How a local CBO doubled capacity in pursuing grant funding with AI
Monday, October 7, 2024
Earlier this year, Streamline Climate partnered with the Milken Institute to support community-based organizations to discover, qualify, and apply to community change grants in California. Our AI-first approach doubled their capacity without hiring more staff.
The Problem
Community-based organizations (CBOs) often lack the capacity to effectively pursue grant opportunities. Limited staff and resources make it challenging to identify suitable grants, navigate complex application processes, and submit competitive proposals. This capacity gap prevents many deserving communities from accessing vital funding for environmental and climate justice initiatives.
The Funding Opportunity
The Environmental Protection Agency's Community Change Grants program offers unprecedented funding for community-driven projects addressing climate challenges and reducing pollution. With approximately $2 billion available, these grants aim to transform disadvantaged communities into healthy, climate-resilient, and thriving places.
The program includes two tracks:
Track I: Community-Driven Investments for Change ($10-20 million awards)
Track II: Meaningful Engagement for Equitable Governance ($1-3 million awards)
Learn more about EPA Community Change grants here.
The Pilot
Pepi Jackson, CEO of the Riverside County Black Chamber of Commerce, was one of 14 community leaders participating in an AI-powered grant writing program hosted by Streamline in partnership with the Milken Institute. To help Pepi Jackson and other CBO leaders win funding for their communities, we identified a set of opportunities that they were eligible for and helped them transform their first application into ones that worked for upcoming opportunities.
Each CBO we worked with had previously pursued a grant award for a community change effort. The material — both written content and background documents — prepared during this previous grant writing effort was relevant to upcoming ones. Our AI-powered approach allowed CBOs to:
Efficiently identify relevant grant opportunities
Quickly assess eligibility criteria
Repurpose existing application materials for multiple submissions
Streamline the application process, saving time and resources
By leveraging AI technology, we enabled CBOs to double their capacity without increasing staff, significantly improving their chances of securing vital funding for their communities.
What's Next
Given the success of the program, we're increasing the scale of the pilot and kicking off another cohort this quarter. We're excited to expand our support beyond climate technology companies to a broader range of stakeholders in the environmental and climate justice space. Our goal is to empower more CBOs, local governments, and community leaders to access the transformative funding available through programs like the Community Change Grants.
By continuing to refine our AI-powered approach, we aim to level the playing field for disadvantaged communities, ensuring they have the tools and resources needed to compete effectively for these crucial funding opportunities. This expansion aligns with our mission to accelerate positive change and foster more equitable, sustainable communities across California and beyond.
