Meet the Team: Hazel Paguaga
BY Brooke McPherson, Communications and Engagement Associate, The Funders Network
At TFN, we believe our strength lies in our people, and we take pride in recognizing the expertise and commitment of our team members. This month, we’re excited to spotlight one of TFN’s Program Associates, Hazel Paguaga!
Hazel plays a key role in supporting several of TFN’s initiatives and working groups and is a vital part of our team’s day-to-day operations. We caught up with Hazel to learn more about her work and background. And in honor of TFN's 25th Anniversary theme Be Bold Together, we also asked Hazel what boldness means to her.
TFN: Hi Hazel! We're thrilled to have you as our very first TFN team member spotlight! Can you tell us about your role here at TFN?
Hazel: Hey there! I support the Inclusive Economies working group, Mobility and Access Collaborative and Philanthropic Preparedness, Resiliency and Emergency Partnership (PPREP) cohort.
I help keep things running while weaving TFN’s values throughout our programming. I schedule meetings, take notes, input data into Salesforce, coordinate webinar logistics, run the Zoom room to ensure a smooth process during webinars, process recordings and send out webinar resources.
For our in-person meetings, I coordinate everything from catering to lodging to transportation and anything else in between to make sure we have a successful gathering. I keep information flowing and send out bi-monthly email roundups for Inclusive Economies and MAC with the latest news, resources and upcoming events.
If you’re looking for general information on these programs, I can point you in the right direction. I also add jobs to our job board so if you ever have something you’d like to share email jobs@fundersnetwork.org!
TFN: Wow, that's a lot! Where are you from?
Hazel: My family immigrated from Nicaragua to Miami, where I was born and raised. Currently, I’m living in San Antonio!
TFN: You've been with TFN since 2019. Do you have a special moment or memory you'd like to share?
Hazel: My favorite memory with TFN was visiting Montana with the PPREP cohort last year. Being able to visit the communities in Red Lodge and Fromberg and hear from them directly about their disaster preparedness and recovery efforts. The drive through the Beartooth Mountains was amazing and a little scary!
Hazel pictured with TFN's Maureen Lawless and Danyelle O'Hara in Montana
TFN: And what about a fun fact about yourself?
Hazel: I love horror movies, even though I watch them through my fingers sometimes. I love a good scare!
TFN: As you know, The Funders Network is celebrating our 25th Anniversary and our theme for the year is Be Bold Together. What does boldness mean to you?
Hazel: Boldness means pushing yourself to do the things you’re hesitant or scared to do. It can look like taking a risk and trying something new when others around you are going on a different path.
Thank you, Hazel, for giving us a behind-the-scenes look at all the meaningful ways you support TFN’s work. Your dedication to our mission, infectious positivity and generosity shine through in everything you do — and we’re so lucky to have you as part of TFN's team!
Keep an eye out for next month's team member spotlight as we continue to celebrate the people who bring bring boldness and joyful purpose to this work.
Hazel also was the mastermind behind our TFN's 25th Anniversary Conference playlist!
Advocacy Spotlight: Transportation Riders United
TFN’s Advocacy Spotlight Series, spearheaded by the network’s Mobility and Access Collaborative, lifts up the work of nonprofit grantees making an impact in their communities and beyond. We asked funders to nominate a stellar grantee to be featured in this series. We’ll share these Advocacy Spotlights TFN’s Blog and social media platforms as part of our commitment to amplifying community-led sustainability solutions and building the field of philanthropy through shared learning.
Advocacy Spotlight: Transportation Riders United
Nominated by: Chris Van Eyken, Director of Policy Strategy, TransitCenter
About Transportation Riders United
Transportation Riders United (TRU) is a nonprofit that has been working since 1999 to improve public transit in greater Detroit through education, engagement and advocacy. TRU advocates for more and better public transit in metro Detroit. TransitCenter supports their grassroots organizing to strengthen support for transit improvements.
TRU fights to improve transportation justice and equity in Detroit and its suburbs. One-third of Detroiters can't afford a car yet Michigan's transportation investments focus on highway widening. Bus commuters — 90% of whom are people of color — have commutes that take twice as long as driving.
About Their Impact
TRU won a legislative victory last year that will support the expansion of transit to all of Wayne County. In 2022, TRU succeeded in expanding transit throughout all of Oakland County.
TRU is also one of the state leads for Michigan in the Clean RIDES Network, which unites more than 100 leading organizations working state by state to build sustainable transportation systems that cut costs for families, curb air pollution, and shorten commutes.
