We are excited to announce that 27 community-based organizations and tribal organizations have been selected by our community advisory committee to receive HEAL Act Community Capacity Grants. Grantees are expected to receive a total of $11.3 million.
The Healthy Environment or All (HEAL) Act was passed in 2021 to reduce environmental and health disparities and improve the health of all people in Washington state. This HEAL community capacity grant program focuses on building climate resilience and enhancing community-led decision making to advance environmental justice (EJ). This funding equips communities most impacted by environmental hazards with necessary resources needed to collaborate with state agencies on environmental health decisions. Those communities include (but are not limited to):
- Native Nations
- Urban natives
- Black and BIPOC communities
- Rural communities
- Youth
- Low income
- Unhoused
- Disabled
- LGBTQ+
- Other communities most vulnerable to climate impacts
The Legislature required the state Department of Health (DOH) to set this grant program based on the Environmental Justice Council (EJC) Climate Commitment Act (CCA) funding recommendations and budget priorities. This grant program is funded by the CCA, which creates a cap-and-invest program to limit carbon emissions.
Grantees were selected for two funding opportunities to support building capacity to engage in HEAL activities:
- Pass-through funding: Six community-based organizations will sub-grant funds to other community-based organizations working with overburdened communities and vulnerable populations across Washington state to support equitable community engagement and participation in HEAL activities. These organizations will work closely with each other and DOH staff to ensure accountability, transparency, and equity throughout the funding period and grant process. This work builds off the EJ Community Participation Fund developed in 2022.
- Project funding: Twenty-two organizations will complete projects that build organizational and community capacity to provide guidance and input to:
- Environmental Justice Council on implementation of the HEAL Act.
- Department of Health on updates to the Environmental Health Disparities Map.
- State agencies on implementation of the HEAL Act (including environmental justice assessments, budgeting and funding, community, and Tribal engagement).
This grant program is meant to reach overburdened communities across the state of Washington.
Related Links
The HEAL Act Community Capacity Grants is supported with funding from Washington’s Climate Commitment Act. The CCA supports Washington’s climate action efforts by putting cap-and-invest dollars to work reducing climate pollution, creating jobs, and improving public health. Information about the CCA is available at www.climate.wa.gov.
