Frequently Asked Questions

 

  • We are unable to give a precise answer to this question. As of September 15, 2022, about $4.5 million of the large tier funding pot has already been committed, and we have 60+ applications still under review. We expect this pot of money to be depleted in the coming weeks. Additionally, $350,000 of the small tier funding pot has been committed and we have 44+ applications under review. We encourage applicants to submit their proposal ASAP, as applications will be reviewed in the order in which they are received.

  • Proposed funding tiers are self-selected by applicants according to their project’s needs.

  • Each application is reviewed by three advisory board members, who assess the application against the criteria we detailed in the RFP and on the website. Where there are gaps in our understanding or differences of opinions, these proposals are taken to a meeting with the full advisory board for deliberation. In these meetings, we use consensus-based decision making when finalizing grant awards.

  • We encourage applicants to apply for the total amount of funding they need to complete the proposed project. The grant may be awarded at the requested amount or at a lower funding tier. If there are specific adaptations to the project you would make at a lower funding amount, you are free to note that in your application.

  • Applicants will select the funding tier based on the needs of their proposed project. The Small Grant Fund is specifically for awards at the $25,000 and $50,000 funding levels and can be used to support nascent data projects as well as organizational capacity-building to collect, analyze, and use data to inform their work.

  • Yes, up to 25% of the grant may be used towards indirect costs.

  • No, though you are encouraged to share this information in your other funding application, if relevant.

  • We will only be making grants at the $25K and $50K levels for the Small Grant Fund. We encourage you to submit for the amount closest to what you need.

  • We do not look at organizational budgets but rather the compatibility of the proposed project with the requested tier amount.

  • To lessen the burden on applicants, this grant will not require line-item budgets. Instead, the application will prompt you to select the level of funding you are seeking.

  • We encourage all organizations that meet the following eligibility requirements to submit an application. Environmental justice organizations the Fund will support must:

    - Be located in the United States (including all states, the federal district, territories, and outlying islands)

    - Meet at least one of the following requirements:

    • Have 501(c)(3) legal status

    • Be fiscally sponsored by an organization with 501(c)(3) legal status

    • Be a fiscal sponsor with 501(c)(3)legal status applying on behalf of a project

    - Aim to create a local social and/or environmental impact

    - Center the perspectives of frontline communities, especially those with Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) leadership  

    - Have established credibility in the communities they serve

    The Fund’s advisory board is responsible for approving projects. As such, we are unable to assess individual project scopes before you submit an application.

  • Yes, as long as your university (or your research institution hosted at the university) is registered as a 501(c)(3), you are eligible and encouraged to apply to the Fund.

  • While it is not a strict requirement, the EJDF will prioritize locally focused community-led organizations as the primary recipients of small grant awards at the $25K and $50K funding levels.

  • Yes, as long as the primary applicant receiving funds has

    -501(c)(3) legal status OR

    -Is fiscally sponsored by an organization with 501(c)(3) legal status OR

    -is a fiscal sponsor with 501(c)(3) legal status applying on behalf of a project, OR

    -Is a federally recognized Indian tribe, or organized under Section 17 of the Indian Reorganization Act of 1934

    Please note that the maximum amount that can be dedicated to indirect costs is 25% of the total grant amount.

  • Yes.

  • The Fund will accept one proposal at one grant tier level from organizations on which they are the primary applicant and also allow organizations to be a partner or subgrantee on other proposals. If the advisory board advances more than one proposal with an organization, follow up questions may be needed before grants are awarded.

  • No, only organizations with a 501(c)3 designation and federally recognized Indian tribe, or organized under Section 17 of the Indian Reorganization Act of 1934 are eligible.

  • As long as the organization has a fiscal sponsor who is a 501(c)3, it can apply.

  • Yes, national organizations can apply, but should be specific about which communities will be supported by the project and how you will work with local partners, if relevant.

  • No, the activities should be in the United States.

  • Although the EJ Data Fund prioritizes projects that focus on creating local impacts in the US, project scopes with global impacts are also eligible. However, organizations must carry out their project activities in the US (including all states, the federal district, territories, and outlying islands). In your application, be sure to communicate how your project will impact local communities.

  • The Fund will prioritize projects whose primary goal is focused on environmental justice. If your project meets all eligibility criteria and its goals are directly tied to environmental justice, we encourage you to apply.

  • As of now, the EJDF is a one-time grant opportunity that is only accepting applications through September, and lead organizations can only apply for one grant. We encourage applicants to apply for projects they are ready to start now. This could include data work in pilot mode.

  • Yes. Applicants should be sure to detail which local communities would be supported by the grant and how the applying organization would coordinate with local partners.

  • Typically, funds will be disbursed within 2-3 weeks of award notification - but this is contingent on Windward receiving all required due diligence materials from the grantee and successful completion of the due diligence process. If the materials are delayed or further due diligence is needed, the timeline for disbursement may extend.

  • EJDF will use a streamlined grantmaking and reporting process to ease the burden on grantees. Further details will be shared with advancing grantees.

  • If you have additional questions, please reach out via email at ejdatafund@windwardfund.org To ensure that information about the RFP is fair and accessible to all, we are unable to join or host organization-specific informational calls.

  • All data collected will be owned by and used at the discretion of project teams. The EJDF encourages collaboration across organizations, researchers, and scientists so project teams should agree on which entity/ies within a given partnership will own the data collected. Google.org believes that projects supported by its funding should benefit everyone and strongly encourages you to make data available to the public under a permissive open-source license, whenever possible.

  • Assuming the project is environmental justice-related, data collection efforts are relevant and allowable uses of EJDF funds, regardless of where or whom that data is coming from. We do encourage projects to lift up the voices of the communities they serve, which could include collecting feedback from communities, being led by a community member, among other approaches.

  • The Small Grant Fund is specifically earmarked to support locally focused community-led organizations. As long as the project is focused on environmental justice and includes data work, it is eligible to be funded. The purpose of these funds is to support organizations who might currently lack the resources to begin building their capacity to collect, analyze, and use data to inform their work.

  • At this time, the EJDF is strictly a funding opportunity. It is Google.org’s hope to provide support to select project teams beyond this, but that will depend on internal volunteer capacity. If opportunities for pro-bono support arise, we’ll be sure to communicate them.

  • For now, this is a one–time opportunity.

  • An organization can only submit one application as the lead applicant. If you have multiple projects, please include all of them in the same application.

  • The fund will be open to supporting projects at any stage of the process - from nascent project to advanced projects.

  • There is not a webinar scheduled for larger tier grants and we do not anticipate hosting one for this purpose.

  • The recording of the webinar is accessible here and via the homepage of the EJ Data Fund website.