Sustainable Development, Environmental and Climate Justice
Climate, disaster, environmental hazard, and sustainable development as social work concerns.
56 opportunities · 16 traditional · 40 nontraditional
Traditional (16)
- Active funding opportunitiesFoundation grantRobert Wood Johnson FoundationA rotating portfolio built around health equity and the structural conditions that produce it, including Evidence for Action and Policies for Action, which fund research on policy levers outside the health sector.$100k–$1.5M · Periodic calls
- Discovery and health research fundingFoundation grantWellcomeA large international funder whose mental health, climate and health, and discovery research portfolios all fund social science, with awards that can be held outside the United Kingdom.$500k–$5M · Periodic calls
- Environmental Health Sciences Core Centers Program (P30 Clinical Trials Optional) — RFA-ES-25-002Federal grantNational Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), NIHNIEHS Core Centers are intellectual hubs that knit together already-funded environmental health investigators at a single institution and extend their reach. What makes this relevant to social work is that a Community Engagement Core is MANDATORY, must be funded at a published floor, and must operate a Stakeholder Advisory Board — the center cannot be scored without it. That core is routinely where social work faculty sit: running the partnership with affected residents, translating exposure findings into action, and building the two-directional communication NIEHS requires. It is a large infr$850k–$1M per year · Annual cycle · Mar, Apr
- Open Grant Applications (West Hawaiʻi Fund, Holomua Marine Pāpio Grants, Lānaʻi Community Benefit Fund)Foundation grantHawaiʻi Community FoundationA live listing of Hawaiʻi Community Foundation's currently open competitive funds, several of which support community engagement, organizational capacity and equitable service access rather than direct service alone.Amount not published · Several times a year · Mar, May, Jul, Aug, Nov
- Quick Response Research Award ProgramRapid-response fundNatural Hazards Center, University of Colorado BoulderSmall awards for social science teams to collect perishable data in the immediate aftermath of a disaster. Awardees write a five-page proposal, do fieldwork, and deliver a roughly twenty-page report with findings and actionable recommendations.up to $5k · Rolling / open
- National Coastal Resilience FundFoundation grantNational Fish and Wildlife FoundationAnnual competition for nature-based coastal resilience projects, with a dedicated community capacity building category alongside assessment, design and restoration. Prioritizes community-led projects or projects with direct community outreach and engagement.$100k–$7M · Annual cycle · Mar, Jun
- Strategic FundFoundation grantNuffield FoundationLarge research grants for original and ambitious projects that confront the scale and urgency of the UK's biggest social and economic challenges. Projects run two to five years, making this one of the few UK routes to programme-scale funding for applied social research outside the research councils. A two-stage process; applicants may first email a one-page summary to check fit before applying.Amount not published · Annual cycle · Mar
- 2026 AmeriCorps State Funding Opportunity (California)Federal grantCalifornia Volunteers, Office of the GovernorCalifornia's state service commission subgrants federal AmeriCorps State funds and member positions to California nonprofits and public agencies working in education, climate action, disaster services, environmental stewardship and food security. Applicants must submit performance measure documentation on provided templates, a logic model for each service activity, and an evaluation plan summary — requirements that make an academic evaluation partner a normal part of a competitive application. Members receive a living stipend and a Segal Education Award.Amount not published · Annual cycle · Feb
- AmeriCorps State Formula Request for Grant Applications and Washington Climate Corps NetworkFederal grantServe Washington (Washington State Commission for National and Community Service)Serve Washington runs AmeriCorps State Formula rounds for new/re-compete and continuation applicants, alongside the Washington Climate Corps Network, a state-funded biennial stream reached through a letter of intent followed by an invited application. Applicants must present evidence-based programme designs and demonstrate organisational competency to manage a complex federal grant, and three-year awards are sustained through annual continuation requests that turn on demonstrated programme and fiscal performance — an ongoing measurement obligation well suited to an academic partner.Amount not published · Annual cycle · May
- Science to Achieve Results (STAR) Research GrantsFederal grantU.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and DevelopmentEPA's main competitive peer-reviewed extramural research programme, funding environmental and public-health research including community exposure, air and water quality, and toxic substances. Solicitations are issued topic by topic rather than on a standing cycle.Amount not published · Periodic calls
