00I50002

**Description:** This agreement provides funding under the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) to JSI Research and Training Institute.

The recipient is the regional grantmaker for Region 8 JSI.

Together with their partners, they propose to establish the Mountains and Plains Environmental Justice Grants Hub ('MAP EJ Grants Hub') as the Region 8 Thriving Communities Grantmaker, acting as a pass-through entity to provide $40 million in grant funds via subawards to community-based nonprofit organizations and other eligible subrecipient groups representing underserved and disadvantaged communities in Region 8.

In addition, $2 million will be used to achieve measurable environmental, public health, and quality of life improvements in the most overburdened, vulnerable, and underserved communities by co-designing an equitable and inclusive grantmaking application and participatory governance scoring process, engaging in robust, diverse, and culturally responsive outreach to communities across Region 8, implementing subgrant management that reduces the burden on subgrantees, and engaging in monitoring, evaluation, and reporting that ensures the integrity, compliance, and impact of the program.

The purpose of this award is to fund the subsequent award for the pass-through entity JSI Research and Training Institute.

**Activities:** The activities in the subsequent award phase include the distribution of $40 million in subawards to eligible entities serving disadvantaged communities throughout Region 8.

Eligible entities include the following: nonprofit organizations, tribal governments (both federally recognized and state-recognized) and intertribal consortia, local governments, institutions of higher education, and Native American organizations.

Additional activities include the management, reporting, and closeout of subawards in accordance with EPA and other federal regulations and policies.

Details of activities are specified below:

- Funds disbursement and management
- Support and technical oversight to subgrantees
- Monitoring and reporting for subgrants

Prior to the drawdown of funds of this award, the following milestones will have had to be met and acknowledged by the project officer:

- Award 1 workplan negotiation completed
- Quality management plan
- Conflict of interest policy
- Develop draft performance measurement and monitoring plan; update on an annual basis
- Confirm additional statutory partnerships
- Finalize all letters of commitment and participatory governance checklist
- Collaborative procurement process for contractors (translation/interpretation services, 508 accessibility services, etc.)
- Applications drafted (considering different processes for Tier 1 and Tier 2/3 applications)
- Determine process for TCTAC and national TCGM referrals
- Complete information gathering for landscape analyses (multiple ones depending on each state/tribe)
- Build external website/social media presence (WordPress website)
- Build and launch project management database (Salesforce), tracking and reporting system
- Develop grants management toolkit
- Develop and implement language access plan (digital, print materials, spoken needs)
- Create materials: pre-application FAQs, application guides, QAPP template, grants management toolkit, etc.
- Initial dissemination of materials
- Launch website, online presence, social media campaigns for outreach, guidance for success stories (WordPress website)
- Design plan and implementation of initial traditional media outreach (Mailchimp and others)
- Design plan for and begin outreach and 'in-reach' to EJ organizations, communities, and potential subgrantee sectors/agencies (occupational, healthcare, transportation, etc.)
- Determine process for scoring with MAP EJ Council

**Subrecipient:** The activities in the subsequent award phase include the D

JSI Research & Training Institute

2 - TAKE DECISIVE ACTION TO ADVANCE ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE AND CIVIL RIGHTS 2.1 - PROMOTE ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE AND CIVIL RIGHTS AT THE FEDERAL, TRIBAL, STATE, AND LOCAL LEVELS 5 - ENSURE CLEAN AND SAFE WATER FOR ALL COMMUNITIES 5.2 - PROTECT AND RESTORE WATERBODIES AND WATERSHEDS 5 - ENSURE CLEAN AND SAFE WATER FOR ALL COMMUNITIES 5.2 - PROTECT AND RESTORE WATERBODIES AND WATERSHEDS 3 - ENFORCE ENVIRONMENTAL LAWS AND ENSURE COMPLIANCE 3.1 - HOLD ENVIRONMENTAL VIOLATORS AND RESPONSIBLE PARTIES ACCOUNTABLE 6 - SAFEGUARD AND REVITALIZE COMMUNITIES 6.1 - CLEAN UP AND RESTORE LAND FOR PRODUCTIVE USES AND HEALTHY COMMUNITIES 1 - TACKLE THE CLIMATE CRISIS 1.1 - REDUCE EMISSIONS THAT CAUSE CLIMATE CHANGE 5 - ENSURE CLEAN AND SAFE WATER FOR ALL COMMUNITIES 5.1 - ENSURE SAFE DRINKING WATER AND RELIABLE WATER INFRASTRUCTURE 5 - ENSURE CLEAN AND SAFE WATER FOR ALL COMMUNITIES 5.2 - PROTECT AND RESTORE WATERBODIES AND WATERSHEDS 0 - COMMITMENT NOTICE GOALS 0.0 - COMMITMENT NOTICE OBJECTIVES 2 - TAKE DECISIVE ACTION TO ADVANCE ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE AND CIVIL RIGHTS 2.1 - PROMOTE ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE AND CIVIL RIGHTS AT THE FEDERAL, TRIBAL, STATE, AND LOCAL LEVELS 2 - TAKE DECISIVE ACTION TO ADVANCE ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE AND CIVIL RIGHTS 2.1 - PROMOTE ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE AND CIVIL RIGHTS AT THE FEDERAL, TRIBAL, STATE, AND LOCAL LEVELS 2 - TAKE DECISIVE ACTION TO ADVANCE ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE AND CIVIL RIGHTS 2.1 - PROMOTE ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE AND CIVIL RIGHTS AT THE FEDERAL, TRIBAL, STATE, AND LOCAL LEVELS 2 - TAKE DECISIVE ACTION TO ADVANCE ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE AND CIVIL RIGHTS 2.1 - PROMOTE ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE AND CIVIL RIGHTS AT THE FEDERAL, TRIBAL, STATE, AND LOCAL LEVELS 2 - TAKE DECISIVE ACTION TO ADVANCE ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE AND CIVIL RIGHTS 2.2 - EMBED ENVIRONMENTA

66.615 - Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Grantmaking Program (EJ TCGM)

EPA Region 8: Denver [EPA - RO]

Colorado United States

State-Wide

Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Grantmaking Program (EJ TCGM) (EPA-R-OEJECR-OCS-23-03)

Termination This cooperative agreement was reported as terminated by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) in July 2025. See All
Amendment Since initial award the End Date has been shortened from 12/31/27 to 05/02/25 and the total obligations have increased 24% from $42,000,000 to $52,000,000.