Sapelo Foundation Grants: Environmental Justice & Protection

The Sapelo Foundation Grants focus on advancing environmental justice and protection in Georgia, aiming to empower marginalized communities. The foundation seeks partnerships that foster civic engagement, support sustainable practices, and advocate for effective environmental policies. With a commitment to statewide efforts, especially outside metro Atlanta, it emphasizes the importance of healthy environments for all Georgians. Two primary funding areas include water and climate/energy initiatives, with grants typically awarded biennially.

Objectives
Increase the number of Georgians who:
Shape and benefit from environmental policies, practices, and systems that are just and effective.Prosper in safe, healthy, sustainable, and protected environments.
Desired Outcomes
By utilizing strategies reflected in our values, practices, objectives, and grant criteria, we seek to contribute to just systemic change that results in the following:
Increased Passage & ImplementationIncreased passage and implementation of policies, practices, and systems that advance environmental justice and protection.Stronger CollaborationStronger collaboration among organizations, collaborations, and networks that pursue environmental justice and protection efforts.Stronger CapacityStronger capacity of organizations, collaborations, and networks that pursue environmental justice and protection, as evidenced by: Stronger policy advocacy, civic engagement, and grassroots community organizing work. Stronger equity and justice lenses across their work. Stronger organizational health, leadership, and membership.More GeorgiansMore Georgians, especially communities of color and rural communities: Participate in policy advocacy, civic engagement, or grassroots community organizing for environmental justice and protection. Prosper in safe, healthy, sustainable, and protected environments.
Two Priorities
Our trustees approved two long-term priorities for each of our main grant portfolios.
For grant portfolio I: Environmental Justice & Protection, they approved:

• water climate/energy
• We often award two-year grants for water in spring of odd years and two-year grants for climate energy in spring of even years.

Eligibility

Potential grantee partners must:Be a 501(c)3 organization or use fiscal agent who is a 501(c)3 organization.Work in Georgia with significant commitment to areas outside of metro Atlanta.We either support:statewide efforts, with meaningful inclusion and perspectives of those living in more rural communities and smaller cities outside metro Atlanta OR local and regional efforts based outside metro Atlanta.We use the United Way’s 13-county definition for metro Atlanta: Butts, Cherokee, Clayton, Cobb, Coweta, Dekalb, Douglas, Fayette, Fulton, Gwinnett, Henry, Paulding, and Rockdale.

Ineligibility

The Sapelo Foundation does not:Fund capital campaigns or brick-and-mortar building projects.Sponsor events.