The City's Office of Sustainability, in a joint effort with the Philadelphia Environmental Justice Advisory Commission (PEJAC), has recently unveiled the beneficiaries of the 2025 Community Resilience and Environmental Justice (CREJ) Fund. The chosen projects focus on tackling various environmental issues, including enhancing air quality monitoring, promoting clean energy, cultivating community gardens, and combating illegal dumping. The groups poised to receive funding are all embedded within the Philadelphia community and serve areas hit hardest by environmental injustice. Each of the 20 community-based organizations will be granted a one-year sum of $15,000. As per the City of Philadelphia, Sinceré Harris, the Chief Deputy Mayor, noted, "The Community Resilience and Environmental Justice fund is a model we hope to learn from, as we invest in the very communities most impacted by climate change."
Beyond the cash injection, the CREJ Fund is also set to provide this year's grantees with added support to help sustain and grow their initiatives. According to the Office of Sustainability, these services aim to quickly bolster organizational capacity through strategic planning, project planning, team coaching, conflict mediation, and grant writing. The added suite of wraparound services is designed to specifically reinforce the long-term viability and impact of grantee projects.
The list of 2025 CREJ Fund recipients includes a diverse array of organizations, such as the Center in the Park, Cloud 9 Community Farms, and the Germantown Residents for Economic Alternatives Together. These organizations and others chosen for funding were selected by commissioners serving on the PEJAC, which directly involves those who understand their community's struggles and needs.
Elizabeth Lankenau, the Director of the Office of Sustainability, mentioned the importance of building on the commitment to supporting community leaders. "These services will provide community leaders with coaching, planning and other crucial skills that bolster their long-term work removing barriers to environmental justice and empowering the next generation of young leaders in their communities," said Lankenau, as per the City of Philadelphia. Recognizing the importance of aiding those at the front lines, these grants and services form a comprehensive approach to nurturing the seeds of change rooted in community effort.
