November 2024 – Your Members Only Newsletter

Here are a few updates about Green Umbrella’s work these past weeks. The Greater Cincinnati Regional Food Policy Council, supported by the RE-AMP Action Team, held more sharing sessions on accessing and coordinating available funding available at the intersection of urban food systems and climate change. Green Umbrella has been working in collaboration with Groundwork Ohio River Valley on Climate Safe Neighborhoods, which focuses on equity and environmental justice in the region. Over the past few months, in collaboration with the City of Covington Kentucky and The Center for Great Neighborhoods, residents have been working in Climate Advisory Groups for training on climate impacts, justice and planning, community prioritization, advocacy, and action.

This is the final Members Only newsletter for 2024. Thank you for being an integral part of the inaugural year of the Regional Climate Collaborative. The next newsletter will arrive in 2025!

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Your Member Benefits at Work

Get Discounted Tickets to Green Umbrella’s 2024 Annual Meeting & Celebration

December 10 @ 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm

Green Umbrella’s annual celebration brings together 200 sustainability leaders from across our network to connect around sustainability successes and upcoming goals. The event provides an opportunity to engage with fellow sustainability champions from across the Greater Cincinnati region and hear about the impactful work happening across our organization and member network. The celebration will include local light bites, live music, and complimentary beverages thanks to HighGrain Brewing.

Green Umbrella members get $25 off tickets for their organizations. To purchase tickets, visit the link here and use this code: GU-MEMBER

Special thanks to our event sponsors, Three Corners Capital and Great Parks of Hamilton County!

Get the most out of your Membership:

• Submit your events to our Public Events Calendar
• Submit your jobs, internships, and volunteer opportunities to the Green Jobs Board 
• Stay tuned: 2024 Member Benefits Recap 
• Stay tuned: Climate Health Equity Media Toolkit 
• Stay tuned: 2025 Member Survey

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Collaboration & Connections

Midwest Region 5 TCTAC Intake Form

EPA’s Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Technical Assistance Centers are here to provide technical assistance services to communities in EPA’s Region 5 territory facing environmental justice issues. The assistance centers aim to support and empower communities by providing tools and resources to address climate challenges. If your organization or community is seeking assistance in the areas of capacity building for federal grant navigation, community engagement, developing grant proposals or other technical support, the Region 5 intake form is open for requests for assistance. Green Umbrella serves as a supporting partner in the Region 5 TCTAC.

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Funding & Grant Opportunities

The Community Forest and Open Space Conservation Program (Community Forest Program)

Support for communities to acquire and conserve forests that provide public access and recreational opportunities, protect vital water supplies and wildlife habitat, serve as demonstration sites for private forest landowners, and provide economic benefits from timber and non-timber products.

Building Blocks for Sustainable Communities (Technical Assistance)

Now accepting letters of interest for 2025! The Building Blocks for Sustainable Communities technical assistance program is delivered by EPA staff and EPA-hired consultant teams.The program will provide planning assistance to local governments working in partnership with community organizations to help mitigate the effects of urban heat islands in overburdened communities.

More opportunities & resources:

• Good Jobs in Clean Energy: Designed to encourage coalition-building in communities across the country that focus on creating quality jobs and fostering an equitable and inclusive workforce in clean energy sectors.
• WIIN Grant: Reducing Lead in Drinking Water: $35 million to assist disadvantaged communities and schools with removing sources of lead in drinking water.

More funding opportunities can always be found at Green Umbrella’s Member Funding and Technical Assistance Tracker.

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Other News:

Climate Health Equity Webinar Series

Green Umbrella’s Climate Health Equity series is a public service campaign aimed at informing communities of regional climate issues and impacts to our health. It builds upon a report in partnership with Scioto Analysis, “Climate Health Equity – Analyzing the Impacts of Climate Change and Health Outcomes in Greater Cincinnati.” Join in on the conversation and learn more with the following resources:

• Upcoming Webinar – Climate Change, Waste, Recycling and Health Outcomes in Greater Cincinnati December 2 from 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm
• Webinar Recording – Water Quality, Governance and Health Outcomes
• Webinar Recording – Food Access and Health Outcomes in Greater Cincinnati Blog – I’m Thirsty! Climate Change and its Effects on Water Quality

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Meet a Member: Miami University

Miami University has had a long-standing commitment to sustainability. In 1969, the university established the Institute of Environmental Sciences, (now known as the Institute for the Environment and Sustainability) and offered a Master of Environmental Science degree, predating the founding of the Environmental Protection Agency established on December 2, 1970. The program was designed to address “the urgent need for a new program which is truly interdisciplinary in structure … and which contains a curriculum geared to train a modern environmental scientist equipped with the tools and philosophy to cope with new problems as they arise.” The institute now offers four co-majors in environmental science, energy and food systems, sustainability, and food studies. Green Umbrella is honored to have Miami University as a Supporting Member. The university’s innovative legacy continues to inspire collaborative climate work in our region and nationally.