Search Through Grants for Environmental Projects in New Jersey in the U.S.

Mission

The DanPaul Foundation will use its resources to help train teachers and parents in early childhood development, protect children from abuse and neglect, stimulate children's personal social responsibilities, and offer them opportunities for enrichment and growth.

The Foundation will also encourage children to be concerned and informed about the environment and the underprivileged, particularly with regard to clean air and water, and adequate housing and nutrition for all.

Beliefs

The DanPaul Foundation believes that children should have ample opportunities for enrichment in their lives, and thus strives to provide many different ways to enrich and expand children's minds through direct programs and monetary support to organizations doing similar work.

We have provided or currently provide grants related to the following program areas:

• Workshops, Conferences, + Seminars: We strive to offer educational workshops, conferences, and seminars for parents and teachers on topics related to early childhood development.
• Student Scholarships: We aim to help students attending post-secondary education institutions by providing need-based and academic scholarships.
• Scientific Endeavors: We desire to advance scientific endeavors which seek to improve the quality of life for everyone in the world.
• Clean Air + Water: We hope to pass on knowledge and practical life skills to youth regarding their personal responsibility to the environment, teaching them about issues surrounding clean air and water.
• Child Advocacy: We believe in protecting children from abuse and neglect and particularly love to support programs that provide education and assistance to children as well as organizations advocating or caring for vulnerable children.
• Homelessness: We want to encourage young people to take a personal interest in seeing that adequate housing and proper nutrition, especially for the underprivileged and homeless, are available.
• Poverty + Neglect: We seek to help those in poverty as well as educate youth about their responsibility to consider the underprivileged and take care of those most in need of life's basic essentials like adequate housing and proper nutrition.
• Refugee Enrichment: We wish to help refugee youth by supporting programs that provide them enrichment and help them transition to life in a new country.

The DanPaul Foundation provides grants to 501(c)3 tax-exempt non-profit organizations as defined by the IRS. The Foundation is interested in providing funding to programs that directly serve the health, education, development, and welfare of the world's youth.

Grants range from a few hundred dollars up to $15,000 per calendar year.

Background

Draper Richards Kaplan Foundation seeks to dramatically improve the lives of underserved communities across the globe by supporting scalable, innovative, and impact-first solutions that leverage existing systems and stakeholders. Our goal is to find social entrepreneurs with dynamic products or services that have a proven ability to positively impact the lives of underserved people, and nurture those organizations at the early stages by providing capacity, capital, and community.

Our application process is designed to be open and accessible, and we accept applications year round from across our priority geographies and sectors. Borrowing from our venture capital legacy, we find exceptional entrepreneurs and provide them with: 

Capacity

• The core of DRK’s model is deep and extensive operational and technical support for each portfolio organization, both through dedicated hands-on Board service and specialist capacity-building resources for fundraising, board and organizational development, leadership, financial support, and scaling strategy,

Capital

• DRK provides up to $300,000 USD in either unrestricted grant funding or investment capital over a three-year period, and

Community

• DRK convenes our portfolio and alumni annually, facilitating connections and community. 

What We Fund

DRK Foundation funds early-stage social impact organizations solving the world’s biggest social and environmental problems using bold, scalable approaches.

What stage of growth does DRK Foundation typically fund?

Early stage: Organizations who are early stage, which we define as post-pilot and pre-scale. This typically means: 

• Your program, product or service is already being used in the market or in the field, 
• You have early indication that your model is having its intended impact on the beneficiary populations,
• Your organization is relatively young (ideally between two and five years old, although we will consider both younger and older organizations).

Venture funding: In the case of for profits, we typically support Seed to Series A organizations, and never lead rounds; we also generally but not exclusively refrain from participating in financings exceeding a $15M USD post-money valuation.  

About DEP

A national leader. A balanced approach. A commitment to be guided by science. That is the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection.

For over 50 years, DEP has made New Jersey a stronger and fairer state by protecting our environment and public health. With hard work, exceptional knowledge and expertise, the DEP’s staff has made the agency an unfailing guardian of New Jersey’s precious natural and historic resources.

DEP MISSION

Dedicated to improving and protecting public health and the environment we share, NJDEP uses the best available science to guide the conservation of natural and historic resources, ensure a stable climate and resilient communities, and secure clean and healthy air, water and lands throughout New Jersey. Committed to sustainable economic growth, NJDEP invests in communities and infrastructure, provides quality open and recreational spaces for residents and visitors, enforces environmental laws, and furthers the promise of environmental justice for all.

Emerging Contaminants in Small or Disadvantaged Communities Grant (EC-SDC)

Purpose of Funding

To provide grants to public water systems in small or disadvantaged communities in order to address emerging contaminants, including PFAS.

Community Grants

State Farm is committed to helping build safer, stronger and better-educated communities.

• ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​We are committed to auto and home safety programs and activities that help people manage the risks of everyday life.
• We invest in education, economic empowerment and community development projects, programs and services that help people realize their dreams.
• We help maintain the vibrancy of our communities by assisting nonprofits that support community revitalization.

Good Neighbor Citizenship company grants focus on safety, community development and education.

Focus Areas

Safety Grants

We strive to keep our customers and communities safe. That's why our funding is directed toward:

• Auto safety — improving driver, passenger, vehicle or roadway safety
• Home safety — shielding homes from fires, crime or natural disasters
• Disaster preparedness and mitigation
• Disaster recovery

Community Development

We support nonprofits that invest and develop stronger neighborhoods. That's why our funding is directed toward:

• Affordable housing — home construction and repair
• Commercial/small business development
• Job training
• Neighborhood revitalization
• Financial literacy
• Sustainable housing and transportation
• Food insecurity

Education

Our education funding is directed toward initiatives that support the following programs:

• Higher education
• K-12 academic performance
• K-12 STEM
• Pathways for college and career success

HEP Action Agenda: NY/NJ Community Engagement Sessions

One of 28 National Estuary Programs, the New York – New Jersey Harbor & Estuary Program (HEP), was created by EPA and the two states to bring the benefits of the Clean Water Act – fishable and swimmable waters – to the people and wildlife of the Estuary.

HEP brings stakeholders together to work collaboratively and develop and implement an Action Agenda to protect, conserve and restore the estuary and the communities that make up this extraordinary resource. HEP's Action Agenda serves as a blueprint to guide and improve future management decisions. It presents shared priorities of our Program and partners to address a wide range of estuary issues. Click here for an interactive map of HEP's geographic scope. The map also shows all of the overburdened communities within our program area as defined by EPA and the states of NY and NJ.

This year, HEP will be developing a new Action Agenda that outlines the major goals and objectives of our Program and partners for the next 10 years. Through this process we seek to: Make all partners feel ownership of the new Action Agenda; ​Ensure that we are addressing the needs of the Estuary and all of its communities; Develop actions that are reflective of estuarine challenges, community needs and partner priorities.

Our Ask: We are asking NGOs/Community-Based Partners to host in-person community engagement sessions, this spring and early summer, and gather members of their community to share their vision for the estuary and the challenges and opportunities that need to be addressed. These sessions can take place in the form of standalone meetings or be made a part of other ongoing programs/events. In order to help support organizations interested in hosting a community engagement session, HEP has created these guidance materials.

