Year 2:

Request for Proposals

July 1 - August 30, 2024

THE 2024 RFP IS NOW CLOSED

Update as of November 14, 2024: Our team expects to communicate application outcomes by end of November, but before the end of the year at the latest. Thank you for your patience.

An informational webinar was held on Tuesday, July 16.

Watch the recording here.

About the Fund

The second round of grantmaking for the Environmental Justice Data Fund (EJDF or “the Fund”) will be supported by a $4 million fund, created and seeded by Google.org. The EJDF aims to help frontline communities historically underserved and disproportionately impacted by climate change and environmental injustice in the United States use data to address environmental hazards, with special attention to matters regarding air and water quality. The Fund will support eligible organizations to unlock resources, increase their access to federal infrastructure funding, and advocate for new policies that empower communities to address past environmental harm and pave the way to a more sustainable, climate-resilient future. The new round of grantmaking was designed based on insights from the 2022 grantmaking cycle, which demonstrated a high need in the field to address environmental hazards, especially related to air and water quality. The fund remains dedicated to the principle that supporting data work will help advance justice and build power within local communities. By providing those most impacted by environmental injustices with valuable information, they are empowered to confront these issues and develop community-led solutions.

The Fund will prioritize projects that serve frontline communities and consider a broad range of approaches to using data to advocate for environmental justice at the local and regional levels (please see below for how the Fund defines “frontline communities”, “environmental justice”, and “data” for this opportunity). It will provide organizations with flexible project funding to increase their organizational capacity to incorporate quality data work into their environmental and climate justice programming. The Fund anticipates that it will make one-time grants to 8-12 organizations and/or a coalition of organizations in 2024 through an open request for proposals (RFP), which will accept applications until August 30, 2024. The Fund encourages grantees to leverage grant funds for matching opportunities, if applicable.

Frontline communities: The Fund defines frontline communities as those that are disproportionately affected by environmental hazards, climate change, and economic inequality, which most often include people who are Black, Indigenous, People of Color, and low-income. Frontline communities are those who have high exposure to climate impacts and have been historically marginalized.

Environmental Justice: The US Environmental Protection Agency defines environmental justice as the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color, national origin, or income, with respect to the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies. This goal will be achieved when everyone enjoys the same degree of protection from environmental and health hazards, and equal access to the decision-making process to have a healthy environment in which to live, learn, and work.

Data: The Fund defines data work as efforts ranging from building organizational capacity for data work to implementing research and data-related projects. This includes research planning, scenario planning, data collection, data analysis, and data visualization, among other efforts. Funded projects can be at any stage from nascent to advanced work.

The Fund is fiscally sponsored by the Windward Fund (Windward), a 501(c)(3) public charity that incubates and hosts initiatives that pursue bold solutions to environmental challenges from a range of angles. Windward, with support from its lead consultant, Arabella Advisors, will lead the implementation of the Fund, including overseeing day-to-day operations, facilitating and managing the Fund’s administrative committee and Advisory Board, and administering the grant application process.

See the list of organizations and fiscally sponsored projects the Fund awarded in its inaugural year on the 2022 RFP (archive) page.

Please reach out to the EJDF team at ejdatafund@windwardfund.org with any questions.

www.google.org

Who the fund will support

Organizations the Fund will support must:

  • Serve frontline communities that have been historically underserved and disproportionately impacted by climate change and environmental injustice. Previous grant recipients of the EJ Data Fund are eligible to apply and receive an award.

  • Aim to create a local social and/or environmental impact as defined by the applicant.

  • Center the perspectives of the communities being served via representation in project leadership and/or community participation, with a preference for community-driven decision-making.

  • Be committed to environmental justice and possess a track record of environmental justice work.

    • Note: The EJ Data Fund recognizes that there are organizations leading meaningful work in the environmental justice space that do not exclusively work on environmental justice issues. However, in this round of grantmaking the Fund will prioritize providing support to those organizations whose primary focus is on environmental justice work.

  • Be located in the United States (this includes all states, the federal district, territories, and outlying islands)

  • Meet at least one of the following requirements:

Additionally, the organizations can:

  • Be a part of an environmental justice-focused academic or research institution as long as it meets one of the above legal status eligibility requirements. Preference will be given to smaller, regional, HBCU, and/or tribal-led institutions.

  • Implement their program at a local, regional, or national level, so long as those efforts lead to localized impact.

  • Operate as standalone organizations, as part of network hubs, or as coalitions of multiple organizations partnering on a single project. Collaboration between organizations is encouraged but not required.

What the fund will support

The Fund aims to provide one-time flexible project support for:

Data (Required)

Proposals for targeted data projects that meet the following broad parameters:

  • Stage: Projects ranging from new to advanced 

  • Purpose: Projects ranging from building organizational capacity for data work to implementing research and data 

  • Activities: Research planning, scenario planning, data collection, data analysis, and/or data visualization, among others

Environmental Justice (Required)

Proposals for data projects that:

  • Will use data work to mitigate past environmental harm and promote climate resilience. The Fund believes that mitigating environmental issues related to air and water quality are especially important for the health and vitality of communities. For this reason, preference will be given to projects that work on air and water quality.

