A digest of news and funding opportunities. 

The What Works Plus (WW+) funder collaborative is a partnership coordination hub across philanthropy, government, and nonprofits to advance equity and climate resilience through thoughtful implementation of historic federal infrastructure, climate, and economic development funding. WW+ is a project of Freedman Consulting, LLC, which provides strategic consulting services to foundations and nonprofit organizations.

OPPORTUNITIES TO ENGAGE WITH WW+

A snapshot of learning events and high-impact federal funding implementation-related opportunities in need of philanthropic support. For more information about these opportunities, please contact Max Shipman at shipman@tfreedmanconsulting.com.

Funding Opportunity: VEIC - “One Stop Shop For IRA Implementation Support”

The Gap: The buildings sector contributes more than a third of annual U.S. greenhouse gas emissions. Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) programs could reduce emissions from buildings by up to 63% below 2005 levels by 2030, all while reducing energy burdens. Yet, the state and local governments and community organizations tasked with implementing these programs are stretched thin, and need additional support to maximize this historic opportunity and ensure participation from communities facing a disproportionate energy burden. Key challenges include “one-size-fits all” federal program guidance that limits localized program design and impact; lack of community knowledge of federal opportunities; and a status quo that prevents historically underserved communities from accessing resources and technical assistance.

The Opportunity: VEIC seeks to implement and scale a community-driven, participatory approach to technical assistance through a one-stop-shop model for underserved communities. With over 35 years of experience, VEIC can help state and local officials: 1) analyze financing options and braid incentives to maximize impact; 2) Prioritize community-centered planning processes and equitable program design to reach the most underserved communities; 3) Collaborate across all levels of government; and 4) Dismantle traditional silos to build broader participation and long-lasting community engagement. More information about VEIC’s federal services are available here. Reach out to Dan Reilly to connect.

November Spotlight: News from Members & Friends

Have a notable investment, partnership, or event coming up? Let Max Shipman know at shipman@tfreedmanconsulting.com and we’ll feature it next month.

• The Families and Workers Fund announced the launch of “Powering Climate and Infrastructure Careers for All,” a collaborative philanthropic initiative dedicated to helping build the workforce needed for our nation’s clean energy transition. Designed to complement funding from the IRA and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), this initiative will deploy $50 million to help advance one million uplifting climate and infrastructure careers. Among other leaders in philanthropy, business, government, labor, policy, and workforce development, What Works Plus’s Talya Karr and Xav de Souza Briggs will be serving on the initiative’s advisory group. Funders interested in supporting this initiative and nonprofits or state and local agencies seeking grant funding can learn more here or by joining an informational session on December 12, 2024.  

• Applications are open for The Funders Network’s PLACES Fellowship, an eight-month individual leadership development program designed to help grant-makers embed the values and practices of environmental, economic, and racial justice into their work. Fellows will participate in place-based learning sessions, peer learning group calls and coaching, and will have access to leading experts in the field as well as the PLACES alumni network. Applications for the program are due no later than January 5, 2024.

NEWS UPDATES

A snapshot of this month’s key news.

Climate and Energy:

• The Department of Energy (DOE) announced a $1.3 billion commitment in the form of three transmission lines crossing six states (AZ, NM, NV, UT, VT, NH) - the first-ever award under the $2.5 billion Transmission Facilitation Program, a revolving fund created by BIL. The lines will add 3.5 GW of additional grid capacity across the country, creating more than 13,000 direct and indirect jobs. 

• ClimateXChange’s report, “Delivering on Justice40: Perspectives from State Agency Staff”, explores the barriers state agencies face when deploying federal climate and clean energy funds to Justice40 communities. Drawing on interviews with 16 state agency managers, the report finds that states need streamlined and transparent federal guidance, looser procurement requirements, flexible use of community screening criteria, and technical assistance for tracking and reporting benefits.

• The White House announced $3.9 billion in BIL funding to modernize and strengthen America’s electric grid in the face of growing threats of extreme weather. This funding opportunity – the second under the DOE’s Grid Resilience and Innovation Partnerships program (GRIP) – was announced in coordination with the release of the Fifth National Climate Assessment, the US Government’s preeminent report on climate change impacts, risks, and responses. 

• The Environmental Protection Agenda (EPA) launched the Community, Equity, and Resiliency Initiative, a new technical assistance effort designed to help under-resourced communities across the nation navigate the EPA’s IRA funding opportunities. As part of this initiative, the EPA will host in-person regional “roadshow events” starting in the winter of 2024. These convenings will provide opportunities for local leaders to develop community-based partnerships and cultivate ideas surrounding IRA implementation. 
  

Economic Development:

• The IRA is expected to generate significant economic growth and job creation according to a report from Environmental Entrepreneurs (E2). The report focuses on 210 major clean-energy projects announced within the first year of the IRA’s implementation and predicts that these projects will create 303,500 jobs annually during a standard five-year construction phase and an additional 99,600 jobs annually in their long term operations.  

• In a recent U.S. Treasury Department featured story, Eric Van Nostrand and Matthew Ashenfarb analyze the geographic and socioeconomic distribution of IRA investments, and find that clean energy investments 1) grew particularly quickly in communities that have been historically dependent on fossil fuels and disproportionately burdened by its effects and 2) have been landing predominantly in counties with below-average wages and with below-average college graduation rates. 

Water:

• The EPA has proposed rule improvements that would require water systems across the country to replace all lead service lines within 10 years, as well as new efforts to locate lead pipes, improve sampling, lower allowable lead levels, and more. This proposal supplements BIL’s $15 billion in funding dedicated to lead service line replacement. The EPA will host an informational webinar on December 6, 2023, and a public hearing on January 16, 2024.

Transportation:

• The White House announced $16.4 billion in BIL funding to repair and upgrade Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor from Boston to Washington D.C, and create over 100,000 construction jobs in the process. This investment is part of BIL’s total $66 billion investment in rail – the largest investment in passenger rail since the creation of Amtrak.

• The Department of Transportation (DOT) announced $82 million in Safe Street and Roads for All (SS4A) grant awards to 235 regional, local, and tribal communities for planning and demonstration projects to help improve safety and prevent roadway fatalities. This is the first of two announcements for the SS4A grants program. The second announcement is coming later this year and will include funding to implement safety improvements. 

• The Federal Highway Administration released a final rule requiring State DOTs to set goals to reduce carbon emissions from cars and trucks. The rule requires state DOTs to calculate emissions from vehicles on major routes and then set a target for reducing these emissions over time. States’ progress on meeting these targets will be measured every two years. The rule is final, however, it is likely to prompt a series of legal challenges. 

New Resources:

• Energy Innovation, RMI and Bloomberg Philanthropies released a free, open-source energy policy simulator that allows policymakers and other interested stakeholders to evaluate decarbonization policies in their regions. The tool allows users to visualize cash flows, job growth, emissions, power plants and more in 48 U.S states and in various countries.

• The National Fund for Workforce Solutions updated their Workforce Equity Dashboard to include 13 indicators – including measures like educational attainment, unemployment rate, median hourly wage and job growth rate – that help track the state of workforce equity across different geographies.

• NCTA - The Rural Broadband Association released the new “Smart Tools for Digital Inclusions” toolkit to help small broadband providers and state broadband offices leverage BIL funding to expand digital inclusion in rural communities.

WW+ Bulletin: November Edition