The Thriving Communities Grantmaking Program

Additional Information

EPA's 11 Thriving Communities Grantmakers (Grantmakers) serve as pass-through entities nationwide through the Thriving Communities Grantmaking Program (TCGM) cooperative agreements. Funds were made available through the Environmental and Climate Justice Program (ECJ Program).

On This Page:

Overview of the Grantmakers

All 11 Grantmakers will work to alleviate much of the burden that the federal grants process places on small, resource-constrained community-based organizations by streamlining and simplifying the application process. Grantmakers will design their own competitive application and submission processes, award subgrants, implement a tracking and reporting system, and provide resources and support to communities in collaboration with EPA. Although all 11 Grantmakers will work collaboratively to support the timely distribution of federal funds to eligible subrecipients, there are some differences between the National Grantmakers’ and Regional Grantmakers’ roles. The Regional Grantmakers will focus primarily on the distribution of subgrants, while the National Grantmakers will  support the Regional Grantmakers’ work and provide gap funding where needed.

The Regional Grantmakers are committed to distributing 80% of their total award in subgrants ranging from $75,000 to $350,000. Applicants eligible to receive this funding are community-based nonprofits, local governments, institutions of higher education, and Native American organizations planning to address environmental issues with assessment, planning, or development activities.

Learn more about the 11 selected Grantmakers (pdf) (167.64 KB)

More information on how to apply for subgrants is available on each  website. Please see below for further details.

Learn more about the subgrants and eligibility

Below are listings for each  Grantmaker and its partners. For up-to-date information on how to contact TCTACs and their partners, please visit The Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Technical Assistance Centers Program. Please note all TCTACs are not currently active.

Map of the Grantmakers

Select a region on the map below to jump to your desired region. Alternatively, use the list to help identify the region you are interested in.

Map of the US, split into EPA regionsRegion 10: Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, Washington Region 9: Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada Region 8: Colorado, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakaota, Utah, Wyoming Region 6: Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas Region 7: Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska Region 5: Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Wisconsin Region 4: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee Region 3: Delaware, District of Columbia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia Region 2: New Jersey, New York, Puerto Rico, US Virgin Islands Region 1: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont Region 2: New Jersey, New York, Puerto Rico, US Virgin Islands

Regions

National Programs

National Grantmaker Selectees

 The National Grantmakers will support the Regional Grantmakers’ work and provide gap funding where needed.

Regions 1-3

Selectee

Institute for Sustainable Communities (ISC)

Partners

  • Emerald Cities Collaborative (Washington, DC)
  • Groundwork USA (Yonkers, NY)
  • Urban Sustainability Directors Network (Washington, DC)
  • Trust for Public Lands (San Francisco, CA)
  • River Network (Boulder, CO)

Regions 4-7

Selectee

Research Triangle Institute

Partners

  • International City/County Management Association (ICMA) (Washington, DC)
  • National Center for Healthy Housing (NCHH) (Columbia, MD)
  • Southern Environmental Law Center (SELC) (Charlottesville, VA)

Regions 8-10

Selectee

Climate Justice Alliance

Partners

  • The Chisholm Legacy Project (Baltimore, MD)
  • NDN Collective (Rapid City, SD)
  • Fund for Frontline Power Governing Body (13 locations)
  • JustFund (Oakland, CA)
  • Amalgamated Foundation (Washington, DC)
  • Tishman Environment and Design Center at The New School (New York, NY)
  • Center for the Urban Environment at Kean University (MSI) (Union, NJ)

Regional Grantmaker Selectees

The Regional Grantmakers will focus primarily on the distribution of subgrants and are committed to distributing 80% of their total award in subgrants ranging from $75,000 to $350,000.

Region 1 - Environmental Justice for New England

Health Resources in Action (HRiA)'s Environmental Justice for New England is currently serving CT, ME, MA, NH, RI, and VT and 10 Tribal Nations.

