FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, February 14, 2023
Media Contact: Communications team at media@justiceoutside.org
OAKLAND, CA—Today, Justice Outside, which works to advance racial justice and equity in the outdoor and environmental movement, announced that the organization is expanding grantmaking for community-led organizations working in North and South Carolina.
Justice Outside’s Liberated Paths grantmaking program supports outdoor initiatives and organizations that cultivate and celebrate the contributions of Black, Indigenous, and Communities of Color and affirm the many experiences and identities our communities hold, through grantmaking, capacity building, and network building. The expansion, made possible through a partnership with Oak Foundation, will allow Justice Outside to support organizations working at the intersection of the environment and racial justice for the first time in the Southern region of the United States. Before this, Liberated Paths has supported organizations in California, the Pacific Northwest (Oregon and Washington), the Southwest (Arizona and New Mexico), and the Delaware River Watershed. In 2022, Justice Outside awarded more than $2.5 million to 116 grantees.
“Liberated Paths goes beyond grantmaking. Our program amplifies the voices of community-based environmental leadership and ensures that Communities of Color shape decisions about the health and sustainability of our environments. This community knowledge approach leads to greater protections, conservation, and recreation in the outdoors and environment for all of us. It will build a stronger environmental movement from the community level up to ensure our solutions are inclusive, fair, lasting, and resilient in the face of the climate change crisis,” said Justice Outside’s Grantmaking Director Rena Payan.
Justice Outside’s grantmaking in the Carolinas will focus on organizations that support solutions and people on the frontlines, deepen community engagement and collaborative leadership networks, and create systems change through field building among the many Black, Indigenous, and People of Color-led environmental nonprofits in the Carolinas.
Applications for grants in North and South Carolina open on April 3, 2023. Applicants can learn more and apply by visiting the Liberated Paths grantmaking page on Justice Outside’s website.
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Justice Outside advances racial justice and equity in the outdoor and environmental movement. We shift resources to, build power with, and center the voices and leadership of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color because the health of current and future generations demands it. For press inquiries, please contact our communications team at media@justiceoutside.org. For inquiries about the Liberated Paths program, contact Rena Payan at rena@justiceoutside.org.