Announcing the MWEJN 2021 Small Grants Program

We are pleased to announce a new round of grants made possible with generous funding from the Franciscan Sisters of Mary, Garfield Foundation, Joyce Foundation, McKnight Foundation, and the Overbrook Foundation.

Please submit this brief form to apply (and share this announcement with your networks) for our fifth round of grants which will support:

• Grassroots organizing or education efforts related to water, air, food, health, energy and climate change,

• Partnerships between two or more Midwestern groups working on shared Environmental Justice issues,

• Projects or programs related to water, air, food, health, energy and climate change, and/or,

• Participation in local, state, regional, and national policy efforts to advance EJ priorities.

Grant Amount: up to $20,000
Request for Information Deadline: June 15, 2021

Our grant program is open to frontline groups who prioritize EJ efforts and are based in at least one of the following states: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, or Wisconsin. MWEJN acknowledges these state boundaries are part of a colonial genocidal system that forcibly removed Indigenous peoples, as well as continues to harm Indigenous people and communities. MWEJN commits at least 25% of grant funds to Indigenous communities working in this region.

By submitting this online Request for Information (RFI) form, you are conveying your interest in being considered for a grant in 2021 and being added to the MWEJN mailing list. (A copy of the RFI questions is available in PDF format HERE. Please note, this document is only for review purposes. All submissions must be sent via the online RFI Form. If this presents a barrier to your application, please email Jumana Vasi jvasi@mwejn.org who can provide technical assistance.)

Please see the FAQ section below for more information. And please forward this email to your networks and with others who might be interested in applying. We'd like to reach all EJ groups in the Midwest.

The Midwest Environmental Justice Network focuses on building the capacity of frontline, grassroots organizations, including Indigenous-led and tribal initiatives, to lead the movement for Environmental Justice (EJ) related to water, air, food, health, energy and climate change. MWEJN was founded by three organizations: Center for Earth, Energy and Democracy (CEED) based in Minneapolis, MN; East Michigan Environmental Action Council (EMEAC) based in Detroit, MI; and the Little Village Environmental Justice Organization (LVEJO) based in Chicago, IL.You can read more about us at www.mwejn.org.

Finally, thanks again to all who participated in previous years’ RFI processes. You can download a pdf snapshot of the region’s EJ efforts that we compiled from the data we collected on our website. This shows the scale and priorities of EJ work happening in our region. We look forward to compiling this information on a regular basis as a way to build increased awareness, understanding, and support for EJ in our region.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is Eligible to Apply?
 
Our grant program is open to frontline groups who prioritize EJ efforts and are based in at least one of the following states: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, or Wisconsin. MWEJN acknowledges these state boundaries are part of a colonial genocidal system that forcibly removed Indigenous peoples, as well as continues to harm Indigenous people and communities.  MWEJN commits at least 25% of grant funds to Indigenous communities working in this region. 

MWEJN's regrant program seeks to support organizations that are:

• Led, and staffed, by a majority of individuals from frontline communities;
• Rooted in, and accountable to, communities of color, low-income communities, and Native Nations and Indigenous groups who are most directly impacted by the issues being addressed;
• Committed to building local power and leadership to influence all levels of decisions that affect their communities; and,
• Seek liberation and power for their communities.

How does my organization or group apply for funding?
 
Organizations/Groups should complete the Request For Information form to convey your interest in being considered for a possible grant in 2021.  [Please note: only one RFI form per organization/group will be reviewed.] MWEJN will select up to 20 organizations that submit a Request for Information form and invite them to submit a full proposal. 
 
Can I submit a full proposal, instead of an RFI?  I’d like to provide more information (so you can fully understand why my group deserves grant funding!).
 
Considering that grassroots leaders are often overworked and underpaid - we are trying to minimize the effort needed to apply for this grant.  To make sure we treat everyone fairly, only RFIs will be reviewed at this time. No other materials will be considered.
 
I have never used a QuestionPro survey before.  How does it work?
 
Simply click on this link and you will be taken to the survey form.  All required questions (noted by a red asterisk) must be answered before you can submit the form, via the "Submit" button at the bottom. All required questions (noted by a red asterisk) must be answered before you can submit the form, via the "Submit" button at the bottom. You will be allowed to save and edit your responses before submitting the form.
 
A pdf of the RFI is available here for your review.  We highly recommend that you review the questions and write out your responses in a Word document first. Then cut and paste each answer into the survey when you are ready.


What are the criteria for selecting grant recipients?
 
We will be evaluating RFIs to identify organizations and groups who are doing urgent and important work in their communities to address or prevent environmental justice situations.  As noted above, we are looking to support efforts related to  water, air, food, health, energy and climate change.. We will be reviewing RFIs for evidence of deep connections with local communities and effective organizing and/or campaign strategies.  
 
The review team (made up of representatives of several EJ groups) will prioritize groups that are active in regional or national efforts and are helping to increase the visibility of EJ efforts and building power through collaboration and cooperation.
 
When will funding be received?
 
MWEJN is working to ensure that funding arrives by the end of September 2021.
 
If I have questions, who should I contact?
 
Please contact Jumana Vasi: jvasi@mwejn.com, MWEJN Advisor.  She will be glad to answer technical questions about the process and help troubleshoot any problems you might encounter.  She will not be able to give advice on how to answer the RFI questions or offer any additional insights into the review process, in order to be fair to all applicants.