- Sustainable Environments ProgramFoundation grantSurdna FoundationSupports communities of color and low-wealth communities in shaping infrastructure and land use investments and designing policy solutions, through environmental and climate justice and community control of land. Grants are made by invitation only.Amount not published · By invitation
- Human-Environment and Geographical Sciences (HEGS)Federal grantU.S. National Science Foundation, Directorate for Social, Behavioral and Economic SciencesFunds fundamental research on how human behavior interacts with environmental and social processes, advancing geographical theory and geospatial methods.Amount not published · Varies by programme
- Environmental Education (EE) Grants ProgramTraining & capacityU.S. Environmental Protection AgencyFunds locally-focused environmental education projects that build community and school capacity, with EPA-supplied logic-model, work-plan and evaluation templates. Nonprofits, tribal organisations, education agencies and universities may apply.Amount not published · Periodic calls · Mar
- Climate ProgramFoundation grantBarr FoundationFunds clean energy, climate resilience and low-carbon mobility work in Massachusetts and the wider Northeast, with an explicit emphasis on frontline communities and climate justice planning. Organizations submit a short unsolicited inquiry rather than responding to an RFP.Amount not published · Rolling / open
- Midwest Climate & Energy ProgramFoundation grantMcKnight FoundationOperating and project grants for emissions reduction and an equitable clean energy transition in the Midwest, with equity and justice as stated priorities. Policy research and community engagement are fundable; construction and deployment costs are not.Amount not published · Rolling / open · Sep
- Grants and Scholarships - Grant OpportunitiesFoundation grantOregon Community FoundationStatewide community foundation running many named funds on staggered application windows, including capacity-building grants for Black-led and Black-serving organizations and housing grants for people with intellectual or developmental disabilities.Amount not published · Several times a year · Jan, Feb, Mar, Jun, Aug, Oct
Nontraditional (40)
- Transition to Scale and innovation fundingPrize or challengeGrand Challenges CanadaStage-gated funding for bold ideas in global health and development — including mental health and humanitarian innovation — where evidence generation is a condition of moving to the next stage.$100k–$1M · Periodic calls
- Environment and Human Services program grantsFoundation grantThe Kresge FoundationClimate resilience built with low-income urban communities, and a human services portfolio funding the modernisation of the safety-net organisations social workers staff.$75k–$1M · Periodic calls
- NIHHIS Heat Tabletop Exercise Design Challenge 2026Prize or challengeNational Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) / National Integrated Heat Health Information SystemA federal prize competition inviting submission of situational manuals for extreme-heat tabletop exercises, aimed at community heat resilience and preparedness. A million-dollar purse for a written deliverable, not a grant proposal.up to $1M · Periodic calls · Jun, Jul, Aug
- RurAL CAP Foundation Small GrantsParticipatory grantmakingRurAL CAP Foundation (Rural Alaska Community Action Program)Small grants for community-driven projects in remote rural Alaska, across culture, community, leadership, food security, and environment, with priorities the foundation describes as flexible to what each community needs.$500–$25k · Several times a year · Apr, Nov
- 2027 Indigenous Community Media Fund Call for ProposalsParticipatory grantmakingCultural SurvivalGrants to Indigenous community radio stations, communicator collectives, and media outlets for community storytelling, documentation, and media capacity building, with an environmental-justice and climate priority for the 2027 round.$2k–$12k · Annual cycle · Aug
- Grow GrantsParticipatory grantmakingNew England Grassroots Environment FundGrants of $1,000-$4,000 to small volunteer-led New England groups deepening local environmental and climate work or expanding who participates in it. No tax status or fiscal sponsor is required, only a bank account in the group's name.$1k–$4k · Several times a year · Mar, Sep
- Mulheres que Transformam o Futuro — Apoio a Soluções Comunitárias para a Resiliência Climática e a Justiça SocioambientalParticipatory grantmakingFundo Casa Socioambiental (Casa Fund)An open call from Brazil's Casa Socioambiental Fund supporting women-led community solutions for climate resilience and socio-environmental justice. The call funds up to 35 projects nationwide, with priority for women in traditional communities and for work on climate adaptation and biodiversity conservation. At least three grants are earmarked for women's associations producing agroecological cotton in the Brazilian semiarid. Casa Fund is a participatory grassroots fund: grantees are community associations, so a social work researcher would join as a documentation, evaluation or accompanimentAmount not published · Periodic calls · Jul, Aug
