City Announces Opening of 2024 Community Resilience and Environmental Justice Funding Opportunity

PHILADELPHIA - The City's Office of Sustainability in partnership with the Philadelphia City Fund, is excited to announce the opening of applications for the Community Resilience and Environmental Justice (CREJ) Fund.

The CREJ Fund addresses the need to invest in the grassroot activism that residents living on the frontlines of environmental harm engage in every day. As such, the Fund is dedicated to resourcing frontline and fence line communities experiencing environmental injustice to advance their vision of an equitable and resilient future. The CREJ Fund is steered by the Philadelphia Environmental Justice Advisory Commission and supported by the Office of Sustainability and William Penn Foundation.

The CREJ Fund will provide 12-month, $15,000 grants to 20 organizations and projects working towards long-term environmental justice (EJ) in Philadelphia. Organizations are encouraged to allocate up to $1,500 towards the wellness of their team, staff and leadership. Eligible projects include coalition and collaboration building activities; community organizing; organizational capacity building; removing barriers that create and perpetuate environmental injustice; education and engagement; youth leadership and development; community-driven planning for EJ, climate adaptation and preparedness, energy efficiency and renewable energy; and implementation of projects related to EJ or community resilience. Organizations whose general operations focus on such activities are welcome to apply for general operating funds.

"Last year's CREJ grantees represented the breadth of Philadelphia's environmental justice issues with projects seeking to improve food sovereignty, greening and tree canopy, heat and flood resilience, waste reduction and more," said Elizabeth Lankenau, Interim Director of the Office of Sustainability. "We're thrilled to continue resourcing community leaders and collectively working towards a safer, cleaner, and greener city for all Philadelphia residents."

To be eligible for a grant from the Community Resilience and Environmental Justice Fund, organizations must be:

• Located in Philadelphia and serving Philadelphians experiencing environmental injustices,
• Led by people most affected by the problem or issue that is being addressed,
• Working on a long-term plan for EJ (see FAQ document for more details),
• and a 501(c)3 or a community-based organization (including school-based youth groups) working with a 501(c)3 fiscal sponsor.

A blog post will be updated regularly with updates on the CREJ Fund including application information sessions.

About the City's Office of Sustainability
The Office of Sustainability (OOS) works with partners around the city to improve quality of life in all Philadelphia neighborhoods, through advancing environmental justice, reducing the city's carbon emissions, and preparing Philadelphia for a hotter and wetter future. The Municipal Energy Office, housed within OOS, is responsible for managing the municipal energy portfolio and its contribution towards carbon reductions. For more information, visit phila.gov/sustainability.

About the Philadelphia City Fund
The Philadelphia City Fund is an independent charitable organization which serves as the dedicated fiscal sponsor for the City of Philadelphia and leverages public-private partnerships in collaboration with the City, the philanthropic community, and the residents of Philadelphia.

About William Penn Foundation
The William Penn Foundation, founded in 1945 by Otto and Phoebe Haas, is committed to expanding access to resources and opportunities that promote a more vital and just city and region for all. We do this through funding programs in the Philadelphia region in arts and culture, children and families, democracy and civic initiatives, environment and public space, and workforce training and services. Learn more at www.williampennfoundation.org.

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