HEP will provide small grants ranging between $2,000-$4,000 to a limited number of organizations that apply to host one of these community engagement sessions. Organizations interested in hosting should apply at least 20 days before their proposed community engagement session date. HEP will make small grant decisions on a rolling basis. Priority will be given for proposed sessions that involve multiple NGOs/Community-Based Partners and that take place or otherwise engage disadvantaged/overburdened communities as identified in our map here. HEP seeks to work with partners addressing issues in each of our 10 major waterbody regions: The Bronx River and Western Long Island Sound; East River and Harlem River; Jamaica Bay; Passaic River and Newark Bay; Hackensack River; Lower Raritan River; Lower Hudson River; Upper New York Bay; Arthur Kill and the Kill van Kull (The Kills); Lower Bay (Raritan Bay, Sandy Hook Bay, and the Lower New York Bay).

Goals and Objectives

WATER QUALITY

Reduce the sources of pollution so that the waters of the Estuary will meet the fishable/swimmable goal of the Clean Water Act, where attainable.

OBJECTIVES:

• Improve coordination and begin to establish consensus amongst regulatory agencies on science, standards, and design conditions in shared waters.
• Accelerate creation, adoption, and implementation of Long Term Control Plans and MS4 Permits.
• Address monitoring gaps and lack of information for key locations, parameters, and state and local track-down programs.
• Share water quality information in a clear and easy-to-understand way with the public, focusing on uses and potential public health risks.
• Assess the potential impacts of climate change on water quality.

PUBLIC ACCESS AND STEWARDSHIP

Improve public access to the waters of the Estuary and the quality of experience at public spaces along the waterfront.

OBJECTIVES:

• Increase public access and new possibilities for contact recreation, particularly in areas of higher need
• Improve stewardship and programming at existing public access sites, particularly in areas of highest need
• Promote and expand awareness of public access opportunities and issues

HABITAT AND ECOLOGICAL HEALTH

Protect and restore the vital habitat, ecological function, and biodiversity that provide society with renewed and increased benefits.

OBJECTIVES:

• Make progress towards restoring the Estuary’s target ecosystem characteristics.
• Improve the quality and likely success of habitat restoration.
• Support restoration monitoring and the utility of monitoring data.
• Advance understanding and incorporation of climate change impacts in habitat management and restoration.

PORT AND MARITIME

Support port and associated maritime operations so that they are both economically and ecologically viable.

OBJECTIVES:

• Improve understanding and management implications of changing sediment contamination in the Estuary, including the timeline for achieving HARS-suitable sediments in the navigation channels
• Help design and implement port and maritime improvement projects that are more environmentally friendly

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

Foster community understanding and involvement in decisions about the Estuary.

OBJECTIVES:

• Increase and improve the quality of citizen science efforts
• Support Urban Waters Federal Partnerships in target waterways
• Enhance public understanding of the Harbor Estuary

Meetings Dates

For an entire list of all meeting dates and to sign up for the in-person events please click here.

Mission

The New Jersey Highlands Coalition advocates for the protection of the Highlands’ natural and cultural resources, including its water on which over 70% of New Jersey’s population, its economy, and its viability rely.

Specifically, our focus is on:

• Safeguarding the Highlands’ water and forest resources by advocating for effective strategies and strong environmental and land use policies, including the implementation of the Highlands Water Protection and Planning Act and the Highlands Regional Master Plan.
• Educating people about the Highlands’ critical role in ensuring clean water, climate resilience, and economic viability far beyond the immediate region.
• Activating and empowering a coalition of people and organizations who care about the Highlands and its role in the state’s water supply.
• Providing expert support to grassroots groups that amplifies their community-based advocacy efforts.
• Leading advocacy efforts at every level of government to ensure the protection of all Highlands natural and cultural resources for every resident of the State.

The Highlands Open Space Partnership Funding program is a matching grant program designed to support the acquisition of property for the protection of resources within the Highlands Region, and to further the goals of landowner equity as specified in the Highlands Water Protection and Planning Act of 2004 and the Highlands Regional Master Plan (RMP). The Highlands Council will provide a maximum grant award of 50% of the total purchase price of the property.

New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection

DEP Mission

Dedicated to improving and protecting public health and the environment we share, NJDEP uses the best available science to guide the conservation of natural and historic resources, ensure a stable climate and resilient communities, and secure clean and healthy air, water and lands throughout New Jersey. Committed to sustainable economic growth, NJDEP invests in communities and infrastructure, provides quality open and recreational spaces for residents and visitors, enforces environmental laws, and furthers the promise of environmental justice for all.

Natural Climate Solutions Grants

Purpose of Funding

The Natural Climate Solutions Grant program will fund on-the-ground implementation of projects that create, restore, and enhance New Jersey’s natural carbon sinks, such as salt marshes, seagrass beds, forests, urban parks and woodlands, and street trees in order to meet New Jersey’s climate, clean energy, and equity goals.

Qualifications Required for Consideration

There are two initiatives for the investment of DEP’s carbon sequestration funding: Promoting Blue Carbon in Coastal Areas and Enhancing Forests and Urban Forests (Green Carbon). Eligible types of blue carbon projects include Living Shorelines, Restoring Tidal Flows in Tidal Wetlands, Tidal Salt Marsh Vegetation Restoration. Eligible green carbon projects include Forest Restoration and Urban Forest Canopy and Water Quality Enhancement.

Mission

Our mission is to protect, enhance and promote the vital water and other natural and cultural resources of the New Jersey Highlands to sustain current and future generations.

Specifically, our focus is on:

• Safeguarding the water resources, ecological integrity, biodiversity, and the cultural and scenic resources of the New Jersey Highlands.
• Promoting the implementation of a strongly protective Highlands Regional Master Plan.
• Faithful implementation of the Highlands Water Protection and Planning Act, and the promulgated regulations of NJDEP and other agencies.
• Increasing local, state, federal and private sources of funding for land conservation and stewardship in the region, and promoting better planning, growth management and land acquisition strategies.
• Educating the public and decision-makers on, and serving as an information source for, New Jersey Highlands cultural and natural resource protection.
• Creating strong partnerships and alliances with organizations and individuals to effectively protect, preserve and enhance the New Jersey Highlands.

New Jersey Highlands Coalition: Small Grants - Emergency Funding

Each year the New Jersey Highlands Coalition awards a number of grants to assist grassroots organizations working on projects located within the New Jersey Highlands or associated with protecting New Jersey Highlands resources.

Grant Amount

Grants will be awarded up to a maximum of $5,000. Applicants are encouraged to think carefully about their request, and make sure they fully justify the amount requested.

Purpose of Funding

Transportation emissions remain the largest source of greenhouse gas pollution in the State, contributing to climate change impacts like rising temperatures, rising sea levels, and more extreme weather events. They also serve as a significant contributor for other air pollutants, like NOx and particulate matter, which have harmful environmental and health effects. Moving toward transportation electrification addresses these concerns because electric vehicles (EVs) do not produce any tailpipe emissions.

New Jersey’s low-income communities and communities of color have historically been subject to an unreasonably high number of environmental and public health stressors, including transportation emissions. As a result, residents in these areas suffer from increased adverse health effects including, but not limited to, asthma, cancer, elevated blood lead levels, cardiovascular disease, and developmental disorders.

