8/1/24