Opportunities for Funding
Grant Overview
The Thriving Communities Grantmaker Program, funded by the Inflation Reduction Act, signifies a crucial step towards advancing climate and environmental priorities. Our approach involves a strategic alliance of experienced community-based grant-makers with extensive networks in the region. By leveraging the collective expertise of our partners, including SEE’s proficiency in managing government grants and contracts, we seek to streamline the distribution process and maximize the impact of environmental justice initiatives.
Region 9 Eligible Areas
Arizona
California
Hawaii
Nevada
The Pacific Islands of Guam, American Samoa, and CNMI
148 Tribal Nations
Eligible Subrecipients
Nonprofit organizations, community-based and grassroots nonprofit organizations
Tribal governments (both federally recognized and state-recognized) and intertribal consortia
Local governments
Institutions of higher education
Native American Organizations
Ineligible Subrecipients
Individuals
For-profit businesses
State governments
Allowable Activities
Air quality and asthma
Fence line air quality monitoring
Monitoring of effluent discharges from industrial facilities
Water quality and sampling
Small cleanup projects
Improving food access to reduce vehicle miles traveled
Stormwater issues and green infrastructure
Lead and asbestos contamination
Pesticides and other toxic substances
Healthy homes that are energy/water use efficient and not subject to indoor air pollution
Illegal dumping activities, such as education, outreach, and small-scale clean-ups
Emergency preparedness and disaster resiliency
Environmental job training for occupations that reduce greenhouse gases and other air pollutants
Environmental justice training for youth
Please note this list is intended for example purposes.
Disadvantaged Communities
The Project must benefit people in disadvantaged communities as defined by the Inflation Reduction Act Disadvantaged Communities Mapping tool or other Environmental Justice Mapping resources below.
Disadvantaged Area
Areas identified as Disadvantaged and above the 90th percentile in the following categories:
Climate Change
Energy
Health
Housing, Legacy Pollution
Transportation
Water and Wastewater
Workforce Development
Environmentally Burdened
Areas at or above the 80th percentile in one or more Environmental Justice Index indicators in the following categories:
Particulate Matter 2.5
Ozone
Diesel particulate
Air Toxics Cancer Risk
Air Toxics Respiratory HI
Traffic Proximity
Lead Paint
Superfund Proximity
RMP Facility Proximity
Hazardous Waste Proximity
Underground Storage Tanks
Wastewater Discharge
Rural Community
Defined as:
Non-metropolitan counties
Outlying metropolitan counties with no population from an urban area of 50,000 or more people
Indigenous/Tribal Land
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development provides the Tribal Directory Assessment Tool (TDAT) with the ability to:
Link tribes’ geographic areas of current and ancestral interest down to the county level
Perform a variety of queries related to tribes
Quality Assurance
The success of an environmental program or project depends on the quality of the environmental data collected and used in decision-making which will depend significantly on the adequacy of the quality assurance project plan and how it is carried out. EPA Region 9 requires that a systematic process be used wherever possible and appropriate to plan all environmental data generation activities.
Quality Assurance Project Planning (QAPP)
To facilitate the development of objectives, the EPA has developed guidelines to help state and Tribal governments develop Quality Assurance Project Plans (QAPPs) for documenting the type and quality of data needed for environmental decisions and the methods for collecting and assessing those data.
To find more information on the QAPP, please visit the EPA website.
Tier One will consist of grants for $150,000 for assessment, Tier Two will consist of grants for $250,000 for planning, and Tier Three will consist of grants for $350,000 (2 years) for project development. In addition, $75,000 will be available for capacity-constrained community-based organizations through a non-competitive process under Tier One. Each Grantmaker will design and implement a distribution program best suited for their region and communities.
Tier One Assessment Projects up to $150,000 (1 year)
Research (incidental to the project design)
Sampling
Testing
Monitoring
Investigations
Surveys and Studies
Public Education
Tier Two Planning Projects up to $250,000 (1-2 years)
Planning
Partnership-building
Public outreach and education
Coordination with community stakeholders to address environmental issues
Training activities for community organizations and community members
Projects and activities to spur community involvement (e.g., cleanups of vacant lots)
Smaller land purchases and acquisitions that require less than half of the total amount of subgrant funding
Tier Three Development of Projects up to $350,000 (2 years)
Project Development
Blueprints for construction or cleanup projects, schematics, and technical development
Work to get permits in place directly related to an environmental project
Smaller land purchases and acquisitions that require less than half of the total amount of subgrant funding
Implementation of project plans
Public outreach and education
A limited number of $75,000 non-competitive fixed-amount subawards will be available for severely capacity-constrained CBOs to access.
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) is committed to taking bold leaps to transform health in our lifetime and paving the way together to a future where health is no longer a privilege, but a right. To achieve that vision, we are deepening our focus on dismantling structural racism, one of the biggest barriers to health in America. Racism and injustice have become embedded in many structures of American society, including the delivery and financing systems that support medical care, public health programs, and social services.
