The Business Initiative Corporation of New York (BICNY), a non-profit lender based in the Bronx that aims to support economic development, is excited to serve as an advisory partner to Fordham University as it works on a new project as part of its environmental justice program. The project is called “Flourishing in Community” and has been selected to be funded by a $50 million grant from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
The grant specifically prioritizes unrepresented groups and communities affected by environmental injustices in EPA Region 2, which includes New York, New Jersey, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Environmental injustices include issues such as air quality, community access to green spaces and waterways, sustainable transportation and more.
Fordham University’s Center for Community Engaged Learning is accepting applicants to work on projects that fall within their priority areas. Grant amounts range from $150,000-$350,000, plus $75,000 of non-competitive grants. The program is most interested in projects focusing on the following topics:
– Recovery and resilience
– Air, soil and water quality assessment and improvement
– Public health initiatives
– Clean-ups and waste management
– Land and facility purchase
– Workforce development
– Education programming and pathways
BICNY became involved in this process through the relationship it has built with the University for years. The Bronx-based non-profit offered guidance throughout the process of getting the grant from the federal government, and will now help with technical assistance, grant compliance and other related issues while they begin the next phase of the project.
It is vital for Bronx organizations — even ones that are not environmentally-focused — to work together on these types of projects. While you may not think of BICNY or Fordham in relation to an environmental grant, the university will find qualified people to work on these grant-funded projects. Further, the backend assistance they need to use the grant is something BICNY can help with.
Through this advisory partnership, those who propose projects can be successful in improving the environmental injustices experienced in EPA Region 2.
Anyone who is interested in applying or has questions about the program can contact Surey Miranda-Alarcon at smirandaalarcon@fordham.edu.
Jilleen Barrett is the Director of Communications and Marketing at the Bronx Economic Development Corporation.
