Greetings RE-AMPers!

Besides sunshine, nothing makes us happier than supporting the amazing work that our members are doing. In Collective Strategy we announce recent grant recipients, share RE-AMP’s funding guidelines for state level collaborative work and action teams for 2022 and highlight a grant opportunity from the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency for improving air quality. You can also catch up on the discussion from the Agriculture and Food Systems Hub on the Farm Bill and our newly launched Buildings Hub.

In this month’s issue, we’re also sharing an announcement about membership dues, which we will implement next year and we give an update on programming for the Annual Meeting. Find out more in Connections.

In Capacity Building, RE-AMP is excited to announce the launch of an Executive Director Peer Learning Circle, a Civic Engagement Peer Learning Circle and upcoming events like On the Road to 100 Percent Renewables.

Connections

RE-AMP Implements Membership Dues for 2023

Beginning in 2023, RE-AMP will be implementing a sliding scale fee that considers budget and membership status. For the past three years, the RE-AMP Steering Committee and Membership Committee have been developing a policy, based on substantial member input, to implement dues for membership to the RE-AMP Network. Membership dues will help support numerous benefits our Network offers to members including:

• Full and Ally Members are able to send one person to the Annual Meeting and/or Issue Summits for free or greatly reduced cost which includes registration, meals, and eligibility to receive travel assistance. Beginning in 2023, full members will receive priority in registration and travel assistance requests for RE-AMP events
• Full and Ally Members have access to our online collaborative platform, the Commons, our monthly newsletter and our Zoom accounts.
• Full and Ally Members are eligible to participate in capacity building opportunities for free or greatly reduced cost like the RE-AMP Systems Thinking Academy, Collaborative Leadership Program or the Modeling Boot Camp. These programs include registration cost, meals, and eligibility to receive travel assistance.  Beginning in 2023, full members will receive priority in registration and travel assistance requests for RE-AMP events
• Full Members are eligible to apply for grant opportunities including Rapid Response Fund, Action Teams, and State Level Collaborative work. 
• Full and Ally Members have access to consultation and facilitation services with professional staff. 

For members joining during the calendar year, dues will be prorated. Dues go into effect January 1, 2023, coinciding with the annual membership renewal. Members will have the opportunity to pay at the time of renewal or request an invoice. No member will be turned away for inability to pay.  Members who are experiencing financial hardship will be able to apply for a dues waiver.  Members will also be invited to contribute more than their dues amount to support the participation of groups experiencing financial hardship. 

Pay What You Can- The criteria for this level includes: 

• Full or Ally Member with a budget less than $100,000 or with no paid staff
• Individual members

$250- The criteria for this level includes: 

• Full or Ally Member with a budget between $100,000 and $999,999 

$500- The criteria for this level includes: 

• Full or Ally Members with a budget between $1 million and $1,999,999 
• Ally members with a budget more than $2 million

$750- The criteria for this level includes: 

• Full Members with a budget over 2 million 

For more information about dues please review the Membership Dues 2023 document. If you have any questions or concerns please let Director of Community Management, Sarah Ann Shanahan at sarah@reamp.org.

2022 Annual Meeting: September 21-23rd

Mark your calendars for September 21-23rd for the RE-AMP Annual Meeting, an online event you don’t want to miss! Attendees will explore opportunities to equitably eliminate emissions, get to know one another so they leave feeling rooted in our Network and leave motivated for the work ahead to equitably eliminate emissions in our region.

A benefit of membership to the RE-AMP Network is that members get to send their first attendee free of charge and additional attendees are welcome for a nominal charge. Stay tuned for more as the planning unfolds!

Collective Strategy

RE-AMP’s 2022 Funding Guidelines

Many thanks to the members who gave their time to think through the RE-AMP grantmaking process and offer recommendations for improvement. The Steering Committee has just approved those recommendations, which are described below.

First, some background. RE-AMP’s Global Warming Strategic Action Fund (which we usually call the Action Fund for short) typically has two types of dockets. 1) State based collaboration includes state tables and state-based campaigns. In 2021, an RFP was issued for proposals of up to $50,000, seven grants were made, ranging from $36,000 to $46,000. 2) Action teams: these teams are for regional collaboration. Last year an RFP was issued for proposals of up to $20,000. Three grants were made for $20,000.

Members of the grants design committee reviewed the process and made formal recommendations. You can read the full version here, or check out the summary below.

State-based collaboration: RE-AMP will release an RFP in June soliciting proposals for up to $50,000 for work that advances our strategic priorities. Proposals will be due at the end of August.

Action Teams: RE-AMP will release anRFP in October soliciting proposals for regional Action Teams. The amount is still to be determined, but the maximum award will be between $20,000 and $40,000. Proposals will be due at the end of November.

All grants:

• We will accept non-written proposal formats, such as video. We will also accept non-written reports. More details on this will be forthcoming.
• We will be focusing on our Strategic Priorities for grantmaking. RFPs will be tailored to those priorities.
• We will focus on work that is clearly aligned with our RE-AMP Network values.
• All funded partners of grants will receive a congratulations note at the beginning and be asked to complete a very short survey at the end of the grant period to help us understand whether we are authentically funding in alignment with our values.
• Our goal will be to have an up/down vote on each proposal, with those that are funded awarded 100 percent of the request. Under no circumstances will more than 10 percent be shaved off the request.