Electric mobility solutions like carshare, rideshare, and ride hailing services provide additional modes of transport for residents in underserved areas, who often don’t own a personal vehicle and rely on public transportation. eMobility will help ensure they have access to and can benefit from the advantages of clean vehicle technology.

Project Types

This is not a conclusive list of all project types, and projects may includes more than one service model. Projects should include meaningful engagement with the community and be tailored to meet the needs of residents they serve.

• Carsharing
• Ridesharing/Carpooling/Vanpooling
• eMobility Hubs
• Fixed Route Transit Services
• Microtransit Services
• Ride-Hailing/Ride-on-Demand Services

Project Elements

• Electric vehicles
• EV charging stations
• Program development and operation
• Real property and/or modifications for electric vehicle/charging equipment sites

Projects may include one of these project elements or a combination of elements depending on the goal of the program.

Funding

There are no limits to the size of a proposal, but it is beneficial to indicate if a project is scalable with a description of what that means for the overall project.

Applicants are encouraged to consider structuring their projects to be scaled and, if appropriate, replicable in other communities. DEP’s funding sources, amounts, and timing can vary. This scalability is useful to help implement the program – whether through a pilot version or an expanded model – depending on the available funding.

OSI partners with conservation organizations in the Northeast to assemble networks of protected lands most likely to preserve plant and animal diversity in a changing climate. The Fund supports projects in four focus areas in New England, the mid-Atlantic, and the Central Appalachians offering the greatest opportunity to conserve missing links for resiliency in the overall landscape.

Grant Opportunities

The Fund provides capital grants and loans to qualified non-profits for the acquisition of land or conservation easements on climate-resilient lands, capitalized with a grant from the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation. Through an in-depth review process, we selected four focus areas in order to target funds most effectively. A fact brochure with maps for each focus area can be downloaded:

Potomac Headwaters – West Virginia & Virginia

Highlands and Kittatinny Ridge – New Jersey & Pennsylvania

Middle Connecticut River – Vermont & Massachusetts

Southern New Hampshire & Maine Forests 

PNC Foundation

Strengthening and enriching the lives of our neighbors in communities where we live and work.

Vision & Mission

For decades, we have provided resources to seed ideas, foster development initiatives and encourage leadership in nonprofit organizations where imagination and determination are at work enhancing people's lives everyday.

The PNC Foundation's priority is to form partnerships with community-based nonprofit organizations in order to enhance educational opportunities, with an emphasis on early childhood education, and to promote the growth of communities through economic development initiatives.

Foundation Grant

The PNC Foundation supports a variety of nonprofit organizations with a special emphasis on those that work to achieve sustainability and touch a diverse population, in particular, those that support early childhood education and/or economic development.

Education

The PNC Foundation supports educational programs for children and youth, particularly early childhood education initiatives that meet the criteria established through PNC Grow Up Great. Specifically, PNC Grow Up Great grants must:

• Support early education initiatives that benefit children from birth to age five; and
• Serve a majority of children (>50%) from low- to moderate-income families; and
• Adhere to all other standard PNC Foundation guidelines, as outlined on the PNC Foundation website, applicant eligibility quiz, as well as the Foundation policies and procedures; and
• Include one or a combination of the following:
  • direct services/programs for children in their classroom or community;
  • professional development/workforce development for early childhood educators;
  • family and/or community engagement in children’s early learning
• Additional considerations:
  • The grant focus should include math, science, reading, vocabulary development, the arts, financial education, or social/emotional development.
  • The grant recipient, or collaborative partner, should have early childhood education as an area of focus. If the organization’s focus is beyond birth to age five, the specific grant must be earmarked for birth to age five.
  • Incorporate opportunities for PNC volunteers in classroom or non-classroom-based activities.

Economic Development

Economic development organizations, including those which enhance the quality of life through neighborhood revitalization, cultural enrichment and human services are given support. Priority is given to community development initiatives that strategically promote the growth of low-and moderate-income communities and/or provide services to these communities.

• Affordable Housing
  • The PNC Foundation understands the critical need for affordable housing for low-and moderate-income individuals.
  • We are committed to providing support to nonprofit organizations that:
    • give counseling and services to help these individuals maintain their housing stock;
    • offer transitional housing units and programs; and/or
    • offer credit counseling assistance to individuals, helping them to prepare for homeownership.
• Community Development
  • Because small businesses are often critical components of community growth and help foster business development, the PNC Foundation provides support to nonprofit organizations that
    • offer technical assistance to, or loan programs for, small businesses located in low-and moderate-income areas or
    • support small businesses that employ low-and moderate-income individuals.
• Community Services
  • Support is given to social services organizations that benefit the health, education, quality of life or provide essential services for low-and moderate-income individuals and families.
  • The PNC Foundation supports job training programs and organizations that provide essential services for their families.
• Arts & Culture
  • Support is given for cultural enrichment programs benefitting the community.
• Revitalization & Stabilization of Low-and Moderate-Income Areas
  • The PNC Foundation supports nonprofit organizations that serve low-and moderate-income neighborhoods by improving living and working conditions.
  • Support is given to organizations that help stabilize communities, eliminate blight and attract and retain businesses and residents to the community.

The Sidney Stern Memorial Trust is devoted solely to the funding of charitable, scientific, medical and educational organizations.

The Board endeavors to support soundly-managed charitable organizations that give service with a broad scope, have a substantial effect on their target populations, and contribute materially to the general welfare. The Board does not discriminate on the basis of ethnicity, race, gender, sexual orientation or religion.

The Subaru of America Foundation was established in 1984 with the goal of supporting the communities in which we live and work. Today, we are proud to say that our foundation continues pursuing this goal and has awarded over $24 million through community grants, scholarships, and matching employee gifts to various programs.

Partnership Grants

The Subaru of America Foundation aims to support organizations working in the City of Camden that are increasing employment and improving the environment for residents.

While the Foundation does support employee programs, such as Matching Gifts, Memorial Donations, and Scholarships, grants are focused on the employment and environment in Camden.

Advancing Sustainable Communities

Since 2002, we’ve been empowering local communities with sustainability solutions. Through nonprofit partnerships and sustainability grants, we’ve delivered projects promoting renewable energy, energy efficiency, resource conservation and environmental stewardship.

Mission

"Choose wisely. It's a small planet." That's how it all started back in 1997, when a crew of like-minded folks in Vermont set out on a mission: to use the power of consumer choice and help change the way power is made. Over 20 years later, we’re proud to be a carbon-neutral company that continues to keep sustainability at the heart of everything we do. Join us as we help make the planet a cleaner, greener place to be.

Sustainability Grants

If you’re a U.S.-based nonprofit looking to make a positive environmental impact and you want access to a network of sustainability experts, it’s time to plant seeds of sustainability in your community.

Eligible Sustainability Initiatives

In addition to supporting rooftop solar installation projects, we've expanded our mission to support other sustainability initiatives that include but aren't limited to:

• Clean Transportation
• Education and Awareness
• Energy Efficiency
• Renewable Energy
• Resource Conservation
• Sustainable Agriculture

We’re open to new, creative ideas from nonprofit organizations interested in utilizing and promoting sustainability initiatives.