Featured Image: More than 100 supporters of funding public transit joined TRU in Lansing, Mich. for Transit Day at the Capitol. The day was spent meeting with legislators' offices, hearing from transit providers and policy makers and spreading the message of why increasing funding for public transit is so important.
Photo Credit: All photos provided by Transportation Riders United.
About this series: TFN invited funders to nominate a stellar grantee to be featured in the Mobility and Access Collaborative’s Advocacy Spotlight series. The stories in this series were submitted by funders and shared with nominees in advance for fact-checking and further clarification when needed. If you have any questions about this series or TFN’s Mobility and Access Collaborative, please contact Martha Roskowski martha@fundersnetwork.org
Going PLACES: On Radical Love
BY Tim Murphy, Program Officer of the McKnight Foundation, and member of the 2024 PLACES cohort
If you work in philanthropy, you know the phrase: “The word philanthropy comes from two Greek words meaning the love of humankind.”
While well-intentioned, I would bet a small fortune I am not the only person working in this sector that has rolled their eyes as that phrase reverberates around a staff meeting or conference session.
It’s easy to become slightly skeptical of philanthropy — or some may say downright cynical. In a world that is driven by grants, deadlines, arbitrary payout numbers, site visits, board rooms, strategic planning sessions and more — shall I go on? The truest sense of connection, love, and care are often hard to find, or can even be completely absent from the picture.
Over my eight years in philanthropy, I have sat with this contradiction time and again, wondering if the field is flawed or if I was just turning over the wrong stones? Is there actually a place within philanthropy that centers radical love; that welcomes people from all walks of life and celebrates their differences — that truly has the best interest of ‘us’ in mind?
As I hit submit on my application to be a 2024 TFN PLACES Fellow in December 2023, those questions ricocheted around my mind. Transparently, I had applied multiple times — not yet able to be accepted. Part of me was wondering “Damn, am I really that uninteresting?” Ironic coming from a funder, right?
What I did not know then that I do know now is that the questions posed above would be answered for me in a resounding manner throughout my PLACES experience (yes, I was finally accepted).
As the fellowship transpired, starting with a trip to Cleveland in the spring, I knew I was in for something special. It was instantly apparent I was in the midst of a special group of people. See for yourself!
The 2024 PLACES Cohort. Photo Credit: Audrey McCann Photography.
Philanthropic leaders from across North America; trusted and revered community members; musicians; gardeners; organizers; amazing cooks; and so much more. We took the time needed to get to know one another and slowly built relationships. The TFN team knew that the work of love and care cannot be performed on an expedited timeline. We can’t rush the important things.
As the fellowship carried on, we got to see some of the most incredible community leaders I could imagine in Denver, met with Drake’s personal philanthropic advisor in Toronto (true story), and finished out a magnificent year in Sacramento engaging with indigenous leaders and learning about their hopes and dreams for the future.
Scenes from the Sierra Health Foundation. Photo credit: Bina M. Patel.
As I reflect on the full experience that was the TFN PLACES Fellowship, I of course think about the groundbreaking community investment strategies, grantmaking best practices I learned about, and new, innovative ways of practicing philanthropy. But perhaps most importantly, I witnessed and participated in a new way of being in community together with other philanthropic leaders.
The cohort practiced radical love in a way that was new and profound for me. We practiced accountability and care all within the same breath. We took time to rest and share stories and laughs without rushing to an endpoint. And for me, as a straight, white male, I felt deep optimism and confidence that we can truly achieve a just, equitable future where people are seen and valued for who they are and who they want to become.
I come out of the fellowship re-energized and committed to our collective well-being. I will continue to think about my role in social change and philanthropy, but I will never question my commitment to fighting for a better world.
As I close, I think about a quote from adrienne marie brown where she asks, “What do you love enough to change for?” For me, the answer is reflected in our PLACES 2024 Fellowship cohort. I will always find a way to change for them; for us. I hope others will too.
About the Author
Tim Murphy has served as a program officer at the McKnight Foundation with the Program Alignment team since 2021. In this role, he extends the capacity of McKnight’s program teams, including leading a portfolio of grants around institutional memberships, democracy, and local media and journalism. He is passionate about the intersection of media, democracy, and equity across the entire state of Minnesota. He is a member of the 2024 PLACES cohort.
Register Today for GREEN's 2025 Annual Meeting in Savannah!
