Sunflower Foundation’s Post

March 13: Tomorrow, don't miss out on Jesse Van Tol’s webinar discussing the upcoming changes to the Community Reinvestment Act. Discover how these adjustments aim to boost wealth-building in low-income communities and gain insights on aligning investments for a broader community impact. https://hubs.ly/Q02n_x2R0

Attention nonprofits and Tribal organizations in Montana, Utah, Wyoming, North Dakota, South Dakota and Colorado. Applications are now open for environmental justice related projects in Region 8. Visit https://mapejgrants.org to get details on applying for grants ranging from $75,000-$350,000, to assess, plan or implement environmental or climate-related programs or activities in your community. Local governments and higher education institutions are also eligible. Applications close on December 12, 2024. Technical assistance is available. #mapejgrants #environmentalgrants #climatechangegrants #nonprofitgrants #tribalgrants

💥 I’m From Chicago’s South Side. Let’s Talk About It. 💥 46.6% poverty. 36% food insecurity. $18,000 median income. That’s Englewood—my home. Here’s the truth: Illinois has over 569,000 nonprofit jobs, but most food programs rely on volunteers. Meanwhile, neighborhoods like mine? No wealth-building. No innovation. No equity. When I started Dion's Chicago Dream, I thought I was fighting hunger. 🥊 But I realized hunger wasn’t the root—it was the symptom. So, I shifted my focus: To evolve nonprofit food business practices. To fight for health equity. To build systems of opportunity for communities like mine. Because the Englewood’s in every city deserve more than survival—they deserve to thrive. And I won’t stop until it does. ✌️🌟 – Chief Dreamer #Englewood #FoodEquity #HealthEquity #DreamBig #InnovationForAll #ChiefDreamer #story #Journey

Could the revitalization of brownfields unlock new possibilities for our communities? 🌍 Weston & Sampson's Cassie Bethoney, RLA, addresses this topic in her article, Chicopee’s Willimansett Brownfields Area-Wide Plan: How Brownfields Can Become Catalysts for Neighborhood Reinvestment. The piece highlights how Chicopee, Massachusetts is transforming its industrial past into a brighter future, turning underutilized spaces into thriving community assets. Learn more about the strategies driving reinvestment and renewal in the Willimansett neighborhood by reading the full article here: 🔗https://ow.ly/7iE050TOmas #BrownfieldRedevelopment #NeighborhoodReinvestment #UrbanDevelopment #Sustainability

👥 In this new opinion piece, Julie Young, CEO of Argyll & The Isles Coast & Countryside Trust (ACT) showcases how their work and key funders like the #DraxFoundation are helping to make a difference. 🌍 💬 "With this funding, we look to build on our success in 2023, supporting more learners and educators, and working with key partners to firmly establish the benefits of learning in the natural settings of Argyll and Bute." 🌿 Read more here. ➡️ https://lnkd.in/ggNGgFEu

EJ - A new way to frame an age-old concept. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Whatever you do unto the least of my brethren... Not difficult concepts to grasp and concepts we can all agree upon. Environmental Justice is simply a framework within which we can live up to that paradigm. Perhaps "simply" is not the right word; that's because identifying, defining, and managing environmental impacts within a complex world full of billions of people is anything but simple. EJ is often viewed as the new elephant in the room. So... how do you eat an elephant? Here's a link to an article that introduces a step-wise process for understanding and addressing that elephant in bite-size chunks and turning it to our societal advantage. The alternative being a very angry elephant that could easily consume your project, organization, and the community you are trying to serve. Enjoy! https://lnkd.in/em-MUp7c

AFF has been awarded a $5 million dollar grant from the USDA IRA funding to be used to reach historically underserved and underrepresented rural communities in the states of Alabama, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee. We are so excited to unlock access into the VCM through the Family Forest Carbon Program, stimulating local economies and providing essential financial support to family forest owners Link to read more in the comments. #NaturalClimateSolutions #VoluntaryCarbonMarket #FamilyForestOwners

From our friends at Nonprofit Quarterly "Making Land Back a Reality: An Urban Indigenous Land Trust Rises in California," featuring the Sogorea Te Land Trust As Corrina Gould states," I think Land Back at this stage is an international movement. We have heard of people giving land back to the Aboriginal movement in Australia. There’s a time when things change in the world. There is consciousness that is built. And it kind of takes off from there." At BLIS, we are committed to growing and supporting the movements for reparations, Land Back, and other transformative social movements. We believe in the power of collective action, narrative change, and the crucial role each individual's contributions play in these larger efforts. However, we recognize that movement participation must go beyond just belief in the movement -- it demands active engagement. This year, we are conducting research to understand the barriers to achieving what we call "Ocean Deep" solidarity and active engagement in transformative movements. From there, as an organization, we'll help movements overcome these barriers. https://lnkd.in/gkX_hSzw

Looking for funding to support your #airquality monitoring projects? Take a look at the #EPA's most recent awards announcement and take advantage of the #TELLUS grant writing team if you would like assistance! #airqualitymatters #funding #EnvironmentalJustice

❓🌳❓ Is action needed to guide #NaturalCapital market development and investor interest to include more of a focus on outcomes for people and places? We recently partnered with Tamara Giltsoff to convene a roundtable discussion and unpack this question with stakeholders in the natural capital market including institutional investors, farmers, wildlife trusts, public sector bodies and philanthropic funders. This paper captures key themes and recommendations emerging from that conversation - and an opportunity to get involved! 🔗 https://lnkd.in/gzF-SNvX #PlaceBased #ImpactInvesting #PBII #GreenFinance #NatureBased #NatureBasedInvesting #GoodEconomy