$48M EPA Thriving Communities Grant Program Launches for Local Entities Addressing Environmental and Health Challenges in Pacific Southwest

LOS ANGELES, Jan. 10, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Liberty Hill Foundation and its grantmaking partners announced the launch of award applications for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Thriving Communities Grantmaking Program, which will invest $48 million in grants into disadvantaged communities working on environmental and health-related issues. With applications opening on January 15, 2025, funding will be available across the entire EPA Region 9, encompassing Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada, Guam, American Samoa, the Northern Mariana Islands, and 148 Tribal Nations. 

The Thriving Communities Grant Program empowers local organizations in California to conduct and bolster environmental justice activities in their areas. Projects can increase access to green spaces, address needs like housing and waste management, improve air and water quality, and beyond. Entities, including community-based and grassroots nonprofits, Tribal and local governments, Native American organizations, intertribal consortia, and institutions of higher education, are eligible to apply if they meet all the criteria. Full eligibility details can be found at https://thrivingcommunitiesregion9.org/.

"The Thriving Communities Grants program will support communities and build their capacity and power to transform their neighborhoods and address the most pressing environmental problems," said Angelo Logan, Senior Director of Environmental and Climate Justice at Liberty Hill Foundation.

The Environmental Protection Agency Thriving Communities Grants will award up to $350K to nonprofits, government entities, higher education institutions, and more to advance environmental justice in disadvantaged communities.

This program is part of the historic 2022 Inflation Reduction Act, which is distributing $600 million across the United States to address health and climate inequities. The grants are designed to directly benefit communities overburdened by negative environmental impacts that have also endured decades of underinvestment. 

The application process is designed to be accessible to organizations of all sizes, including first-time grant applicants. To help ensure all eligible groups can apply, technical assistance is available to help with proposals, reporting, and evaluation. Additionally, interpretation and translation services may be available for limited English-speaking participants. 

Prospective applicants can apply at the link provided here. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis and will be on a first-come, first-served basis. For more information and updates on progress, assistance, and opportunities to get involved, visit our webpage.

About Liberty Hill Foundation
Liberty Hill Foundation is a laboratory for social change philanthropy. We leverage the power of community organizers, donor activists, and allies to advance social justice through strategic investment in grants, leadership training, and campaigns. We envision a society in which all people have a powerful voice, including those currently shut out of our democracy, people cut off from opportunities because of their skin color, gender or sexual orientation, where they live, or where they were born. We will not rest until society provides justice and equality for all.

SOURCE Liberty Hill Foundation