Grant Spotlight: Investing in Local Climate Resilience

August 19, 2025

We’re thrilled to announce that several of our member communities have been awarded grants through the Climate Smart Communities Initiative (CSCI)!map of U.S. with grant cities marked

Here’s what’s happening:

  • Boynton Beach, FL, has received $100,000 to develop a data-informed, community-driven urban heat resilience strategy, including efforts around tree canopy expansion and cooling infrastructure.
  • Chatham County, GA, secured $110,787 to create a Resilience Roadmap, uniting departmental and community goals around climate priorities.
  • New Orleans East was awarded $100,000 to support the Green Infrastructure Collective in conducting a climate vulnerability and risk assessment to guide green infrastructure strategies that reduce extreme heat.

In total, CSCI awarded 21 grants totaling $2.2 million to communities nationwide—fueling local climate resilience planning, technical support, and adaptation capacity. climatesmartcommunity.org

This is exactly the kind of transformative support our communities need—empowering local leaders to act, to build, and to adapt in the face of climate challenges.

Congratulations to our forward-looking partners in Florida, Georgia, and Louisiana! Your leadership is setting the stage for safer, more resilient futures.