Mid-Atlantic Environmental Justice Fund - Track I: EJ Organization Capacity Building Grant

Mid-Atlantic Environmental Justice Fund - Track I: EJ Organization Capacity Building Grant

Status: ACTIVE
Funder: Chesapeake Bay Trust
Amount: Up to US $100,000
Last Updated: January 31, 2026

Summary

The Mid-Atlantic Environmental Justice Fund aims to enhance community-based organizations' capacity for urban forestry through training and support. This initiative focuses on addressing environmental justice issues across the Mid-Atlantic region, promoting health and sustainability through increased tree canopy. By fostering inclusive decision-making, the Fund empowers organizations historically marginalized in securing funding. Projects must align with EPA's disadvantaged community criteria, ensuring equitable access to resources for environmental stewardship.

Overview

Mid-Atlantic Environmental Justice Fund The Mid-Atlantic Environmental Justice Fund is a grant program that leverages forestry to address environmental justice (EJ) issues in the Mid-Atlantic. Our goal is to disperse and democratize the range of co-benefits that healthy community forests have for decades into the future. A just community forestry and tree stewardship effort that integrates environmental, climate, and energy justice is a powerful tool to improve the health of the Mid-Atlantic region. Increasing tree canopy improves local air and water quality, cools neighborhoods, fosters public health, stimulates local green jobs, encourages community cohesion, mitigates flooding and its adverse effects, and strengthens the region and its inhabitants. The Chesapeake Bay Trust co-leads the Mid-Atlantic Environmental Justice Fund with Appalachian Voices, Centro de Apoyo Familiar, Center for Community Engagement, Environmental Justice, and Health (CEEJH Inc), Empower DC, Howard University, Overbrook Environmental Education Center, Sentinels of the Eastern Shore Health, and South Baltimore Community Land Trust. Emphasizing a participatory and inclusive decision-making process, the Fund empowers different representatives of communities affected by environmental injustice to participate in the development of the Request for Proposal (RFP), scoring applications, selecting funded projects, and providing limited technical assistance to a select group of applicants. Fund Track I: EJ Organization Capacity Building To increase the ability of community-based organizations to advance urban forestry planning, planting, and maintenance efforts through training and technical assistance.

Eligibility

We've imported the main document for this grant to give you an overview. You can learn more about this opportunity by visiting the funder's website. Community-based organizations that are tax-exempt or fiscally sponsored throughout the Mid-Atlantic region (DC, DE, MD, PA, VA, WV), particularly those who have historically faced barriers in securing funding to address EJ issues.We welcome requests only from tax-exempt or fiscally sponsored organizations including, but not limited to:Community and neighborhood associations Counties and municipalities Fiscally sponsored community-based organizations Faith-based institutions Federally recognized tribes Forest conservancy district boards Indigenous-led non-profit organizations Institutions of higher education Non-profit organizations Non-profit tribal organizations Schools Service, youth, and civic groupsThe project must be located in areas that are in areas identified as disadvantaged by EPA’s IRA Disadvantaged Communities Map, federally approved opportunity zones, or PennEnviroScreen mapping tool. This track will only fund projects for organizations that fulfill all the following requirements:Between 1 and 50 staff members.At least one staff member must be employed full-time (defined as >35 hours per week). If a paid staff member is not in place, the applicant may substitute a dedicated volunteer position in which the individual contributes at least 35 hours per week.Organizational commitment to forestry as demonstrated by:An existing mission or strategic plan, or A project proposal that focuses on adding forestry as a program.An active Board of DirectorsActive is defined here as a Board that has met at least twice during the last 12 months.

Ineligibility

Due to the federal nature of this grant funding, some types of projects, applicants, and expenses are restricted. These restrictions include, but are not limited to: Land acquisition. Work defined in 2 CFR 200 as Research and Development. Planting projects on private property without documented approval by the property owner. Projects required as mitigation for new or redevelopment, regulatory offset, or regulatory reasons. Projects located in areas not considered as disadvantaged by the map provided above. Applications by for-profit entities. Applications from organizations with outstanding final, progress, or status reports under other CBT grants. Purchase of equipment, defined as an article of nonexpendable, tangible personal property with a useful life of more than one year and an acquisition cost of $5,000 or more per unit.Certain telecommunications and video surveillance equipment or services as described in 2 CFR 200.216.Construction activities, including site preparation like sidewalk repairs or extensive concrete removal.Removal of trees that don’t meet eligibility criteria approved by the Forest Service and are not replaced within one year and in a 1:1 ratio (1 new tree for 1 tree removed).Planting of state-listed invasive species, including species listed as “restricted”, “pending further review”, “non-restricted”, or on a watch list.