Join us in taking action to end the toxic cycle of disinvestment in communities of color.
The lasting legacy of redlining has been profound:the result? These communities have far fewer opportunities to build generational wealth, and there’s a dangerous absence of climate resilient infrastructure in rural and urban neighborhoods alike. To make matters worse, institutional neglect has made it extremely difficult for communities of color to access the resources needed to revive local economies.
It has become clear that in order to build a just future, community leadership is the key. Together, we have the power to determine the trajectory of our neighborhoods, our local economies, and the future of our communities for generations to come.
#GreenliningTheBlock is an initiative of The Greenlining Institute
Even though redlining is now illegal, ongoing cycles of disinvestment mean community needs like clean transportation options, good jobs, climate resilient housing, access to clean water and air, green spaces, and community centers, remain wholly underfunded. As a result of redlining and racist policies, these neighborhoods have endured decades of disinvestment leading to fewer economic opportunities and more acute exposure to pollution and the impacts of climate change. The institutional neglect of these neighborhoods makes it extremely difficult for community leaders to access the resources needed to revive local economies and care for their communities.
We’ve all felt the impacts of systemic disinvestment in some way, shape, or form. Sometimes it looks like having to take public transit for over an hour just to attend school or work. Other times, it looks like watching a friend or family member struggling to live with a chronic respiratory illness because they grew up living too close to a freeway or factory.
Learn Morecommunity based partner organizations across 5 states
in pass-through funded awarded to cohort members
public grant funding unlocked by program partners
There’s reason to hope. More and more community-based organizations are stepping forward to end the cycle of disinvestment. Equipped with solutions they know will work to bolster economic activity and fight against climate impacts, these leaders are the visionaries that will disrupt the cycle and unlock the door to generational wealth-building opportunities.
Community-led climate action projects have the ability to create the kind of wealth in formerly redlined areas that we all want to see – transformative and sustainable change that empowers future generations to thrive.
The Greenlining the Block Initiative understands that frontline communities know best what their neighborhoods need, and invests in community leadership to advance their own solutions.
We believe that with time and investment, Greenlining the Block projects will be able to attract more public and private resources to the benefit of their local communities. Thus, kickstarting a virtuous cycle of investment and outcomes for their communities and beyond.
Learn More“As our climate crisis worsens, we must create solutions that connect the local to the regional, solutions that are as radical as they are hopeful. Our project is always more ambitious than one school or one community. Youth want nothing less than transformation. Everywhere.”
For long-term success, Greenlining the Block is connecting communities to billions of available dollars so they can realize their visions of success.
Advocates often face an uphill battle trying to navigate the complex web of grant applications, government bureaucracy, and willing partners when it comes time to access federal resources. Too often, they encounter unequal power dynamics and top-down practices and systems that set up barriers to real, community-led change.
Our vision is for Greenlining the Block to be a community transformation agent. We invest in these organizations and their climate justice solutions, so they can unlock additional forms of capital and truly transform their communities.
Learn MoreJoin the growing movement of supporters investing in community ownership of solutions.
Contributions are 100% tax-deductible.