DESCRIPTION:THIS FUNDING WILL PROVIDE THE INITIAL AWARD OF $8,000,000 TO THE RECIPIENT, HRA - HEALTH RESOURCES IN ACTION, AS THE REGION 1 GRANTMAKER, AS PART OF THE BIFURCATED AWARD FOR GRANTMAKING ACTIVITIES AUTHORIZED BY CLEAN AIR ACT (CAA) SECTION 138(B). HRA WILL BE FUNDED BY INFLATION REDUCTION ACT (IRA) APPROPRIATIONS TOTALING $40,000,000 DIVIDED INTO AN INITIAL AND SUBSEQUENT AWARD. THESE FUNDS FOR THIS INITIAL AWARD WILL BE USED BY THE RECIPIENT TO DESIGN AND MANAGE A COMPREHENSIVE ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE (EJ) GRANT PROGRAM WHICH WILL SUPPORT COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS (CBOS) AND OTHER ENTITIES REPRESENTING UNDERSERVED URBAN, RURAL, INDIGENOUS, REMOTE, AND CAPACITY-CONSTRAINED COMMUNITIES TO IMPLEMENT PROJECTS WHICH ADDRESS LOCAL ENVIRONMENTAL AND PUBLIC HEALTH CHALLENGES IN REGION 1. HRA WILL PARTNER WITH TWO CORE PARTNERS, ALTERNATIVES FOR COMMUNITY AND THE ENVIRONMENT, INC. (ACE) AND NEW ENGLAND GRASSROOTS FUND (GRASSROOTS FUND), 'THE PROJECT TEAM (PT)', TO ENGAGE SEVEN EJ CBOS (ONE FROM EACH OF THE SIX NEW ENGLAND STATES AND ONE FOR THE REGIONAL TRIBES) WHO WILL ACT AS 'ANCHOR PARTNERS' AND COLLABORATE WITH THE PT TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL SUPPORT AND OUTREACH TO PROSPECTIVE APPLICANTS IN THEIR RESPECTIVE STATES AND TRIBAL REGIONS. THIS COLLABORATIVE PROCESS WILL DIRECTLY RESOURCE THE SEVEN ANCHOR PARTNERS, SUPPORT COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND RELATIONSHIP BUILDING THROUGHOUT REGION 1, AND SUPPORT CBOS AND INDIGENOUS-LED ORGANIZATIONS TO BUILD OUT A GRANTMAKING PROGRAM ROOTED IN EQUITABLE PARTICIPATION WHICH CENTERS THE VOICES OF THOSE IMPACTED BY ENVIRONMENTAL INJUSTICES.ACTIVITIES:AS PART OF THE INITIAL AWARD PHASE OF THE BIFURCATED AWARD, THE RECIPIENT, HRA - HEALTH RESOURCES IN ACTION, WILL DEVELOP A PARTICIPATORY REVIEW PROCESS, WHICH WILL INCLUDE THE CREATION OF A GOVERNANCE COUNCIL COMPRISED OF 12-15 MEMBERS, A GRANTMAKING COMMITTEE COMPRISED OF 12-15 MEMBERS, AS WELL AS THE SELECTION OF UP TO 100 GRANT READERS. THE RECIPIENT WILL DEVELOP A REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL, DETERMINE ELIGIBILITY AND SELECTION CRITERIA FOR THE GRANTMAKING PROGRAM, CREATE APPLICATION QUESTIONS AND CRITERIA, SELECT KEY DEADLINES, ESTABLISH PROGRAM SUBMISSION GUIDELINES, DEVELOP PROGRAM PRIORITIES, AND ESTABLISH A GRANT REVIEW PROCESS. COLLECTIVELY, THROUGH THE PARTICIPATORY REVIEW PROCESS, THE RECIPIENT WILL DEVELOP A FRAMEWORK FOR APPLICATIONS AND APPLICATION SUBMISSIONS, APPLICATION EVALUATION, AND SUBGRANTEE REPORTING REQUIREMENTS, WILL PROMOTE THE PROGRAM, WILL ENGAGE UNDERSERVED AND CAPACITY-CONSTRAINED COMMUNITIES THROUGHOUT REGION 1, AND PROMOTE ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE. SUBRECIPIENT:ALTERNATIVES FOR COMMUNITY AND ENVIRONMENT, INC. (ACE) WILL COLLABORATE WITH COMMUNITY-BASED AND NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS IN REGION 1 TO DESIGN, SUPPORT, AND IMPLEMENT OUTREACH STRATEGIES TO ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE (EJ) COMMUNITIES; CREATE COMMUNICATION TOOLS, INCLUDING FLIERS, NEWSLETTERS, BROCHURES, ONE-PAGERS, WEBINAR CONTENT AND SLIDE DECKS, BLOGS, AND ARTICLES, TO INCREASE OUTREACH TO UNDERREPRESENTED AND CAPACITY-CONSTRAINED COMMUNITIES; SUPPORT ENGAGEMENT AND OUTREACH TO INDIGENOUS AND TRIBAL COMMUNITIES IN REGION 1 IN COLLABORATION WITH THE 7 ANCHOR PARTNERS; CONNECT PROSPECTIVE APPLICANTS AND SUBGRANTEES TO ADDITIONAL EJ RESOURCES IN REGION 1, INCLUDING THOSE PROVIDED BY THE REGION 1 THRIVING COMMUNITIES TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE CENTER (TCTAC) AND EPA REGION 1; PARTICIPATE IN THE GOVERNANCE COUNCIL AS NON-DECISION MAKING MEMBER(S); ASSIST IN THE DESIGN OF THE GRANTMAKING PROCESS, INCLUDING APPLICATION DEVELOPMENT, REVIEW, SELECTION, AWARD-MAKING DECISIONS, AND REPORTING REQUIREMENTS. NEW ENGLAND GRASSROOTS ENVIRONMENTAL FUND, INC. (GRASSROOTS FUND) WILL ASSIST IN THE DESIGN OF THE GRANTMAKING PROCESS, INCLUDING APPLICATION DEVELOPMENT, REVIEW, SELECTION, AWARD-MAKING DECISIONS, AND REPORTING REQUIREMENTS; ASSIST ACE AND HRA - HEALTH RESOURCES IN ACTION IN PROMOTING THE GRANTMAKING PROGRAM, INCLUDING OUTREACH AND EN