As always, the grants decisions will be made by a committee of RE-AMP members. If you are interested in serving, be on the lookout for more information coming across the Commons!

The members of the grants design committee are below, once again, many thanks!

• Kari Carney (1000 Friends of Iowa)
• Erica Flores (RE-AMP Staff)
• Melissa Gavin (RE-AMP Staff)
• Matt Gaboury (Argosy Foundation)
• Nicole Donaghy (North Dakota Native Vote)
• Gregory Norris (ACES 4 Youth)
• Peter Skopec (WISPIRG)
• Jessica Collingsworth (Union of Concerned Scientists)

Minnesota Pollution Control Agency Grants to Improve Air Quality

Every day, Minnesotans around the state breathe air pollution generated by facility processes. Exposure to these pollutants affects everyone’s health, from employees at the facility to members of the surrounding community. By reducing air pollution, especially from pollutants that have a higher impact on human health and the environment than others, we can improve air quality and bring everyone access to the same clean air.

Funding available: MPCA is offering approximately $89,000 for projects that will reduce air emissions. The funding aims to help small businesses, governmental agencies, educational institutions, and non-governmental organizations take the leap and improve their environmental stewardship. Projects to acquire different equipment, update processes, or switch to cleaner products can save organizations money and protect the health of their employees and neighbors.

• Application deadline: Wednesday, July 27, 4:00 pm CDT
• Eligible applicants: Businesses under 500 employees, governmental agencies, educational institutions, tribes, or nongovernmental organizations (e.g., nonprofit or association) with any number of employees.
• Maximum grant award: The maximum grant award is $25,000 per applicant. Applicants proposing projects at their own organization must match at least 25% of the total project cost. Applicants applying for funding to work with outside businesses do not have a match requirement.

More information about the application can be found on the Pollution Control Agency’s website.

RE-AMP’ Recent Grant Awards

The RE-AMP Network is pleased to announce recent grants from our Clean Energy and Energy Efficiency Rapid Response Fund:

ACES 4 Youth: To increase participation of target communities in programs created by the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act (CEJA) by establishing trusted messengers in downstate Illinois ($25,000)

Clean Wisconsin: To support efforts to ensure federal infrastructure funding flowing through Wisconsin is directed to areas that push the boundaries of traditional efficiency, weatherization and resiliency program uses and connect more underserved communities with these resources, as well as to local projects implementing clean energy solutions ($25,000)

Soulardarity: To organize direct testimony from low-income residents and coordinate a coalition of frontline organizations to drive public narrative about DTE’s rate case before the Michigan Public Service Commission ($25,000)

RE-AMP Buildings Hub Opens!

One of our strategic priorities is to get fossil fuels out of buildings to ensure affordable, healthy, comfortable places to live, work, play, and pray. We know that over half our membership is working in this area and based on the information from our annual member survey there is a wealth of work already happening!

Last month, we brought together RE-AMP members and representatives from the Midwest Building Decarbonization Coalition to dive deeper into the landscape of work happening so we can begin to identify complementary ways for RE-AMP to support equitably eliminating greenhouse gas emissions from buildings in the Midwest.

To get connected to RE-AMPers working on this priority or to share the work that you’re doing, join our newly launched Buildings Hub. Click the green “Join” button. You must have a Commons account in order to join. If you need help getting connected contact Sarah Ann Shanahan, Director of Community Management at sarah@reamp.org.

Farm Bill 101 Webinar Summary by Erica Flores, RE-AMP Program Coordinator

Last month, our Network was joined by Ma’raj Sheikh and Dr. Eric Deeble from the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) for a presentation and discussion of the upcoming Farm Bill. The Farm Bill is a comprehensive multi year bill that impacts many aspects of the agriculture system, from the farming of food to the consumer accessibility of food. Certain sections of the package, including those focused on energy and conservation, are of particular interest to RE-AMPers as we move in alignment to our North Star Goal of equitably eliminating greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.

Our incredible guest speakers from NSAC discussed the climate implications of the upcoming Farm Bill, including how effective advocacy can help us achieve our goal of supporting food and agriculture systems that nourish the land and pull carbon from the air. The current Farm Bill is set to expire in 2023, providing an opportunity for our Agriculture and Food Systems Hub members to collaborate on points of advocacy as we move toward the reauthorization period. Further conversation and collaboration with coalitions and organizations involved in this work is set to continue. Click here to view the recording of this webinar. If you’re interested in learning more about this work or getting involved, contact Erica Flores at erica@reamp.org.

Remember to vote in the RE-AMP Steering Committee Elections

Remember to cast your vote for the 2022 Steering Committee elections! Ballots were sent to the primary contacts of full member organizations on May 26th. If you are the primary contact for your organization and need the link re-sent, please contact me at melissa@reamp.org. Voting ends on June 13, 2022 at 6:00 PM Central Time. 

