Category Archives: Environmental

JustPax Fund

The JustPax Fund supports projects that are establishing new paradigms for Economic, Environmental, and Gender Justice. In 2024, they expect to award up to $500,000 in grant funds.

Awards have typically been up to $25,000 for single year projects. Higher amounts and longer time periods are possible for extraordinary projects. Applications are due by August 1, 2024 at 5:00 PM ET.

Eligibility

This grant is open to:

  • Tax exempt organizations based in the United States
  • Individuals associated with a US-based tax exempt organization
  • Non-exempt organizations associated with a US-based tax exempt organization
  • International organizations associated with a US-based tax exempt organization

Anyone, regardless of profession, academic field, or organization type, who is passionate about pursuing justice is encouraged to apply. However, funding cannot be transferred directly to individuals or organizations without tax exempt status from the IRS

Funding Limitations

Applications for the following expense types are discouraged:

  • Salaries or institutional benefits
  • Operating costs for established programs
  • Tuition assistance
  • Endowments
  • Development campaigns

Requirements

All submitted projects must be:

  • Novel and Innovative – Submitted programs must use unique and creative methods to address the issues of economic, environment, and gender justice.
  • Interdisciplinary and Action Oriented – Inclusion of diverse voices is key and plans to involve them should be outlined in the application. Projects are also urged to include actionable strategies that produce measurable results.
  • Endorsed by at least two letters of support from partner organizations.

Evaluation Criteria

All applications will be assessed based on:

  • Breadth – Potential to create interest in the topic among a wider audience.
  • The Multiplier Effect – Degree of ability to leverage additional resources to sustain the project, while taking into account negative and positive impacts.
  • Relevance – How pertinent the project is to the issues of economic, environmental, and gender justice and how novel its methodology is.
  • Dedication – Applicant’s personal interest in and commitment to the issue as demonstrated by past activities and long term intentions.
  • Stewardship and Impact of Investment – How effectively the proposal would use the requested funds.

The Workers Lab Innovation Fund

The Innovation Fund is a five month virtual fellowship sponsored by The Workers Lab. Participants engage in 12-15 hours of coaching and training per month for which they receive a stipend.

Applications are due by July 15, 2024 at 11:59 PM PT for a fellowship from October 2024 – March 2025. Three final winners will be announced in April 2025; they will receive up to $200,000 and a full year mentorship.

Eligibility

This fellowship is open to individuals and organizations in the United States with a valid United States Tax ID or social security number. This includes:

  • For profit companies
  • Social enterprises
  • Cooperatives
  • Nonprofit organizations
  • Unions and government-aligned entities
  • Individual entrepreneurs

Topic Areas

The Innovation Fund is focused on two topic areas for 2024.

Climate Justice is Workers’ Justice

Projects under this topic should concentrate on addressing climate change and/or environmental justice while also attending to workers’ rights. These project should:

  • Bolster the transition to a green economy through high quality work
  • Modernize industries on the frontlines of climate change
  • Address the needs of workers most impacted by climate change

Worker-Centered Gen AI Solutions

Projects under this topic should apply artificial intelligence to improve working conditions and create new opportunities for workers. These projects should:

  • Empower workers
  • Make economic stability more equitable
  • Promote worker health and safety

Allowable Expenses

Grant funding is fairly flexible so long as funds are going toward the proposed project. Up to 15% of grant funds may be used for indirect costs.

Glass Recycling Foundation

The Glass Recycling Foundation supports projects that divert glass from landfills and recycle it into its highest and best use. Grants are available for Demonstration Projects and Education Projects.

Applications for up to $30,000 are due by July 10, 2024 at 5:00 PM CT. Preference will be given to projects with at least 25% in matching funds and those that require grant funding for 50% or less of their expenses.

Eligibility

This grant is open to:

  • Nonprofit entities 
  • Municipal, county, city, and state governments 
  • Public waste management districts 
  • Publicly owned/operated materials recovery facilities or service providers

Project Types

Demonstration

Demonstration projects fill gaps in the recycling supply chain and strengthen glass end markets. Potential projects include:

  • Equipment for cleaning glass
  • Collection containers
  • Establishing collection and storage infrastructure
  • Hauling systems

Education

Education projects inform the public about the benefits of glass recycling. Potential projects include:

  • Trainings on more effective glass collection
  • Signage for residential dropoff sites
  • Public education campaign
  • Literature on best management practices

The International Foundation

The International Foundation supports U.S. based organizations working with communitities in Africa, Latin American & the Caribbean, and South & Southeast Asia. Their focus areas are Agriculture, Education, Environment, and Health.

Letters of Inquiry are due by June 30, 2024. If invited, applications for up to $50,000 will be due by October 31, 2024.

Eligibility

This grant is open to 501(c)3 nonprofit organizations headquarted in the U.S., but working with communitities in Africa, Latin American & the Caribbean, and South & Southeast Asia.

Focus Areas

Applicants may submit requests for one or more focus area.

  • Agriculture – Projects should focus on helping smallholder farms in countries impacted by population growth and climate change.
  • Education – Projects may provide formal or informal educational services to rural and underserved populations, especially women and girls.
  • Environment – Projects may address a range of environmental issues including climate change, air and water pollution, soil degradation, and deforestation.
  • Health – Projects may extend healthcare services into rural areas, provide maternal and child healthcare, and/or provide health education on topics such as hygiene and family planning.

Funding Limitations

Grant funds may not be:

  • Tutition and scholarships
  • Emergency or disaster relief
  • Films, exhibits, books, or radio programs
  • Endowments or capital/building campaigns
  • Biomedical research projects

The DanPaul Foundation

The DanPaul Foundation was founded by Libby Moore Cornett in memory of her sons Daniel and Paul who drowned along with their father, Mike Cornett, and cousin Bobby Lee Heard when their sailboat foundered in December 1997.

The Foundation’s mission is based on a song lyric by Mike Cornett, “Teach them how to use the tools they’ll need in life.” Through their grants, they improve the lives of children by fighting abuse and neglect, promoting enrichment and growth, and encouraging them to care for the world around them.

Nonprofit organizations can Contact the Foundation at any time to express their interest in applying for a grant. Awards range from a few hundred dollars to $15,000 per year.

Eligibility

This grant is open to 501(c)3 nonprofit organizations in the United States. The organization’s activities may, however, take place anywhere in the world.

Program Areas

  • Workshops, conferences, and seminars – educational opportunities on early childhood development for teachers and parents
  • Student scholarships – financial assistance for students attending post-secondary education institutions
  • Scientific endeavors – science-based projects that hope to improve quality of life for everyone
  • Clean air and water – teaching youth about their responsibility for the environment and the issues facing the Earth’s air and water
  • Child advocacy – protecting children from abuse and neglect through education and assistance
  • Homelessness – encouraging youth to care for the homeless and underprivileged
  • Poverty and neglect – helping those in need and educating youth on their responsibility to care for their fellow humans
  • Refugee enrichment – helping refugee youth adapt to their new homes through education and enrichment

Connecting People to Forests Grant

The Connecting People to Forests Grant is a joint program of the National Forest Foundation and the U.S. Forest Service. It supports community engagement and stewardship activities in the 154 national forests and 20 national grasslands.

Applications are due by June 21, 2024 for projects that can start August 21, 2024 and take no more than 18 months to complete. There is a 1:1 matching requirement of nonfederal funds as well as a required letter of support from the District Ranger of each National Forest or Grassland that is part of the project.

Eligibility

This grant is open to:

  • Nonprofit organizations
  • Native American tribal governments and organizations
  • Universities

Potential Activities

Community Engagement

Image by Joe

Potential community engagement activities include:

  • Cleanup days
  • School field trips
  • Outdoor skills training
  • Nature-based therapeutic activities
  • Community science projects

Stewardship

Potential stewardship activities include:

  • Native tree and shrub planting
  • Trail maintenance
  • Invasive species control
  • Forest and watershed restoration
  • Education on sustainable recreation principles 

Evaluation Criteria

https://www.fs.usda.gov/managing-land/national-forests-grasslands/national-grasslands

All applications will be reviewed based on:

  • Strength of engagement  
  • Potential for diversifying beneficiaries  
  • Stewardship benefit 
  • Potential for long-term impact 
  • Feasibility and strength of proposal 

.ORG Impact Awards

The .ORG Impact Awards celebrate people and groups from all over the world who are making a difference in their communities. In 2024, winners will be chosen in 7 categories plus a .ORG of the Year.

The 7 winners will each receive $10,000; other finalists in each category will receive $2,500 apiece. The .ORG of the Year will receive $50,000. Nominations are due by June 19, 2024.

Eligibility

Nominator

To submit a nomination, you must be at least 18 years old and have permission from the nominee.

Nominee

Nominees must be organizations with a website on the .org domain or an individual affiliated with such an organization. Individuals under the age of 18 may be nominated, but if selected, will require a consent form signed by their parent or guardian.

Exclusions

Nominations will not be accepted for people or organizations located in Crimea, Iran, North Korea, Sudan, or Syria.

