August 2023 Newsletter

Happy Summer RE-AMPers!

Summer has things heating up here in RE-AMP! We’ve got four new members and an exciting program for our Annual Meeting in Connections.

Our Collective Strategy work is sizzling with opportunities! We are accepting applications for State Level Collaborative Grants until August 8th, opening Action Teams applications soon, supporting expansion of Farm Bill organizing, and RE-AMP applied to administer EPA’s Thriving Communities Grants. We’re also calling on members doing integrated voter engagement work to strategize together!

Don’t miss out on the hot Capacity Building opportunities from Climate Advocacy Lab (Training for Impact) and Institute for Local Self Reliance (Community Owned Solar) or learn about the impact our amazing Emerging Leaders Peer Learning Circle has had. We don’t want to waste your time, but we have some great upcoming events including a conversation about landfills (See what we did there?).

Connections

New Members

Peter Skopec, Individual Member

Former WISPIRG Director and RE-AMP Steering Committee member, Peter Skopec, was eager to reconnect with RE-AMP which led him to join as an Individual Member. Now with Secure Democracy USA, Peter is hoping to share his organization’s expertise with those working on integrated voter engagement. He’s also happy to support RE-AMP’s transportation work, an area that he had engaged in deeply while he was with WISPIRG. We’re excited to have him back in the RE-AMP family. Connect with him at peter.t.skopec@gmail.com.

Climate Land Leaders, Ally Member

Inspired by RE-AMP’s agriculture work, Climate Land Leaders joined the Network. Based in Minnesota, this small, rural based organization organizes landowners in Minnesota, Iowa, and Wisconsin. They are excited to join the Ag & Food Systems Hub and possibly join the Farm Bill Coalition. When asked why they wanted to be a member they said “We look forward to the opportunity to contribute to and learn from peers around a multi-sector table all pulling toward a shared goal of equitably eliminating GHG emissions relationship-building with peer organizations, to hold and sharpen our systems-view of the transformative changes required to meet this shared goal, and as we grow we want the opportunity to co-shape strategy and show up as a collaborative partner in joint work.” For more information, reach out the Primary Contact Sarah Hunt at sarah@climatelandleaders.org

Tanya Paslawski, Individual Member

Having worked in the regulatory space for years, Tanya’s focus is now about helping communities understand the technical regulatory process to support them so they get their voice and concerns heard. Gregory Norris, ACES 4 Youth and RE-AMP Steering Committee member, endorsed her application. She’s based in Michigan and is the founder, Elevated Engagement. When asked why she wanted to be a member, she said “RE-AMP’s work and its membership are well aligned with the work I am doing and aspire to do so I look forward to learning about successful approaches to equity in the energy industry and meeting partners in making change. Reach Tanya at tanya@elevatedengagement.org

Groundwork NRG, Ally Member

A BIPOC led, Kansas based group, Groundwork NRG is part of a national network working at the local level on transportation, buildings, energy democracy and agriculture. They are eager to talk with anyone about transitioning their public utility from coal or infrastructure to help reduce neighborhood flooding. When asked why they joined they said “Groundwork NRG has participated in the past in the [Kansas] State Table and found that experience to be meaningful. We are hoping to find opportunities to network with other similar organizations and find out what projects and strategies have been effective for them, particularly in the areas of energy democracy, food sovereignty, and building climate resiliency (especially regarding flooding and extreme heat).” For more information, reach out the Primary Contact Blue Tyx at btyx@northeastkck.org

Are You Ready for the 2023 Annual Meeting!?

We are so excited for our hybrid Annual Meeting that is kicking off the week of October 9th with some virtual offerings on the 9th and 10th, followed by a three day in person event October 11-13th at the Outdoor Adventure Center in Detroit, Michigan. Plenary sessions will be streamed and we’ll be using Whova as our virtual companion guide for the meeting. If you haven’t already, check out the Annual Meeting page on the Commons for information about lodging. We encourage you to book as soon as possible.

October 9th

RE-AMP Orientation (online)

October 10th

Breakfast Buddies (online)
How 501(c)(3)s Can Educate and Advocate During Election Season hosted by Bolder Advocacy (online workshop)

October 11th

Small Group Meetings (let Sarah know if you want to meet)
Welcome and Honoring the Water Activity
Strategic Choices for Equitably Eliminating Greenhouse Gas Emissions in the Midwest
Featured Panel with Michigan Leaders
Dinner & Game Night

Featured Panel Conversation: “The arc of change, and what is needed for it, is long and always changing. Our keynote, made up of practitioners, organizers, scholars, and leaders in Michigan, will explore the challenges, transitions, and audiences that drive the movement(s) here in Michigan. With opening remarks by Regina Strong, former RE-AMPer and Michigan’s lead Environmental Justice Public Advocate, and moderated by Michele Martinez, they will talk about the transition to a green economy, “solutions’’ that have potential to cause harm, and engaging and mobilizing younger generations.”

