Midwest Environmental Justice Network

08/31/2026

Local communities know the challenges they face—and the solutions they need.

Today, we’re excited to share a progress report on the Great Lakes Thriving Communities Grantmaking program, which the Minneapolis Foundation is proud to administer in partnership with the Midwest Environmental Justice Network, NDNCollective, and the RE-AMP Network.

In its first year of grantmaking, this program awarded more than $15.5 million to 93 projects in urban, rural, and tribal communities across the region. From groundwater testing in rural Wisconsin to air-quality monitoring in Detroit, communities are using these grants to tackle the environmental and public health priorities that matter to them.

Visit the link in the comments to read the full announcement.

08/24/2026

With school starting and fall just around the corner, we’re hanging on to the last sweet moments of summer. ☀️

Our Summer Media List is full of reads, listens, and watches to carry you through these final warm days. We’ve compiled informative environmental justice recommendations from our partners across the Midwest, offering plenty of opportunities to learn, reflect, and stay connected to the work shaping our communities.

Whether you’re soaking up the sun, taking a late-summer road trip, or simply slowing down at home, there’s still a little summer left to savor!

08/06/2026

This month's Partner Highlight celebrates Environmental Health Watch (EHW), one of Northeast Ohio's longest-standing environmental justice organizations.

For more than 45 years, EHW has partnered with Cleveland communities to advance healthy homes, healthy people, and healthy communities. What began as a volunteer effort to address lead poisoning has grown into a powerful movement for environmental justice, working alongside residents to reduce environmental hazards, improve housing, expand access to healthy food, strengthen civic participation, and build more sustainable neighborhoods.

We're proud to partner with Environmental Health Watch and support their community-led vision for healthier, more equitable communities.

07/24/2026

Allow us to reintroduce ourselves. The Midwest Frontline Fund is rooted in the belief that communities most impacted by environmental injustice should have the resources and autonomy to lead the solutions.

Our approach to grantmaking is relationship-based, grounded in trust, and accountable to frontline communities. We provide flexible support because we know lasting change doesn't come from one-size-fits-all solutions. Instead it comes from the knowledge, leadership, and organizing already happening on the ground.

This carousel shares more about the values that guide the Midwest Frontline Fund, who we support, and what makes our approach to grantmaking different.

Swipe through to learn more.

07/16/2026

With this week's heatwave alone the joined other regions nationwide experiencing temps of 95 to 105 degrees or more.

As global warming creates record-breaking heat, federal and state heat protection laws are struggling to keep up with rising temps--making it harder and harder for outside workers to stay safe.

What would meaningful heat protection look like at work in your community?

Tell us more in the comments 👇🏾 and stay cool out there! ☀️ 🌊

06/29/2026

Environmental justice is strongest when every community has a voice.

Since 2019, Chicago Asian Americans for Environmental Justice (CAAEJ) has been organizing, educating, and mobilizing Asian American communities across Chicagoland to advance environmental justice. From addressing lead contamination in Chinatown's gardens to preparing neighborhoods for climate disasters, CAAEJ is building community-led solutions that protect public health and strengthen climate resilience.

06/25/2026

Thank you to Kim Wasserman for her steadfast support of the work of the Midwest EJ Network. As one of our founders, Kim has stewarded the heart of the Network, and has always tended to the core of what we do. At our June Leadership Team meeting we celebrated Kim's immense contributions to our Network. This month, she will be stepping down as our Leadership Team Chair.

"Over the last 17 years, Kim has shepherded MWEJN from being a dream into a reality. She has always been clear that structural change comes from building movement organizing power, and organizers in our region need steadfast support and spaces to build and strategize. Thank you Kim!" -Shalini Gupta, Co-Executive Director of the Midwest EJ Network.

We will be welcoming in Carolina Ortiz, Associate Executive Director of COPAL MN , as our incoming Leadership Team Chair. Please join us in showing our gratitude for Kim Wasserman's incredible contribution to MWEJN!

06/23/2026

Congrats We the People of Detroit--absolutely well deserved 💚❤️🖤 🎉🎉🎉

We're grateful to receive the Wake Up Detroit Juneteenth Award this morning — honoring the legacy of our mentor, Queen Mother Rev. Dr. JoAnn Watson, and the work we carry forward in her name.

Thank you to Midtown Detroit Juneteenth Parade & Celebration for this recognition and the extra special presentation by Attorney Maya Watson(Daughter of Rev. Dr. JoAnn Watson) and her extremely generous remarks.

Happy Freedom Day! ❤️🖤💚

06/01/2026

Ujima is a St. Louis-based organization rooted in the principle of collective work and responsibility. Since 2018, they have been addressing some of the community's most pressing challenges through an interconnected approach to food justice, environmental stewardship, youth empowerment, and mutual aid. Read more about their work in our May newsletter 🔗 in bio!

05/22/2026

As we roll out our public announcements about our Advisory Circle and Leadership Team members, this is the perfect opportunity to talk about what participatory grantmaking looks like at MWEJN, and how we define it!