[CPEO-BIF] EPA Announces Two Environmental Justice Grant Opportunities

[Lenny Siegel <lsiegel@cpeo.org>]

EPA Announces Two Environmental Justice Grant Opportunities

- ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE SMALL GRANTS PROGRAM   (EJSG), and

- ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE COLLABORATIVE PROBLEM-SOLVING COOPERATIVE
PROGRAM (EJ CPS)

For background see below and visit:

http://www.epa.gov/compliance/environmentaljustice/grants/index.html

Application Deadline:  March 31, 2006

The proposal guidelines will be posted shortly.

PRE-APPLICATION ASSISTANCE:

Six conference calls have been scheduled to answer questions from
potential applicants. Registration is limited to 125 per call on a first
come, first served basis. You may register for one or more of these
calls by calling the toll-free number 1-800-962-6215.   You will be
asked to provide your name, organization, telephone number, and e-mail
address.  Once you have registered you will be provided the call-in
number and conference  code to access the conference call.

Call #1            February 14, 2006, 1:30 p.m. ? 3:30 p.m. EST
Call #2            February 21, 2006, 1:30 p.m. ? 3:30 p.m. EST
Call #3            February 28, 2006, 1:30 p.m. ? 3:30 p.m. EST
Call #4            March 7, 2006, 1:30 p.m. ? 3:30 p.m. EST
Call #5            March 14, 2006, 1:30 p.m. ? 3:30 p.m. EST
Call #6            March 21, 2006, 1:30 p.m. ? 3:30 p.m. EST

For information, you can call the Office of Environmental Justice
Hotline at 
1-800-962-6215 and/or
Small Grants - Sheila Lewis at 202-564-0152
Collaborative Problem Solving Grants - 202-564-5396





************   INFORMATION FOR APPLICANTS  ************

ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE SMALL GRANTS PROGRAM   (EJSG)

and

ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE COLLABORATIVE PROBLEM-SOLVING
COOPERATIVE PROGRAM (EJ CPS)


The Office of Environmental Justice is pleased to announce  two
opportunities for financial assistance for affected local
community-based organizations. To aid you in determining if your
organization is eligible, a definition is provided below.

This year, for the first time, these two programs are being advertised
at the same time.  The opening period is from January 31-March 31, 2006.

The RFA for the EJ CPS Program is being released at the same time as the
 RFA for the Environmental Justice Small Grants Program (EJSG).  Both
the EJ CPS and the EJSG Programs promote the use of collaborative
partnerships in addressing local environmental and/or public health
issues; however, they are very distinct.  You should only apply for one.

Applying under a Program that is not suited for your organization or
submitting an application that is inconsistent with a Program?s
objectives will likely result in no award. Therefore, it is imperative
that you determine which Program you qualify for in advance.

WHICH ASSISTANCE AGREEMENT PROGRAM IS BEST SUITED FOR YOUR ORGANIZATION?

Both the EJ Collaborative Problem-solving Cooperative Agreement Program
(EJ CPS) and the EJ Small Grants Program (EJSG) promote the use of
collaborative partnerships in addressing local environmental and/or
public health issues; however, the two Programs are very distinct. 
Applicants for the EJ CPS and the EJSG are at different stages of
development in addressing the framework phases.

EJ COLLABORATIVE PROBLEM-SOLVING FRAMEWORK PHASES:

* Identify environmental and/or public health issue of concern
* Educate and involve the community
* Form multi-stakeholder partnerships to address environmental and/or
public health issue
* Envision solutions, set goals, develop problem-solving strategies and
plan of action
* Build stakeholder consensus and work through differences
* Engage all relevant stakeholders, including government, industry,
academia, etc.
* Implement problem-solving strategies/solutions
* Leverage resources
* Develop a sustainability plan

UNDER THE EJ CPS COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT PROGRAM (EJ CPS):

For example, EJ CPS applicants are required to have substantially
completed or have built a foundation in the first four phases identified
above, and they will be expected to further develop and expand on the
other five framework elements throughout the life of the project.  These
awards are for 3 years  and in the amount of $100,000.

(1) There is substantial EPA involvement (Quarterly Reports, monthly
conference calls, and additional Programmatic Terms and Conditions)Partnerships.