- Nexa Funding Opportunity: Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean (climate x health)Prize or challengeGrand Challenges CanadaA challenge-fund call for innovations helping local health actors address climate-driven health risks — mosquito-borne infection, extreme heat, and poor air quality — through early warning systems and climate-responsive patient care.Amount not published · Periodic calls · Aug
- Nexa Funding Opportunity: Africa, Latin America and the CaribbeanPrize or challengeGrand Challenges CanadaA challenge fund for locally led solutions helping health systems anticipate and respond to climate-driven health threats: extreme heat, poor air quality and mosquito-borne disease. Transition-to-Scale applications are open.Amount not published · Periodic calls · Aug
- AARP Community ChallengePrize or challengeAARPAnnual competitive quick-action grants making communities more livable for people aged 50 and older. Three tracks: Flagship grants, Capacity-Building Microgrants paired with coaching and cohort learning, and Demonstration grants funding replicable local efforts.$3k–$25k · Annual cycle · Jan, Feb, Mar
- Keepers of the Earth FundParticipatory grantmakingCultural SurvivalAn Indigenous-led fund whose awards are approved by an internal committee made up mainly of members of different Indigenous Peoples, supporting community-designed projects in land rights, language revitalization, climate action, and traditional knowledge.up to $12k · Periodic calls
- Incident Emergency FundRapid-response fundDigital Defenders PartnershipRolling emergency fund for human rights defenders, journalists and activists under digital attack — replacing seized or damaged equipment, hardening systems, and covering psychological impacts so documentation work can continue.up to $5k · Rolling / open
- Zayed Sustainability Prize — Health categoryPrize or challengeZayed Sustainability Prize (United Arab Emirates)An annual global prize with a Health category awarding US$1,000,000 to an organisation delivering affordable healthcare access in underserved settings. No grant paperwork — a submission-and-jury process.$150k–$1M · Annual cycle · Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun
- PICAN Climate Justice FundRapid-response fundPacific Islands Climate Action Network (PICAN)A community-driven re-granting model that moves climate and disaster money directly to Pacific frontline communities on the vouching of a trusted local node partner, with no formal proposal required.$2k–$7k · Rolling / open
- HEAL Capacity GrantParticipatory grantmakingLatino Community Fund of WashingtonA Latinx-led organisation regrants Washington Healthy Environment for All Act funds to frontline groups, with a community review committee choosing projects from a three-question first-stage application.$1k–$30k · Periodic calls · Nov
- Movement Fund Open CallParticipatory grantmakingNative MovementAn Alaska Native-led regranting fund making one-time awards to Alaska Native individuals and organizations; the 2026 open call prioritised Alaska Native food sovereignty, including documenting traditional foodways and recipes.$1k–$20k · Annual cycle
- Seed GrantsPilot / seed fundingNew England Grassroots Environment FundSmall rolling grants of $500-$1,000 for brand-new local environmental efforts in the six New England states, including groups with no legal entity. Useful as start-up money for community-led environmental or climate projects under a year old.$500–$1k · Rolling / open
- AI for Good Innovation FactoryPrize or challengeInternational Telecommunication Union (ITU), United NationsThe UN's global pitching competition for AI solutions to social and development challenges, run as monthly regional and thematic rounds feeding a Grand Finale at the AI for Good Global Summit.$20k · Several times a year · Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May
- Youth Climate Justice Fund — Annual Open CallParticipatory grantmakingYouth Climate Justice FundFlexible grants of up to $40,000 to youth-led climate justice and socio-environmental groups worldwide, with regional youth committees reviewing and deciding awards.up to $40k · Annual cycle · Jan, Feb, Mar
- Leading From The South — Asia window (Women's Fund Asia)Participatory grantmakingWomen's Fund AsiaThe Asia window of Leading From The South, a Global-South-led consortium fund in which Southern women's funds — not Northern intermediaries — make the grant decisions. Women's Fund Asia awards multi-year grants in three tiers to organisations and networks led by women, girls, trans and intersex people working on gender-based violence, sexual and reproductive health and rights, climate justice and economic justice. The tiers reach from community-level frontline work through national advocacy to regional agenda-setting, and the multi-year form is long enough to carry evaluation and evidence-builAmount not published · Periodic calls