October 12th

Opportunities from the Federal Level
Opportunities for Local Impact
Field Trip into the city

For the field trip, we’ll meet with activists and leaders working across our strategic priorities at three different locations showcasing the challenges, hopes, and alternative futures Detroiters are confronting. From the food sovereignty at D-Town Farms to energy democracy in Highland Park to environmental racism in Hamtramck, we’ll learn about the systems of harm that have sparked the current movements that aim to transform Detroit for the people, not the interests of those in power. As we explore the movements, solutions, and development spreading across Detroit, we’ll investigate the question “Who is it for?”

October 13th

Emerging Conversations
Exploring our Network Map
Skills Building Workshops

We will be hosting one virtual workshop on October 13th with RePower to help members sharpen their storytelling skills. “Our movements are built on our stories and how we tell them. They don’t just communicate an experience: they propose the values and visions we have for our collective survival and liberation. Over time our stories, actions, and strategies become the narratives that are the political tools, social firestarters, and cultural backbones of our movements. re:power will lead a virtual training on narrative and storytelling for organizers, advocates, and communication specialists across all sectors and issues. The re:power Fund is a national organization seeking to build a critical mass of social justice movements and their leaders who embody the ideology and practice of liberatory organizing, and organizing practice that is pro-Black and grounded in community, collective action and abundance. Our ultimate vision? A liberated, multiracial democracy, free from the oppressive systems of white supremacy and patriarchy”

If you have a small group that would like to meet the morning of October 11th please reach out to Sarah Ann Shanahan at sarah@reamp.org to reserve space right away! More details about the program will be coming in August and you can check out the page on the Commons for more information.

Registration will open in late August. A benefit of membership is that organizations get to send their first attendee for free! Additional attendees are welcomed for a small, sliding scale fee. We look forward to seeing you at the 2023 Annual Meeting!

Collective Strategy

State Level Collaborative Grant Applications Due August 8th

The RE-AMP Network requests proposals to fund RE-AMP members to collaborate on equitably eliminating greenhouse gas emissions in the Midwest by 2050. We seek proposals that 1) are based in our Network’s values of community, collaboration, democracy, equity, justice, and scientific rigor and 2) focus on work within a state to make progress on one or more of the network’s strategic priorities (see page three for RE-AMP’s Strategic Priorities). Proposals will cover activities from Oct. 1, 2023 through Sept. 30th, 2024. For more information please hit “apply” under the Global Warming Strategic Action Fund on the Funding page. All applications, written or verbal, are due on August 8th.

Action Team RFP Coming Soon

The Request for Proposals for RE-AMP Action Teams will be released in early October, with proposals due on November 30th. Action Teams are cross-state collaborations that focus on one of our Strategic Priorities. The RFP will be released across the RE-AMP Commons when it is ready.

If you have an idea, now is a good time to put feelers out to others in the Network, or reach out to our Director of Community Management, Sarah Ann Shanahan, if you want help connecting with other RE-AMPers. She can be reached at sarah@reamp.org.

The Annual Meeting will also be a great place to connect with others on your ideas!

Get Involved in Integrated Voter Engagement by Conor Cusick

2024 is just around the corner, waiting with big implications. From the full roll out of the Inflation Reduction Act, to two party conventions in the Midwest, to national elections, to all the continuing and soon-to-be local fights, next year holds many opportunities, many challenges, and much work to do. So what are we prepared for?

On July 20th a small group of RE-AMP members came together to lay the first bricks in the road for our integrated voter engagement in 2024. We didn’t have all the answers, but we did bring all the right questions, plus a few tools and plans to get started . With those we began to get an idea of our collective electoral/institutional capacity – one of the three core capacities sociologist Zeynep Tufekci cites for building organizational advocacy power.

What work, questions, or plans are you holding? Are you interested in the principles of deep canvassing but don’t have the numbers to do the door knock? Are you running events that could have a voter registration table? Are you not sure what you can or cannot do as an organizer or communicator when it comes to your issue advocacy and elections? We’re putting our heads together on this and want you there. Contact Conor (conor@reamp.org) to join the conversation.

Lastly, we would like to offer a small, in-person meeting space the morning before the Annual Meeting (Oct 11, 10-12pm ET) for those working on integrated voter engagement. Reach out to Conor if you’d like to be there so we can get a head count.

EPA Thriving Communities Environmental Justice Grantmaker Program

The RE-AMP Network, with the Midwest Environmental Justice Network, Minneapolis Foundation, and NDN Collective, partnered to submit a proposal to the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Grantmaking Program in June 2023. In order to reduce barriers to the federal grants application process, the EPA is selecting multiple grantmakers across the nation to serve as intermediaries for EPA funding for environmental justice projects. Our goal is to create a process that will center those most impacted by environmental injustice in the decision-making for this program. We see this as an opportunity to build the capacity and strength of the environmental justice movement in our region. If awarded, our collaborative will be the Grantmaker for EPA Region 5, which encompasses Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Wisconsin, and 35 federally-recognized Tribes. Grants will range in size from $75,000 – $350,000.