Effective solutions to systemic racism require medical care organizations working in partnership with public health and social services systems. RWJF’s Systems for Action (S4A) signature research program since 2015 supports research studies. The studies test novel ideas for aligning delivery and financing systems across sectors in ways that address the health and social needs of people experiencing health inequities.
This 2025 call for proposals (CFP) will provide funding for a new cohort of community-led pilot studies to produce new, actionable evidence about how to help medical, social, and public health systems work together to address forms of systemic racism. This CFP focuses specifically on systems alignment (SA) interventions that have the potential to dismantle or disrupt the health effects of systemic racism and to positively affect the health and wellbeing of communities that experience systemic racism. S4A prioritizes SA interventions that, if successful, can be rapidly replicated and spread to many communities and contexts across the U.S. in order to achieve broad national impact.
The purpose of the Rural Maternity and Obstetrics Management Strategies (Rural MOMS) program is to support collaborative improvement and innovation networks to improve access to and delivery of maternity and obstetrics care in rural areas.
The purpose of this Rural Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) Planning and Development program is to improve health care in rural areas, including expanding access to medical care and long-term services, for rural aging populations by expanding PACE programs into rural areas.
Demonstration Grants
This opportunity funds projects that encourage the replication of promising local efforts. Grants tend to fall between $10,000 and $20,000 and will not exceed $25,000.
The demonstration grant opportunity will accept applications for projects that benefit residents, especially those age 50 and older, in the following categories:
NEW! Enhancing pedestrian safety by creating safer streets and sidewalks, with a focus on people age 50-plus, with funding support from Toyota Motor North America.
NEW! Expanding high-speed internet (broadband) access and adoption, with a focus on people age 50-plus, with funding support from Microsoft.
Reconnecting communities divided by infrastructure, with a focus on people age 50-plus, as highlighted in the award-winning AARP Livable Communities article series Before the Highway.
Implementing housing design competitions that increase community understanding and encourage policies that enable greater choice in housing, with a focus on people age 50-plus, by using the AARP Housing Design Competition Tool Kit.
Mission Focus: AARP will evaluate each project based on its consistency with the AARP mission to serve the needs of people age 50-plus. The project types described below will be prioritized over those that support ongoing programming or events.
Permanent physical improvements in the community
Temporary demonstrations that lead to long-term change
New, innovative programming pilots or services
Projects that are NOT eligible for funding:
Partisan, political or election-related activities
Planning activities and assessments and surveys of communities without tangible engagement
Studies with no follow-up action
Publication of books or reports
Acquisition of land and/or buildings
Purchase of a vehicle or mechanical equipment (such as a car, truck, bus, snow mobile, snow grooming machine or tractor)
Sponsorships of other organizations’ events or activities
Research and development for a nonprofit endeavor
Research and development for a for-profit endeavor
The promotion of a for-profit entity and/or its products and services
Capacity-Building Microgrants
Combining $2,500 grants with additional resources (such as webinars, cohort learning opportunities, up to 2 hours of one-on-one coaching with leading national nonprofit organizations and AARP publications), this grant opportunity will accept applications for projects that benefit residents — especially those age 50 and older — in the following categories:
NEW! Disaster Preparedness Training: Implement disaster preparedness training programs and resources for residents, especially those age 50-plus, with support from SBP and using the AARP Disaster Resilience Tool Kit.
Walk Audits: Implement walk audit assessments to enhance safety and walkability in communities, especially for people age 50-plus, with support from America Walks and using the AARP Walk Audit Tool Kit.
Bike Audits: Implement bike audits to enhance safety and bikeability in communities, especially for people age 50-plus, with support from The League of American Bicyclists and using the AARP Bike Audit Tool Kit.
HomeFit Guide Modifications: Implement education, simple home modifications and accessible safety solutions to create and maintain “lifelong homes,” especially for people age 50-plus, with support from the RL Mace Universal Design Institute and using the AARP HomeFit Guide.
Mission Focus: AARP will evaluate each project based on its consistency with the AARP mission to serve the needs of people age 50-plus. The project types described below will be prioritized over those that support ongoing programming or events.
Permanent physical improvements in the community
Temporary demonstrations that lead to long-term change
New, innovative programming pilots or services
Projects that are NOT eligible for funding:
Partisan, political or election-related activities
Planning activities and assessments and surveys of communities without tangible engagement
Studies with no follow-up action
Publication of books or reports
Acquisition of land and/or buildings
Purchase of a vehicle or mechanical equipment (such as a car, truck, bus, snow mobile, snow grooming machine or tractor)
Sponsorships of other organizations’ events or activities
Research and development for a nonprofit endeavor
Research and development for a for-profit endeavor
The promotion of a for-profit entity and/or its products and services
Flagship AARP Community Challenge grants have ranged from several hundred dollars for smaller, short-term activities to tens of thousands of dollars for larger projects. Since 2017, AARP has funded projects with an average grant amount of $10,000 to $12,000. Nine out of 10 grants (or 92 percent) are for $20,000 or less.