- Fund of the Sacred CircleParticipatory grantmakingHeadwaters Foundation for JusticeA Native-led participatory fund whose decisions are made by the FSC Native Community Grantmaking Circle, an assembly of Native leaders, activists and community members from many Nations. Funds work on sovereignty and treaty rights, language and cultural revitalization, land restoration and environmental justice, and self-determination and human rights, all of which are live areas for Indigenous-led community research.Amount not published · By invitation
- Nia Tero Programs (Policy, Organizational Strengthening, Biocultural Monitoring)In-kind resourceNia TeroNia Tero describes itself as the leading funder advancing Indigenous peoples' guardianship, reporting more than USD 125 million in direct funding to 274 distinct Indigenous peoples covering over 130 million hectares of lands and waters. It works through three programmes: Policy, which builds Indigenous representation and access in policy spaces; Organizational Strengthening, which resources the self-determined institutional needs of Indigenous peoples; and Biocultural Monitoring, which is explicitly Indigenous-led data sovereignty — community-controlled monitoring and evidence about territorieAmount not published · By invitation
- Podáali — Fundo Indígena da Amazônia Brasileira, calls for proposals (Editais)Participatory grantmakingPodáali — Fundo Indígena da Amazônia BrasileiraPodáali is an Indigenous-led fund that regranteds to Indigenous peoples, organisations and communities across Brazil's Legal Amazon through periodic public calls. Its published calls have included the "Guardiãs da Amazônia" call for Indigenous women defending life and climate justice, the Prêmio Ciências Indígenas for ancestral climate solutions, and "Amazônia Indígena Resiste". Funding priorities span eight thematic areas including Indigenous territorial and environmental management and sustainable economy and food sovereignty. The fund is a route for participatory and community-controlled reAmount not published · Periodic calls · Jan, Feb
- Trag Foundation Open Calls — Fund for Young Feminists, Green Ideas, Active CommunitiesParticipatory grantmakingTrag Foundation (Serbia)Serbia's main community-philanthropy foundation, running a standing set of open calls rather than a single programme: a Fund for Young Feminists, Green Ideas for solidarity-economy and environmental initiatives, Active Communities for local civic action, and a strategic grant for good governance. The Active Communities line is explicitly aimed at community-based groups initiating change in their own localities, which is the natural home for a community-partnered study or local evaluation in the Western Balkans. Trag reports 2,400+ projects supported across 250 communities over 26 years.Amount not published · Several times a year
- Tenure Facility Partner ProjectsIn-kind resourceInternational Land and Forest Tenure FacilityThe Tenure Facility provides grants and technical assistance directly to Indigenous peoples, Afro-descendant peoples and local communities and their partner organisations to secure legal recognition of collective land and forest rights. It works across Africa, Asia and Latin America, with African projects including the Republic of Congo, and it is deliberately structured to be flexible and direct so communities can move at the speed the threat demands rather than the speed a donor cycle allows. Funded work routinely includes participatory mapping, documentation of customary tenure, legal and aAmount not published · By invitation
- Zayed Sustainability PrizePrize or challengeZayed Sustainability Prize (United Arab Emirates)An annual global prize, in its 18th year, awarding across six categories — Health, Food, Energy, Water, Climate Action and Global High Schools — to enterprises, nonprofit organisations and schools delivering transformative sustainability solutions. The Health and Climate Action categories reach the same terrain as social work's environmental justice and community health work, and the award functions as implementation and scaling money for the winning organisation rather than as a personal honorarium, which is what makes it usable by a community organisation working with a researcher.Amount not published · Annual cycle · Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun
- Lawson Foundation grantsFoundation grantThe Lawson FoundationA Canadian family foundation funding the healthy development and wellbeing of children and youth across five impact areas: early child development, child and youth diabetes, youth climate and nature leadership, sector infrastructure, and the place-based Miggsie Fund. Grantmaking explicitly names research and advocacy, prevention and early intervention, and evaluation and knowledge sharing among its priorities, and funds can cover research, capacity enhancement and training rather than only service delivery. Grants are flexible in size and length by design.Amount not published · Varies by programme
- Climate Justice GrantmakingParticipatory grantmakingThe Solutions ProjectFunds neighborhood-level climate justice organizations governed by residents of communities most affected by climate impacts, with resources targeted to BIPOC-led and women- or nonbinary-led groups. Access is by invitation or referral, not open application.Amount not published · By invitation
