Climate Justice for All Grantees Are Creating Change in their Communities

The Climate Reality Project began its Climate Justice For All grants program in 2020 with one big goal: to empower local organizations working in frontline communities.

The Climate Justice for All grant program (CJA grants) is an initiative that supports organizations or grassroots groups run by and primarily serving frontline communities in developing community solutions to environmental injustices in the US and Puerto Rico.

Selected organizations receive a one-time grant of up to $20,000, access to Climate Reality’s curated library of resources, and opportunities to help amplify and spread their message in partnership with Climate Reality and peer organizations.

Our 2022-23 cohort has done incredible work across the country. In Atlanta, one recipient – Girl + Environment – put the grant to work informing and empowering a cohort of Black and Brown women and non-binary individuals to become more aware of the impacts of energy burden.

To achieve this, they began by hosting a 12-week digital campaign on their Instagram and Facebook accounts to educate individuals on the importance of clean energy and the energy burden on low-income Black and Brown individuals.

The campaign reached more than 20,000 people.

Next, Girl + Environment, through the development of the Protecting Our Energy Cohort, selected 25 Black and Brown women and non-binary individuals to participate in a 3-month cohort to learn about and get engaged in Georgia energy policy.

Participants attended three two-hour in-person workshop sessions and received stipends for their participation. The sessions focused on understanding the Georgia Rate Case process, learning how to host a house meeting, and learning about the relationship between voter engagement and energy policy in Georgia and how to take meaningful action to prevent a proposed 12% rate increase.

The cohort spoke in front of the state Public Service Commission and advocated against the 12% increase of energy costs. The commission ultimately settled on a 4% raise – an 8% difference and a major savings for communities that need it the most.

According to Girl + Environment, “Having the opportunity to empower the very same individuals who are constantly disproportionately impacted by higher energy burdens and other environmental injustices, not only helps to shift resources and solutions provided for everyone but provides an opportunity for those who have been traditionally marginalized, ignored, and pushed away to share and take up space.”

After receiving an overwhelming amount of positive feedback from cohort participants, as well as individuals who participated in the initial digital campaign, Girl + Environment is looking to continue and potentially expand their campaign into a larger, longer project. Following the team’s post-project evaluation meeting, they decided to prioritize finding ways to intensify the current cohort’s engagement in energy justice and to increase engagement by recruiting more individuals.

That intensification starts by training the current cohort to be energy justice ambassadors, even more ready to spread the good word about justice across Atlanta.

The hope is to build a 6-month advocacy training program, where participants can use their newly found passion for energy justice to empower and mobilize more individuals in their communities to also stand up for energy justice.

Are You Next?

Are you part of a non-profit organization working to bring environmental justice to historically marginalized communities? Consider applying for our Climate Justice for All grants program now.

Our grant-making approach is based on working collaboratively with all grantees and building authentic relationships together. While we work closely with grantees to help them advance solutions, grantees are always in the driver’s seat. With flexibility, trust, and recognition of their expertise, we see organizations as working partners in the pursuit of an equitable and sustainable future for all.

Apply today.