EJ4Climate: Environmental Justice and Climate Resilience
Canada
Funding for community projects advancing climate resilience.
grant_single|update March 14, 2025
grant_single_labels|summary
grant_single|eligibleFinancing
- grant_single|maxCount
- grant_single|projectCostPercent
grant_single|deadlines
- grant_single|timelineUnspecified
grant_single|financingType
Grant and Funding
grant_single|eligibleIndustries
- Educational services
grant_single|grantors
- Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC)
grant_single|status
grant_card_status|open
grant_single_labels|preview
The EJ4Climate Grant Program provides funding up to $175,000 CAD for projects designed to empower underserved and Indigenous communities in Canada, Mexico, and the United States, enhancing their resilience to climate-related impacts. Eligible activities include community-led education initiatives focused on environmental justice and climate adaptation.
grant_single_labels|terms_and_conditions
- Funding amount available is up to 175,000 Canadian dollars, with no minimum grant amount.
- Project duration should range between 12 to 24 months.
- Disbursement of grant funds is contingent upon the submission of progress reports and financial statements.
- Eligible use of funding includes salaries and benefits, equipment and supplies, travel (capped at 15% of the total grant amount), consultant services, and overhead costs (also capped at 15%).
- Activities must conclude in tangible and measurable results at the community level within the project timeframe.
- The budget must be detailed in Canadian dollars, using a provided worksheet template; budgets in other currencies are not accepted.
- A funding agreement with the CEC must be entered into before any funds are disbursed.
grant_single_labels|projects
- Community-led education programs to increase environmental justice and climate adaptation knowledge.
- Integration of programs that enhance environmental awareness and skills necessary to address climate change.
- Projects involving community participation in decision-making processes related to climate resilience.
- Initiatives that empower communities with the knowledge to transform local knowledge into innovative solutions.
- Projects that aim to build climate resilience in vulnerable and underserved communities.
- Efforts that incorporate community leadership in educational activities related to climate change adaptation.
grant_single|admissibleProjectsExample
$ 150,000
Developing a solar-powered energy farm for rural areas
grant_single_labels|admissibility
- The organization must be located in Canada, Mexico, or the United States, and project implementation must take place within North America.
- Eligible entities include: nonprofit and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), civil society groups, environmental groups, community-based associations, faith-based organizations, tribal nations, and Indigenous Peoples and communities.
- Universities and academic institutions are not eligible to apply but can partner with community-based organizations as community partners.
- Proposals from qualified organizations that partner with the private sector or local government entities are eligible.
- The project must have a duration of 12 to 24 months.
- Each organization can submit a maximum of one proposal per country, allowing for up to three projects located in different countries.
- Applicants cannot currently be under another CEC grant agreement (EJ4Climate or NAPECA).
- Applicants cannot be receiving or applying for funding from Environment and Climate Change Canada for the same project.
- Employees or officers of the applicant organization cannot be immediate family members of an official from the Parties to the Agreement on Environmental Cooperation (ECA) or the CEC Secretariat within the past year.
grant_eligibility_criteria|who_can_apply
- Nonprofit and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs)
- Civil society groups
- Environmental groups
- Community-based associations
- Faith-based organizations
- Tribal nations
- Indigenous Peoples and communities
grant_eligibility_criteria|who_cannot_apply
- Businesses
- Private individuals
- Universities, academic and public research institutions
- Municipal, provincial/state, territorial, and federal governments
- Organizations or projects currently receiving or applying for funding from Environment and Climate Change Canada for the same project
grant_eligibility_criteria|eligible_expenses
- Salaries and benefits.
- Equipment and supplies.
- Travel expenses (limited to a maximum of 15% of the total grant amount).
- Consultant services (if applicable).
- Overhead (administrative costs such as rent, telephone, fax, and photocopies, limited to a maximum of 15% of the total grant amount).
- Other project-related costs.
grant_eligibility_criteria|zone
- Organizations located in Canada.
- Entities within Mexico.
- Communities in the United States.
grant_single_labels|criteria
- Addressing the priority areas outlined by the CEC in the call for proposals.