Overview of Application & Collaborative

The Minneapolis Foundation (TMF) will serve as the pass-through entity and grantmaker for the Community Grantmaking for Environmental Justice (CGM4EJ) project along with 3 statutory partners: Midwest Environmental Justice Network (MWEJN), the RE-AMP Network (RE-AMP), and NDN Collective, (hereafter referred to as the Collaborative). The Collaborative is committed to managing and implementing the CGM4EJ program in a way that builds the capacity and strength of grassroots environmental justice (EJ) organizations that work with disadvantaged communities. The Collaborative will build on, and expand, its deep and broad set of relationships so those most impacted will guide, inform, and evaluate this program. The Collaborative will work with a 9-13 member Regional Community Advisory Committee (RAC) that will provide direction and oversight, support outreach and communications, and recommend the slate of sub-grants during each decision making period. RAC members will be composed of grassroots EJ leaders that reflect the region’s diverse geographies, ethnicities, races, languages, backgrounds, and identities.

Proposed Grantmaking Program Summary

The CGM4EJ program will operate across Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin and 35 Tribes. The small grants program, funded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, seeks to help transform disadvantaged and underserved areas into healthy, thriving communities capable of addressing the environmental and public health challenges they have historically faced, as well as current and future challenges.

CGM4EJ will provide subawards (grants) to community-based nonprofit organizations (CBOs) and other eligible subrecipient groups representing underserved and disadvantaged communities. Grants will be distributed at the rate of $13.2 – $13.6 million annually, totaling $40 million over the three-year program period. Grants will range from $75,000 to $350,000 to support assessment, planning, and/or project development activities addressing local environmental and/or public health issues in disadvantaged communities and to nonprofit community-based organizations working high-priority, local environmental justice and related public health issues.

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis from May 15, 2024 through February 1, 2026. The CGM4EJ program will operate for three years, distributing a total of $40 million in small EJ grants, in the following allocations:

30% ($12 million) to Tribes and Indigenous groups and communities across rural, remote, and urban areas.
25% ($10 million) to rural and remote EJ communities (with populations under 50,000).
45% ($18 million) to urban EJ communities (with populations over 50,000).

Proposed Grantmaking Eligibility

The CM4EJ program is open to all organizations that identify as Community-Based Organizations (CBOs). The EPA defines a CBO as a public or private nonprofit organization that supports and/or represents a community and/or certain populations within a community through engagement, education, and other related services provided to individual community residents and community stakeholders.

Eligible CBOs must also:

Operate within Region 5 (see map in Definitions)

Operate as a tribal government (at any budget size) or CBO with a budget under $5 Million
Be based in a disadvantaged community (this definition will be developed by the RAC in accordance with EPA guidelines). Your office address and majority of staff should be based in the disadvantaged community you work in
Made up of, and accountable to, Tribes and Indigenous communities, black and communities of color, low-income communities, or other marginalized groups (LGBTQIA+1, those living with disabilities, the elderly, etc.) who are most directly impacted – and overburdened – by environmental and public health issues. As such:

51% or more of the board, senior leadership, and staff must be from the disadvantaged community you work with
Have processes in place to solicit feedback, and report back, to the community(ies) you work with

Address one or more key EJ environmental or public health issues that are at the pre-implementation stage of a project. Eligible issue areas include, but are not limited to:

Asthma and other public health issues that are exacerbated by indoor and outdoor environmental conditions
Fence line air quality, water quality, industrial effluent discharges, illegal dumping
Lead and asbestos contamination, pesticides, and other toxic substances,
Healthy homes that are energy/water use efficient and not subject to indoor air pollution
Improving food access to reduce vehicle miles traveled
Stormwater and green infrastructure
Emergency preparedness and disaster resiliency
Promoting occupations that reduce greenhouse gasses and other air pollutants

Farm Bill Engagement Expanded!

For the last seven months, leaders in five RE-AMP states (IA, MN, MI, OH, SD) have been conducting research, doing grasstops and grassroots work, convening groups of people, sharing stories and communication to shift the narrative of the Farm Bill to be recognized as a climate bill. With additional funding support, we are thrilled to welcome ten additional groups to our coalition this month, totaling nineteen funded groups for this campaign. This includes groups in WI, IL, and KS to further our reach within the RE-AMP footprint. There is a lot of great work these groups will be undertaking, including a “Taste the Change” event in which attendees will sample food and beverages from climate-smart programs and a “Storytelling of our Food System”, an educational farm tour that features stations with education about the local food system in that community. Additional highlights include the following:

Farm/garden tours
Gathering farmer stories to amplify
Virtual Farm Bill forums
Hybrid town hall
Education distribution at local farmer’s market
Virtual leadership summit of farmers and grassroot leaders
Action with arts engagement
Social media blasts

If you’re interested in this work, you can check out our 7 point platform or reach out to erica@reamp.org to learn more!

