FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
PARTNERSHIP AND ROLES
1. Who is a part of the Great Lakes TCGM Partnership, and what are their roles?
The Great Lakes TCGM Partnership includes the Minneapolis Foundation, Midwest Environmental Justice Network, NDN Collective, and RE-AMP Network.
To reduce barriers to the federal grants application process, the EPA selected 11 grantmakers across the nation to issue subgrants to community-based nonprofits and other eligible organizations through its new Thriving Communities Grantmaking program. Each grantmaker is designing and implementing a grant distribution program best suited to communities in their region. The Great Lakes TCGM Partnership will serve communities in Region 5 of the EPA.
The Minneapolis Foundation is fiscally responsible for funds administered by the partnership, as well as financial management and the grantmaking process. The Midwest Environmental Justice Network is focused on urban communities, NDN Collective is focused on tribal communities, and RE-AMP is focused on rural communities.
2. What is the Regional Community Advisory Committee’s (RAC) role?
The RAC reflects the diversity of the Great Lakes region and helps the partnership remain accountable to the communities we serve. Collectively, RAC members bring experience and expertise on a wide range of environmental and public health issues. They will inform the grant applications, decision-making criteria, and reporting guidelines, and they will recommend the slate of grants during each decision-making period. Their guidance will help ensure that this federal funding goes directly to local communities, building the tools and resources on the ground that are needed to address environmental issues across the region.
DEFINITIONS
1. What is the Thriving Communities Grantmaking program?
The Thriving Communities Grantmaking (TCGM) program was created through the Inflation Reduction Act. This new federal grant program was developed in response to decades of advocacy from tribes and community-based organizations. A key goal of the program is to make it easier for tribes, community-based organizations, and
local governments to access federal funding for environmental and public health projects. It aims to remove barriers and improve the efficiency of the awards process to ensure communities that have experienced underinvestment can access the benefits of this funding.
2. What is Region 5/the Great Lakes region?
The Great Lakes region is Region 5 of the EPA, an area that includes Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Wisconsin, and 36 federally recognized tribal nations.
3. What is environmental justice?
We acknowledge that communities define environmental justice in a variety of ways, and that our partners use a wide range of terms to describe the communities and places where systemic inequality and discrimination have contributed to generations of disinvestment and pollution. As defined by the EPA, environmental justice means the just treatment and meaningful involvement of all people, regardless of income, race, color, national origin, tribal affiliation, or disability, in agency decision-making and other Federal activities that affect human health and the environment so that people:
• are fully protected from disproportionate and adverse human health and environmental effects (including risks) and hazards, including those related to climate change, the cumulative impacts of environmental and other burdens, and the legacy of racism or other structural or systemic barriers; and
• have equitable access to a healthy, sustainable, and resilient environment in which to live, play, work, learn, grow, worship, and engage in cultural and subsistence practices.
4. What is a disadvantaged or underserved community?
We affirm that our communities have always generated the solutions we need to solve the environmental problems we are faced with, and that community knowledge, cultures, and histories are our sources of strength.
As defined by the EPA, a disadvantaged community refers to a population sharing a particular characteristic, as well as geographic communities, that have been systematically denied a full opportunity to participate in aspects of economic, social and civic life. This includes Black, Native, Latino, and other people of color;
LGBTQ+; persons with disabilities; children; the elderly; religious minorities; and those otherwise adversely affected by persistent poverty or inequality.
5. How do I determine whether my proposed project serves a disadvantaged or underserved community?
Grants through this program must primarily benefit disadvantaged communities. If available, you can use the EPA’s EJScreen to determine whether an area is considered disadvantaged
When you submit a grant application, you will be asked to provide the census blocks of the communities served by your project.
ELIGIBILITY
1. Who are these grants meant for?
Great Lakes TCGM grants are meant to fund community-led efforts that address high-priority local environmental justice, climate, and public health issues. We are prioritizing applications from:
• Federally recognized tribes
• Native American, Indigenous, and community-based nonprofits or fiscally sponsored projects with budgets under $5 million. (By community-based, we mean eligible applicants who can demonstrate they are connected to the communities where they work and whose projects are informed by community members.)
