Chicago Environmental Justice Fund

CFFI’s flagship program awards capacity-building grants to frontline EJ organizations active in the Chicago metropolitan region. Our funding supports EJ leaders in building healthy work environments, hiring key operations and leadership positions, paying interns, and providing healthcare and benefits to staff. Through CFFI funding, EJ organizations can build greater organizational capacity that will allow them to more effectively participate in local, city, state, and federal decision-making processes that impact their communities, while also preventing burnout among staff. In addition to funding, CFFI grantees can also access organizational development training, executive director coaching programs, and professional consulting services. To be eligible for funding through the Chicago Environmental Justice Fund, an organization must meet the following criteria:

• Geographically or identity-based

• Located in communities that are historically and systemically overburdened by pollution

• Values/Mission grounded in EJ principles

• Rooted, in, accountable to, & representative of local EJ communities of color, low-income communities, and tribal and Indigenous groups most impacted

• Works to build local power

• Is a 501c3 or fiscally sponsored project

CFFI’s Chicago Environmental Justice Fund offers donors a grassroots-led solution to long-standing funding disparities that have been prevalent in Midwest environmental philanthropy. According to a 2020 research report, less than 1% of total environmental grant dollars allocated in the Midwest were awarded to frontline EJ organizations. Acknowledging that several obstacles have prevented resources from flowing to grassroots groups, CFFI supports donors to become educated on EJ issues and perspectives and build working relationships with frontline leaders to strengthen the Chicago Environmental Justice ecosystem. 

For more information please contact: info@chicagofrontlines.org