Bringing federal resources to local governments.
EPA began the Environmental Finance Center (EFC) program in 1992 to preserve the environmental progress made over the past fifty years and to expand the reach of federal funding opportunities for sustainability projects. However, despite considerable progress made, EPA recognizes many communities, especially those most at risk for climate hazards, have had difficulty accessing funding. Environmental Finance Centers exist to help communities navigate the complex world of federal funding. Moreover, EFCs seek to maximize the positive benefit of the more than $50 billion for water infrastructure projects made available through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) with an emphasis on underserved and disadvantaged communities.
SSDN has more than 10 years of experience supporting local communities in advancing sustainability and environmental best practices across the South. As a selected Multimedia Environmental Finance Center for EPA Region 4, SSDN will work with communities to advance their environmental goals by strengthening the capacity of decision makers to assess needs, develop effective financing methods, and catalyze action. SSDN’s Multimedia Environmental Finance Center (EFC) advances finance solutions to environmental challenges for communities in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee (EPA Region 4).
SSDN’s EFC equips communities with the knowledge and tools they need to create more sustainable environments, more resilient societies, and more robust economies. Through outreach, direct technical assistance, capacity building, and policy analysis, SSDN’s EFC equips communities with the knowledge and tools they need to create more sustainable environments, more resilient societies, and more robust economies. SSDN’s EFC serves local governments, community based organizations, state agencies, and other partners.
COMMUNITY OUTREACH | FACILITATION
SSDN’s EFC works directly with local government staff to engage stakeholders, build consensus and identify shared priorities. Our services include designing comprehensive outreach campaigns, facilitating focus groups, conducting community surveys, and crafting strategies to finance project implementation.
CAPACITY BUILDING:
PEER LEARNING | TRAINING | TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE
The EFC delivers customized assistance to local governments on topics such as environmental justice, green infrastructure, resilience, climate and energy, as well as drinking water, wastewater and stormwater finance. Local government staff can participate in trainings and utilize the range of educational resources offered through our EFC.
RESEARCH | POLICY ANALYSIS | FINANCIAL ASSESSMENT
To foster data-driven decisions, the EFC works with communities to assess programs and policies, analyze budgets, develop financing strategies, and create decision-support tools.
MORE INFORMATION
For more information on SSDN’s Multimedia Environmental Finance Center:
Contact Michael Dexter at michael@Southeastsdn.org
Sign up for biweekly emails, these emails highlight state and federal funding opportunities, webinars, tools and technical assistance.
For Further Reference and to Request Technical Assistance:
- Request Technical Assistance for Water Infrastructure Projects. (https://www.epa.gov/water-infrastructure/water-technical-assistance)
- Contact EPA’s Ombudsman who serves as an independent, impartial, and confidential resource to assist municipalities in navigating EPA's Clean Water Act programs. (https://www.epa.gov/ocir/municipal-ombudsman)
- Learn More about EPA Office of Water: (https://www.epa.gov/aboutepa/about-office-water )