Grantmaker Website: https://environmentaljusticenewengland.org/

Partners:

  • Alternatives for Community and Environment, Inc. (Roxbury, MA)
  • New England Grassroots Environment Fund, Inc. (Newmarket, NH)

EJ Thriving Community Technical Assistance Center (EJ TCTAC) Partner:

  • Institute for Sustainable Communities

Region 2 - Flourishing in Community

 

Fordham University's Flourishing in Community is currently serving NJ, NY, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and 8 Indian Nations.

Grantmaker Website: https://www.fordham.edu/about/living-the-mission/thriving-communities/

Partners:

  • New York Immigration Coalition (New York, NY)
  • New Jersey Alliance for Immigrant Justice (Newark, NJ)
  • ConPRmetidos (San Juan, PR)
  • Community Foundation Virgin Islands (St. Thomas, USVI)
  • Business Initiative Corporation of New York (Bronx, NY)

EJ Thriving Community Technical Assistance Center (EJ TCTAC) Partners:

  • West Harlem Environmental Action, Inc. (dba WE ACT for Environmental Justice)
  • Inter-American University of Puerto Rico-Metropolitan Campus

 

Region 3 - Green & Healthy Homes Initiative Inc. 

 

Green and Healthy Homes Initiative's Thriving Communities Grantmaking Program is currently serving DE, DC, MD, PA, VA, WV and 7 federally recognized Tribes.

Grantmaker Website: https://www.greenandhealthyhomes.org/thrivingcommunities/

Partners:

  • Latin American Community Center (Wilmington, DE)
  • Childrens National Research Institute (Washington, DC)
  • Black Millennials 4 Flint (Washington, DC)
  • Block Power (Brooklyn, NY)
  • Chesapeake Bay Foundation (Annapolis, MD)
  • Children’s National Hospital Washington, DC)
  • Chisolm Legacy Project (Baltimore, MD)
  • Coalition for Green Capital (Washington, DC)
  • Delaware State University (Dover, DE)
  • Howard University (Washington, DC)
  • Invest Appalachia (Asheville, NC)
  • JustFund (Oakland, CA)
  • NAACP Maryland (Columbia, MD)
  • New Ecology (Boston, MA)
  • Savanah Barber (Tribal lands, VA)
  • United Parents Against Lead (Richmond, VA)
  • Women for a Healthy Environment (Pittsburgh, PA)

EJ Thriving Community Technical Assistance Center (EJ TCTAC) Partner:

  • National Wildlife Federation

 

Region 4 - Cultivating Healthy Environments

Cultivating Healthy Environments is currently serving AL, FL, GA, KY, MS, NC, SC, and TN and 6 Tribes.

Grantmaker Website: https://region4.thrivingenvironments.org/

Partners:

  • North Carolina Central University NCCU (Durham, NC)
  • RTI Center for Applied Research in Environmental Science – CARES (Research Triangle Park, NC)
  • Southern Environmental Law Center (SELC) (Chapel Hill, NC)
  • University of Kentucky (UKY) (Lexington, KY)
  • National Center for Healthy Housing (NCHH) (Columbia, MD)

EJ Thriving Community Technical Assistance Center (EJ TCTAC) Partner:

  • Research Triangle Institute (RTI International)
  • Deep South Center for Environmental Justice (DSCEJ)

Region 5 - Great Lakes Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Grantmaking Program

The Minneapolis Foundation's Great Lakes Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Grantmaking Program is currently serving IL, IN, MI, MN, OH, and WI, and 37 Tribes.

Grantmaker Website: https://www.minneapolisfoundation.org/great-lakes/

Partners:

  • Midwest Environmental Justice Network (R5 Tribal lands) (Minneapolis, MN)
  • The RE-AMP Network (Madison, WI)
  • NDN Collective (Rapid City, SD)

EJ Thriving Community Technical Assistance Center (EJ TCTAC) Partner:

  • Blacks in Green (BIG)
  • University of Minnesota

Region 6 - Transformative Environmental Awards for Members of Underserved Populations (TEAM UP)

Texas Southern University's Transformative Environmental Awards for Members of Underserved Populations (TEAM UP) is currently serving AR, LA, NM, OK, and TX and 66 Tribal Nations.

