Environmental Grantmakers Association

At the #EGAretreat Awards Ceremony this morning, we were pleased to announce the winners of the 2024 Donald K. Ross Founders Award and EGA Risk Taker Award! 👏 Congratulations to Crystal Hayling, former Executive Director of the Libra Foundation, for winning the Donald K. Ross Founders Award! Crystal’s 30 year career in philanthropy is marked by a start-up energy and pugilist spirit exemplified by Donald. Her leadership in launching the Democracy Frontlines Fund mobilized funds to Black-led grassroots groups and challenged philanthropy to utilize trust-based approaches to fund racial justice efforts. 👏Congratulations to Helen Chin, President of the Communities First Fund, for her cross-sector transformative leadership, which we honor with the EGA Risk Taker Award in the individual recipient category! Helen has transformed how government and philanthropy can collaborate to invest public dollars in low-wealth and BIPOC communities. Communities First provides a replicable platform that makes philanthropy more effective in actualizing the goals of Justice40. 👏Congratulations to Melanie Allen and Erin Rogers, Co-Directors of The Hive Fund for Climate and Gender Justice, for their innovative leadership in the sector, which we honor with the EGA Risk Taker Award in the team recipient category! Co-Directors Melanie and Erin, have created an innovative regranting intermediary funding at the intersection of climate, racial and gender justice. The Hive Fund challenges conventional philanthropic practice by leading with trust and abundantly resourcing its grantee partners to leverage federal dollars. 🥳 Join us in celebrating Crystal, Helen, Melanie, and Erin for their leaderful contributions to equitably resource communities for healthy people and planet!

Last week, our Director of Environmental Initiatives Christiana DeBenedict had the opportunity to participate in a lunch plenary at the Environmental Grantmakers Association 2024 Fall Retreat along with panelists: 🌿 Angelo Logan, Senior Director, Environmental and Climate Justice, Liberty Hill Foundation. 🌿 Linda Saleh, Executive Director, Building Equity and Alignment for Environmental Justice. 🌿Denise Collazo, Executive Director, Fund to Build Grassroots Power, Guaynabo. 🌿The session was moderated by Marisa Aurora Quiroz, President & CEO at International Community Foundation. The panel discussed how federal funding and philanthropy can help frontline communities manage resources and start programs that bring meaningful change in their communities. Learn more about environmental initiatives at SDF: https://bit.ly/3ZKhEvl #ClimateAction #Philanthropy #TeamSDF

I feel so privileged to be a board member of the Environmental Grantmakers Association (EGA) and work alongside so many individuals and organizations fighting to create sustainable ecosystems, actively undo the systemic impact of racism, and support and promote just philanthropy. EGA's commitment to intentionally creating space for peer to peer learning, centering the wisdom and knowledge of those most impacted and exploring new practices in philanthropy help develop and promote systems that are life infusing and not extractive. This year's EGA Retreat in Columbia River Gorge was the perfect backdrop to remind us of the powerful connection between people and planet. #EGAFallRetreat #justphilanthropy #interconnected #racialequity

In the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, there are a number of places where donors can help support the communities that are affected. As a community foundation, we know the critical role that community foundations can play in supporting nonprofit organizations at the heart of the relief efforts. In addition, there are a number of organizations that are playing critical roles helping with disaster relief. Find a running list in our Giving Guide: https://bit.ly/4dxXHgu

Last week at the #EGAretreat, we deepened our knowledge of the region during interactive site visits in the Columbia River Gorge and the surrounding locale. Site visits included: • A hike with members of the Western Fire & Forest Resilience Collaborative to learn about the benefits and detriments of fire, the cultural and ecological roles fire plays, how changing fire regimes are impacting ecosystems and communities. • Learning how members of the Coalition of Communities of Color (CCC) advance climate and racial justice through collective power building. • Joining leaders from the Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission (CRITFC) on their work in improving the status of fishing access sites along the gorge. • Hiking Tours in the Columbia River Gorge to further ground our members in the intentional setting of the retreat and to enjoy the beauty of the Gorge. • Site visits to the Black Futures Farm and the Black Oregon Land Trust with Blue Sky Funders Forum where members learned how farming and community-based collaboration is a powerful way for people, particularly those from Indigenous communities and communities of color, to restore ecological balance while nourishing whole communities. We're grateful to all of our local partners for inviting us to learn more about their work! These impactful site visits allowed grantmakers to meet with communities and learn local strategies in climate, democracy, and racial equity within a regional and global context. #EGAconnects

Great folks to support through #Helene aftercare as the #climate #emergency in the south continues: ✨Hood huggers foundation: https://lnkd.in/gZjCRYSz ✨ SOL Nation partnering with Cornerstone Summit residents can receive #aid and #relief supplies. A Supply Drop Off Hub at our UNEARTHED EJ Community Festival all day October 5th at 516 E 15th St. Charlotte, NC 28206 Support Boone Today💚 https://lnkd.in/gKxGx3AT ✨Disaster Relief Support for Latine Families WNC All funds collected will be sent to grassroots Latine-led organizations in Western NC for mutual aid efforts. --------------------------- Helene ha devastado el oeste de Carolina del Norte, una región con una comunidad latina grande y vibrante. Las barreras lingüísticas y el miedo a las autoridades pueden limitar el acceso de las personas a bienes y servicios. Ayúdanos a llevar recursos a las familias latinas directamente afectadas. Link: https://lnkd.in/gWC-rnkm ✨Organizing Resilience Fund: https://lnkd.in/gqAX6axa ✨Mutual Aid effort:

Communities affected by Hurricane Helene need help immediately, and relief efforts are already underway. If you can, please consider supporting these 9 organizations that are providing emergency relief and preparing for long-term recovery: https://lnkd.in/ecQAM29Y

In addition to the list of urgent needs Melanie Allen shares here, the Hive Fund is in conversation with grantee partners, allied funders, and other partners on the ground across the Southeast to identify ways philanthropy can support longer-term recovery efforts that also strengthen resilience, decrease climate-warming pollution, and address deep economic inequities in the region." Stay tuned.

So jazzed to be heading to Skamania with the all-star crew at EGA--and many of you friends--in a few days! Nestled in the Columbia Gorge River among Six Sovereigns, this Fall Retreat has been amazingly and deliberately crafted to honor the place and people that will make this convening meaningful. Couldn't be a better moment for us to connect: A healthy democracy is a prerequisite for a healthy planet.

Will you be at the EGA Fall Retreat next week? Join us for a luncheon and farm tour focused on Black, Indigenous, and other land stewards of color! In celebration of our 10th Anniversary, Blue Sky Funders Forum has curated a two-part series exploring farming’s role in connecting communities to nature. We'll also discuss philanthropy’s role in building systems of self determination that advance our collective transition towards an economically just, and ecologically sound food and agricultural system. Make sure to reserve a spot for our pre-institute lunch and farm tour: ega.org/retreat24 We look forward to seeing you there!