OMB Control Number = 2035-0002, Expiration Date = 05/31/2025

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Grant Description
The Institute for Sustainable Communities' Thriving Communities Subgrants provide community-based nonprofits and other eligible subrecipients funding for assessment, planning, and project development activities. 

This competition is launched in alignment with the goals and objectives of two Executive Orders (EO 14008 and EO 13985) issued by the Biden Administration that demonstrate the EPA’s and Administration’s commitment to achieving environmental justice and embedding environmental justice into Agency programs. 

Award Amount: Competitive Grants range from $150,000-$350,000. The Capacity Building $75,000 sub awards are only provided to severely capacity-constrained organizations.

Grants Available: All of the grants listed below can be applied to through this form. Follow this link for more details about each grant.
  • Capacity Building Grant: Only available for severely capacity-constrained organizations, $75,000. Capacity-constrained is defined as having an annual operating budget less than $350,000 and less than 3 full time staff members.
  • Phase I Assessment, 1 year project, $150,000
  • Phase II Planning, 1-2 year project $250,000
  • Phase III Development, 2 year project, $350,000 
PLEASE NOTE: Before applying, all applicants must register with the U.S. Secretary of State to obtain an Employer Identification Number (EIN) at irs.gov, register with System for Award Management (SAM) and secure a UEI # from SAM.gov. This process can take up to 2 weeks. 

How to Apply
Applications open January 2025 and are accepted on a rolling basis until December 2026, with notification of award every three months.
IMPORTANT: Before applying, all applicants must register with the U.S. Secretary of State to obtain an Employer Identification Number (EIN) at irs.gov, register with System for Award Management (SAM) and secure a UEI # from SAM.gov. This process can take several weeks. You must renew and validate your registration every 12 months.

Application packages must be submitted through this form or mailed to 535 Stone Cutters Way, Montpelier, VT, 05602 with "Attention to EPA TCGM Eastern National Grantmaker" with a postmark before the listed deadline. Applications received or postmarked after the closing date and time will not be considered for funding. The applicant must submit the full application, including attachments by the stated deadline. 
Eligibility

The funding is available through grant programs that provide between $75,000 and $350,000 in funding. These grants are only available to eligible applicants located in EPA Regions 1, 2 and 3 and for applicants that meet at least one of the below descriptions:

  • In a Conflict of Interest (COI) with the grantmakers in Region 1, 2, or 3
  • Recommended by an EPA Region 1, 2, or, 3 Grantmaker
  • Recommended by the Eastern National Grantmaker Advisory Council
  • In need of translation services beyond the Regional Grantmakers in Region 1, 2, or 3

Eligible applications describe community projects targeting local environmental and public health issues in EPA IRA Disadvantaged Communities. Applicants will also increase capacity building and leadership development through the three project phases: assessment, planning and project development.


Eligible and prioritized recipients include:
  • Community-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations, local government, tribal government, or Native American organizations
  • Projects rooted in and comprised of communities of color, under-resourced and disinvested communities, tribes, and Indigenous communities that are most directly impacted by environmental and public health issues - Please use the EPA IRA Disadvantage Communities Mapping Tool to confirm the location.
  • Have a history of building grassroots power and leadership to influence the decisions that affect their communities
  • Address the intersectional sectional components of environmental justice, housing, health, education, transportation, workforce development, urban planning, energy, water, green infrastructure, or youth development.
There will be multiple funding cycles. Eligible grantees will be limited to two awards, and the second award cannot be the same Phase as the first award. Recipients may apply for Phase II or Phase III funding in future rounds if time and capacity allow. 
Support
Support is available to answer questions and to help you successfully submit your application. Accommodations, including additional language translation, are also available. For language translation, please allow two (2) business days for response and three (3) business days for turnaround service. Email ej-erg@sustain.org for support. The Institute for Sustainable Communities operates Monday through Thursday from 9am - 5pm ET and Friday 9am - 1pm ET. The Institute for Sustainable Communities is closed for the following holidays:

  • New Year’s Day
  • Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
  • Presidents’ Day
  • Memorial Day
  • Juneteenth
  • Indigenous Peoples’ Day
  • Election Day
  • Veterans Day
  • Thanksgiving
  • Native American Heritage Day
  • Christmas week through New Year’s Eve

Hidden Admin Fields

Invitation Code


Unfortunately, you are not eligible for this grant - All applicants must be referred by a Regional Grantmaker.
Please obtain an invitation code from a Regional Grantmaker before proceeding.
Please complete the following questions to confirm your eligibility to receive a grant.





Unfortunately, you are not eligible for this grant.

Thank you for inquiring about this grant. Unfortunately, you are not eligible based on our eligibility criteria.
Please register for a Unique Identity Identifier (UEI) number with the U.S. Secretary of State before continuing

This is an external process and can take 5 days to several weeks to complete. Please complete your UEI registration before completing the application.

You are eligible to apply for a grant!
These questions will help determine which grant your organization qualifies for:



Please reach out for support
Please reach out to ej-erg@sustain.org to provide more information on your staffing and implementation structure before continuing on with the application.
You are eligible for the following grants:
Capacity Building Grant

The Capacity Building grants are available to the most capacity constrained organizations that would benefit from operational health funds to build their capacity as leaders within their community. The goal of the Capacity Building funding is to address technical questions, capacity, or skills that local organizations need to address an environmental justice issue, without external support. 