Selection Process - Impact Measurement

We measure environmental, social and financial impacts:

• Environmental impact calculations consider how the project is more impactful for the planet than the alternative.
• Examples: CO2 prevented (renewable versus traditional generation methods), miles not driven, gallons of water conserved, green space created, pounds of waste diverted.
• Social impact calculations assess how the project will elicit change in the community.
• Examples: results of an email or newsletter story about the project, number of students impacted through curriculum, attendee numbers on sustainability tours.
• Financial impact calculations assess how the project will save your organization money, and how those savings can further support your mission.
• Example: a solar array would save your organization $2,000 per year, resulting in 100 more meals distributed to the homeless or 30 more children receiving free tuition.

Award Amounts

Donation amounts depend on a number of factors, including evaluation of the environmental, social, and financial impact of the donation. Past donations have ranged from $50,000 to $400,000.

Mission

The Joseph Robert Foundation is a small Pennsylvania private foundation whose primary purposes are to provide financial support for the arts, animal welfare, and the environment. Our main geographic focus is the mid-Atlantic region of the U.S., but in special cases we may provide support to organizations located outside this area.

We are interested in awarding grants to non-profit organizations addressing significant issues of interest to our Board. We are especially interested in supporting smaller, local organizations that have fewer resources and more limited objectives, although we may also help fund regional or national organizations having specific program or project objectives. Both general operating and project/program support is available.

We welcome first-time grant seekers, support applications from prior grant recipients, and reach out to find eligible organizations that share our goals and interests.

What We Fund

Arts

We believe strongly in the power of the arts to transform both individuals and communities and are committed to reinforcing the importance of the arts as a vital component of our culture. In challenging political times such as these, the role of the arts is too often overlooked, or even denigrated. We want to play our part in asserting the value of the arts by encouraging artists to take risks, explore new possibilities, and reach out to both new and familiar audiences. By nurturing creativity and innovative thinking, we can help artists make an impact on the world around them.

While we are supportive of all forms of creative expression, the interests of the Foundation are primarily in the visual arts. We will also look favorably upon interdisciplinary projects/programs with a visual arts component, or an arts program/project that would further the goals of either of the other of the Foundation’s areas of interest.

Animal Welfare

The plight and circumstances of animals, whether domestic, farm or wild, are areas of deep concern to the Foundation. We are interested in rescuing, protecting, rehabilitating, and providing homes and sanctuaries for the non-human inhabitants of this planet. We are especially interested in helping organizations that identify and provide resources for animal populations in underserved communities. We are also interested in helping with programs that train and educate wildlife rehabilitators and other animal rescue workers.

Environment and Sustainable Resources Management

With ever increasing attacks on the environment and environmental protection, it is critically important to protect and preserve our natural resources, open lands, forests, oceans, waterways, watersheds, and green spaces. The Joseph Robert Foundation is primarily interested in supporting smaller, local organizations that can have a direct impact on their communities, whether through education or through sustainability projects. We may also be interested in contributing to larger organizations that provide essential services to protect and safeguard the environment from threats of all natures.

Grant Period

The normal grant period will be one year, starting from the date the award has been granted. When appropriate, grantees may reapply for Joseph Robert Foundation funding upon the submission of a final report at the end of the funding period.

Grant Amount

Most grant awards to organizations will be under $10,000. First-time grant awards will be limited to $5,000 or less, unless there are compelling circumstances. Determination of the grant amount will be made based on organizational and/or program/project budgets, scope of proposal, organizational qualifications, and overall application quality. Grants to individuals will be limited to $2,000 or less, with sources of matching and in-kind funds considered.  

Grant Type

Organizations may apply for general operating (GO) and/or program/project funds, but larger organizations are limited to applying for program/project funding.

Individual applicants may only apply for project funds.

Centene Charitable Foundation

Successful corporate citizenship happens when companies invest in the local organizations that know their communities best. The Centene Foundation works with our local partners on initiatives that focus on inclusion, the whole person and community development.

Vision

Centene’s purpose is transforming the health of the community, one person at a time. The Centene Foundation is an essential part of how we pursue this purpose. We achieve measurable impact for the communities we serve through partnerships and philanthropy efforts that invest in initiatives with holistic approaches to dismantling barriers to health.

Areas of Focus

Reflecting Centene’s commitment to the needs of those who rely on government-sponsored health care and to addressing social determinants of health and health equity, preference will be given to initiatives in three distinct areas of focus.

• Healthcare Access
• Social Services
• Education

Purpose

The Real Estate Gap Financing Grant Program pilot program is established with funding of $10,000,000 to provide grants for real estate development projects located in distressed municipalities as defined below that require gap financing and that address the negative economic impacts of the COVID19 pandemic.

Consistent with other Authority programs, the Real Estate Gap Financing Grant Program is established to mitigate the negative economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and will provide grant funding to support real estate new construction or substantial rehabilitation projects located within distressed municipalities.

Projects

The following types of real estate projects (new construction and/or substantial rehabilitation as defined below) which are located in distressed municipalities as defined below are eligible and will be considered for Real Estate Gap Financing grants:

• Commercial (including office and/or supermarkets/grocery stores)
• Mixed-use developments (any residential portion must comply with the 20% reservation for low- and moderate-income households required by N.J.S.A. 52:27D-329.9(b).
• Non-profit/community use projects (not government owned)
• Cultural, Arts, Performing Arts
• Manufacturing/Industrial

Funding

In order to provide Grants and support projects by different entities and in several different municipalities, no applicant (and/or applicant-related entity) may receive more than one grant award and only one application will be funded in any one municipality.

• Minimum grant funding request would be $500,000 per project.
• Maximum grant funding request would be $5,000,000 per project.

Program grant funding may not exceed 50% of the total of all project development costs within the approved application. Property acquisition costs/equity are not to be considered as part of total project development costs.

Program grant funding can only be used for the real estate project costs specifically approved based on the application, Authority review, and funding grant agreement. Project costs may include hard construction costs with a maximum 10% contingency, soft costs not exceeding 20% of total project costs and developer fee not exceeding 10% of total project costs or as otherwise allowed by another State agency providing funding to a project.

All project costs and Grant funding are subject to federal Duplication of Benefits requirements and a cost reasonableness analysis will be undertaken prior to project approval.

Ameriprise Financial Grantmaking

At Ameriprise Financial, giving back is deeply rooted in our culture. We’ve initiated positive change in the communities where we live and work for more than 120 years. We believe our community involvement enables us to actively live our values. Through grant making, volunteerism and employee and financial advisor gift matching programs, we support a diverse group of over 6,000 nonprofits across the country.

Focus Areas

Awarding grant dollars to nonprofits is one way we strengthen our communities and help individuals on a path to financial independence. To ensure we're meeting the needs of our communities and making an even greater collective impact, we focus on three key giving areas when awarding grants.

Volunteer engagement is a priority across all focus areas:

The engagement of Ameriprise employees and financial advisors is a critical component of our philanthropy. Whether it’s serving on a nonprofit board, engaging friends, clients and community members in volunteering or providing skills-based support, our relationships with nonprofits go deep. For this reason, we give priority across all focus areas to applications where there is active volunteer engagement of Ameriprise advisors and employees. 

