Healthy Environment-Healthy Community Grants
The Zender Environmental Health & Research Community Assistance Program (ZCAP) is accepting applications to support environmental health projects benefitting small, rural Alaska communities through the Healthy Environment Healthy Community (HEHC) program. Awards will be provided as direct funding to the applicant, direct project purchasing by Zender on behalf of the applicant, or a combination of the two. Award recipients will partner with ZCAP staff to complete their project. The 25-26 HEHC funding is made possible through generous funding by the Denali Commission Unmet Waste Needs Award.
Types of Projects Supported, Eligibility, and Priority Selection.
Applications should propose projects which address current risks, potential risks and near-future risks to human health and/or the environment. Solutions can be direct, as in reducing or eliminating a specific risk, or indirect as in the case where a waste, water, energy, or landfill utility cannot be operated in a protective manner because of the cost, and the proposed solution results in improved affordability. These grants are intended to address gaps in the support structure for rural Alaska communities in protecting their air, water, lands, and resources. Filling these gaps should address contaminant releases and safety concerns which result from less stringent environmental regulations, substandard utilities, and/or indoor air quality concerns from substandard or older housing and workspaces resulting in specific and significant health risks. The HEHC grant intent is to fill as many environmental health needs as possible for which communities cannot otherwise find support.
Award Information
Supported Requests:
Type of Application:
$3,000 to $120,000
Competitive
Period of Performance:
Match Requirement:
9/21/2025 – 09/30/2027
None
Timeline
Proposal Due Date: Applications reviewed monthly on the 15th of every month, beginning Oct 15, 2025.
Pre-award Notification: Anticipated within 1 – 4 weeks of monthly submittal deadline.
Example Projects:
- Projects incorporating language retention or renewal to improve environmental health outcomes and/or interest in achieving better environmental health
- Projects enhancing food security through sustainability initiatives, elder insights, transition to subsistence resources which are trending toward greater abundance.
- Projects for solid waste management (disposal, collection, reduction, recycling, re-using).
- Projects that directly result in reduced exposure to contaminants in waste, soil, water, air.
- Projects that directly result in reduced resident or worker exposure to toxics from using new or older commercial products, or from living or working in buildings with toxics and/or poor indoor air quality.
- Projects that that can be expected to improve mental and/or physical health outcomes through changes in program practices, supplies, equipment purchase or repair, personnel training, or community outreach and involvement.
- Projects that protect subsistence resources from contamination or identify whether and/or to what extent resources are being contaminated.
- Projects that lower the cost of living and/or the cost of electricity, heat, waste disposal, water supply or wastewater disposal.
See the application for further details and information.