Great Lakes Environmental Justice Grant Programs

The Great Lakes Environmental Justice Grant Programs were established to advance the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative in underserved communities across the Great Lakes region. Five awardees received more than 41 million dollars to develop and manage a subgrant competition to fund on-the-ground projects and support capacity building and project management with community partners. Each awardee will manage their own subgrant competition in coordination with EPA. 

Restore America’s Estuaries (RAE)

• RAE is a national organization dedicated to protecting estuaries and bays in order to support and improve environmental and RAE is a national organization dedicated to protecting estuaries and bays in order to support and improve environmental and community health.
• RAE received $19,999,976 to create grant and training programs which fund projects across the Great Lakes Basin. The Junction Coalition of Toledo, Ohio will act as RAE’s partner on this program and together they will work closely with community organizations on projects related to:
  • Habitat restoration
  • Invasive species management
  • Green infrastructure
  • Climate resilience
  • Nonpoint source pollution reduction
  • Educating the next generation on the Great Lakes Ecosystem
• RAE expects to release their first request for applications in spring 2025.  

More information can be found on RAE’s GLEJGP webpage or by contacting Jesús Sánchez (jsanchez@estuaries.org) or Lisette Perez (lperez@estuaries.org) 

Buffalo Niagara Waterkeeper

• Buffalo Niagara Waterkeeper (BNW) is an organization dedicated to protecting and restoring Western New York’s freshwater resources.
• BNW received $5,633,581 to increase community capacity implement their subgrant program within underserved areas in the Lake Erie and Niagara Watersheds of New York in partnership with the Community Foundation of Greater Buffalo, the Erie County Department of Environment and Planning and the Lake Erie Watershed Protection Alliance to achieve the following GLRI outcomes:
• Educating the next generation on the Great Lakes Ecosystem
• Invasive species control
• Habitat restoration and protection
• BNW has hosted a series of in-person and virtual listening sessions to help inform their program, with the final event scheduled for June 18^, 2025. At these events, Waterkeeper shared information about the goals of their program and received valuable input from the public on the types of projects that would provide the greatest benefit to communities and how they can design their program to better address the administrative burdens and challenges to applying for and managing federal grant funds.
• BNW expects to issue their first RFA in spring 2025.  

More information can be found on the Western New York Environmental Justice Grant Program webpage or by contacting Jarrett Steffen (jsteffen@bnwaterkeeper.org) 

Ohio Lake Erie Commission

• The Ohio Lake Erie Commission (OLEC) is an organization dedicated to protecting Lake Erie’s natural resources and improving and preserving water quality to benefit economic development and environmental health.
• OLEC received $5,805,006 to administer subawards across historically overburdened and underserved communities in Ohio’s Lake Erie watershed. OLEC’s partners are the Black Environmental Leaders Association and Rural Action. This partnership will administer projects which further GLRI outcomes in the following areas:
  • Habitat restoration
  • Green infrastructure
  • Aquatic connectivity
  • Educating the next generation on the Great Lakes Ecosystem
• OLEC plans to release their first request for applications January 17, 2025 and host a public webinar on February 6, 2025. 

More information contact lakeeriecommission@lakeerie.ohio.gov. 

Southeast Michigan Council of Governments

• The Southeast Michigan Council of Governments (SEMCOG) is an organization dedicated to local planning efforts through its use of intergovernmental resources to improve the Southeast Michigan’s water quality and other natural resources to benefit economic growth and development.
• With an award of $4,200,000, SEMCOG is partnering with experts from the Center for Watershed Protection to offer a subaward program for underserved local governments and counties in Southeast Michigan. These subawards will address the following areas:
  • Green infrastructure
  • Nonpoint source pollution reduction
  • Habitat restoration
• SEMCOG plans to share information about their program with the public through their “SEMCOG University” series in January 2025 and plans to issue their first request for applications in spring 2025.  

More information can be found by contacting Katherine Grantham (grantham@semcog.org) 

Alliance for the Great Lakes

• The Alliance for the Great Lakes (Alliance) is an organization dedicated protecting the Great Lakes water resources across the basin.
• The Alliance received $5,597,824 to administer subawards across historically overburdened and underserved communities in northeast Illinois and northwest Indiana. Their partners are Faith In Place, Calumet Collaborative, Friends of the Chicago River, Northwestern Indiana Regional Planning Commission (NIRPC). This partnership will administer projects which further GLRI outcomes in the following areas:
  • Invasive species control
  • Habitat restoration
  • Green infrastructure
  • Educating the next generation on the Great Lakes Ecosystem
• The Alliance expects to issue their first request for applications in summer 2025.  

More information can be found by contacting Angela Larsen (alarsen@greatlakes.org) or Ashley Brummel (abrummel@greatlakes.org)