Meeting Basic Needs

At Ameriprise Financial, we help clients achieve financial security and peace of mind. That’s satisfying, meaningful work. We also help the people in our neighborhoods who struggle to meet basic needs such as where their next meal comes from, where they’ll sleep tonight or how they’ll find a higher wage job. We’re here to help them through the three platforms of our Meeting Basic Needs focus area.

Consideration is given to applications addressing the following: 

• Hunger
• Food banks, food shelves and food pantries, daily meal programs or meal services for the homebound
• Hunger-relief programs targeted to meet the special needs of children, ethnic populations or veterans
• Food programs run by nonprofits where hunger is not their sole focus, for example a youth meal program at the YWCA or a backpack program run by a Boys & Girls Club
• Shelter
• Emergency shelter, including youth homelessness
• Transitional housing, permanent supportive housing and efforts to end chronic homelessness
• Housing-first models (programs quickly providing housing and then addressing needed services)
• Achieving and maintaining home ownership, repair and maintenance efforts helping keep seniors, veterans and other populations in their homes 
• Adult Self-Sufficiency: Programs serving adults age 21 and older that help address the following areas:
• Basic hard and soft skills that help adults achieve economic and family stability
• Basic financial and budgeting skills
• Increase employability and wages, including work readiness and job transitions
• Employment of disabled adults

Supporting Community Vitality

We believe communities should be strong, healthy and resilient. We want livable places for all, where neighbors look out for one another, cultural events are well-attended and people pull together in times of crisis and joy. We work to create economic vitality and cultural enrichment through the following areas of focus.

Consideration is given to applications addressing the following: 

• Community Development
• Neighborhood revitalization
• Economic development
• Strengthening and supporting small businesses and nonprofits through technical expertise
• Cultural Enrichment
• Arts education
• Access for underserved populations
• Diverse artists and performances that spark topical community conversations 

Volunteer Driven Causes: Ameriprise employees and financial advisors are outstanding volunteers who serve in teams and also as individuals bringing personal skill-sets to nonprofits. Volunteering is part of the culture at Ameriprise and we are proud to support communities through contributions of both service and financial resources. 

Funding for Volunteer-Driven Causes is determined by current Ameriprise volunteerism. In general, funding is in proportion to the size of the Ameriprise volunteer team supporting a nonprofit. A team may include employees, financial advisors and/or staff or a combination of any Ameriprise volunteers. 

The Nature Conservancy

The Nature Conservancy is a global environmental nonprofit working to create a world where people and nature can thrive.

Our Mission

To conserve the lands and waters on which all life depends.

Connectivity, Climate, Communities Fund

To make the highest possible impact on the climate and biodiversity crises, The Nature Conservancy (TNC) is committed to advancing solutions and supporting partners throughout the Appalachians to connect and conserve vital wildlife habitat, build resilience to the impacts of climate change, and generate new job and recreation opportunities for communities.

Approximately one-third of the U.S. population lives in or within 100 miles of the Appalachians, including an estimated 36 million people that rely on the region for sources of drinking water. The landscape contains the world's largest remaining expanses of temperate broadleaf mixed forest and provides habitat to a wide diversity of plants of animals, many of which are listed as rare, threatened, or endangered. Conserving this landscape is critical for nature and for the people that live and work there.

However as climate change drives ecosystem instability, plants and animals are shifting their ranges northward, and people are having to find ways to adapt to complex and intertwined challenges. TNC and many others have been working to conserve vital Appalachian habitats for decades. Now we must ramp up our efforts and coordinate with partners across the Appalachians for maximum impact.

To succeed in these efforts, TNC’s Connectivity, Climate, Communities Fund offers two grant programs for conservation and community organizations, municipalities, Federally Recognized Tribal Nations, and local and state agencies in the Appalachians who are working to protect and conserve this region:

• The Resilient and Connected Appalachians Grant Program
• The New York Climate Resilience Grant Program

Resilient and Connected Appalachians Grant Program

The Resilient and Connected Appalachians Grant Program provides grants of up to $100,000 for fee and easement acquisition projects throughout the Appalachians.

Equitable Conservation and Community Benefits

Conservation organizations are increasingly acknowledging the importance of incorporating social equity in their missions, partnerships, and projects and evolving how they work to have better outcomes for people and nature.

TNC defines community benefits as the positive outcomes that directly result from or are included within conservation projects as experienced by local communities and people. This is particularly important for historically marginalized communities, communities with limited access to nature, communities experiencing heightened impacts of climate change due to systemic underinvestment and poor infrastructure, and Indigenous communities. 

RCA program funding will support projects that demonstrate meaningful community engagement, work with those historically excluded from conservation, and lead to a fairer distribution of benefits for people and communities.

Some examples of community benefits include improved and greater access to nature, protection of drinking water sources, recreational and resource-based economic opportunities, flood mitigation, engagement in cross-cultural initiatives, or protection of lands that will meet community-defined conservation needs. We encourage projects with meaningful community benefits that are integrated with the land protection goals.

Project Evaluation

Projects will be evaluated  according to their capacity to deliver land protection outcomes aligned with the program goals, including:

• Location:
  • the project is located within TNC’s Appalachians Program boundary and is in or near a mapped focal area.  Projects outside of focal areas will also be considered.
• Resilience:
  • the percentage of the total project area that is part of the Resilient and Connected Network.
• Connectivity:
  • adjacency to protected lands or other attributes that will lead to landscape connectivity over time (e.g., the project is a necessary acquisition for advancing a local or regional plan that aims to protect a critical conservation corridor).
• Collaboration:
  • evidence of engagement with other organizations, community groups, or local governments (including, but not limited to, shared funding).
• Community:
  • project elements that directly engage and or benefit people, especially vulnerable or marginalized communities.
• Timeline:
  • the project will close within 12 months from the start of the grant agreement term.
• Feasibility:
  • likelihood that the project will close and the costs seem reasonable.

DAIRY FOOD SAFETY & CERTIFICATION GRANT

The Northeast Dairy Business Innovation Center (NE-DBIC) announces the availability of funds through the Dairy Food Safety & Certification Grant program, which will provide grants for dairy farmers, processors, and/or producer associations to take actionable steps to improve the safety of dairy products. Projects funded through this program will support increased production safety standards with the goal of accessing new markets. Projects that increase marketability of dairy products will be prioritized. Activities covered by this grant include accessing technical assistance, audits, food safety plan development, training, testing fees, and certain infrastructure upgrades. 

Projects funded by this grant will allow dairy farmers, processors, and/or producer associations to take actionable steps to improve the safety of dairy products and improve marketability. Technical assistance providers or supply chain partners including distributors, co-packers and cross-dockers that would also benefit from grant activities should be listed as partners. Projects that demonstrate that grant activities will increase or expand access to market channels will be prioritized. Food safety activities under this grant should build upon baseline state and federal compliance requirements to further improve product consistency, safety, and quality of dairy products.

Grants are available to applicants in all Northeast states: Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Vermont.

Funding

Grants will range from $10,000 - $40,000 with a 25% (cash or in-kind) match commitment required. Total funds available: $250,000. 

Required Project Criteria

The following criteria must be addressed:

• Must build upon dairy business’ existing baseline compliance with food safety requirements.
• Project increases the safety of dairy products produced in the Northeast.
• Business/organization can sustain the changes/improvements past the grant period.

Our Mission

The Scherman Foundation invests in the economic, political, and cultural transformation necessary for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color to reclaim and build power. 

