Since May of 2023, the Midwest Climate Collaborative has hosted Federal Funding Fridays (FFF) nearly every week. These are informal calls where we gather to share insights on federal funding opportunities, discuss common challenges, and celebrate shared successes. To date, we’ve had over 300 individuals and organizations, with an average of 25+ weekly attendees. Some calls are geared toward knowledge sharing on several opportunities and others feature special guests that can provide insights into areas of interest.
A few highlights from 2024:
- Through these calls and conversations throughout the Midwest, we learned about the huge need to build the capacity around grant training. To help remedy this gap, the MCC is working with Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, with support fromMosaic, a project of the Tides Center to put on several free grant training opportunities, virtual and in-person, to connect more Midwest communities to federal funds and advance climate action.
- Following the November election, FFF participants expressed deep concern over the future of climate-related federal grant opportunities. To help folks understand what we can expect in January, we invited Amy Turner, Director of the Cities Climate Law Initiative at the Sabin Center to our weekly call to provide insights into what is safe or at risk and she stayed on to answer questions and discuss strategies to salvage what we can and take advantage of tax credits!
- Working with leaders across the region to develop comprehensive proposals for Climate Pollution Reduction grants, Community Change grants, and more.
- Serving as a connector between departments such as the Department of Energy and other agencies looking to expand opportunities to Midwest communities.
I joined the MCC as a Climate Resource Specialist back in the fall and jumped right in, attending my first call the week I started. It’s been a whirlwind; getting to know as many people as I can, digging into climate-related federal funding opportunities, learning what resources or bits of information would be most helpful to MCC members and other folks attending FFF calls. As a newbie to Federal Funding Fridays, I’d like to share a few reflections:
- Pre-competitive. Despite the competitive nature of many grants, folks that attend are highly collaborative and willing to answer questions and share resources.
- Resources, resources, resources! The resources shared by the MCC and by others on these calls are one of the few opportunities where participants, many of whom have other competing priorities, can not only hear about relevant funding opportunities, but also learn about any nuances or resources that can help them get closer to determining if it’s worth pursuing, saving valuable time.
- Solidarity goes a long way. As people, we all share the impact of climate change, disproportionately so on vulnerable populations and future generations. The actions we take in one region can impact another, positive or negative. It gives me great joy to see folks from across the Midwest join these calls and find connections to follow-up on outside of Federal Funding Friday to work on grants or projects that will support climate action.
- Opportunities abound with direct pay. Navigating the federal funding landscape is challenging as it is when it comes to grants, but enter direct pay through the Inflation Reduction Act, and we’ve got a whole new set of challenges! For one, we’ve learned that many elected officials aren’t even familiar with direct pay and don’t fully understand how beneficial it can be for their constituents. Because direct pay is written into the U.S. Tax Code, it could take years to reform. The MCC is looking for ways we can help members and FFF attendees 1) easily share the importance of direct pay with their elected officials and 2) learn about successful strategies to access direct pay given the amount of complexity and coordination required. (We invite you to share any successful direct pay stories here!)
Federal Funding Fridays in 2025
We know the federal funding landscape will look different over the next few years as it relates to climate, but the need to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions and better protect our communities from escalating floods, droughts, fires and other health-related threats remains. Despite the impending headwinds, there are significant bipartisan opportunities for climate action, including continued clean energy development, which has already proven successful in both red and blue states. Support also exists for emerging technologies like next-generation geothermal energy and for decarbonizing “heavy industries,” driven by both national security and economic competitiveness concerns.
To enhance our support, we’ll be adapting our weekly call format throughout 2025. This includes inviting guest speakers to share insights on grant writing challenges, successful implementation strategies, and navigating diverse funding sources. We’ll also explore alternative funding opportunities beyond federal grants, such as state and private sources, as the landscape continues to evolve.
While I’m still getting to know everyone and the granularity of the various challenges and needs, every call leaves me feeling inspired, hopeful and encouraged. Inspiration, hope and encouragement is exactly what we need during times of uncertainty. Join us next Friday and check it out for yourself! We hope to see you there!