Award Amount: A limited number of $75,000 sub awards.

Submission Requirements: Project proposal including applicant's history working with the EPA IRA Disadvantaged Community, the community's background and environmental needs; description of project including scope, goals, capacity, and budget. 

Review Requirements: Follow this link to review a more complete description and evaluation matrix.

Competitive Grants
Phase I Assessment Grant
Phase I Assessment Grants are available for severely capacity-constrained community-based organizations and/or “entry-level” applicants to assist them during the initial steps of their work to address specific issues impacting them locally by conducting assessments of environmental and public health concerns. Phase I projects can address multiple environmental issues (e.g., air quality, water contamination, toxic substances, etc.). 

Award Amount and Duration: Up to $150,000 each for a 1-year project period.
Submission Requirements: Project proposal including applicant's history working with the EPA IRA Disadvantaged Community, the community's background and environmental needs; description of project including scope, goals, capacity, and budget. 
Review Requirements: Follow this link to review a more complete description and evaluation matrix.
Phase II Planning Grant
Phase II Planning Grants are available for community-based organizations and other Eligible Subrecipients who already have a strong understanding of their local environmental and/or public health issues and are ready to formulate a community-wide plan to address those issues. Developing key cooperative partnerships with community stakeholders is an essential part of developing a community-wide plan and later implementing that plan. Therefore, partnership development will be a key aspect of the Phase II sub grants. Phase II project activities can address multiple environmental issues (e.g., air quality, water contamination, toxic substances).

Award Amount and Duration: Up to $250,000 each for a 1 to 2-year project period.
Submission Requirements: Project proposal including applicant's history working with the EPA IRA Disadvantaged Community, the community's background and environmental needs; description of project including scope, goals, capacity, and budget. 
Review Requirements: Follow this link to review a more complete description and evaluation matrix.
Phase III Development Grant
Phase III Development Grants are aavailable for community-based nonprofit organizations and other Eligible Subrecipients who already have a strong understanding of their local environmental and/or public health issues, have already formulated a community-wide plan addressing those issues, and/or are now ready to develop the technical aspects of the project (i.e., implement the project on the ground). Developing key cooperative partnerships with community stakeholders is an essential part of developing a community-wide plan and later implementing that plan. Therefore, partnership development will be a key aspect of the Phase III sub grants as well. Phase III projects can address multiple environmental issues (e.g., air quality, water contamination, toxic substances).

Award Amount and Duration: Up to $350,000 each for a 2-year project period.
Submission Requirements: Project proposal including applicant's history working with the EPA IRA Disadvantaged Community, the community's background and environmental needs; description of project including scope, goals, capacity, and budget. 
Review Requirements: Follow this link to review a more complete description and evaluation matrix.
Application Selection


Your Organization's Information











Primary Point of Contact at your Organization
Enter the contact information for the primary point of contact for management and notifications related to this award at your organization. This contact will be provided login access to the applicant portal.




Project Summary & Proposal

A strong proposal will:
  • Share the background and environmental impacts on your community.
  • Focus on EPA IRA Disadvantaged Communities.
  • Show support for the project from the target community. 
  • The project description describes the project goals, activities, timeline, and the project team.
  • Describe a willingness to engage in partnerships to further the project.
  • Indicate why and how your organization is best suited to execute this project.
  • Include a budget and budget narrative.














Budget & Budget Narrative


Project Proposal

Video Proposal
Follow this link to Video Submission Instructions for sharing videos from Google, Youtube, or Vimeo. 

Video Proposals should be no more than 35 minutes long and address the following information:

Applicant History (up to 5 minutes):
  • Applicant’s history working with the identified EPA IRA Disadvantaged Community and Applicant's history working with community members. 
Community Background and Environmental Needs (up to 10 minutes):
  • Describe communities within the target area.
  • What is the area’s primary environmental justice challenge?
  • Using the EPA IRA Disadvantaged Communities tool, what kinds of environmental and health burdens does the community face?
Project Scope (up to 10 minutes):
  • Provide an overview of the proposed project 
  • Project Readiness: Include the current status of the project and the timeline within the funding timelines
Community Engagement and Outreach (up to 10 minutes):
  • Describe the lead applicant and partners’ community member collaborations and engagement related to this project, including what engagement and outreach has been completed to develop the project scope and how the community participated in the co-development. 
  • Describe the current or future engagement and outreach plan.

Applicant History (up to 500 words)

Community Background and Environmental Needs (up to 1000 words) 



Project Scope (up to 1000 words)


Community Engagement and Outreach (up to 1000 words)


Project Benefits

Project Goals (up to 500 words)
Describe 2 or 3 goals you have for this project, the outcomes you hope to achieve, and how these goals will foster long-term impact. Include performance measures for each goal (how will you know that you’ve achieved these goals).
Goal 1




Goal 2





Goal 3




Project Partners (if applicable)
Provide the names of your community, governmental, institutional, and other partners, their contact person, and their role in the project.

Add a Project Partner Organization





Personnel Capacity
Add names and titles for all project personnel at your organization. Include a summary of the qualifications of the project personnel or a summary of desired qualifications for future hires. Indicate who will be the project point person for this grant. Include any relevant skills or work experience these individuals have that display cultural competence and an understanding of racial equity.
Add Project Personnel






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