The program, Connecting Communities, will support SGC grantees and unawarded applicants in accessing federal funding and demonstrate proven strategies to advance community climate leadership.
SACRAMENTO– The California Strategic Growth Council (SGC) today announced the start of a new program, Connecting Communities, to help local partners statewide access historic federal funding made available through the Inflation Reduction Act.
The new program will support SGC’s current grantees and unawarded applicants with grant writing assistance and other tailored resources as applications are anticipated to open for the US EPA’s Environmental and Climate Justice Block Grants in the coming weeks.
- The new program will offer SGC’s existing grantees and unawarded applicants technical assistance through Horne Consulting to support a vast array of community-driven priorities, including extreme heat mitigation, workforce development, and other climate resilience projects eligible for funding through US EPA’s grant funding under the Inflation Reduction Act.
- The aim of the program is to accelerate community-led climate projects statewide and demonstrate best practices in centering communities burdened by pollution and other structural harm.
- The program also aims to advance strategic collaborations with the philanthropy sector and other private funding sources to further enhance investment into underserved communities across the state.
“We’re thrilled to launch the Connecting Communities program to support SGC’s grantees and applicants in accessing historic federal funding opportunities like EPA’s Environmental and Climate Justice Grant,” said Lynn von Koch-Leibert, Executive Director of the California Strategic Growth Council. “Our communities in California are leading the way in developing equitable climate solutions. Unlocking federal investment through this novel State program will help us go further and faster in bringing these community-led visions to life.”
Established in 2008, SGC has to date invested nearly all its local funding – totaling over $4 billion – into California’s Priority Populations and Disadvantaged Communities. Many of SGC’s programs, including Transformative Climate Communities, have become models for community-centered climate-focused block grant investments and have relevance nationally as hundreds of programs are directed to equitably invest in disadvantaged communities through President Biden’s Justice40 Initiative.
Media Contact
Agustin Arreola, 279-386-2183
agustin.arreola@opr.ca.gov
About the California Strategic Growth Council
The California Strategic Growth Council (SGC) is a 10-member council comprised of seven State agencies and three public members with the mission to build healthy, thriving, and resilient communities for all. Funded through California’s Cap and Trade system and the California General Fund, SGC’s grant programs, strategic initiatives, and interagency coordination focus on multi-benefit and community-centric solutions at the nexus of climate and equity. Since 2008, SGC has invested over $4 billion in projects strengthening communities and addressing climate change.