- Organizational capacity or plans to strengthen it, supplemented with other elements/resources to achieve enduring impact post-funding.
- Having a solid and clear implementation plan, involving community leaders and stakeholders, with a detailed list of measures, beneficiaries, objectives, budget, and concrete and measurable outcomes at the community level within the specified timeframe.
- The potential of the project to serve as a model or be replicated in other regions or communities.
- Establishment of partnerships, collaborations, or formal/informal links with relevant stakeholders, including different levels of government, local or Indigenous communities, academic sectors, young people, NGOs, or the private sector to tackle the challenges highlighted by the communities.
- Incorporation of community-led education programs to enhance climate adaptation knowledge.
- Significant benefits to underserved, vulnerable, and/or Indigenous communities, including active involvement in project design (proposal writing), planning, implementation, and output evaluation.
- Reduction of disproportionate adverse effects on human health, the environment, and the climate, as well as other cumulative effects attributable to industrial, governmental, commercial, or other activities affecting underserved communities.
- Enhancements to protect human health and the environment, increase sustainability, and resilience of communities and ecosystems against climate change impacts.
- Alignment with the CEC Strategic Plan for 2021 to 2025.
- Promotion of measures and policies that create synergies between climate change mitigation and adaptation, contributing to the achievement of the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
- Identification of opportunities to address climate change from a gender and intercultural perspective and encouraging youth engagement.
grant_single_labels|register
- Step 1: Preliminary RegistrationCreate an account on the online application portal at the provided URL.
- Step 2: Prepare ApplicationInclude coordinator's contact details such as name, phone number, and email.
- Provide organization details like name, address, and social media links.
- Develop a project title (maximum 15 words), objectives, and expected outcomes detailing specific climate change impacts and relevant environmental justice issues.
- Prepare a budget request in Canadian dollars using the provided worksheet template, ensuring a clear breakdown, especially considering expenses like salaries, supplies, and travel.
- Outline the project's duration and location.
- Identify project beneficiaries and provide a quantitative estimate of the population impacted.
- Detail a comprehensive work plan with objectives, measurable outcomes, stakeholders, and budget.
- List partnerships, including organizations contributing to the project.
- Document other funding sources and potential opportunities for additional resources.
- Describe innovative methods that differentiate this project from similar efforts.
- Explain how the project could be replicated or scaled in other communities.
- Discuss the sustainability of the project post-grant funding.
- Provide a brief summary of the applicant organization's mission.
- Upload nonprofit certification of the applicant organization or identify a fiscal sponsor if necessary.
- If not part of the community where the project will occur, provide a letter of support from a local representative.
- Print, sign, and upload the Declaration of Acceptance of Impartiality and Independence.
- Step 3: Submit ApplicationComplete the online form and upload all required documents on the portal.
- Review the application thoroughly for completeness and accuracy.
- Submit the application by the deadline of 14 November 2024 at 5:00 p.m. EST.
- Step 4: Confirmation of SubmissionReceive a confirmation email post-submission to confirm receipt of your application.
- Save the confirmation email for your records.
grant_single_labels|otherInfo
- The EJ4Climate Grant Program specifically encourages projects that incorporate community-led education programs to promote environmental justice and climate adaptation knowledge.
- The program provides funding for a range of activities including salaries, equipment, travel, and consultant services, with certain caps on travel and overhead expenses.
- While matching or counterpart funding is not required, applicants are encouraged to disclose other financial support in their application.
- A representative from the community must provide a letter of support if the applying organization is external to the community where the project activities will be conducted.
- Funding decisions are made with an intent to achieve balanced representation among Canada, Mexico, and the United States.
- Successful applicants must submit a progress report and a final report detailing financial expenditures and project outcomes.
- The program is highly competitive, with about 300 applications received each cycle and only 10 to 15 projects funded.
- The EJ4Climate Grant Program emphasizes meaningful community engagement and impactful, tangible outcomes.
- Applicants will be notified of selection decisions via email, and it is important to check spam folders if notifications are not received by the expected date.
grant_single_labels|contact
ej4climate@cec.org