We hope you’ll join TFN’s GREEN 2025 Annual Meeting taking place May 20-21 in Savannah!
Tap into the collective wisdom of the GREEN working group and other funders as we explore climate and environmental justice, community resiliency and supporting a vibrant green economy and workforce for all.
On Day One, we’ll dive into the resilient, community-driven efforts underway in Georgia and the Coastal Region. Our morning panel discussion will feature place-based leaders like Rachael Thompson, Executive Director of the Glynn Environmental Coalition, and panel moderator Patrick King II, Georgia State Director of the Natural Resources Defense Council.
We’ll then take our learning outside the conference room and travel to the Pin Point Community, a historic Gullah-Geechee community located 25 minutes from downtown Savannah. We’ll meet with community members and partners supporting resilience planning and cultural preservation in this unincorporated community in Chatham County.
On Day Two, we’ll provide the space to learn and strategize with your funder peers. Our Funder Fishbowl — Despite Tough Times, Communities are Rising Above and Beyond — will allow funders to share how they are adjusting strategies and approaches to their work in the face of an increasingly hostile federal landscape for climate and environmental justice.
We’ll also hear from Meg Coker, Editor in Chief of The Current — a nonprofit news organization that focuses on environment, health, public safety, education and government throughout coastal Georgia.
Agenda Overview
Monday, May 19
- 6:30-8:30 p.m. — Optional Dinner for Funders
Tuesday, May 20 — Learning from Place
- 8 a.m. — Breakfast and Networking
- 8:30 a.m. — Welcome, Agenda Review and Lightning Round Intros
- 9:15 a.m. — Introduction to Savannah and the Coastal Region
- Featuring Josiah “Jazz” Watts, Justice Strategist, One Hundred Miles and Board Member, Sapelo Island Cultural and Revitalization Society
- 10:30 a.m. — Panel Discussion: Work Underway in Coastal Regions
- Moderated by Patrick King II, Georgia State Director of the Natural Resources Defense Council.
- 11:45 a.m. – 4 p.m. — Savannah Site Visit to the Pin Point Community
- 6:30 p.m. — Reception and Dinner
- With speaker Neesha Powell-Ingabire, author of Come by Here: A memoir in Essays from the Georgia Coast
Wednesday, May 21 — Learning from Peers
- 8 a.m. — Breakfast and Networking
- 9 a.m. — Small Group Conversations with Facilitators
- 9:45 a.m. — Funder Fishbowl: Despite Tough Times, Communities are Rising Above and Beyond
- 11 a.m. — Deeper Dive Breakouts with topics including:
- Funding community leaders and nonprofit civic infrastructure
- Defending the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund and BIL awards
- Workforce and the green economy
- Investing in narrative change
- 12 p.m. — Lunch with Meg Coker, Editor in Chief of The Current
- 1 p.m. — Closing Circle: Insights, Commitments and TFN Opportunities
- 2 p.m. — Adjourn
Lodging
TFN has reserved a block of rooms for Monday and Tuesday (May 19-20) at Hotel Indigo Savannah with a lodging rate of $214. The Funders Network room block includes a $10 discount on the destination fee, which will be applied upon checkout. Click here to make your reservation or please call the hotel at 877-666-3243 and reference The Funders Network.
Please contact Ashley Quintana at ashley@fundersnetwork.org if you are having problems making a reservation.
Who should attend?
Registration is open to donors, staff, directors and trustees of all grantmaking institutions. We are seeking to create an intimate gathering of funders with the goal of learning, sharing and facilitating strategic conversations about where philanthropic resources can have the greatest impact.
Registration
Newcomers welcome! Join us if you are already engaged with TFN’s GREEN working group — or are looking to learn more about us.
Registration is open to donors, staff, directors and trustees of all grantmaking institutions.
- $300 for Members
- $500 for non-members
For questions regarding group rates, please contact Ashley Quintana at ashley@fundersnetwork.org.
Thank You
Thank you to our funder planning committee for their ideas, guidance and assistance in planning this meeting:
- Dominique Mack, Partnership for Southern Equity
- John Mitterholzer, The George Gund Foundation
- Kalila Barnett, Barr Foundation
- Omar Carrillo Tinajero, Center for Community Investment
- Ruth Goldman, Merck Family Foundation
About Green
The GREEN working group helps funders connect and learn together, align around shared ideas and strategies and support strategic collaborations and joint projects that advance sustainable, equitable and prosperous regions and communities. Funders have a special interest in the following issues:
- Community-led climate action.