• Communities that have received federal or state disaster declarations in the past five years
• Communities with populations under 10,000
These grants are best suited for applicants who seek to do one or more of the following:
• Develop experience and internal capacity to apply for other federal, state, and local government grants
• Support existing work that is currently not funded by another source
• Use these dollars as matching funds
• Complement other funded projects
• Advance shovel-ready projects for which plans are already developed
2. Can multiple organizations collaborate and submit a joint application for one grant?
Yes, as long as one organization serves as the lead applicant. The lead applicant should have sufficient internal capacity to track and report on how each grant dollar is spent across all partners. For collaborative applications, the workplan and budget should describe each organization’s role and specify how funding will be allocated.
3. Can organizations apply for multiple grants?
Yes, an organization may submit one application for each tier concurrently. However:
• Within each tier, applicants may only submit one proposal at a time. Applicants may submit a second proposal within the same tier after a funding decision has been made (regardless of whether the request is approved or denied).
• Each eligible applicant is restricted to receiving a maximum of two awards of either the same or different tiers. The two-award maximum applies only to the lead applicant. It does not include applications in which an organization is listed as a partner, but not the lead applicant. For example, a lead applicant can be awarded two grants for itself, and an unlimited number of awards in which it is listed as a partner on a grant submitted by another organization.
4. Who is eligible for the noncompetitive awards?
Noncompetitive awards are only available for severely capacity-constrained organizations.
5. Will grants be made on a first-come, first-serve basis?
No. We plan to distribute resources during multiple review cycles.
6. Can applicants be eligible for both the competitive tiered grants and the noncompetitive grants?
Yes. However, applicants must explain how they address the priorities of each tier. For Tier 1, they must explain why they should be considered severely capacityconstrained. For Tiers 2 and 3, they must demonstrate that they can manage the financial tracking and reporting requirements.
7. Are state-recognized tribes eligible to apply?
Yes, as long as they are incorporated as an eligible entity: a nonprofit, a local government, or an institution of higher education.
8. Can schools apply for these grants?
Public school districts can apply for TCGM grants, but individual public schools cannot apply directly. Nonprofit charter schools CAN apply directly via their 501(c)(3) eligibility status.
AWARD TIERS
9. How do I know which tier to apply for?
This program has three grant tiers. Applicants should apply for the tier(s) that best support their efforts and that align with their internal capacity to manage.
Grant Tiers:
• Tier I: Assessment and Engagement. One-year grants of up to $150,000 for project assessment. These grants are limited to capacityconstrained and entry-level applicants. These grants will be paid on a milestone basis: 50% up front and 50% at the midway point, upon completion of agreed-upon milestones.
• Tier 2: Community Education and Planning. One- to two-year grants of up to $250,000 for project planning. Grants will be paid on a reimbursement basis, with a small number of grantees eligible for one advance payment of up to 10% of the total grant.
• Tier 3: Project Development and Implementation One- to two-year grants of up to $350,000 for project development. Grants will be paid on a reimbursement basis, with a small number of grantees eligible for one advance payment of up to 10% of the total grant.
Additional details for each tier can be found in our grant guidelines. If you need further guidance, we encourage you to connect with Region 5’s technical assistance providers, BIG Justice Technical Assistance Center and Great Lakes Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Technical Assistance Center Hub.
10.Can I apply for multiple tiers?
Yes, an organization can apply for more than one tier at the same time. However:
• Within each tier, applicants may only submit one proposal at a time. Applicants may submit a second proposal within the same tier after a funding decision has been made (regardless of whether the request is approved or denied).
• The proposal must match the guidelines of each tier. The same proposal and budget cannot be submitted for multiple tiers.
• Each eligible applicant is restricted to receiving a maximum of two awards of either the same or different tiers. The two-award maximum applies only to the lead applicant. It does not include applications in which an organization is listed as a partner, but not the lead applicant.
