Audience: Environmental 'Base'

This week, we hear from 2023-24 Climate Justice Micrograntee Groundwork Ohio River Valley. This program provides funding to help document and amplify “lessons learned” from U.S. climate justice organizations who are advancing equitable, community-based solutions to the climate crisis.
Groundwork Ohio River Valley has created a report and toolkit on the findings of the Climate Advisory Group (CAG) program model from their Climate Safe Neighborhoods Program (CSN) initiative, a national effort through Groundwork USA to identify neighborhoods that are more vulnerable to the effects of climate change because of racial and social injustices, engage frontline resident leaders and partners, and ignite action towards climate resilience. The report outlines the latest lessons learned and challenges encountered when implementing the community organizer model.
We’re excited to feature their report back in our Lab insights this week! Keep reading to learn more about the project and their reflections.
Watch this short video to get a preview of the project before diving into the insight!

We are thrilled to share this week’s newsletter with Philly Thrive, one of our 2024 Climate Justice Micrograntees. Philly Thrive is based in the Grays Ferry neighborhood in Philadelphia and has worked for nearly a decade to correct environmental injustices in South Philly, primarily related to the PES oil refinery. In 2020, they successfully closed it down. Read on for reflections from Philly Thrive’s organizers on and check out their video series chronicling lessons learned through their Right to Breathe Campaign.

Things are getting spooky, but how we talk about the IRA shouldn’t be. This month we wanted to explore how digital campaigners are crafting large-scale campaigns to raise public consciousness about the IRA’s impacts and benefits, and persuading people to take action. We spoke with two seasoned digital strategists: Maddie Kriger at Climate Power and Joseph Huff-Hannon at A–B who, along with their teams, have been flexing their creativity and research skills to figure out the winning ingredients to a successful ad campaign. We wanted to take you behind the scenes to find out their “secret sauce”, and share tips on applying these insights into your IRA work.

Earlier this month, I traveled to Lumberton, NC for the North Carolina Climate Justice Collective (NCCJC)’s quarterly convening of Resiliency Organizing Hub leaders. The Lumberton area was hit by devastating floods from back-to-back hurricanes in 2017 and 2018, displacing thousands and prompting critical conversations about how to build both more resilient infrastructure and more resilient communities.
In the face of worsening, climate-fueled extreme weather and the ongoing threat of extractive industries, local organizations like the Robeson County Cooperative for Sustainable Development (RCCSD) are providing direct relief, pushing for a more “just recovery,” and organizing people to “fight the bad” and “build the good.” (Bonus content: Check out RCCSD’s climate justice microgrant project, detailing lessons learned from the successful campaign to stop the Atlantic Coast Pipeline*!)
NCCJC is one of the Lab’s newest strategic partners, and we’ve had the privilege of working closely together over the past year in support of their place-based organizing work! In this week’s newsletter, we’re excited to share more information about NCCJC’s Resiliency Organizing Hub and anchor organizations, as well as some reflections and early learnings from our partnership work so far.

In a rapidly changing social and political landscape, having a solid strategy for engaging and growing your base is essential. The Lab’s Organizing 201 training is designed to equip participants with the skills and knowledge needed to effectively recruit and retain members and volunteers for your campaign or advocacy work.