The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) has invested $1 million in a strategic collaboration between the Coalition for Green Capital (CGC) and Quantified Ventures (QV) to develop scalable financing programs for equitable water infrastructure.

According to QV, the creation of a national green bank represents a once-in-a-generation opportunity to shift financing interest toward climate mitigation efforts, such as investments in clean water infrastructure, and addresses a financing gap in the market. This is because the EPA's $27 billion Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund includes Clean Water Infrastructure as an eligible investment project. Programs will be implemented by CGC’s green bank network to address water-related challenges, including clean drinking water, stormwater management, and flooding in disadvantaged communities.

In the new year, CGC and QV will issue a request for proposals to select as many as six established green banks to receive grants of between $50,000 and $60,000. The partnership aims to leverage the initial RWJF investment to support project development, provide technical assistance for implementation, and fund local staff capacity for the inaugural cohort.

“Robert Wood Johnson Foundation understands how safe and clean water directly contributes to community resilience and benefits public health,” said RWJF director of impact investments Kimberlee Cornett. “This collective effort is a critical first step to help green banks across the country access the tools and capacity they need to spur greater investment into this critical piece of public health infrastructure.”

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