The Institute for Sustainable Communities and Tides Foundation Establish Climate Justice Fund

WASHINGTON, February 21, 2023 /3BL Media/ - The Institute for Sustainable Communities (ISC), the Tides Foundation and Wells Fargo are coming together to launch a climate justice fund to create more equitable access to clean and affordable energy and improve climate resiliency in historically excluded and divested communities.

ISC will launch a new initiative - "Dismantling Energy Inequity in Communities of Color" (DEICC) - expanding the organization's focus on energy inequity in communities of color through the fund established with a $2.85 million grant from the Wells Fargo Foundation. To ensure philanthropic resources reach communities, ISC is serving as a partner and intermediary to the resources provided by Tides Foundation and Wells Fargo.

"The most transformative and sustainable solutions to address climate inequities are developed and led by local leaders who know their community best," said Sonia Joshi, director of U.S. Programs at ISC. "What is often missing is the technical capacity/support and financial resources to move from ideas to action."

ISC will create a national cohort across 10 U.S. cities, uplifting the knowledge and expertise of Black-, Brown- and Indigenous-led community-based organizations to develop weather-resilient, solar-powered community centers, known as resilience hubs. These resilience hubs will serve as gathering places for community members in times of joy - with support through educational and social programs - and in times of climate crisis, including flooding, and power outages, as cooling centers in the summer and heat shelters in the winter.

The organizations and locations that will be represented within the DEICC project are:

• Coalition for Environment, Equity and Resilience (Houston, TX)
• Community Members for Environmental Justice (Minneapolis, MN)
• East Oakland Collective (Oakland, CA)
• Garfield Park Community Council (Chicago, IL)
• Neighborhood Housing Services Southeast Florida (Miami, FL)
• Nos Quedamos (Bronx, NY)
• Pacoima Beautiful (Los Angeles, CA)
• Partnership for Southern Equity (Atlanta, GA)
• Thunder Valley Community Development Corporation (Porcupine, SD)
• Unlimited Potential (Phoenix, AZ)

"Wells Fargo is committed to building community resilience and addressing the impacts of climate change, particularly in underserved communities," said Robyn Luhning, chief sustainability officer at Wells Fargo. "Funding this community-led effort from the Tides Foundation and the Institute for Sustainable Communities is part of our work to support the transition to a resilient, equitable and sustainable economy."

Partner organizations in this initiative will become part of the ISC's National Climate Leaders of Color Network and engage in technical assistance and peer learning opportunities at local, regional, topical, and national levels.

About ISC 
Founded in 1991, The Institute for Sustainable Communities supports communities around the world grappling with environmental, economic, and social challenges. We unleash the power of people to transform their communities by ensuring that equitable solutions emerge from the bottom-up. We spark creative solutions and lasting change by sharing global best practices and experiences, delivering technical expertise and training, and strengthening local leaders, organizations, and institutions. More information on the Institute for Sustainable Communities can be found at sustain.org or follow us on Twitter @SustainableComm

About Tides Foundation 
Tides is a philanthropic partner and nonprofit accelerator dedicated to building a world of shared prosperity and social justice. Tides works at the nexus of funders and changemakers, developing innovative solutions that enhance philanthropic giving and grantmaking, impact investing, fiscal sponsorship, collaborative workspaces, and policy initiatives. Applying our equity-centered lens, we work closely with our partners to shift power to BIPOC leaders, their organizations, and those who face systemic barriers to power.

Contact: 
Breanna Edwards | (802) 234-1145 
Email: bedwards@sustain.org