Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Technical Assistance Center (EJ TCTAC) at ISC
In 2023, the Institute for Sustainable Communities (ISC) was named one of three national Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Technical Assistance Centers (EJ TCTACs), a program of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) in partnership with the Department of Energy (DOE). The EPA also designated 13 regional EJ TCTACs for a total of 16 centers nationwide.
EJ TCTACs connect disinvested and overburdened communities with federal resources and support the creation of partnerships with philanthropic and private sector entities to expand the reach and impact of federal funds. As one of three national EJ TCTACs, ISC works to remove barriers and improve accessibility to federal funding for underserved communities with environmental justice concerns.
For more information about the EJ TCTAC program, or to request technical assistance, please contact us.
ISC is aligned with the important investments that the Biden-Harris Administration has committed to through the Federal Interagency Thriving Communities Network. Our selection as a national EJ TCTAC underscores the importance of technical assistance and capacity building in environmental justice communities. This role affords us the opportunity to expand the critical work we have been providing in divested communities across the country while also taking the ISC model of building capacity and enhanced technical assistance to regional EJ TCTACs.
About the EJ TCTAC Program
The EJ TCTAC program was created with funds from the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act, as part of the Department of Transportation’s (DOT) Thriving Communities Initiative, which provides technical assistance and capacity-building resources to disinvested communities throughout the country.
In 2023, the EPA, in partnership with the DOE, distributed $177 million to designate 13 regional and 3 national centers, or EJ TCTACs, to assist underserved communities across the country. For a full list of EJ TCTAC grantees, visit the EPA’s EJ TCTAC program webpage.
EJ TCTACs help organizations navigate federal grant application systems, write strong grant proposals, and effectively manage grant funding. They also provide guidance on community engagement, meeting facilitation, and translation and interpretation services to remove barriers and improve accessibility for communities with environmental justice concerns.
The current funding period for the EJ TCTAC program is five years, ending in 2028.
ISC 's Role as a National EJ TCTAC
Along with two additional national EJ TCTACs, the National Indian Health Board (NIHB) and the International City/County Management Association (ICMA), ISC provides training, resources and technical assistance for both regional EJ TCTACs and disinvested communities across the country. ISC also raises awareness and engages with stakeholder groups through conferences, meetings, and other events.
National EJ TCTACs work closely with regional EJ TCTACs by identifying and supporting local needs and providing virtual and in-person guidance and coordinated activities, communications, tools, and resources. ISC leads the development of a centralized online platform for the EJ TCTAC program to ensure communities have access to resources, information, and tools to successfully scale up environmental justice solutions.
Program Focuses
- Provide technical assistance for disinvested communities across the US, including regional EJ TCTACs
- Remove barriers to federal funding for disinvested communities
- Raise awareness and engage with stakeholders by organizing conferences, meetings, and other collaborative events
For more information about the EJ TCTAC program, or to request technical assistance, please contact us.