The Office of Sustainability and Environment (OSE) is celebrating seven years of funding community climate projects through Seattle’s Environmental Justice (EJ) Fund! Today, we gathered with more than 100 EJ Fund awardees and partners and Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell to release the program’s 5-Year Impact Report.
The Impact Report revealed that Seattle awarded more than $2.6 million to 43 groups for 53 total community-led climate projects in the program’s first 5 years. In that time, community groups requested $10.7 million from the Fund to support their projects, ranging from sharing climate stories through arts and writing, to boots-on-the-ground (or in the mud) environmental restoration work.
More community groups apply for Seattle’s EJ Fund every year. Thanks to additional funding from Seattle’s Green New Deal initiative in 2020 and positive community feedback, the City more than doubled the amount of EJ Fund grants available, increasing the number of awardees by 44%, in the program’s first five years.
“It is imperative, not optional, that we invest in communities impacted the most by environmental injustices, especially in light of the federal government’s disinvestments and opposition to climate action,” Mayor Bruce Harrell said. “The City is proud of the impact that the Environmental Justice Fund has had in our frontline communities over the last 7 years, and we will continue to partner with organizations that are fighting for our planet, our city, and each other.”
Seven years ago, Seattle established the EJ Fund as part of the City’s Equity & Environment Agenda (funded by Seattle’s Payroll Expense Tax). The EJ Fund is designed to protect and strengthen communities hit first and worst by climate change, extreme weather, and environmental inequities — including Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC), immigrants, refugees, youth, elders, and low-income residents.
Seattle invests in Tribes and tribal organizations, nonprofits, and neighborhood groups with environmental projects that benefit overburdened people. This includes communities who have reduced access to greenspaces and outside activities, difficulty obtaining climate change preparedness and environmental information and resources, poor air quality, and much more. OSE is currently accepting applications for the 2025 EJ Fund grant cycle through June 3.
“This report celebrates the resilience, impact, and leadership of the communities we serve because at the core of our grantmaking is a belief that centering community, building trust, growing community leadership, and strengthening collaboration will yield the most sustainable and equitable solutions to the climate and environmental challenges we face,” OSE Interim Deputy Director Lylianna Allala said.
The EJ Fund supports groups before they apply and through the duration of their projects with guidance, technical support, and making connections with other awardees, funders, and City programs. In 2021, the EJ Fund awarded Basilica Bio’s gardening program to increase environmental justice education and knowledge. The grant came at a critical time for the organization.
The EJ Fund grant helped make Basilica Bio’s educational program more sustainable and allow for continued staff retention. At the end of the funding, they had capacity to expand and create new youth programming.
“Every time that we got to meet with EJ Fund staff, we were extremely energized and excited about the work that was happening…” Basilica Bio said. “We’re a small organization and we’re still early on. It was really great that we got reassurances, guidance, and connections that supported our work. I think that’s what community needs, like real support, not only financially.”
After receiving an EJ Fund grant in 2019, Key Tech Labs brought youth, neighbors, and local businesses together to build community automated gardens that can seed, water, and weed on their own. Youth learned how to build an agricultural robot and construct efficient greenhouses.
“I think the biggest impact was that [the EJ Fund was] one of our early-stage funders,” Key Tech Labs said. “I’m not sure we’d still be in existence without it because it wasn’t just the funding, it was also the support and the acknowledgement.”
The City of Seattle and the EJ Fund team at OSE are incredibly grateful to our awardees and partners over the last seven years, and we’re looking forward to continuing to invest in new and existing groups and projects in the years to come!
Read the 5-Year Impact Report Summary and get application details for the current grant cycle at seattle.gov/environment/EJfund. Follow OSE on social media for EJ Fund awardee highlights and storytelling.