About Flourishing in Community

Flourishing in Community is part of the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Thriving Communities Grantmaking Program. Our goal is to direct resources toward environmental conservation initiatives in underinvested communities. These initiatives will prioritize active remediation, enhance local resilience, promote economic development, and address air, water, and soil quality concerns in EPA’s Region 2 — New York, New Jersey, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the eight federally recognized Indian Nations in New York. 

By leveraging Fordham University's infrastructure, Flourishing in Community provides grants to eligible entities (nonprofit organizations (registered at the state or federal level), territory governments, municipalities, local governments, federally and state-recognized Indian Nations, and higher education institutions) across rural, coastal, and weather-impacted areas.

This initiative also features a participatory, community-led governance structure, and offers grant recipients various support services, including training and individualized support for eligible applicants.

Fordham’s Center for Community Engaged Learning (CCEL) is taking a three-pronged approach to best support your needs.

  • Flourishing in Community directs federal funds to support environmental conservation, sustainable community development, and active remediation projects in underinvested communities.

    Our priorities include:

    1. Public and environmental health, with a special emphasis on air, water, and soil quality.
    2. Community access to and revitalization of green spaces, waterways, and underutilized areas.
    3. Workforce development and student success to support the economy.
    4. Sustainable farming practices and solutions.
    5. Environmental conservation and coastal resilience.
    6. Biodiversity and conservation.
    7. Resilience measures to help communities withstand extreme weather events.
       

     

  • With a participatory governance model and extensive community outreach, Flourishing in Community aims to streamline funding pathways and foster collaborations for long-lasting impact beyond the grant period. 

    Our strategy is informed by community activations and listening sessions. We seek to recognize the specific needs and goals within each community while addressing commonalities, such as high asthma rates in the South Bronx’s “Asthma Alley” and in Puerto Rico.

  • Over the past year, CCEL has initiated 27 neighborhood projects, 16 of which specifically address environmental issues like air quality, green spaces, farmers markets, community gardens, and food security, directly benefiting 2,000 Bronx families and indirectly reaching 10,000 more. Through its Global Outreach program, CCEL also extended support to environmental conservation projects in St. Thomas and Puerto Rico.