For more than three decades, the Environmental Finance Center has helped hundreds of local, state, and federal partners throughout the Mid-Atlantic region advance policies, programs, and financing strategies that achieve outcomes for people, places, and the environment. See EFC’s featured work below.
EFC's Featured Work
Region 3 WaterTA Program
The Region 3 WaterTA program offers direct support to municipalities, tribes, and water utilities in US EPA Region 3 to help them access federal and state funding to address water infrastructure needs.
Maryland Local Government Climate Action Support Program
EFC is coordinating with the Maryland Department of Environment to help build the local capacity of Maryland communities to plan, fund, and implement climate projects and community-based climate-related outreach campaigns.
Mid-Atlantic Sustainable Breweries
The Mid-Atlantic Sustainable Breweries Program offers free sustainability consultations to help craft brewers assess operations and implement practices related to energy, water, wastewater, air emissions, and cleaning and sanitizing – all while saving costs and improving brand recognition.
Rainwater Harvesting for Urban Farms
EFC is coordinating with UMD's School of Public Health, Extension, and USDA Agricultural Research Services to help urban farmers harvest and filter rainwater to nourish their crops and create more sustainable farms and resilient communities.
EFC Projects and Publications
See EFC’s work in action by browsing our current and archived (completed) projects below.
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2024 (October)Requests for Proposals: When to Dive In and When to Pass on Grants
This interactive tool will help users determine whether or not a grant is a good fit for your organization or project idea.AuthorMichelle KokolisPublication DateOctober 2024LinksRequests for Proposals: When to Dive In and When to Pass on GrantsAttachmentsView Project Details for Requests for Proposals: When to Dive In and When to Pass on Grants -
2023 - PresentDesigning a Resilience Action Plan for Maryland’s Coastal Communities
As Maryland’s coastal communities face increasing climate threats, including rising sea levels and severe storms, this initiative aims to strengthen the resilience of eight vulnerable coastal jurisdictions. The project focuses on addressing climate-related hazards through nature-based solutions (NBS) and enhancing fish and wildlife habitats.View Project Details for Designing a Resilience Action Plan for Maryland’s Coastal Communities -
2023 - PresentGlobal FEWture Alliance
Climate change, population growth, and urbanization are crippling global food, energy, and water (FEW) systems and harming public health. Low-income communities and people of color bear the heaviest burdens. With support from the University of Maryland Grand Challenges Institutional grant, the Global FEWture Alliance will scale technology-based solutions, community-driven capacity building, and experiential education focused at the food-energy-water-climate-health nexus.View Project Details for Global FEWture Alliance -
2023 - Present
Rainwater Harvesting for Urban Farms
Urban agriculture is growing quickly across the U.S. to address food insecurity and climate change. Rainwater harvesting could provide reliable, high-quality water for urban farms, yet there is currently low adoption due to water quality concerns and uncertainty about costs and benefits. There is an immediate need to increase rainwater harvesting in urban agriculture to produce safe and nutritious foods for underserved communities and address climate change’s stress on water sources.View Project Details for Rainwater Harvesting for Urban Farms -
2023 - Present
Region 3 Water Technical Assistance (WaterTA) Program
The Region 3 WaterTA program offers direct support to municipalities, tribes, and water utilities in US EPA Region 3to help them access federal and state funding to address water infrastructure needs. This assistance is provided at no cost to recipients, through an award from the US Environmental Protection Agency. Assistance is available based on community need and team capacity.Services include assistance identifying water challenges; developing plans; building technical, financial, and managerial capacity; and completing funding application materials (see graphic below).View Project Details for Region 3 Water Technical Assistance (WaterTA) Program -
2022 - Present
Mid-Atlantic Sustainable Breweries
UMD EFC’s Mid-Atlantic Sustainable Breweries Program offers free sustainability consultations to help craft brewers assess operations and implement practices related to energy, water, wastewater, air emissions, and cleaning and sanitizing – all while saving costs and improving brand recognition. This work is funded by a US EPA Pollution Prevention grant. We offer:View Project Details for Mid-Atlantic Sustainable Breweries