Categories

  • Health and Healing – Providing health and wellness resources including education, vaccine development, and mental health services
  • Quality Education for All – Providing education for everyone regardless of race, gender, or financial status
  • Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion – Working to increase DEI through policymaking and programs that address systemic injustice
  • Environmental Stewardship – Fighting environmental threats and promoting sustainable consumption
  • Hunger and Poverty – Signficantly contributing to the end of resource inequality
  • Community Building – Changing lives in the community on a local, national, or global scale
  • Rising Star – An individual under 25 as of December 31, 2024 who has led a project or campaign to bring positive change to their community
  • The .ORG Impact Awards .ORG of the Year – Outstanding achievement with significant impact and measurable results. Finalists in the other 7 categories are automatically eligible.

Additional Rewards

In addition to the financial award, winners will receive:

  • A trophy
  • A dedicated .ORG Impact Awards logo mark to use in promotional materials
  • Featured presence in .ORG articles, videos, and social media over the following year
  • Featured presence at the .ORG Impact Awards event in October 2024
  • An invitation and up to $2,000 in travel expenses to attend the .ORG Impact Awards event in October 2024

Barbara McDowell Foundation

The Barbara McDowell Foundation provides grant funding for legal fees related to specific social justice cases in the United States.

Letters of Intent will be accepted June 1-15, 2024 for a grant term of October 1, 2024 – September 30, 2025. LOIs submitted before June 1st will be rejected.

Eligibility

This grant is open to 501(c)3 nonprofit organizations to pay legal fees for social justice cases filed between October 1, 2022 and December 31, 2024.

Criminal cases, individual claims, and amicus briefs are not eligible.

Key Issues

The McDowell Foundation is focused on cases related to:

  • Access to benefits
  • Children’s rights
  • Disability rights
  • Discrimination
  • Domestic violence
  • Due process
  • Environmental justice
  • Healthcare
  • Homelessness
  • Housing
  • Native American rights
  • Prisoner’s rights
  • Refugee and immigration rights
  • Veteran’s rights
  • Voting rights

Ideal cases will:

  • Address one of these areas of interest
  • Have a significant impact on the well being and civil liberties of disadvantaged Americans
  • Set a significant legal precedent

Scoring Criteria

All LOIs will be scored based on:

  • Alignment with mission
  • Social justice impact
  • Financial need

Ravi & Naina Patel Foundation

The Ravi & Naina Patel Foundation is working to help every human being achieve the happiness that is their birthright. They provide grants to nonprofit organizations around the world that align with their five core pillars and build strategic partnerships to make an even bigger impact.

Grant inquiries as well as your organization’s Form 990 should be sent to amar@rnpfoundation.org.

Five Core Pillars

Homelessness

The Foundation is seeking programs that take different approach to the problem of homelessness. This includes both providing short term services and long term affordable housing solutions.

Education

The Foundation believes in the power of education and supports organizations that help youth learn to be confident and lead joyful lives, as well as reading, writing, and arithmetic.

Environment

A healthy Earth to live on is foundational to all the other core pillars. To address the impacts of environmental destruction, the Foundation supports organizations that are designing innovative solutions and championing environmentally sound policies.

Nutrition

A nutritious diet can feed the body, mind, and spirit, but many people don’t have access to or knowledge of healthy food. The Foundation supports projects that are working to overcome food inequities, provide education, and promote more environmentally friendly farming.

Spirituality

The Patel family believes that spirituality is the true path to happiness and supports organizations that promote mindfulness and meditation.

Zoo Miami Wildlife Conservation Fund

The Zoo Miami Wildlife Conservation Fund supports projects protecting wildlife and natural ecosystems around the world. Applications for up to $5,000 are due by June 1, 2024 at Midnight ET.

Grantees are required to handle all directly affected animals humanely and preferably have procedural Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee approval. 

Eligibility

This funding opportunity is open to individuals, governmental entities, and nonprofit organizations with appropriate qualifications for the proposed project.

Required Attachments

All applications must have:

  • Project description (2 pages or fewer)
  • Detailed budget
  • Timeline
  • Resume(s) of principal applicant(s)
  • Description of qualifications
  • Nonprofit letter, if applicable
  • Two letters of endorsement
  • Copies of required permits

Submission

Applications may be submitted electronically to Frank.Ridgley@miamidade.gov (preferred) or mailed to:

Zoo Miami Wildlife Conservation Fund 

Zoo Miami 

C/O Dr. Frank Ridgley

12400 SW 152nd Street 

Miami, FL 33177-1499