(2) The applicant must have established partnerships demonstrated
through submission of three signed Memoranda of Agreement from different
stakeholder  groups. 

(3) The proposed project must address an existing  environmental and/or
public health issue.  The Project cannot focus on education or training.

(4) The proposed project must link project performance measures to the
following OEJ Program  Performance Measures:

* Community Empowerment and Knowledge
* Stakeholder Consensus
* Environmental Results
* Sustainability

UNDER THE EJ SMALL GRANTS PROGRAM (EJSG):

Applicants for the EJSG Program, on the other hand,  are at the
beginning stages of the first four phases of the Collaborative
Problem-Solving Framework as follows:

* Identify environmental and/or public health issue of concern
* Educate and involve the community environmental and/or public health issue
* Envision solutions, set goals, develop problem-solving strategies and
plan of action

Applicants will be expected to further develop and expand on these first
four elements throughout the life of the project.  These awards are for
2 years and in the amount of $50,000.

(1) There is no substantial EPA involvement.
(2) The applicant needs to develop and implement  a plan to build,
maintain, and sustain partnerships.
(3) The prospective grantee must form collaborative  partnerships,
educate the community, develop a comprehensive understanding of the
environmental and/or public health issues, and identify ways to address
these issues at the local level.
(4) The proposed project must link project performance measures to the
following OEJ Program Performance Measures:
* Community Empowerment and Knowledge
* Stakeholder Consensus


DEFINITION OF AFFECTED LOCAL COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATION:

An affected local community-based organization is defined for this
cooperative agreement program as an entity/organization that is: (1)
located in  the same local area as the environmental and/or public
health issue that is described in the application and where the
residents of the affected community reside; (2) focused primarily  on
addressing the environmental and/or public health problems of the
residents of the affected  community; (3) comprised primarily of members
of  the affected community; (4) able to demonstrate  that it is a
non-profit organization through designation by the Internal Revenue
Service as a Section 501(c)(3) non-profit organization; and (5) at the
most basic level of the organizational  hierarchy such as a grassroots
group/neighborhood  organization that is not affiliated with a larger
 national, regional or state organization.

Affected is defined as being in the locale that is influenced or altered
by the environmental and/or  public health issue.   An applicant must
meet all of the above requirements and must explain how its 
organization fits each of those requirements in the  application.  The
following entities are not eligible  to receive Federal funds under this
cooperative agreement program:

* individuals;
* universities;
* state governments;
* local governments;
* tribal governments;
* water districts or similar entities;
* large non-governmental organizations such as national environmental groups;
* environmental justice networks;
* churches;
* watershed protection organizations;
* community development corporations; and
* organizations that are not located in the affected communities where
the projects are found.

The organization's primary purpose MUST be to assist the community in
addressing  local environmental and/or public health  issues. 
Organizations that have been awarded under the EJ CPS Program in prior 
funding cycles will not be eligible to apply for this and subsequent
funding cycles.

PRE-APPLICATION ASSISTANCE:

Six conference calls have been scheduled to answer questions from
potential applicants. Registration is limited to 125 per call on a 
first come, first served basis. You may register for one or more of
these calls by  calling the toll-free number 1-800-962-6215.   You will
be asked to provide your name, organization, telephone number, and
e-mail address.  Once you have registered you will  be provided the
call-in number and conference  code to access the conference call.

Call #1            February 14, 2006, 1:30 p.m. ? 3:30 p.m. EST
Call #2            February 21, 2006, 1:30 p.m. ? 3:30 p.m. EST
Call #3            February 28, 2006, 1:30 p.m. ? 3:30 p.m. EST
Call #4            March 7, 2006, 1:30 p.m. ? 3:30 p.m. EST
Call #5            March 14, 2006, 1:30 p.m. ? 3:30 p.m. EST
Call #6            March 21, 2006, 1:30 p.m. ? 3:30 p.m. EST



-- 


Lenny Siegel
Director, Center for Public Environmental Oversight
c/o PSC, 278-A Hope St., Mountain View, CA 94041
Voice: 650/961-8918 or 650/969-1545
Fax: 650/961-8918
<lsiegel@cpeo.org>
http://www.cpeo.org
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