Blue Fish Canada
Amount: $2,800
Project Title: Engage, Recruit, Equip and Advance Great Lakes Fish Health
Project Description: Blue Fish Canada wishes to engage indigenous fishers and recreational anglers across the Great Lakes to gather data using a series of tools and apps to inform the public of issues impacting the health of the area, including water quality, fish health, and wetland and habitat resilience. This information will be shared with scientists, advocates, and regulators to better understand and mitigate fish health impacts.
Bridges//Puentes Justice Collective of the Southeast
Amount: $3,000
Project Title: Clean Water Campaign: Lead Liberation in Southeast Chicago
Project Description: To combat lead contamination in Southeast Chicago, Bridges//Puentes Justice Collective will be registering households for water testing, distributing water filters, and hosting community events to educate and empower the community regarding water safety and environmental stewardship of water bodies.
Bright Neighborhood Community Development Corporation
Amount: $2,250
Project Title: Advocating for Clean and Affordable Drinking Water
Project Description: Bright Neighborhood and Chicago Water Alliance will team up to advocate for affordable drinking water in Chicago, pushing for the continuation of a temporary water affordability program that is currently offered for low income residents. They will simultaneously be informing residents of the dangers of lead lines and advocating for their removal.
Capital Area Friends of the Environment
Amount: $4,000
Project Title: Determining Extent of Contamination from Coal Ash Impoundment, Part 2
Project Description: After surrounding wells of a local power plant showed elevated levels of chemicals associated with coal ash impoundment leakage, Capital Area Friends of the Environment will conduct additional testing to determine the extent of the contamination, as well as to hire an expert to push for contamination clean up and recommend next steps for the community.
Citizens for a Safe & Clean Lake Superior
Amount: $2,250
Project Title: Research and Education for Wetland Protections in Marquette County
Project Description: In order to better protect local wetlands, Citizens for a Safe and Clean Lake Superior will be conducting a comprehensive analysis of wetland-relevant policies in nearby townships to identify gaps, strengths, and areas for improvement in local legislation. They will also educate the public on the importance of wetlands in an education-to-action campaign to prevent future wetland loss.
Families Reclaiming Our Environment
Amount: $5,000
Project Title: Building Organizational Capacity to Continue Advocacy
Project Description: Families Reclaiming Our Environment will use funds for start-up costs to establish their nonprofit, including gaining 501(c)(3) status. This is necessary for them to continue to protect their community and groundwater from multiple fossil fuel companies in their area.
Michigan Hydro Relicensing Coalition
Amount: $4,000
Project Title: Continuation of Grassroots Citizen Advocacy in Hydropower Planning
Project Description: As 13 aging hydropower projects are currently under review to determine their future, Michigan Hydro Relicensing Coalition aims to engage in the planning process, advocating for the health of rivers and protecting the environment through improving water quality, maintenance commitments, and potential dam removal. The engagement will be carried out in collaboration with state and federal resource agencies and tribal organizations responsible for the stewardship of the rivers.
Oscoda Citizens for Clean Water/Need Our Water
Amount: $2,500
Project Title: Stop the Bleeding of PFAS Contamination from a Former Air Force Base
Project Description: To protect their community from PFAS contamination, Oscoda Citizens for Clean Water will advocate on behalf of local residents and work with the polluter and state regulators on remediation and cleanup efforts necessary to permanently stop the flow of contaminants from the base. They will also advocate for permanent PFAS National Primary Drinking Water Regulation to protect local municipal water supply.
Sterling Water Stewards
Amount: $5,000
Project Title: Public Education About Risks to Drinking Water Near Federal Superfund Site
Project Description: After years with no monitoring of the Brillo Landfill, a Superfund site, Sterling Water Stewards seeks funding to educate residents of the risk of groundwater contamination, provide guidance on monitoring and treatment options, and assist low-income residents with well testing and water treatment.
Superior Rivers Watershed Association
Amount: $3,800
Project Title: Providing Tools for Advocates of Watershed Protection Around Pipeline Reroute
Project Description: Superior Rivers Watershed Association proposes to expand its volunteer water quality monitoring to rivers along a pipeline reroute. Collecting baseline data prior to construction activities will allow them to document potential changes in water quality due to the project’s blasting, drilling, and forest clearing. The reroute includes 41 miles of new pipeline that are estimated to cross 186 waterways, putting the waters of the region at risk.
WaterLegacy
Amount: $3,800
Project Title: Preventing Mine Permit Reissuance
Project Description: WaterLegacy will use funding to file extensive briefs related to a permit to mine contested case hearing that was held last Spring. It is likely that they will also need to advocate and organize to block reissuance of the mine’s water pollution permit. WaterLegacy is working hard to ensure federal laws are enforced and agencies are held accountable for improper procedures and failure to protect clean water and communities.
Yellow Dog Watershed Preserve
Amount: $3,800
Project Title: Building Public Engagement Against Mining Exploration in the Upper Peninsula
Project Description: With a mining company intending to prospect for minerals on hundreds of thousands of acres in the Upper Peninsula and no legal disclosure required regarding where they are drilling in their explorations, Yellow Dog wishes to engage the public to track where exploration is occurring in order to document emerging threats to their waters, and to inform landowners about mineral rights ownership on their properties.
