Designing Justice40 Webinar Series - Part 1: Philanthropy’s Role in Ensuring Equitable Implementation of Federal Investments

The Biden Administration’s Justice40 Initiative states that 40 percent of certain federal investment benefits should flow to communities that are marginalized, underserved and overburdened by pollution. Funders have been asking how to put these goals into practice in real and tangible ways.

How can philanthropy help ensure that the federal investments tied to this initiative, notably infrastructure and climate resiliency dollars, effectively and equitably impact communities across the country? What specific and immediate strategies can be utilized and funded to not only shape near-term dollars but to institutionalize a Justice40 ethos that will shape public investments for generations to come?

Join The Funders Network for part one for this two-part series to learn from funders and community-based leaders about practical steps for advancing specific strategies that support equitable implementation of federal spending, such as the American Rescue Plan, Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and other climate-related investments that center equity, resilience, and community-developed solutions.

In this session, we will home in on the bread and butter of philanthropic investment for equitable implementation: building the capacity for Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and community-led organizations to both influence and leverage federal investments.

In addition to affirming the need for multi-year, unrestricted funding to frontline groups, we will explore the different ways that funders are supporting groups working on the ground, including through capacity-building intermediaries and organizations that facilitate the development of community-driven funding applications.

We will hear technical assistance providers and community-based partners that have benefited from this support and are now positioned to compete for these new funding streams. You will also hear how funders have leveraged national and regional intermediaries to support their place-based grantees.

Speakers:
Susana de Anda, Executive Director, Community Water Center and member of the Water Equity and Climate Resilience Caucus
Calandra Jones, Eco-D Coordinator, EcoWorks Detroit
Nathaniel Smith, Founder and Chief Equity Officer, Partnership for Southern Equity, an anchor organization for the Justice40 Accelerator
Emily Warren, Director, Land Conservation and Water Programs, Cynthia and George Mitchell Foundation (Moderator) 

This webinar series is co-sponsored by the Health and Environmental Funders Network, and the Council of Michigan Foundations. This is a funder-only webinar series. Please contact Kerry Hastings at [email protected] with any questions.