In 2025, grants will not exceed $25,000. (AARP also reserves the right to award compelling projects of any dollar amount.)
We are accepting applications for projects that benefit residents — especially those age 50 and older — in the following categories:
Creating vibrant public places that improve open spaces, parks and access to other amenities.
Delivering a range of transportation and mobility options that increase connectivity, walkability, bikeability and access to public and private transit
Supporting a range of housing options that increases the availability of accessible and affordable choices
Increasing digital connections and enhancing digital literacy skills of residents
Supporting community resilience through investments that improve disaster management, preparedness and mitigation for residents
Mission Focus: AARP will evaluate each project based on its consistency with the AARP mission to serve the needs of people age 50-plus. The project types described below will be prioritized over those that support ongoing programming or events.
Permanent physical improvements in the community
Temporary demonstrations that lead to long-term change
New, innovative programming pilots or services
Projects that are NOT eligible for funding:
Partisan, political or election-related activities
Planning activities and assessments and surveys of communities without tangible engagement
Studies with no follow-up action
Publication of books or reports
Acquisition of land and/or buildings
Purchase of a vehicle or mechanical equipment (such as a car, truck, bus, snow mobile, snow grooming machine or tractor)
Sponsorships of other organizations’ events or activities
Research and development for a nonprofit endeavor
Research and development for a for-profit endeavor
The promotion of a for-profit entity and/or its products and services
The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) will enter into cooperative agreements with States, territories, and Tribal Governments to expand upon prior LFPA and LFPA Plus work, and to provide an opportunity for State/territories and Tribal governments that did not participate in LFPA or LFPA Plus to establish projects through LFPA25. States, territories, and Tribal governments will purchase local, unprocessed or minimally processed domestic foods from local producers, targeting historically underserved farmers/producers/fishers and small businesses including processors, aggregators, and distributors. Food purchased will target distribution to underserved communities. In addition to increasing local food consumption, funds are expected to help build and expand economic opportunity for local and historically underserved farmers/producers/fishers and small businesses including processors, aggregators, and distributors.
AMS encourages projects that benefit historically underserved farmers/producers/fishers and small businesses, provide food distribution to underserved communities that are not part of the normal food distribution networks, and incorporate culturally relevant foods, including kosher and halal, as appropriate based on community preferences. For cooperative agreements intending to serve these entities, recipients should engage and involve those beneficiaries when developing their Project Summary. AMS would like these relationships and purchase and distribution channels to continue past the conclusion of this program. USDA will provide the State, territory, or Tribal government funding for food purchases as well as guidance, technical assistance, instruction, and monitoring throughout the life cycle of the cooperative agreement.
Funding can only be used for food procurement. Recipients may not request direct or indirect costs associated with developing or administering the program. All food purchased must be unprocessed or minimally processed, and must meet the definitions of domestic and local, as defined in section 1.2.1 of the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO). See section 4.6.2 “Allowable and unallowable costs and activities” of the NOFO for more information.
$100 million in funding will be available for Tribal agreements, $50 million of which will be allocated for Tribes enrolled in past rounds of LFPA, the remaining $50 million will be allocated to Tribes that have not previously participated in the LFPA program. The remainder of the funds, $371.5 million will be available to state governments and territories. These funds will be awarded through a non-competitive process. Funds awarded to States and territories will be based on the statutory The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) funding formula. This formula considers the poverty rate and unemployment levels in each state to ensure the distribution of funds corresponds to feeding needs in each state. Cooperative Agreements will be awarded based on acceptability of the Project Summary and the ability of the recipient to meet the goals of the program.
The Rural Utilities Service (RUS), an agency of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) announces a notice of funding opportunity, subject to appropriation, of up to $10 million in competitive grants to assist communities with extremely high energy costs. The grant funds may be used to acquire, construct, or improve energy generation, transmission, or distribution facilities serving communities where the average annual residential expenditure for home energy exceeds 275% of the national average. Eligible projects also include on-grid and off-grid renewable energy projects and the implementation of energy efficiency and energy conservation projects for eligible communities. Projects cannot be for the primary benefit of a single household or business. Grant funds may not be used for the preparation of the grant application, operating costs, or for the purchase of any equipment, structures, or real estate not directly associated with the provision of community energy services.
The California Environmental Protection Agency (CalEPA) is administering the
Environmental Justice Action Grants Program (Program) to provide grant funding to
a wide variety of projects. The Legislature has directed CalEPA to use that money
for grants to support tribes, community-based organizations, and residents to
engage in:
1. emergency preparedness,
2. public health protection,
3. environmental and climate decision-making, and
4. coordinated enforcement efforts affecting their communities.
In addition, the Legislature has set specific deadlines for encumbrance and
liquidation. CalEPA administers this program as part of its overall mission to restore,
protect and enhance the environment, to ensure public health, environmental quality,
and economic vitality