Our Strategic Framework

We believe that investing in cultural, political, and economic transformation together advances justice to realize our vision. We support organizations working at the intersections of these transformation areas inside our strategic framework. This framework is the foundation of our more specific and evolving program priorities.

• Economic Transformation
  • Our focus on economic transformation acknowledges that the root causes of economic inequity are linked to white supremacy and racial injustice and that the economic well being of BIPOC individuals and communities is critical for liberation.
  • We support organizations that focus on:
    • Strategies and models that provide BIPOC communities with greater access to capital, assets, and opportunities
    • Economic stability and security for BIPOC individuals and families
    • Advocating for more equitable economic systems through policy reform, institutional changes, and increased transparency
• Political Transformation
  • We believe that those who have been excluded must lead the way in dismantling current political structures and creating new, inclusive, and reflective democratic processes.
  • We support organizations that focus on:
    • Work and priorities that are driven by BIPOC communities
    • Forging multi-racial coalitions working toward racial justice
    • Reforming political structures and processes to make the political system more accessible and accountable to BIPOC communities
    • Increasing the participation of BIPOC communities in democratic processes and decision-making at all levels
• Cultural Transformation
  • Recognizing the crucial role of culture in advancing justice, we support organizations that harness storytelling, expression, and artistic activism to drive systemic change.
  • Our focus is on collaborative narrative change strategies, innovative storytelling frameworks, and equitable media accessibility.
  • We support organizations that focus on:
    • Public Narrative Change: Combating misinformation and harmful stereotypes through investments in journalism, local news outlets, and nonfiction narratives
    • Artistic Expression: Supporting the creativity and work of BIPOC artists and communities without imposing agendas or conditions and transforming the field to do the same
    • Artivism: Using art as a tool for organizing grassroots movements and collective action, including funding on-the-ground storytelling and public art projects

General Criteria

We consider the following general criteria in our grantmaking process.

• Organizations that are accountable to or directed by Black, Indigenous, and People of Color communities.
  • While we prioritize BIPOC leadership, our main focus is on organizations where BIPOC communities have clear influence and decision-making power over the organization's strategy, direction, programmatic work, and finances.
• Organizations that are intersectional in their work and practices.
  • Intersectionality recognizes that individuals hold multiple identities, shaping their experiences with power.
  • We look for organizations that demonstrate a deep understanding of intersectionality in their mission, programs, and practices; center the voices and experiences of those most affected by multiple forms of oppression; and address the interconnectedness of racial justice with economic status, gender, LGBTQ+, and/or disability justice as well.
• Organizations that work with others to build movements toward racial justice.
  • Movement-building is the long-term process of organizing and empowering individuals and organizations to collectively work towards systemic change and a shared vision.
  • We look for organizations and coalitions that reflect key characteristics of movement building including an authentic mass base; grassroots leadership; a shared ideology or narrative; broad coalition-building; and strategy to create and sustain structural change beyond specific organizations or campaigns.
  • The Foundation supports organizations focused on organizing and advocacy, while our Arts funding includes a wider range of approaches

Environmental & Climate Justice Program

Over the next 20 years, and likely beyond, climate chaos will be a primary driver of economic, social, cultural, and political change in the U.S.  But while transformation is inevitable, a Just Transition one that replaces fossil fuel systems that drive racial and economic inequality with structures that are decentralized, equitably distributed, and democratically controlled—will only be achieved through grassroots climate organizing and movement-building that embodies racial justice.

Climate change disproportionally harms Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) communities, whether it is adjacency to noxious fossil fuel facilities that drive sky-rocketing asthma rates, the poisoning of Indigenous peoples’ lands, or the ocean inundation of unprotected communities already suffering from climate-driven heat waves. In New York, these harms will be increasingly exacerbated by climate-driven immigration, pitting one historically oppressed group against another. This reality is central to the environmental and climate justice movement. It is also the movement’s strength because frontline communities of color are the natural leaders to build economic, cultural, and political power in the fight to shape climate transformation. Local and state based community organizations and mass-based coalitions embody the intersectionality, first-hand knowledge, and determination rooted in lived experience that informs and drives systemic change.  

Funding Priorities

New York Regional Focus

The Foundation will focus its support on New York City and State in order to seek synergies with grantees in its other programs, facilitate deep staff engagement and support of the field, and take advantage of the moment. The state and city are at dramatic climate policy tipping points, positioned to demonstrate that a transition to climate sustainability is inextricably interwoven with the fight for racial justice. Having won historic legal commitments to a Just Transition—the CLCPA, Local Law 97, etc.—our grantees are working to defend those wins and fight for aggressive implementation. 

In order to leverage regional synergies (and confront regional challenges), the Foundation will continue to fund a limited number of grassroots groups in New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

Local Frontline Organizations and Allies

The Foundation funds multi-issue, BIPOC, community-based organizations, or coalitions of such groups, with a primary focus on racial justice and climate sustainability, from democratically controlled renewable energy projects and local/state policy to local climate resiliency and green jobs. These groups approach climate through the lens of local needs and concerns of historically oppressed communities. They are not first and foremost focused on emissions reductions (the usual measure of climate strategies) but on intersectional approaches such as asthma and PEAK plant transition; community self-sufficiency and solidarity through renewable energy microgrids and resilient, community-controlled community infrastructure; and the creation of energy efficient housing and green jobs. This complex intersectionality requires the Foundation to vet groups on the viability of their goals and strategies and on the authenticity of their community roots, power building, and accountability.

The Foundation provides targeted support for mass transit work. The city and region are uniquely shaped by the benefits and inequities of mass transit. These systems intersect with issues of economic access, health inequities, affordable housing, and, of course, climate. While almost all of the ECJ program’s grantees work at least tangentially on transportation issues, the Foundation funds a core group of grassroots organizing, advocacy, and policy groups and campaigns working exclusively for equitable mass transit.

The Foundation also supports a limited number of policy, legal, and technical support organizations allied with, and accountable to, frontline groups and coalitions.

National Climate Justice Groups

The Foundation will support a limited number of national Climate Justice groups distinguished by the following characteristics:

• A strong grassroots base in New York BIPOC communities, primarily through affiliations
• The capacity to both support and amplify New York climate justice groups
• An intersectional approach addressing racial, political, and economic justice in addition to climate
• A cohesive racial justice narrative built with other organizations and community partners

Edna G. Kynett Memorial Foundation Grant

Harold H. Kynett created The Edna G. Kynett Memorial Foundation, Inc.in memory of his wife, Edna, in 1954 to improve cardiovascular health in the Delaware Valley. The Foundation funds community health, professional education, and research programs focused on the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular disease.

Areas of Funding

The Foundation currently accepts proposals in any of three broad areas: community health, professional education, and research. The Board encourages proposals designed to improve the cardiac health and wellness of populations that have a higher-than-average risk of heart disease and are generally underserved by our current health system. Innovative approaches that may offer a significant return on investment and a focus on prevention are also priorities, as are those that can demonstrate efficacy and sustainability.

Community Health

Community health programs should focus on cardiac health and well-being along the life spectrum, particularly in underserved, high risk communities. The proposal should address evaluation of the program’s outcomes.

