Midwest Frontline Fund

The Midwest Frontline Fund provides general operating grants to grassroots and frontline environmental justice organizations throughout the midwest. Since 2016, MWEJN has supported over 70 environmental justice organizations totaling $6 million in grants.

The Midwest Frontline Fund Advisory Circle

The Frontline Fund is guided by an Advisory Circle made up of grassroots leaders in the Midwest. The Circle informs organizational eligibility, selection criteria and priorities, and serve as ambassadors for the Fund. Final funding decisions are made by the Midwest Environmental Justice Network Leadership Team.

Check out our 2024 Frontline Fund Grantmaking Report!

Advisory Circle Members

- Non-profit organizations (501(c)3s and 501(c)4s, organizations with fiscal sponsors) and Tribal governments
- Organizations that are rooted in, made up of, and accountable to communities of color, low-income communities, Tribes, and American Indian/First Nations communities who are most impacted by environmental and public health issues will be prioritized
- Organizations must work on EJ issues in these 12 Midwestern states: IL, IN, IA, KS, MI, MN, MO, NE, ND, OH, SD, WI and the Native Nations that share this geography
- Organizations must be committed to building grassroots power and leadership - we ask applicants to describe how they incorporate the Principles of Environmental Justice as articulated by the Delegates to the First National People of Color Environmental Leadership Summit held on October 24-27, 1991 and the Jemez Principles for Democratic Organizing compiled at the Jemez meeting hosted by Southwest Network for Environmental and Economic Justice (SNEEJ) in Jemez, New Mexico in Dec. 1996.
- At least 25% go to American Indian/First Nations - led organizations and Tribal governments (we have followed this criteria since 2016 - most years it has been over 25%)
- We prioritize renewing grants to existing grantee partners
- We aim to balance resources across the region & by issue area
- We seek to reach new organizations through relationships with our existing grantee partners and allies in the region
- For new applicants in 2024, we are prioritizing organizations with organizational budgets of $1 million and under

Our Grant-making

January 2025 Update-

This year, we will be focusing on renewals of current member organizations. There will be no open application process this year. In the meantime, we will be reconvening our Advisory Circle to consider strategy and process for the 2026 grantmaking cycle. Sign up for our newsletter to receive updates about our 2026 grantmaking announcement.

Organizations that are awarded a Frontline Fund grant become part of the Network, which provides shared learning opportunities and capacity building.