Buffalo Niagara Waterkeeper
Amount: $22,500
Project Title: New York Is A Great Lakes State Short Video Series
Project Description: Buffalo Niagara Waterkeeper will work on a series of short videos highlighting that “New York Is A Great Lakes State”, as a tool to reach audiences and key decision makers on both a state and federal level. These short videos will assist in calling for increased protection of the Great Lakes and surrounding ecosystems, as well as identifying policy improvement opportunities for the region.
Center for Neighborhood Technology
Amount: $22,500
Project Title: Urban Flooding Action to Advance Environmental Equity
Project Description: After $6 million was allocated to Cook County for local infrastructure improvements, Center for Neighborhood Technology is seeking communications assistance to educate and build a voice for residents and community leaders regarding different solutions to urban flooding and green infrastructure that is specific to the needs of Cook County residents.
Clinton River Watershed Council
Amount: $22,500
Project Title: Communicating with Decision-Makers in the Clinton River Watershed
Project Description: Through this grant, the Clinton River Watershed Council can develop the necessary messaging and assets to better engage with and educate decision-makers and begin policy work to protect local waterways. These materials will support CRWC in critical policies such as Great Lakes restoration funding, regulations around contaminants, and equitable access to clean drinking water.
Illinois Environmental Council
Amount: $22,500
Project Title: Protecting Illinois’ Remaining Wetlands
Project Description: With 90% of all wetlands in Illinois already having been destroyed, and a court ruling putting millions of more acres at risk, there is an urgent need to show community members and decision-makers the importance of wetlands, the impacts to public health, and solutions to protect Illinois’ remaining wetlands. Illinois Environmental Council Education Fund is seeking communications support to better visually tell their story in an easy to understand, compelling format, as well as assistance using GIS mapping tools for better data visualization.
Keep Toledo/Lucas County Beautiful
Amount: $22,500
Project Title: Connecting Toledo to Lake Erie and the Maumee Watershed
Project Description: Keep Toledo/Lucas County Beautiful is seeking communications assistance to build community engagement in Toledo to protect Lake Erie and to advocate for policies protecting natural resources, preserving ecosystems, and promoting sustainable development.
River Network
Amount: $22,500
Project Title: Using Video to Spur Advocate Access to Federal Funding Programs
Project Description: With communications assistance, River Network wishes to use their platform to create explainer videos to demystify federal water infrastructure funding programs and equip advocates with the knowledge and skills to easily understand existing opportunities and how to utilize them to advance equity in their communities.
Benton Harbor Water Council
Amount: $2,500
Project Title: Inspecting of Internal Plumbing for Lead
Project Description: Funding will be used for inspecting internal plumbing for lead within homes of Benton Harbor.
Benton Harbor Water Council
Amount: $4,656.21
Project Title: Water Delivery
Project Description: Funds were used to obtain and deliver bottled water to the community of Benton Harbor.
Bright Neighborhood Community Development Corporation
Amount: $750
Project Title: Two Events 2024
Project Description: The goal is to host two events to discuss water affordability and lead and other contaminates in the water system. Speakers will lead the discussions and filter pitchers will be handed out.
Clean Water Action Council of Northeast Wisconsin
Amount: $750
Project Title: Casco Creek Nutrient Sampling Project
Project Description: Funding will be used for nutrient monitoring near a CAFO that has been contaminating local groundwater. The CAFO is in the process of building a new treatment system that has unknown consequences and risks needing immediate river monitoring by Clean Water Action of Northeast Wisconsin.
Glengerry Trappers Council
Amount: $600
Project Title: Meadow Bay Shoreline Cleanup
Project Description: The funds will be used to coordinate a volunteer clean-up of degraded or altered habitat on the St. Lawrence River in an effort to sustain a productive source of food, nursery, and rearing ground for fish and wildlife.
No Senior Left Behind
Amount: $250
Project Title: No Senior Left Behind Event
Project Description: Funding will be used to support the No Senior left behind event, which will provide assistance to seniors, allowing them to remain in their homes as utility rates increase.
Wellington Water Watchers
Amount: $750
Project Title: Communicating Salt Issues
Project Description: Funds will be used to communicate the urgent need for education about salt pollution issues to impact a wider audience.
Wisdom Institute
Amount: $250
Project Title: Womb Liberation Festival
Project Description: Funds will be used to support the Womb Liberation Festival, raising awareness about Reproductive Justice issues including access to clean affordable drinking water, voter rights, bodily autonomy, right to counsel if facing eviction, and paid family leave by providing a platform for education and dialogue.
Talking Rivers, Inc.
Amount: $2,500
Project Title: Nature Governance Educational Tool Kit
Project Description: Talking Rivers will use funding to create a Nature Governance Toolkit, serving as a resource for the Great Lakes Network and beyond, to help organizations better consider ecosystems and watersheds in the decision-making process and understand how to incorporate the Rights of nature in their work.
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