    • Air quality may include a broad range of areas including but not limited to: risk of fire, hazardous heat temperatures, acid rain, and proximity to sites of pollution (e.g. industrial parks and highways) among other issues

    • Water quality may include a broad range of areas including but not limited to: contamination and pollution, flooding, waterborne diseases, sedimentation, and acid rain among other issues

  • Serve communities that have been historically underserved and disproportionately impacted by climate change and environmental injustice, including Black, Latino/a/x/e, Indigenous, Tribal, Southern, rural, and low-income communities

See the following examples of projects that could be funded through this opportunity:

  • This project aims to deploy a network of low-cost air quality sensors in historically underserved communities to monitor air pollution levels, enhance data analysis capabilities, and support community outreach efforts. Over two years, the project seeks to scale the sensor network and corresponding activities by 100%. The initiative will collect real-time data on various pollutants such as particulate matter, nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide, and ozone. Community members will be involved in the installation and maintenance of these sensors, and the data collected will be made publicly available through an online platform. This project is just beginning and is currently in the planning and fundraising stage. Future funding will be used to fund all aforementioned project activities.

  • This project is a community-led effort to address water pollution in a small, urban city. Working in collaboration with local authorities and environmental organizations, this project involves training community members to collect water samples from rivers, streams, and other water bodies. These samples are then analyzed in laboratories for contaminants such as heavy metals, pesticides, and bacteria. The project is currently in progress, with several sampling sites established and initial data collection underway. The findings will inform advocacy efforts and policy recommendations to improve water quality. Future funding will be used to expand the program to additional communities, invest in advanced testing equipment, and support ongoing monitoring efforts.

  • This initiative is a comprehensive program aimed at reducing air pollution in a rural indigenous area. This project involves the deployment of advanced air quality monitoring stations equipped with state-of-the-art sensors and analytical instruments. Data collected from these stations are used to identify sources of pollution, assess air quality trends, and evaluate the effectiveness of pollution control measures. Additionally, community engagement activities such as public awareness campaigns and stakeholder meetings have been conducted to raise awareness about air quality issues and empower residents to advocate for cleaner air. The project is nearing completion, with final data analysis and reporting underway. Future funding will be used to sustain the monitoring infrastructure, support ongoing community engagement efforts, and implement targeted interventions based on the project's findings.

Grant Amounts and Duration

The Fund will offer applicants the opportunity to choose a grant amount from two tiers. Based on the focus of the RFP, below is a general guide on how many grants the Fund expects to make at each tier:

  • $500,000 – 2 to 4 grants

  • $250,000 – 6 to 8 grants

The Fund will allow one-time grants to last up to two years, and each applicant will be able to define the desired duration of the grant within that range. Regardless of the duration of the grant, grantees will receive funds in one installment in 2024.

Please note for projects hosted at an academic or research institution, up to 15% of the grant funds may be used towards indirect costs. The Fund will review requests for a higher indirect cost cap on a case-by-case basis.

Review Process

Arabella Advisors will collate incoming proposals and assign them to the Fund’s Advisory Board members for review. Once the Advisory Board has made grant recommendations, Windward will reach out to the organizations/lead organizations that have advanced and request that they submit the required application materials (W9, Electronic Funds Transfer [EFT] form, operational budget or past financial statement) in Windward’s grant portal system. Upon completion, Windward will conduct final due diligence, send the grant agreements for grantee signature, and disburse the funds within two weeks of the agreement’s execution.

This RFP will remain open through August 30, 2024. The Fund will review applications once the RFP closes and notify grant recipients within two months of its closing.

Reporting Requirements for Grantees

On an annual basis, grantees will be required to submit a report summarizing the activities conducted as a part of the grant and certifying that funds were spent charitably and as the grantee noted in the proposal. Materials submitted to another funder can be submitted in the report if they are clearly directed to Windward Fund, the fiscal sponsor of the EJ Data Fund.

In addition to the submission of a narrative report, grantees must submit a budget vs actuals financial report for the funded project. Windward may choose to ask other questions to better understand the impact of the work.

Environmental Justice Data Fund Advisory Board

  • Rosemary Enobakhare

    Deputy Chief of Staff for Strategy, Policy, and Strategic Engagement (US Environmental Protection Agency)

  • Dr. Na’Taki Osborne Jelks

    Co-Founder (West Atlanta Watershed Alliance); Assistant Professor of Environmental and Health Sciences (Spelman College)

  • Dana Johnson

    Senior Director of Strategy and Federal Policy (WE ACT for Environmental Justice)

  • Karla Palmer

    Manager of AI for Social Good & Sustainability (Google.org)

  • Dr. Kyle Whyte

    George Willis Pack Professor; University Diversity & Social Transformation Professor; Professor of Philosophy (University of Michigan School of Environment and Sustainability)

Important Dates

July 1: EJDF launches the RFP to the public

August 30: EJDF closes the RFP

September - October: Advisory Board reviews proposals

November: Grantees are selected and notified

December: Funds are disbursed to grantees

Click HERE to submit a proposal for the 2024 EJ Data Fund.

Please reach out to the EJDF team at ejdatafund@windwardfund.org with any questions.

With funding from