See our blog announcing the 2025 grantees and sign up for updates on our work and the Filtered Not Bottled campaign here.
We are grateful for the expert panel that offered their time and perspectives to guide the decision-making process for funding. This panel included:
Plastic Pollution Coalition (PPC), as part of the Filtered Not Bottled campaign, is seeking partnerships with frontline, community-based organizations, and/or those working with frontline communities impacted by toxic lead service lines in the U.S to expand clean water access, particularly in low-income communities and communities of color unjustly impacted by unsafe drinking water.
PPC’s Filtered Not Bottled campaign advocates for point-of-use filters, rather than single-use plastic bottles, as a critical, temporary, and cost-effective solution to protect families from lead exposure in the years before the last lead service line is replaced. The Filtered Not Bottled Grant Program will distribute a total of $100K in grants of varying sizes with an expected average grant size of $10K and an estimated 6–10 grant recipients. These grants aim to expand education on the toxic health impacts of lead and plastic, and support advocacy for point-of-use filter distribution and related safe drinking water solutions that prioritize human health and reduce plastic use during lead service line replacement. Learn more about the Filtered Not Bottled campaign.
We recognize that frontline communities are leading the charge on removing toxic lead from drinking water and must be centered in lead service line replacement efforts at the local and federal level. Our grant program is designed to amplify frontline voices, bolster their objectives, and enhance their impact. By building capacity for public engagement and advocacy and fostering a network of shared knowledge, we aim to protect human and environmental health and expand water equity. Project duration should be approximately 6 months.
We welcome proposals that are positioned to support U.S. local, state, or federal policies to ensure clean water access for communities and help meet our program objectives to:
Examples of how this grant may be used include supporting an ongoing project or initiating a new idea through measurable activities like:
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Commitment:
Safe drinking water is a human right and a pressing environmental justice issue. Low-income neighborhoods, Indigenous communities, and communities of color are disproportionately exposed to unsafe water sources. For too long, frontline community organizations have been overlooked, under-invested in, and excluded from a seat at the table in decision-making affecting their health. We are committed to centering and supporting these organizations, amplifying their voices, and investing in their capacity to lead and advocate for their communities. We aim to create equitable partnerships, ensure fair representation, and provide resources that enable meaningful participation in policy advocacy and community engagement efforts. Plastic Pollution Coalition is committed to building trust and effective communication with selected organizations and will support the organizations and impacted communities’ experience, local knowledge, and autonomy.
Our values:
Eligible organizations should ideally meet the following criteria, though all proposals will be considered:
Note, PPC will consider larger funding amounts for proposals that show reach in multiple states.
Ineligible activities include:
This program is not currently accepting applications.
For questions, please reach out to filterednotbottled@plasticpollutioncoalition.org.