Groundwork Usa Inc

Building thriving and resilient neighborhoods - the organization collaborates with groundwork affiliates to transform neglected land and waterways into community assets that reduce environmental harms, increase community wealth, and create new opportunities for joy and connection outdoors. In 2024, the organization awarded $2,457,200 to support multi-year green space, urban forestry, and stormwater infrastructure projects across the network in addition to supporting place-based programming through coaching, facilitated peer-learning, and data and evaluation services. Through our climate safe neighborhood program, groundwork affiliates engaged over 10,000 residents - including nearly 200 paid resident advisory group members - in the creation of neighborhood climate resilience action plans. Through the land use innovation initiative, we funded five affiliate projects aimed at expanding the role of residents in brownfield transformations. And, through our climate preparedness and land restoration program, we've invested $4.3m in seed funding in 13 projects aimed at addressing the human impacts of extreme heat and flooding. Our recently completed evaluation of these projects showed that every dollar invested in these projects returned $9.25 back to the community in ecosystem benefits.

Supporting the grassroots environmental movement- the organization elevates the learnings from our place-based programming to support the work of more than 1,500 community-based practitioners through webinars, workshops, resource development, and coaching through our epa brownfields technical assistance program and the urban waters learning network (uwln). In 2024, we provided one-on-one assistance to 12 organizations, launched a six-month learning intensive with 8 organizations, and 1,250 practitioners in webinars and workshops.

Creating pathways to opportunity- the organization collaborates with the groundwork network to create new pathways to economic opportunities through education, training, and skill-building programs that prepare community members for good jobs while simultaneously strengthening the local economy. In 2024, we supported the 700+ youth and young adults employed in the network's paid leadership and workforce development programs, launched a new alumni community, and brought 106 green teamers and 40 groundcorps members from 11 affiliate communities to national parks and historic sites for our national corps programs.