Since 2021, Interfaith Partners for the Chesapeake has been fortunate to be a recipient of the Chesapeake Bay Trust’s Community-Based Organization Capacity Building Initiative (CBT CBO/CBI) grant program. This program helps groups like IPC connect with congregations or community organizations in historically underserved and marginalized communities. It also allows these groups to work with technical service providers to identify environmental concerns on their properties and receive assistance in applying for grants to address those issues. The CBO/CBI initiative focuses on the following funding opportunities:

• Outreach and Restoration Grant Program (Chesapeake Bay Trust)
• Watershed Assistance Grant Program (Chesapeake Bay Trust)
• Resiliency through Restoration Initiative (MD Department of Natural Resources)
• Green Streets, Green Jobs, Green Towns (Chesapeake Bay Trust)
• Small Watershed Grants (National Fish and Wildlife Foundation)

At its heart, this initiative is about advancing environmental justice and uplifting communities that have too often carried the weight of environmental harm. For generations, systemic inequities in land use, pollution, and access to green spaces have left lasting impacts on underserved communities—but this program helps change that story.

This year, IPC was fortunate enough to be able to work with 17 congregations through this program from Baltimore County, Baltimore City, Wicomico County, Worcester County, Montgomery County, Anne Arundel County, and Prince George’s County. These congregations include Saint Luke's Lutheran Church and School, Norbeck Community Church, Koinonia Baptist Church, Faith Christian Fellowship, Union Bethel AME, Lutheran Church of St. Andrew, My House of Worship, Saint Philip's Episcopal, Prince George's Muslim Association, First Hijrah Foundation, Joy Reigns Lutheran, Mt. Calvary Catholic Church, Saint Mary the Virgin Episcopal Church, Third Haven Friends Meeting, Islamic Society of Princess Anne, Holy Redeemer Catholic Church, and Word of Life. Each of these congregations took a huge step in being better stewards of their property and our shared watershed. 

We know that congregations in underserved communities have always been more than places of worship—they are anchors of strength, hope, and leadership within their communities. This program builds on that legacy, giving faith leaders the knowledge, resources, and hands-on support they need to care for their land and lead the way toward a healthier, more sustainable future. By doing so, it helps churches protect the environment and nurture the well-being of their congregations.

Congregations have long been a powerful voice for social justice, and today, that voice is just as vital in the fight for environmental justice. Through this initiative, congregations can take action on issues like stormwater runoff, urban heat islands, and the loss of tree canopy—restoring not just their surroundings, but their connection to creation itself. Working side by side with outreach partners and technical experts, participating churches gain the tools and confidence to access grants, break down barriers, and bring long-overdue environmental solutions to their neighborhoods.