- Editais / Calls for ProposalsParticipatory grantmakingFundo Casa Socioambiental (Casa Socio-Environmental Fund, Brazil)A Brazilian grassroots fund whose rotating thematic calls send small grants directly to community, Indigenous and quilombola organisations with no intermediaries, across the Amazon, Cerrado, Atlantic Forest, Caatinga and Pampa.Amount not published · Several times a year
- Fund for Frontline PowerParticipatory grantmakingFund for Frontline Power (housed at The Solutions Project)A 100% grassroots-governed fund created in 2021 by thirteen state, regional and national alliances, with thirteen grassroots leaders holding the governing positions and making the funding decisions. Supports grassroots-led climate solutions in frontline communities, an area where community-based participatory research on environmental and climate justice is routinely part of the work.Amount not published · Varies by programme
- Native American Agriculture Fund Request for ApplicationsParticipatory grantmakingNative American Agriculture FundAn annual RFA from the Native-controlled trust created by the Keepseagle settlement, funding business assistance, agricultural education, technical support, and advocacy services for Native farmers and ranchers.Amount not published · Annual cycle
- Justice Fund for Disaster Relief and Renewal (JFDRR)Rapid-response fundSouthern Partners FundRapid disaster-response funding for rural Southern grassroots groups, moved through the same member-governed structure as SPF's regular cycle. Useful for documenting and responding to disaster impacts in place.Amount not published · Rolling / open
- Fiscal Sponsorship (Become a Project)In-kind resourceMultiplierMultiplier houses unincorporated projects under its 501(c)(3) so they can receive grants, run payroll, and manage contracts without forming a nonprofit. Onboarding runs about six weeks.Not a cash award · Rolling / open
- Pawanka Fund GrantsParticipatory grantmakingPawanka FundA global Indigenous-led and Indigenous-governed fund supporting traditional knowledge, language revitalisation, Indigenous governance and self-determined development across seven world regions.Amount not published · By invitation
- Dana Nusantara Direct FundingParticipatory grantmakingDana Nusantara (Nusantara Fund) — AMAN, KPA and WALHI, IndonesiaIndonesia's first direct funding mechanism moving money straight to Indigenous communities, farmers, fishers, women and youth, with a deliberately simple four-form application in Indonesian.Amount not published · Rolling / open
- Indian Land Tenure Foundation GrantsFoundation grantIndian Land Tenure FoundationGrants to Indian nations and nonprofits for land-related work in four areas: education (land history and tenure curriculum), cultural awareness, economic opportunity including land acquisition and owner management, and legal reform addressing Indian land law.Amount not published · Rolling / open
- Quick Response Research Award ProgramRapid-response fundNatural Hazards Center, University of Colorado BoulderFunds and trains researchers to collect perishable data in the field immediately after an extreme event, with an explicit social science and interdisciplinary focus. Awardees receive editorial support to publish preliminary findings as reports and briefs.Amount not published · Periodic calls
- Advisor-Nominated Grassroots GrantsParticipatory grantmakingGlobal Greengrants FundSmall grants to grassroots environmental justice groups, chosen by volunteer advisors from the affected regions rather than by staff. The fund describes this as participatory grantmaking.Amount not published · Rolling / open
- Global Innovation FundPilot / seed fundingGlobal Innovation FundAn impact-first fund deploying grants, equity, and debt to early-stage innovations serving underserved communities in Africa and Asia, with an explicit commitment to generating evidence and learning alongside the money.Amount not published · Varies by programme
- AI for Good Open Call Program (Washington State)In-kind resourceMicrosoft AI for Good LabTwo-year programme giving Azure cloud credits and scientific collaboration with Microsoft's AI for Good Lab to projects that use artificial intelligence on sustainability, public health and human rights challenges affecting Washington State and its residents.Not a cash award · Periodic calls
Other clusters
- Adolescent and Youth Development
- Aging Services and Gerontology
- American Indian, Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian and Global Indigenous Populations (Indigenous Cluster)
- Asian and Asian-Pacific Islander Focused-Research
- Black and African Diaspora Focused-Research
- Child Welfare
- Communities and Neighborhoods
- Crime and Criminal Justice
- Disability
- Gender
- Gender-Based Violence
- Health
- History
- Inequality, Poverty, and Social Welfare Policy
- International Social Work and Global Issues
- Immigrants and Refugees
- LatinX Focused-Research
- Mental Health
- Military Service Members, Veterans and Their Families
- Organizations and Management
- Race and Ethnicity
- Research Design and Measurement
- Research on Social Work Education
- School Social Work
- Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity
- Social Work Practice
- Substance Misuse and Addictive Behaviors
- Work and Work-Life Policies and Programs