Climate First Bank is a full-service bank with a laser focus on environmental sustainability and doing good. In 2021 we launched with one purpose: to create a Bank that centers the planet, people, and profit. This guiding principle has fueled the Bank’s tremendous growth, evidence that we are succeeding not despite our mission, but because of it. We offer both personal and business services as well as mission-driven products such as rooftop solar, renewable energy, building retrofits, EV charging, and the purchasing of certified carbon offsets. We also use our customers’ deposits to support initiatives such as affordable housing and education.

Through its Planning and Local Technical Assistance programs, EDA assists eligible recipients in developing economic development plans and studies designed to build capacity and guide the economic prosperity and resiliency of an area or region. The Planning program helps support organizations, including District Organizations, Indian Tribes, and other eligible recipients, with Short Term and State Planning investments designed to guide the eventual creation and retention of high-quality jobs, particularly for the unemployed and underemployed in the Nation’s most economically distressed regions. Applications are accepted on a continuing basis and processed as received. This Planning and Local Technical Assistance opportunity will remain in effect until superseded by a future announcement.

The Community Action Fund (CAF) grants support direct actions and organizing efforts that are often urgent and time sensitive. CAF prioritizes frontline, grassroots and community-based efforts that defend Indigenous peoples rights, communities and nations, including responses to climate disasters.

This funding opportunity seeks to foster environmental stewardship and sustainable agriculture in communities by addressing the need for conservation education and resource support in urban and underserved communities. Projects may include conservation practice demonstration and education opportunities as well endeavors to engage historically underserved growers and communities in NRCS programs. In addition, on established USDA People’s Gardens, projects can include support for things like climate smart conservation practices, stormwater runoff and erosion control, and habitat establishment and management.

The Exchange Network (EN) was launched in 2002 as an intergovernmental, collaborative partnership of EPA, states, territories, and Tribes to foster better environmental management and decision-making through increased access to timely, high quality environmental information. This was achieved through a standards-based approach to facilitate environmental data sharing among EPA, states, Tribes, and territories. The framework adopted allows organizations to exchange data over the Internet regardless of the specific information technology used.

EmPower Massachusetts offers multiple stages of investment in communities and community-based organizations so that they can explore, develop, and implement program models or projects that provide access to the benefits of clean energy for previously underserved populations. This MassCEC program crowd-sources new and innovative ideas, then helps put them into action.

This Energy Improvements in Rural or Remote Areas (ERA) funding opportunity provides support for rural and remote communities to build clean energy projects that benefit their communities. Applicants must propose projects that support at least one of these eligible activities:

• Improving overall cost-effectiveness of energy generation, transmission, or distribution systems;
• Siting or upgrading transmission and distribution lines;
• Reducing greenhouse gas emissions from energy generation in rural or remote areas;
• Providing or modernizing electric generation facilities;
• Developing microgrids; and
• Increasing energy efficiency.

It is critical that Tribal nations have the capacity to ensure that their perspectives are heard in offshore wind energy decision-making processes that may impact their communities, cultural resources, homelands, and ocean spaces. To support Tribal capacity to engage in offshore wind energy decision-making, planning, and regulatory processes, the Capacity Accelerator for Tribal Offshore Wind Engagement, managed by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) on behalf of the U.S. Department of Energy, is offering a $7.1 million prize pool to Tribal nations and collectives.

ConnectWerx, a Partnership Intermediary under a Partnership Intermediary Agreement (PIA) of the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Grid Deployment Office has opened an initial funding opportunity for collaboratives to develop new approaches and frameworks for system planning, cost recovery, and risk allocation for electricity demand growth.

Under this Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA), the DOE Office of Indian Energy is soliciting applications from Indian Tribes, which include Alaska Native Regional Corporations and Village Corporations, Intertribal Organizations, and Tribal Energy Development Organizations to:

(1) Conduct clean energy planning (Topic Area 1);

(2) Comprehensively assess the feasibility and viability of deploying clean energy technology (Topic Area 2); or,

(3) Conduct clean energy design and development activities (Topic Area 3).

DOE expects to make approximately $25 million of federal funding available for new awards under this FOA. The actual level of funding, if any, depends on Congressional appropriations. DOE anticipates making approximately 20 to 40 awards under this FOA. DOE may issue awards in one, multiple, or none of the Topic Areas.