For programs focusing on children, the Foundation seeks to foster heart-healthy habits lasting a a lifetime and is particularly interested in programs that incorporate one or more of the following approaches, including, but not limited to, those:

• Engaging both parents/primary caregivers and children (i.e., a two-generational approach.)
• Maximizing impact across the child’s life, by reaching children and families in more than one setting, such as home, early childhood programs, schools, health care providers, etc. Projects might include community health workers serving as “connectors” between the various settings.
• Targeting physical activity, healthy eating, or environmental changes that increase access to healthier foods and/or to safe, outdoor physical activities.
• Evaluating the effectiveness of using social media (texting, e-mailing, Facebook, Twitter, etc.) among parents, teachers, health care providers, and community health workers to improve cardiovascular health.

For programs focusing on adults, the Foundation is particularly interested in approaches that likewise promote heart-healthy habits, provide education about cardiovascular health, and augment compliance with medical care, including, but not limited to, those:

• Linked to clinical settings to support medical education and compliance
• Providing community screening for, education about, and interventions addressing cardiovascular risk factors
• Addressing individual compliance with prescribed medical care
• Increasing physical activity and heart healthy eating

Professional Education

In the area of professional education, Kynett limits its funding to continuing professional education programs that take place in the Philadelphia region and that target physicians and other health care providers who work with underserved populations. The Board will give additional weight to proposals that emphasize outreach to health professionals and teams who practice in high risk, underserved communities; or that develop innovative curricula for health professionals who practice in those communities.

Research

Proposed research should address cardiovascular health and wellness, particularly prevention and risk factors as they relate to women, children, minorities, and the economically disadvantaged, and the delivery of healthcare services in underserved communities. The Foundation looks for proposals that apply rigorous research methods to develop and measure the efficacy of community-based programs and interventions.

The Edna W. Andrade Fund -- a Donor Advised Fund of the Philadelphia Foundation -- is pleased to announce the availability of grants for local or national museums or nonprofit art organizations to benefit visual fine artists from Greater Philadelphia.

The fund was established through the estate of Edna Andrade. Edna Andrade was a leading Philadelphia teacher and artist who was associated with the Op Art movement of the 1960's.

Grants will be awarded in amounts ranging from $5,000 to $25,000. 

The purpose of the fund is to benefit visual fine artists from the Greater Philadelphia area by providing funds for the following:

• For grants to local or national museums or other charitable organizations that request funding for the purchase or commission of works of art by specific artists from the Greater Philadelphia area
• For grants to local or national museums for the funding of one-person exhibitions of specific artists from the Greater Philadelphia area
  • The Greater Philadelphia area is defined as Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery and Philadelphia counties in Pennsylvania and Burlington, Camden, Gloucester and Mercer counties in New Jersey.
• For grants to nonprofit organizations as fiscal agents for individual artists or groups of artists from the Greater Philadelphia area who propose to start or are engaged in continuing educational, cultural, humanitarian or environmental projects.

Mission

Our mission is to protect, enhance and promote the vital water and other natural and cultural resources of the New Jersey Highlands to sustain current and future generations.

Specifically, our focus is on:

• Safeguarding the water resources, ecological integrity, biodiversity, and the cultural and scenic resources of the New Jersey Highlands.
• Promoting the implementation of a strongly protective Highlands Regional Master Plan.
• Faithful implementation of the Highlands Water Protection and Planning Act, and the promulgated regulations of NJDEP and other agencies.
• Increasing local, state, federal and private sources of funding for land conservation and stewardship in the region, and promoting better planning, growth management and land acquisition strategies.
• Educating the public and decision-makers on, and serving as an information source for, New Jersey Highlands cultural and natural resource protection.
• Creating strong partnerships and alliances with organizations and individuals to effectively protect, preserve and enhance the New Jersey Highlands.

New Jersey Highlands Coalition Small Grants

Each year the New Jersey Highlands Coalition awards a number of grants to assist grassroots organizations working on projects located within the New Jersey Highlands or associated with protecting New Jersey Highlands resources.

Grant Amount

Grants will be awarded up to a maximum of $5,000. Applicants are encouraged to think carefully about their request, and make sure they fully justify the amount requested.

The Northeast Dairy Business Innovation Center (NE-DBIC) announces the availability of funds through the Dairy Processor Innovation Grant program, which will provide grants for dairy processors to better position their businesses long-term. Key dairy consumers are shifting their purchasing choices to those that support small businesses, rural communities, and have direct, positive impacts to the climate. Leading reasons consumers are switching brands include a desire to support local businesses and companies that share their values as well as a perception that products are better quality, natural/organic, and more environmentally sustainable. Projects funded through this program will support longterm business investments that increase dairy processor business consumer appeal and marketability of value-added dairy products. 

This grant will fund a wide range of projects. Projects may address improvements in topics such as: sourcing, product development, transportation/distribution, marketing/supply chain, operations, employee welfare, consumer experience, utilization of materials or systems that reduce carbon footprint and, and beyond.  

Grants are available to applicants in all Northeast states: Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Vermont.

Award

Grants will range from $75,000 to $250,000 with a 25% (cash or in-kind) match commitment required. Total funds available: $1,000,000. 

This grant round will include a two-step application process. Following the review of pre-applications, a subset of applicants will be invited to submit a full application.  

The Center for Cooperative Media, a grant-funded program within the School of Communication and Media at Montclair State University was founded in 2012 in response to the downsizing of New Jersey news organizations and the changes in the ownership of regional public media. These shifts in the news and information landscape hurt the volume of local news available in a state that has historically had limited news coverage, due to its proximity to the major metropolitan areas of New York City and Philadelphia. With 564 municipalities packed into a densely populated state, New Jersey was—and is—ripe for innovation in local journalism.

The mission of the Center for Cooperative Media is to grow and strengthen local journalism and support an informed society in New Jersey and beyond. The Center coordinates statewide and regional reporting, connecting more than 300 local news and information providers through its flagship project, the NJ News Commons. We offer innovative professional development seminars, with training sessions on topics such as data and investigative journalism, fact-checking, OPRA, podcasting, video production, digital sales, and business planning, among many others. We also offer one-on-one coaching. The Center’s research agenda is focused on issues impacting local journalism, especially collaboration and sustainability questions.

About Civic Science Media

At its core, civic science media is created when journalists and other storytellers work intentionally with diverse community members and scientists to collaboratively address issues of shared interest. Civic science media serves as an important bridge between scientists or scientific organizations and the people most impacted by scientific discovery, and promotes a dynamic conversation between scientists, media, and the public. The goal is both to inform and support active participation in solving or addressing community-identified concerns related to science, including climate change, public health, and artificial intelligence.

Civic Science Media Project Funding

The Center for Cooperative Media at Montclair State University is delighted to announce a funding opportunity for civic science media projects, thanks to support from the Rita Allen Foundation. The awards aim to accelerate civic science media collaborations across the United States with funding and coaching.

This is the second open call for pilot awards in support of projects that can bridge the gap between scientists, media, and communities, with a focus on increasing public participation in science, expanding public deliberation about emerging science and creating opportunities for science to be informed by diverse communities.