Grantmaker Website: https://www.bullardcenter.org/resources/grantmakers-program

Partners:

  • Achieving Community Tasks Successfully (Houston, TX)
  • HBCU-CBO Gulf Coast Equity Consortium (New Orleans, LA)
  • HBCU Climate Change Consortium (New Orleans, LA)
  • National Black Environmental Justice Network (New Orleans, LA)

EJ Thriving Community Technical Assistance Center (EJ TCTAC) Partner:

  • Deep South Center for Environmental Justice (DSCEJ)
  • New Mexico State University

Region 7 - Cultivating Healthy Environments

Cultivating Healthy Environments is currently serving IA, KS, MO, and NE, and Nine Tribal Nations.

Grantmaker Website: https://region7.thrivingenvironments.org/

Partners:

Research Triangle Institute will be responsible for providing subgrants to communities in EPA Region 7 as part of their National Grantmaker role. 

EJ Thriving Community Technical Assistance Center (EJ TCTAC) Partner:

  • Wichita State University

Region 8 - Mountains & Plains Environmental Justice Grants Hub

JSI Research and Training Institute, Inc.'s Mountains & Plains Environmental Justice Grants Hub is currently serving CO, MT, ND, SD, UT, WY, and 28 Tribal Nations.

Grantmaker Website: https://mapejgrants.org/

Partners:

  • Montana Watershed Coordination Council (Helena, MT)
  • Oglala Lakota Cultural & Economic Revitalization Initiative (Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, SD)
  • Dakota Resource Council (Bismarck, ND)
  • Wyoming Outdoor Council (Lander, WY)
  • Community Health Association of Mountains/Plains States (CHAMPS) (Denver, CO
  • Equitable funding Advisory/Training Partner: Community-Centric Fundraising (Seattle, WA)

EJ Thriving Community Technical Assistance Center (EJ TCTAC) Partner:

  • Montana State University

Region 9 - Social and Environmental Entrepreneurs

Social and Environmental Entrepreneurs is currently serving AZ, CA, HI, and NV, the Pacific Islands, and 148 Tribal Nations.

Grantmaker Website: https://thrivingcommunitiesregion9.org/

Partners:

  • Community Foundation for Southern Arizona (Tucson, AZ)
  • International Community Foundation  (National City, CA)
  • Liberty Hill Foundation (Los Angeles, CA)
  • Native Americans in Philanthropy  (Washington, DC)
  • Resources Legacy Fund (Sacramento, CA)
  • Climate Justice Alliance (Berkeley, CA)

EJ Thriving Community Technical Assistance Center (EJ TCTAC) Partner:

  • University of Arizona
  • San Diego State University

Region 10 - Philanthropy Northwest

Philanthropy Northwest is currently serving AK, ID, OR, WA and 271 native tribes.

Grantmaker Website: https://philanthropynw.org/epa-environmental-justice-thriving-communities-grantmaking-program

Partners:

  • Alaska Conservation Foundation (Anchorage, AK)
  • Denali Commission (Anchorage, AK)
  • Rasmuson Foundation (Anchorage, AK)
  • Blue Cross of Idaho Foundation for Health (Boise ID)
  • Nonprofit Association of Oregon (Portland, OR)
  • JustFund Us (Oakland, CA)
  • Northwest Health Foundation (Portland, OR)
  • Inatai Foundation (Seattle, WA)
  • Russell Family Foundation Gig Harbor, WA)
  • Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians (Portland, OR)
  • Native Americans in Philanthropy (Washington, DC)

EJ Thriving Community Technical Assistance Center (EJ TCTAC) Partner:

  • Willamette Partnership
  • University of Washington

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Last updated on March 21, 2025