There are five open seats for the Steering Committee.  The following five candidates are seeking a two-year term on the Steering Committee:

1.       Denise Abdul-Rahman, The Chisholm Legacy Project
2.       Rachael Belz, Ohio Citizen Action
3.       John Farrell, Institute for Local Self Reliance
4.       Matt Gaboury, Argosy Foundation
5.       Rachel Myslivy, Climate and Energy Project

Review the 2022 RE-AMP Steering Committee Candidate Statements and then cast your vote using the link sent to your organization’s primary contact for up to five candidates.

For more information about the 2022 Steering Committee elections, please see the 2022 election guide. Thank you for your continued commitment to the Network in 2022!

Capacity Building

Executive Director Peer Learning Circle

Beyond the nuts and bolts of being an Executive Director, leaders are called upon to be crisis managers, nurturers, truth-tellers, negotiators, and to access often hidden skills in situations rarely described in any nonprofit management course or book. And this is made even more challenging, because being an Executive Director can be an isolating role, leaving people to figure things out all on their own, which can make an already challenging role seem impossible.  But it doesn’t have to be that way.  Based on requests from RE-AMP members over the past year, RE-AMP is launching a new Peer Learning Circle focused on supporting members serving as Executive Directors/CEOs of member organizations.

The RE-AMP Executive Directors Peer Learning Circle will run September 2022 – June 2023. Applications are now open.  In addition to monthly cohort calls to explore sticky issues, participants will be partnered with a peer colleague for more personal support and will be provided a stipend of up to $2,500 for executive coaching (participants will select their own executive coach, however, we can provide recommendations). We will bring participants together in spring 2023 for an in-person gathering to continue the learning, build community, and deepen our work.

A benefit of membership is that the program is offered at no cost to RE-AMP members. 

Read more about the 2022-2023 Executive Directors Peer Learning Circle. Applications are open until July 8, 2022. Apply online: https://forms.gle/y2CjTmNnMrcPF4W3A

For questions, please contact Melissa Gavin at melissa@reamp.org

Civic Engagement Peer Learning Circle

One of our five Network priorities is to ensure that people have access to and participate in democratic elections. We know that there is an opportunity this fall to turn people out for the elections through relational organizing in our communities while simultaneously developing community leaders who will last beyond the election.

RE-AMP’s Civic Engagement Peer Learning Circle will bring together groups from across the Midwest who are organizing in key communities so that they can learn, strategize, and build capacities together through regular meetings, information sharing, and joint training. 

Through monthly convening participants will have a chance to share the work they are doing as well as learn strategies and tactics of their peers. The application and the kickoff meeting will help identify types of training that would be most meaningful to the group and volunteers. The Peer Learning Circle will convene after the election to reflect and plan for the future.

• July- Virtual kickoff meeting
• August- Regular meeting and training
• September- Regular meeting and training
• October- Regular meeting and training
• November- Reflect and celebrate
• December- Evaluate and plan for 2023

One goal is to develop community leaders, so we will hold space for an additional one to three people from your team to participate in this Civic Engagement Peer Learning Circle. Applications are open until June 29th. If you have any questions please contact Director of Community Management, Sarah Ann Shanahan at sarah@reamp.org.

Events

On the Road to 100 Percent Renewables | June 13th at 12p CT/ 1p ET | Register here

Recently, UCS and several partners – including COPAL in Minnesota and the Michigan Environmental Justice Coalition in Michigan – released new analysis showing the wide range of benefits from 100% renewable electricity standard policies in US Climate Alliance states, including a deep dive on the economic and health benefits for Minnesota and Michigan. Please join James Gignac of UCS, Bridget Vial of MEJC and Leslee Gutiérrez of COPAL on Monday, June 13 at 12pm CT for a briefing on this critical analysis coupled with a discussion about its implications for ambitious action in the Midwest around climate, renewable energy, and equity. 

Emergent Strategy Book Discussion

Emergent Strategy, the 2017 book by Adrienne Maree Brown has inspired many of us to think and act in different ways when trying to make change through social movements.  Are you among them?  Are you looking for ways to bring some of the book’s ideas to life in your work?  Do you want to hear from others about how they are incorporating emergent strategy techniques into their work?  Or are you looking for a good reason to pick up the book that so many people have been talking about? If you answered yes to any of these questions, please join us on Wednesday, June 29 at 1 pm Central/ 2 pm Eastern for a lively discussion on emergent strategy in the climate movement and how we can as individuals and organizations put these practices into action. Register now: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZEuc-uvrjsvGte5uQSjfqKwQWsuANAKsQwO

On the Road to 100 Percent Renewable | June 13 | Register here

Transportation Hub | 4th Tuesday | Register here

2022 Critical Lands Briefing | June 29 | Register here

Executive Director Peer Learning Circle Applications Due | July 8

RE-AMP Annual Meeting | September 21-23

Jobs

Clean Energy Works | Transportation Specialist ($55,000-$75,000)

Clean Energy Works | Director of Just Transition Strategies ($85,000-$100,000)

Center for Rural Affairs | Clean Energy Policy Associate | ($42,000-$50,000)

Midwest Building Decarbonization Coalition | Communications Manager | ($70,000)