The three grant tiers recognize that communities are at different stages of readiness to act on projects. The grant tiers are not set up to be sequential, and can be granted in any order. Applicants should apply for the tier that best fits their project goals and needs. For example, an organization might seek funding to complete one project with support from a Tier 3 grant and apply for a Tier 1 grant to start a second project or advance a different scope of work for the first project. Please keep in mind that receiving one grant does not guarantee that a second grant will be awarded.
11.Can I reapply if my application is declined?
Yes. Applicants will have an opportunity to adjust and resubmit applications if their first attempt is declined. They can also submit a second grant application for ongoing project work for the same tier or a separate tier, after receiving an initial award. No more than 2 grants (in any tiers) will be awarded to any one organization or fiscally sponsored project.
TIMELINE
1. What deadlines should I be aware of?
Applications for Tier 1, 2, and 3 will be open on December 5, 2024.
Grants submitted by January 31, 2025 will be reviewed by the Regional Advisory Committee in early 2025. Grants received after January 31, 2025 will be reviewed in the first half of 2025. Thereafter, applications will be reviewed several times a year until the final grant decisions in Fall 2026.
2. How long is the review and evaluation process?
We anticipate that it will take 3-4 months for the review of eligible applications by our Regional Advisory Committee. Applicants that do not meet the eligibility threshold will be informed within two weeks.
FINANCES AND REPORTING
1. What type of financial statements need to be submitted?
Applicants in all tiers will need to submit a recent organizational budget. Fiscal sponsors will also need to submit the budget for the project they are hosting.
For Tier 2 and Tier 3 grants, applicants will need to submit a detailed budget for requested TCGM funds. We expect that the figures in the application budget will be preliminary and that your total may not exactly equal the grant amount you requested. Please get as close as you can. If your application is selected for funding, we will work with you to finalize the project budget before the grant agreement is signed. The budget categories reflect allowable federal cost categories and cannot be changed.
Tier 1 applicants must submit a quarterly budget breakdown using the required workplan template.
2. What types of documentation will my organization need to maintain?
Grantees in all tiers are required to maintain adequate documentation for all expenses allocated to the grant program. This includes accounting records that trace
back to relevant source documentation. In most cases, grantees in Tier 2 and Tier 3 will be required to submit this documentation to the Minneapolis Foundation. Documentation may include, but is not limited to: personnel timesheets, fringe benefit rates, federal procurement checklists, receipts, and more.
3. Are there any matching requirements? No.
4. Can grant funds cover operational costs, or must they be directly tied to a project?
The EPA requires that all direct project funds be spent specifically on this project. Grantees can use their indirect cost rate to support any operational costs that they choose to cover.
When possible, include project-related management costs as direct line items. For example, include the percentage of time that your accountant, communications, or information technology (IT) staff will spend on this project in the personnel budget category.
5. Is there a cap on how much overhead can be charged for the grant?
If grantees have a federally negotiated indirect cost rate agreement (NICRA), they must use this rate and their approved cost base. If grantees do not have a federally approved indirect cost rate, they must use the federal de minimis rate of up to 15%.
6. How will we receive grant payments?
Tier 2 and 3 grants will be paid out as monthly reimbursements upon submission of an invoice that aligns with the approved budget.
Arrangements may be made on a case-by-case basis for more frequent reimbursements and/or advance payments for big-ticket purchases or expenses.
A small number of capacity-constrained organizations will be eligible to receive one advance payment of up to 10% of the total grant. Eligible grantees will be informed during the award finalization stage.
We highly recommend that you set up ACH payments so we can make deposits directly into your bank account. This will be the fastest and most secure approach. However, we can issue paper checks when necessary.
7. Will grantees be required to report to the EPA?
No. Grantees will work directly with the Minneapolis Foundation on all communications, including quarterly reports. The Foundation will report to the EPA quarterly on the activities of all grantees and the grantmaking process.
8. What are the grant reporting requirements?
Grantees will work with their assigned program officer to submit quarterly updates via a reporting template through our grants management portal. The quarterly updates will allow grantees to report on progress toward their identified goals, share important lessons learned, and provide feedback on where additional technical assistance or support is needed.
The Minneapolis Foundation will aggregate and summarize progress reports, learning, and feedback with EPA through our own required quarterly reports. Nothing you send us will be forwarded to the EPA without your consent.
