Suggested 6-Step Application Process for EPA’s Community Change Grants

EPA’s Environmental and Climate Justice Community Change Grants program (Community Change Grants) will invest approximately $2 billion dollars in Inflation Reduction Act funds in environmental and climate justice activities to benefit disadvantaged communities through projects that reduce pollution, increase community climate resilience, and build community capacity to respond to environmental and climate justice challenges.

To help applicants, EPN has created a suggested 6-step application process for Track I and Track II—including a suggested timeline—for this opportunity. Please note: As of September 1, 2024, EPN will only provide Community Change Grants technical assistance to organizations or entities that have an advanced draft proposal and are looking to strengthen their application or seek draft review. Organizations who are earlier in their application process are welcome to review all of our resources through the links below.

Suggested 6-Step Community Change Grant Track I Application Process

Suggested 6-Step Community Change Grant Track II Application Process

*Special thanks to Jaimie Lewis and staff at Anese & Associates for creating elements of the Track I Checklist, including the Track I and Track II Project Narrative samples. Thanks also to EnDyna for their EPA-approved resources, the Southern Economic Advancement Project (SEAP) in partnership with GrantScribes for their Federal Grant Readiness Checklist and Decision Tree. The Resources also include links to publicly available tools, webinars, information, and instructions from EPA’s Office of Environmental Justice and External Civil Rights.