We are a group of Maine-based organizations who attended a Region 1 (New England) Convening in RI this past October about federal funding opportunities. We quickly realized we needed to find a way to widen this doorway of opportunity to the many that were not invited to the table. This is a summary of what we know so far.
The Moment
The federal government's Inflation Reduction Act IRA) allocates ~$3B nationwide for Environmental & Climate Justice Block Grants through the EPA. $40M has been designated for Region 1 (New England) under the Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Grantmaking (EJTCGM) Program, to be administered by Health Resources in Action (HRiA) in partnership with Alternatives for Community & Environment (ACE) and the Grassroots Fund.
This funding aims to support community-driven environmental justice initiatives over three years, fostering racial equity, climate resilience, and social inclusion. This is being frames as a 'once in a generation' moment for environmental funding.
Our invite to you
We are starting informal conversations about how to access these resources and put them to work building environmentally just futures for our ME communities. We are reaching out to Black, Indigenous, refugee and migrant, rural, and low-income communities, along with community based organizations, state representatives/staff, philanthropy organizations, and other people concerned about the climate crisis in Wabanaki Territory. Join the conversation!
April 23rd, Tuesday, 10-11:30am - Context Setting Info Meeting
A ME state-wide, virtual event to set the context of this moment. State representatives and core team members from the Thriving Communities Grantmaking Program will speak about what this federal funding moment means for ME communities.
Register Here!
TBD Late spring - New England Regional Event
An in-person gathering (location and date TBD) in May, for state working groups and stakeholders can connect, learn, share resources and solutions.
Fall - Strategizing Event
A ME state-wide, in-person gathering event (location and date TBD) for community based organizations, state representatives/staff, philanthropy and other stakeholders to convene, collaborate, strategize and craft road maps for how to access these resources.
For updates and more information about the Region 1 Thriving Communities Grantmaking program—including how to apply for grants—please fill out the form on this landing page. We will share more information on this funding opportunity when it becomes available.
