Greenlining the Block

Greenlining the Block, an initiative developed by The Greenlining Institute, seeks to strengthen community-based organizations to advance climate justice neighborhood projects. This partnership was designed to support the leadership and expertise of communities of color to prepare for and maximize federal, state and local infrastructure investments to drive effective climate action that meets community needs. Greenlining the Block is bridging a gap between community capacity and new infrastructure funding opportunities to ensure that climate investments are being directed and absorbed by communities of color for the types of projects that are needed most.

FOCUS AREAS

Affordable Housing

Community Health

Racial Equity

Climate

Philanthropy

Tackling Systemic Barriers

Too often infrastructure investments fail to adequately address the needs of communities of color. At worst, they exacerbate inequities and accelerate gentrification and displacement. When a community tries to drive change in their own neighborhoods, they are often met with insurmountable challenges caused by historic disinvestment, systemic barriers, and a lack of trust across sectors. New public and private funding opportunities for climate action are often siloed, further weakening the ability of the field to align on solutions. 

Greenlining the Block is a partnership developed to support the leadership and expertise of communities of color to prepare for and maximize federal, state, and local infrastructure investments to drive effective climate action that meets community needs. 

This is a historic opportunity to ensure that the large-scale investments available through Justice40, the Biden-Harris Administration’s signature climate program, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, and the Inflation Reduction Act and private sector climate investments are intentionally invested in communities of color, and address long standing inequities in infrastructure investments.

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Transforming Community Development

Greenlining the Block will resource the leadership and expertise of communities of color to prepare for and lead effective climate action that meets community needs. Greenlining will work directly with Black, Indigenous, people of color-led community organizations to: 

Develop neighborhood and capital project ideas grounded in community needs and priorities. 

Advance community-led project visions to become both equity- and project-ready. 

Cultivate multistakeholder partnerships for greater collective impact. 

Build the capacity needed to lead their own transformations and engage on climate issues with longevity. 

Better understand the policy design required to influence future federal, state, and local infrastructure investment laws. 

Investing in Community Power for Lasting Change

Greenlining will provide direct capacity building annual grants, support tailored capacity building and other technical assistance, and facilitate peer-to-peer learning through a Community Practice alongside nine partner organizations in California, Illinois, Virginia, and Michigan: