Meet the 3rd cohort of change-makers in the Justice40 Accelerator

Grassroots groups advancing climate justice solutions deserve our help growing their resources so they can keep up the good work! Since its inception in 2021, the Justice40 Accelerator has been helping frontline groups better navigate the government funding process. Through the program, over 100 grassroots climate and environmental justice organizations have secured $39 million of public funding to advance their climate work. Just within this last week, cohort members won an additional $4 million, bringing us to a grand total of funneling $43 million in public support to community-led climate solutions. And now, we are thrilled to announce the 2023 cohort of the Justice40 Accelerator!

The 50 community-based and community-led organizations will receive in-depth training on public grant requirements, gain insights into best practices for submitting federal project proposals, and enjoy direct access to technical assistance. One of the program’s greatest benefits is the opportunity to join our learning community of climate justice organizers advancing solutions. Together, we share experiences, collaborate, and grow as a collective force for change. Additionally, each cohort member is awarded a $25,000 unrestricted grant to support their participation in the program, along with a $2,500 technology stipend and a $15,000 budget for custom technical assistance. Here are a few of the new cohort members launching innovative solutions in critical areas, like clean water, training and workforce development, food security, climate resilience, and more.

Amistades is a Latino-led, Latino-serving non-profit committed to race and equity issues in Southern Arizona through the provision of culturally responsive services, advocacy for social justice, and community empowerment. As a member of the Justice40 Accelerator, they seek to expand on their 15-year track record of successful community programming with the Justicia Juntos (Justice Together) initiative. The project seeks to increase heat resiliency in Latino neighborhoods on the frontlines of environmental racism. Justicia Juntos includes educational programming, building an emergency response coalition, and the construction of two climate resiliency hubs.

The Baltimore Green Justice Workers Cooperative (BGJWC) is a newly designated nonprofit with deep roots in the Baltimore African-American community. Their Green Jobs Academy is preparing the community to capitalize on opportunities in the burgeoning green job industry. As a member of the 2023 cohort, BGJWC will pilot an Offshore Wind Workforce Development Training Program to equip students with the skills necessary to work in one of the fastest-growing renewable energy career fields.

The Center for Energy Education is Eastern North Carolina’s hub for the renewable energy industry, a hands-on training ground for solar installations, a destination for students and families to learn about renewable energy, and a training facility that provides the knowledge and skills needed to pursue a career in the growing renewable energy industry. The nonprofit is now focusing on educating and training residents on microgrids, agrivoltaics, electrical energy storage, and legacy solar farm migration. As a member of the Justice40 Accelerator, the Center for Energy Education seeks public funding to develop the Lab for Workforce Development in Solar Renewable Energy to grow the clean energy workforce in Eastern North Carolina.

As a member of the 2023 cohort, Thunder Valley Community Development Corporation aims to establish a reservation-wide climate resiliency team called “Uŋčí Makȟá kiŋ nakíčižiŋ po/pe” (Standing up for Mother Earth). This team will be made up of tribal stakeholders, including housing, transportation, water, and sewer departments; environmental protection agencies; grassroots community members; and tribal council members —  all committed to creating a strategic plan for reducing emissions over seven years. Goals include updating tribal environmental codes, addressing water rights and tribal water codes, improving waste disposal systems, implementing electrical transportation systems across the Oglala Sioux’s nine districts, building solar and wind farms, and educating the community about climate change.

In 1972, Sylvia Seigel was tired of her electric bills going up and started to look into why. She founded The Utility Reform Network (TURN) and began a 50-year journey into consumer advocacy and securing governmental transparency for all Californians. TURN is seeking public funding to support its newest initiative, Charging Faith. The project promotes electric vehicle (EV) adoption in Black communities in the East Bay region and San Gabriel Valley of California with the aim of mobilizing Black clergy to educate congregations about cost-effective EVs and financial incentives, and to track EV ownership in these communities. The ultimate goal is to transform Black churches into climate action leadership centers, offering backup batteries during power outages and supporting community solar panel installations.

Learn more about these organizations and about all of the projects in the 3rd cohort of the Justice40 Accelerator at https://justice40accelerator.org/cohorts/.