• The award builds on a global research project conducted in 2020 and 2021 by the Center that studied how and why journalists and civil society organizations around the world collaborate to achieve and increase impact. Led by Dr. Sarah Stonbely and funded by Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the research showed that journalists have become more willing to partner with civil society organizations in order to achieve tangible impact on issues such as corruption, governance, climate and environment, and human rights.
• With new openness among journalists and media makers to partner with civil society and community organizations, rapid advances in scientific discovery and debate, and increased polarization across communities, there is an urgent need to create a culture of civic science — where all people feel a sense of belonging in, and benefit from, the practice of science so they can inform meaningfully deliberation about society's most pressing problems.
• Rita Allen Foundation recently published the industry’s first in-depth analysis of civic science media, in a report that highlights a broad range of civic science media initiatives from across the country. The landscape scan showcases a range of civic science media projects and insights from leaders in this emergent field; potential award applicants should familiarize themselves with the paper.

The Award

A total of 10 awards up to $15,000 each are available. This opportunity is not meant to fund long-term, multi-year partnerships, but rather short-term pilots that:

• Foster ongoing, multidirectional dialogue between media organizations, scientists, and local communities.
• Include direct community participation in the scientific and/or media-creation process, ensuring that local concerns and perspectives substantially influence the conversation.
• Enhance science literacy by making complex scientific topics more accessible and engaging.

In addition to funding, participants will receive hands-on coaching, including regular check-ins, peer-to-peer meetings, and tailored support to align goals, address challenges, and ensure robust and impactful community engagement.

Priority areas include artificial intelligence, climate science, and neuroscience, which align with the broader goals of the Rita Allen Foundation’s overall civic science program.

The awards are intended to cover the cost of the applicant’s and co-collaborator’s time, project materials, equipment, and associated production/editing costs to complete the project. Audience participation incentives are also encouraged; applicants should ensure they are not being extractive when it comes to involving members of the public.

ABOUT ROOTED IN JUSTICE

“Rooted in Justice” is a funding program designed to help amplify youth voices and actions in the environmental and food justice movements.  Rooted in Justice supports community-based organizations and groups that manage established, youth-led, urban greening programs within a justice framework as a core part of their work, with two-year grants of $25,000/year.  

Rooted in Justice recognizes the importance and undeniable right of every young person to have the ability to develop their own relationship with the environment, be it through growing food, spending time with nature, creating community green spaces, or becoming environmental stewards. Rooted in Justice also honors the power and possibilities that arise when young people collectively work to be change-makers in their communities.

Rooted in Justice supports organizations, groups, collectives, and programs that work with young people between the ages of 12 to 20 in youth-led programming for communities or cultures which have historically or currently experience:

• A lack of access to land or nature;
• Agricultural oppression and/or neglect;
• Food apartheid; and/or
• Other forms of injustice based on race, ethnicity, religion, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics and disability.

Rooted in Justice awards a small number of grants each year with applications due in the fall and decisions made the following spring. Final grant decisions are recommended to the Cedar Tree board via a participatory grantmaking process with outside reviewers who have experience in youth-led urban greening, as well as food or climate justice programming. So far the program has awarded multi-year grants to 21 organizations and one-time grants to 10 additional organizations since 2021. 

Definitions

Rooted in Justice grants support organizations or programs that include all four of the elements described below: social justice, youth-led, urban greening, and cohort-based youth work. We articulate our understanding of those terms below in an effort to provide a guide for prospective organizations to use in determining whether their program is a good fit. However as we continue our work towards questioning and dismantling some of our preconceived notions, we recognize that these are not finite definitions and encourage prospective applicants who still feel their work may be a good fit to describe in their proposals why this is the case.  

Social Justice-Based Programs

Programs dedicated to creating equitable outcomes for communities directly affected by different aspects of injustice by:

• Sharing and redistributing power and resources;
• Amplifying voices and leadership;
• Tackling root problems through ongoing engagement and collaboration to find solutions, organize against oppression of all kinds and create mechanisms for change; and
• Developing a critical analysis with youth and community members.

Youth-Led

The development of youth leadership skills is a core part of programs funded by Rooted in Justice. Young people have the opportunity to play a role in the planning and decision-making for their program and may help shape the internal workings of the organization. Examples of youth-led programs include programs where participants: 

• Managing a portion of their programming budget;
• Co-facilitating program activities, meetings and gatherings;
• Shape their own programming and/or organizational strategic planning;
• Have regular and end-of-program opportunities to provide program feedback and evaluation; and
• Have opportunities for personal and/or professional growth within the program and organization.

Urban Greening

For the purpose of this grant we define “urban greening” as any activity that creates a mutually beneficial relationship between city dwellers and their environments. Programs that are a strong fit for Rooted in Justice will have many opportunities for youth to be outdoors.  Project settings can include, but are not limited to: 

• Urban and aquaponic farms
• Greenhouses and rooftop gardens
• Community gardens, green spaces, and rain gardens
• Composting sites
• Land conservation efforts
• Urban forests
• River or other water restoration  

Cohort-Based Youth Works

Rooted in Justice looks to fund organizations that build community with cohorts of youth through intentional, recurring programming. This grant is intended to support programs that offer youth significant learning and leadership opportunities as a group and as individuals. Priority will be given to organizations that have program infrastructure that supports a cohort of youth over time.  Drop-in programming, one-time conferences, or individual internships are not a good fit for Rooted in Justice.  

Youth Budgeting

As part of grant proposal, all Rooted in Justice grantees must share a plan to allocate a portion of the grant funds for youth participants to manage. What do we mean by this? We ask applicants to specifically set aside some amount of grant funds for youth to allocate to priorities of their choosing.  For example, youth participants can use their allocated funding to:

• Fund an entrepreneurial endeavor;
• Design the brand or swag for their group;
• Hire a speaker or outside expert to teach a new skill;
• Purchase supplies for a community-based art project;
• Host a celebration for their families, friends and neighbors;
• Pay for transportation to programming, special events, or conferences; and/or
• Any other youth-led activity the group may find beneficial.

Use of Funds

Rooted in Justice funding must be used for project support of existing youth led, urban greening, social justice work and associated general operating expenses. Operating expenses can include anything from program costs like staff salaries and youth stipends to organizational sustainability needs like major equipment purchases and leadership/staff training. If your organization’s entire mission is youth led, urban greening, social justice work, the Rooted in Justice grant can be general support. 

Funding

Two Year Grant

• Rooted in Justice Grant awards are two-year grants of $25,000 per year.
• After the initial two year grant, grantees may be eligible for a third year of funding at the same or lower level through a simple renewal process.
• In the 2025-2026 grant cycle, the Cedar Tree Foundation expects to support 4 organizations with multi-year grant awards.

Funding for Professional Development

• Each Rooted in Justice grantee organization also has access to an additional $6,000 to support professional development opportunities identified by each organization.  Half of these funds must be used to directly support the professional development of youth. 
• Rooted in Justice grantees can request reimbursement from this professional development fund to attend conferences, hire consultants, purchase equipment or software that increases organizational capacity, or participate in any activities that strengthen youth programming or justice practice of program providers in support of their youth development programming. The funds set aside for youth professional development can be used for youth exchanges or youth participation in conferences and other professional development opportunities directly for youth.  

Community Professional Development Calls

• Cedar Tree works with grantee partners to assess their professional development interests and facilitates on-line gatherings of staff or youth for skill shares, trainings, and networking opportunities.
• These network calls will likely happen 2-3 times per year.