Capacity Building

Emerging Leaders Assemble!

In August of 2022, RE-AMP launched the Emerging Leaders Peer Learning Circle, a space for members under the age of 30 and with less than three years of full-time climate work to learn from one another and create community. Ten leaders throughout the Midwest met virtually every other week to build knowledge on areas of work outside of their own, including the agriculture and climate intersection, energy democracy framework, energy efficiency programs, truck and transportation emissions, and insight into COP27. In addition to peer-to-peer learning, participants had opportunities to expand on other skills and ultimately, a chance to come together in St. Paul last month! Our collaboratively planned time was spent diving into self-advocacy tools, practicing work-place conflict resolution, weighing equity constraints in non-profits, exercising systems thinking muscles, refining facilitation skills, and building on self-care practices in this movement. Even with the knowledge and skills building that occurred, it was clear the relational aspects and sense of community within this group were what made the cohort so impactful. One participant shared “The ELPLC group was a really valuable, fulfilling, and sustaining experience for me during my first job out of college… This group helped me feel like I belong in the environmental nonprofit space and that my struggles with work-life balance, self-advocacy, and professional development were natural. Talking these issues out with them in real time and getting advice and encouragement from my cohort really helped me navigate those challenges.” On account of the evidenced success of this program, RE-AMP aims to launch another cohort in 2024! If you’re interested in learning more about this program, reach out to erica@reamp.org.

Training For Impact with Climate Advocacy Lab

Our friends at the Climate Advocacy Lab have announced their Training for Impact Fall 2023 Cohort will be for organizers and advocates in the Great Lakes Region! Applications are currently open and due by Wednesday August 5th.

The cohort is a 3 month (Sept – Nov) intensive peer learning and training experience for organizers and leaders looking to build their skills, relationships, and campaign knowledge to take action on climate. It kicks off in September with a 3 day in-person retreat in Minneapolis. By joining, you will have the opportunity to network and build deep intentional relationships within the Climate Justice Movement. Read more about the curriculum and skill building here.

The Lab is working to support a powerful multi-racial, cross-class movement and we seek a cohort that reflects this vision. BIPOC organizers, youth organizers, and folks organizing in rural and low-income communities are strongly encouraged to apply!

The Fall 2023 Training For Impact is open to organizers, advocates, and activist leaders who:

Reside in the Great Lakes region of the U.S. (Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin).
Currently lead or actively participate in a climate justice campaign in their community.
Possess 1-3 year(s) of grassroots organizing and/or climate campaign experience.
Share the Lab team’s commitment to justice-centered and intersectional organizing practices.
Are eager to contribute to a dynamic, joyful space where we reflect, learn, laugh, and dream together!

Apply Now: Community-Owned Solar Training Cohort by Maria McCoy

Applications are due August 1 for the Movement for Solar Capacity and Leadership program, organized by the People’s Solar Energy Fund (PSEF) and Institute for Local Self Reliance (ISLR) to build local capacity for community-owned solar, with an emphasis on low-income and BIPOC communities. We plan for participants to complete an online course on community solar development and to engage in a learning cohort made up of other community leaders, kicking off with an in-person gathering in the Minneapolis area in September. All expenses will be covered. Fill out the brief application here.

Don’t Let the Midwest Waste Away

Did you know that the Midwest imports waste from other regions and even other countries? Did you know Kansas has more landfills per capita than any other state, or that Ohio has the largest amount of methane emissions from landfills of any state? Did you know that emissions from the waste sector are related to energy policy, agriculture policy, and transportation policy? Most importantly, did you know that there are solutions that would not only reduce emissions, but make the Midwest a healthier and more equitable place to live? RE-AMP will be releasing a new report on emissions from the waste sector and you won’t want to miss it! Join our webinar on August 24 at 11 CT/12 ET to learn more and join the conversation!

Events

State Level Collaborative Grant Application Due | August 8th

Farm Bill Coalition Call | August 9th

Agriculture & Food Systems Hub Call | August 21st

Transportation Hub Monthly Call | August 23rd

Don’t Let the Midwest Waste Away | August 24th

Buildings Hub Call | October 5th

RE-AMP Annual Meeting | October 9th – 13th

Agriculture & Food Summit | November 15th-17th | Lied Lodge in Nebraska

Action Team Applications Due | November 30th

Jobs

Senior Communications and Marketing Manager, Climate Generation ($59,000-$64,000)