Grants program: Community solutions to improve environmental health
CDPHE’s Office of Environmental Justice's round three of the Environmental Justice Grant Program is now closed. The Grants Specialist will review the applications.
This grant cycle will provide $3 million in funding to support up to ten two-year projects to help communities disproportionately impacted by pollution and climate change. This funding exceeds the roughly $1 million distributed in the previous two grant cycles.
The Environmental Justice Act created this grant opportunity, and the Environmental Justice Advisory Board oversees the program and serves as the grant selection committee.
Grant purpose and eligibility
The grant program will fund projects that measure, prevent, or reduce pollution to protect public health or restore the environment. Projects can focus on any of the following topics:
- Air quality.
- Water quantity and quality.
- Waste.
- Land use.
- Built environment.
- Climate.
- Noise.
- Chemicals.
- Pesticides.
- Natural assets, such as wetlands, tree planting, and native plants.
- Soil quality.
- Historical industrial contamination.
Grants will fund projects that help community members participate in public engagement opportunities when CDPHE makes new rules about protecting the environment.
The eligible organizations were as follows:
- Non-profit organizations.
- Local governments.
- Federally recognized Tribal governments.
- Universities.
- Other educational institutions.
- For-profit corporations.
- Grassroots organization.
The grant program’s success
The department launched the second round of funding for the grant program in November 2023. We received 21 grant applications, and the advisory board selected eight projects to receive a total of $1.1 million. CDPHE’s Office of Environmental Justice is proud of the work these organizations have accomplished with this grant funding. Learn more about their success on the project summaries webpage for cycle one and cycle two.
Environmental Justice Grant Program cycle three timeline:
- August 27 — Request for application opens.
- September 11 from 4 - 6 p.m. — First virtual informational webinar (Spanish interpretation is available.) Access the webinar recordings on this page.
- Discussion items:
- Details on eligibility criteria.
- How to apply for the grant.
- Demonstration of how to use Colorado EnviroScreen.
- October 9 from 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. — Second virtual informational webinar (Spanish interpretation is available.) Register to participate.
- Discussion items:
- Details on eligibility criteria.
- How to apply for the grant.
- Demonstration of how to use Colorado EnviroScreen.
- October 16, 10 a.m. - 12 p.m. — Virtual office hours for technical assistance with grant applications.
Register to participate. - November 15 — Deadline to submit questions and request technical assistance.
- November 20 — Deadline for CDPHE to answer questions.
- November 25 — Grant application deadline.
- July 1, 2025 — Grant projects receive funding, and work begins.
For more information about CDPHE’s Office of Environmental Justice and the work the department does to support communities disproportionately impacted by pollution and climate change, visit the Office of Enviromental Justice’s homepage.
The Colorado Environmental Justice Grant Program: Community Solutions to Improve Environmental Health
The Environmental Justice Grant Program funds projects to ensure every community has a healthy environment in which to live, learn, work, and play.
These projects help measure, prevent, or reduce pollution in disproportionately impacted communities. Disproportionately impacted communities include low-income communities, communities of color, communities disproportionately impacted by pollution and climate change, and some other categories. Funds also can help pay for technical assistance to help community organizations most effectively participate in rulemaking hearings. You can use the Colorado EnviroScreen to check if your community is eligible for the grants.
The Environmental Justice Act created this grant opportunity to help communities disproportionately impacted by pollution and climate change. The Environmental Justice Advisory Board oversees the program and will also serve as the grant selection committee.
The department launched its second round of funding for the Environmental Justice Grant Program in September 2023. The program received 21 grant applications, two of which were non-competitive Tribal set-asides for the Ute Mountain Ute and Southern Ute Indian Tribes. The Advisory Board selected six additional projects to fund, totaling $1.1 million.
First annual Environmental Justice Grant report: How environmental justice grant funding drives positive community change
We’re excited to share our first Environmental Justice Grant Report, now available for you to explore! This annual report offers a detailed look at the Environmental Justice Grant Program’s first funding cycle for fiscal year 2024, highlighting the projects making a real difference in Colorado’s most vulnerable communities.
In this first cycle, the Environmental Justice Advisory Board selected eight impactful projects to receive a total of $1 million in funding. These projects addressed critical environmental and public health challenges, including:
- Improving air and water quality for communities facing the greatest pollution burdens.
- Increasing tree canopy for healthier, greener neighborhoods.
- Water conservation efforts aimed at protecting vital resources in disproportionately impacted areas.
- Protecting agricultural workers from extreme climate conditions that threaten their safety and livelihood.
- Environmental justice education and outreach to raise awareness and foster action.
- Fostering meaningful community engagement to raise awareness and foster action.
These projects represent a few ways the Environmental Justice Grant Program supports efforts to reduce pollution and build resilience in communities disproportionately impacted by climate change.
Read the full report to learn more about the grantees and their work to advance environmental justice in Colorado.
Current Grantees: Colorado Environmental Justice Grants Program
The Environmental Justice Advisory Board selected the following projects to receive funding under the second year of the Colorado Environmental Justice Grants Program:
Southern Ute Indian Tribe - $50,000
Ute Mountain Ute Tribe - $50,000
Green House Connection Center for $143,100
Adams County Health Department for $147,890
Jefferson County Public Health Department for $149,243
The City of Fort Collins for $168,874
350 Colorado for $173,700
Urban Symbiosis for $217,193
Read more about these projects on the Project Summaries webpage.
You can access cycle one (2023-2024) and cycle two (2024-2025) Request for Applications, previously recorded webinars, and all frequently asked questions in this folder.
Other potential funding opportunities
- CDPHE Funding Opportunities Page
- Mountains & Plains EJ Grants for Region 8 (open until March 31)
- Health Disparities and Community Grant Program
- Recycling Grants and Support
- CDPHE Supplemental Environmental Projects
- Outdoor Equity Grant Program
- Colorado Nonprofit Association
- EPA Community Change Grants
- EPA Climate Pollution Reduction Grants
- Equity in Arts Learning for Colorado Youth
- Colorado Circular Communities
- Colorado Watershed Assembly
- Bezos Earth Fund
- Scherman Foundation
- Hewlett Foundation
- Kresge Foundation
Technical assistance organizations
Many organizations offer free resources to help communities with environmental justice concerns. For example, they may provide technical assistance on grant applications.
- Anthropocene Alliance
- Environmental Protection Network
- Justice40 Accelerator & Featured Funding Opportunities
- Thriving Earth Exchange
- EPA Thriving Community Technical Assistance Centers (TCTACs)
To learn more about the Environmental Justice Program at CDPHE, visit our webpage.