Wednesday, April 3, 2013
Making Environmental Philanthropy More Powerful
The Donor Circle for the Environment is a group of philanthropists interested in learning and grantmaking together to support and grow nonprofits addressing local and regional environmental issues. Since its inception, the donor circle has granted $943,000 to 27 nonprofits working throughout the Bay Area (usually with a Silicon Valley focus) on projects in its three concentration areas – climate change, land conservation and preservation and environmental education.
To increase the potential for learning, the donor circle selects a new overarching thematic focus each year. In 2018, the group focused its work on supporting resilient and sustainable communities. In 2019, the group took a deeper dive in sustainability. Themes for 2020 are currently under consideration. As part of its guiding principles, the donor circle supports projects that enable small nonprofits at inflection points to scale their impact. All grants are delivered within two years, and the group considers issues of diversity and cultural relevancy as they apply to the long-term sustainability of projects.
The Donor Circle for the Environment is open to all donors at SVCF. We invite you to participate by adding to this pool of community dollars, or even better, by joining the circle.
Membership in the Donor Circle for the Environment offers:
- Increased philanthropic impact by pooling resources with other donors
- An opportunity to celebrate your passion for the environment and meet others who share this commitment
- Participation in the selection of environmental organization grantees
- Site visits to see how grantees and other organizations are creating an impact on the environment and people's lives
To find out more about the circle’s activities, or to contribute to the Donor Circle for the Environment today, please contact donorservices@siliconvalleycf.org.
Donor Circle for the Environment Grantees - 2019
| Organization | Area | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Mateo County Resource Conservation District | San Mateo County | To support the San Mateo RCD's technical assistance to environmental leaders from underserved coastal communities, with key activities being a feasibility analysis of a mobile laundromat for Pescadero and a carbon farm plan for Rancho San Benito, a farm cooperative transitioning farm workers to farm owners | $30,000 |
| Open Architecture Collaborative Inc | San Mateo County | To embed equity in San Mateo County climate resilience planning by funding equity consulting by Open Architecture in collaboration with the County of San Mateo Office of Sustainability and community partners | $30,000 |
| The Tech Museum of Innovation | Santa Clara County | To support The Tech Interactive's work to develop and facilitate an Innovation Lab for the Sustainable Cities exhibit | $30,000 |
| Acterra: Action for a Healthy Planet | San Mateo County | To create the North Fair Oaks Climate Resilient Communities Fellowship and design an implementation plan for adaptation strategies identified by East Palo Alto community member | $60,000 |
Resilient and Sustainable Communities - 2018
| Organization | Area | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Menlo Spark | San Mateo and Santa Clara Counties | To help local cities adopt a zero carbon building policy for new developments | $15,000 |
| Collaborative project between San Francisco Estuary Institute (SFEI) / SPUR / Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority | Santa Clara County | To support a collaboration between SFEI, SPUR, and SCVOSA to improve regional integrated landscape planning efforts by identifying and quantifying nature-based solutions for more resilient cities and rural areas | $100,000 over two years |
Strengthening Underserved and Underrepresented Voices - 2017
| Organization | Area | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asian Pacific Environmental Network | Bay Area / California | For support of local and statewide organizing and strategic policy campaigns to improve air quality in the East Bay and across California | $20,000 |
| California League of Conservation Voters Education Fund | California | For support of the California Voices effort to engage non-traditional environmental stakeholders in raising the profile of conservation issues with decision-makers and the media | $20,000 |
| California Environmental Justice Alliance | California | To support local organizing efforts with low-income communities and communities of color to advance efforts around civic engagement, climate and environmental justice, and energy equity | $20,000 |
| Youth united for Community Action | East Palo Alto | For support of the “Our Human Right to Water” effort and other priority environmental justice programs | $20,000 |
| Aim High | Bay Area | For support of the Environmental Home program to help minority and low-income youth increase exposure to and appreciation for the natural environment | $10,000 |
SF Bay - 2016
| Organization | Area | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baykeeper | Bay Area | To support the organization’s important work as a watchdog to keep San Francisco Bay clean and healthy | $5,000 |
| Audubon California | Bay Area | To explore the potential of San Francisco Bay estuary eelgrass as a source of “Blue Carbon” that could be used for carbon credits to help mitigate climate change | $30,000 |
| San Francisco Estuary Institute | Bay Area | To develop a plan to create a new Center for Resilient Landscapes to accelerate and incorporate state-of-the-art science into Bay Area climate adaptation policy decisions for more resilient communities and ecosystems | $30,000 |
| Save the Bay | Bay Area | To support Bay Area wetlands restoration to help improve the health of SF Bay and better adapt to climate change | $35,000 |
Local Food System - 2015
| Organization | Area | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| California Climate and Agriculture Network (CalCAN) | California | To help lay the groundwork for successful implementation of new state funding programs in support of low-carbon and sustainable agricultural practices | $30,000 |
| Carbon Cycle Institute | Bay Area | To implement CCI’s Ag Carbon program and scale effective low-carbon farming and regenerative rangeland management practices around the Bay Area | $30,000 |
| Kitchen Table Advisors | San Mateo County | To support KTA’s transition from a pilot phase to a full-scale program providing business and financial advisory services to sustainable small farms | $15,000 |
| Pie Ranch | San Mateo County | To support the “Youth & Emerging Farmer Eco-Science Research” project which teaches the environmental impacts of farming and sustainable farming practices | $15,000 |
| Sustainable Conservation | California | To support the development of sound manure management practices and markets that will greatly reduce methane emissions from livestock | $30,000 |
Water - 2014
| Organization | Area | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Point Blue | Santa Cruz Mountains | To restore native vegetation while providing hands-on environmental education for underserved students and teachers | $20,000 |
| San Mateo County Resource Conservation District | San Mateo Coast | To construct, repair and enhance farm ponds for environmental, agricultural and economic benefits | $40,000 |
| Sustainable Conservation | Santa Cruz County | To develop metrics and incentive mechanisms to accelerate adoption of water management practices that balance sustained agricultural productivity with protection of natural resources | $40,000 |
Donor Circle for the Environment Grantees - 2013
| Organization | Area | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bay Area Climate Collaborative | Bay Area | To ensure that schools in low-income communities are able to maximize the benefits of clean energy investments | $40,000 |
| Canopy / Environmental Volunteers | East Palo Alto | To enable students to participate in inquiry-based science programs in the classroom combined with field trips to explore local ecosystems | $15,000 |
| Foundation for Youth Investment | Bay Area | To develop future leaders and meet the need for culturally diverse, qualified instructors in the outdoor education field | $15,000 |
| Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy | San Mateo County | To bring the Roving Ranger to San Mateo schools to introduce students to our parklands | $10,000 |
| Greenbelt Alliance | Bay Area | To help local conservation organizations address the threats facing the Bay Area’s greenbelt | $40,000 |
