The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 5 awarded a $2,754,952 Project Grant to Friends of the Chicago River under the Environmental and Climate Justice Community Change Grants Program (CFDA #66.616) established by the Inflation Reduction Act. This 3-year grant will fund activities to ensure community organizations are working more directly with government stakeholders to advance equitable climate, environmental, and waterways policies related to the Chicago River system. Key deliverables include implementing new policies and projects that incorporate community input, increasing constituent participation in community-based research, publishing data summaries to inform government decision-making, and enhancing community capacity to engage in environmental public processes. The intended beneficiaries are disadvantaged communities in the Chicago area. As part of the grant, Friends of the Chicago River will provide sub-awards to support administrative services, stakeholder engagement, and government coordination activities.