9. What are the requirements related to collecting, evaluating, or using environmental data?
Per EPA requirements, all awarded grants must be reviewed for quality assurance related to collecting, evaluating, or using environmental data as part of your proposed project. The EPA will assess each workplan based on this Quality Assurance Preliminary Screening Tool.
The tool asks 25 yes/no questions. Below are some examples:
▪ The project will involve the collection of groundwater, soil, sediment, surface water, air, biota or fauna samples for chemical or biological analysis.
▪ The project will use existing collections of environmental information (database, continued research, or other) containing analytical data or personal information previously collected by you or others.
▪ The project will use existing statistical studies or will conduct these studies as part of the project.
▪ The project will use this information for litigation purposes.
If a grantee answers “yes” to any of the questions in the Tool, a Quality Assurance Project Plan (QAPP) will be required. We will support grantees in developing their QAPP, which should take about two months.
The EPA must do a final review of the QAPP and approve it. If a QAPP is required, it must be in place prior to the work being performed.
10.What are the requirements if my proposal includes research involving human subjects?
Awarded proposals that include activities related to collecting personal data for research purposes must go through a separate Human Subjects Research review. This may take up to four weeks.
You will need special approval before beginning grant activities that:
▪ Meet the federal definition of “research.”
• In this case, research is defined as a systemic investigation, including research development, testing, and evaluation designed to develop or create generalizable knowledge (e.g., to inform peerreviewed articles, published in academic or professional journals, or otherwise used to expand scientific understanding, inform future research and policy, etc.).
▪ And for which at least one of the following is also true:
• Activities will collect information or biological specimens through intervention or interaction with people collection of data from “human subjects,” AND/OR,
• Activities will obtain, use, study, analyze or generate identifiable private information or identifiable biological specimens.
The following activities will generally not require Human Subject Research approval: collecting personal information or feedback from residents or attendees to support community organizing or community education or to inform reports and articles that are not peer-reviewed, intended for academic use, or published in professional journals.
Please see this Human Subjects Research Triage Tool for further information.
APPLICATION PORTAL
To apply for a grant, you must use the Minneapolis Foundation’s grant portal. Questions about the grant portal and how to use it can be found here.
RESOURCES AND SUPPORT
1. What kind of support will be provided to grantees to help them problem-solve and address challenges?
Providing wraparound support is the hallmark of the Thriving Communities programs. Great Lakes TCGM partners will be working with our regional Thriving Communities Technical Assistance Centers to ensure that applicants receive support in developing their application, navigating our application system, and finalizing the project goals, workplan, budget, and milestones. Great Lakes TCGM partners will also be providing ongoing support to grantees to answer questions and to help them navigate changes and challenges that occur during program implementation.
2. What office hours or information sessions will this program provide?
We will be continuously updating the Great Lakes TCGM website with recordings, resources, and announcements for workshops and office hours.
Out of fairness to all applicants, Great Lakes TCGM partners cannot provide individual feedback or consultation on your project. If you need support in developing your project, deciding which tier to apply for, or developing your budget, we recommend that you reach out to either the Great Lakes TCTAC or BIG Justice TCTAC for individualized support.
3. Are there any application templates?
Yes. We provide required templates for Tier 1 workplans, Tier 2 and 3 workplans, and Tier 2 and 3 budgets.
4. Who are the technical assistance providers in the Great Lakes region?
In partnership with the U.S. Department of Energy, the EPA has selected two Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Technical Assistance Centers (EJ TCTACs) to serve Region 5. The purpose of these centers is to remove barriers and
increase accessibility to federal funding for communities with environmental concerns. They will provide training and other assistance to build capacity for navigating federal grant application systems, developing strong grant proposals, and effectively managing grant funding.
The two EJ TCTACs serving the Great Lakes region are BIG Justice Technical Assistance Center and Great Lakes Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Technical Assistance Hub. These organizations are places to reach out to if you need help, such as figuring out which tier(s) to apply for, application and budget feedback, obtaining your Unique Entity ID via sam.gov, and more.