The Washington State Department of Health (DOH) is excited to announce the formation of a Community Advisory Committee to support and oversee the development of an Environmental Justice Community Participation Fund Grant program. The aim of this program is to award a $400,000 pass-through grant to a statewide community-based environmental justice organization for the creation of an Environmental Justice Community Participation Fund. This Fund will be used to allocate smaller funding amounts to community-based organizations around Washington state to support meaningful participation and engagement with the Environmental Justice Council and state agencies around the Healthy Environment for All (HEAL) Act.
DOH recognizes that community leadership is a core principle of environmental justice and is central to the intention and spirit of the HEAL Act. As such, DOH is seeking Community Advisory Committee members to co-develop the process for awarding funding, reviewing applications, and selecting a final awardee.
Community Advisory Committee members are expected to participate in the following activities and responsibilities:
Attend two orientation sessions (Tuesday, September 6 from 6-7:30pm and Tuesday, September 20 from 6-7:30pm).
If you are unable to attend the orientation sessions, you can meet one-on-one with DOH staff instead and participate in ONE of the following small groups:
- Small group 1: Review and edit the Request for Applications for the Environmental Justice Community Participation Grant [October]
- Small group 2: Develop criteria and weighting system for evaluating grant applications [October]
- Small group 3: Review proposals and select a grantee [November – December]
Community Advisory Committee members who participate as a small group member will receive a VISA gift card in the amount of $1000 for their time. The estimated time commitment for a Community Advisory Committee member is approximately 20 hours total between September and December 2022.
Those who meet the following criteria are encouraged to apply:
- Those who have deep relationships within communities experiencing the disproportionate effects of environmental pollution (including but not limited to communities in areas of high environmental pollutant exposure, unhoused communities, low-income communities, communities of color, communities on Tribal land, immigrant and refugee communities, and/or communities with a high rate of limited English proficiency); and
- Understanding of environmental justice issues faced by communities in Washington state; and
- Demonstrated experience and commitment to equitable and anti-racist community engagement
NOTE: Employees or representatives of organizations considering applying for the grant to develop and manage the Environmental Justice Community Participation Fund, or who may wish to access sub-grants from the Environmental Justice Community Participation Fund, are not eligible to participate as Community Advisory Committee members.
If interested, please apply here (English) (Español). Applications are due Sunday, August 21 at 9 p.m.
There will be an optional drop-in session for questions on Tuesday, August 16th from 6-7 p.m. over Zoom (register here).