Communities throughout six Midwest states (including Wisconsin) will receive a major infusion of federal support for environmental justice projects over the next three years, thanks to a new program of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that is directing $50 million to a partnership serving the Great Lakes region. The Minneapolis Foundation, in partnership with the Midwest Environmental Justice Network (MWEJN), NDN Collective, and RE-AMP Network, has been selected to serve EPA Region 5 states as one of 11 grantmakers nationally in its new Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Grantmaking program. The partnership aims to distribute 30% of grant funding through this program to Indigenous communities, 25% to rural and 45% to urban areas to address local environmental and public health issues of underserved communities.
Subgrants will be distributed to community-based nonprofits and other eligible organizations in three concurrent tiers:
- Tier One: Grants for $150,000 for assessment.
- Tier Two: Grants for $250,000 for planning.
- Tier Three: Grants for $350,000 for project development.
More information about the grants will be announced in 2024 as the process is developed for the region. Press release