- Funder practices to advance racial equity.
- Equitable implementation of federal and state climate and clean energy investments, including equitable and sustainable community/government partnerships.
- Climate-supportive workforce and cooperative business opportunities.
For more information about TFN’s GREEN working group, reach out to Ashley Quintana at ashley@fundersnetwork.org.
Going PLACES: Weaving Together Joy and Horror in Denver
BY Eric Phamdo, Senior Program Officer, Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation, and 2024 PLACES Fellow
“We are living in a constant juxtaposition of both horror and joy — and I’m not sure how to navigate that; not in my personal life, and not in the industry that is philanthropy.”
— Marci Ovadia, PLACES Coach and Facilitator.
As the 2024 PLACES Cohort came together for the first time to start our site visit in Denver, Bina M. Patel — our anti-racism facilitator and lead coach — asked, “How are you? What are you bringing in with you today?”
Those two simple yet profound questions allowed our “professional” masks that we often wear in this work to safely come down. Our cohort of philanthropy professionals quickly made space to allow for our full selves to show up and share what we were struggling with; sharing personal caregiving challenges, distress about political chaos, the ongoing terror of watching violence unfold in the Middle East, and the dissonance about the role of philanthropy in both changing and upholding systems of power and oppression. It was a tender and supportive moment in which we could recognize the great privilege we have to work in philanthropy, as well as the emotional burden we take on from our unique viewpoints into community.
“I am a woven person.”
— Cal Duran, Denver Artist
Philanthropy is complex work. Existing in the system and navigating strategic complicity — a term coined by Bina in her book Say The Quiet Part Out Loud — is hard. But PLACES has helped me understand my positionality as both a changemaker and upholder of the system.
So what do we do with this complexity? I keep going back to hope and reflecting on certain glimmers (the opposite of triggers) that stood out to me from my fellow colleagues and mentors while in Denver. I thought I would share them with you as I continue to sit with everything I learned and am still holding.
“Do not internalize the failure of the system. Instead, move into a place of strategic movement. Hone your skills to create movement and progress, instead of constantly fighting.”
— Bina M. Patel
The massive, “wicked” problems facing our society and planet are, to say the least, overwhelming. The emotional crush of experiencing and witnessing injustice and terror, compounded by nonstop media, oftentimes can make us feel powerless and incapacitated. Bina compels us to focus on our own agency to change what we can.
Ask yourself, “What does this forward movement look like? How might my values be demonstrated? What is feeling stuck or hard? And how can that feel differently if you felt liberated and free?”
— Bina M. Patel
How can we change what we can when each path seems implausible? A symptom of oppression or frustration can be limited thinking — to only see the barriers and focus on why things won’t work out. Bina reminds us that our mindset is critically important. The greatest achievements start from a place of liberating dreaming, and if we orient ourselves to this mindset, we can find solutions that were otherwise hidden.
“Hope comes from when you are the agent of change. Hope comes from community. What you bear witness to does not have to be the prevailing outcome.”
— Bina M. Patel
We should never accept the status quo as permanent.
It is both inspiring — that we do the work on behalf of our own communities and families — but also heartbreaking that because of that we may place extraordinary pressure on ourselves to solve it, and feel the extraordinary weight of the challenges. We don’t have time to rest when it’s our lives at stake.
As I sit with all this, I am brought back to closing questions posed by Bina: So what can I do? What can’t I do? What do I need to do to maintain my peace?
“I don’t have the privilege to be tired.”
— Alece Montez, Panelist and PLACES Alum, Co-Executive Director of AJL Foundation
As she so often told us, joy and happiness are not the same. Happiness, and the pursuit of it — it is often deeply rooted in capitalistic norms and measures. Joy, however, instills a greater sense of capacity, energy, and inspiration. It is resilient against the system. There is power, agency, and capacity in joy. I also go back to something Marci shared when speaking to the liminal space that exists in the juxtaposition of joy and horror: the antidote to darkness is transgressive joy.
“I can’t lose hope because my kids are already here.”
“I don’t wish you a good day, I wish you a gentle day.”
— Renée M. Chacon, iDiné/Xicana/Filipina Sahumadora for Kalpulli ColorAztlan, Co-Founder and Executive Director of Womxn from the Mountain
And I now know that in joy, there is healing. We know we have healing to do — but it can be part of the joy, not the sorrow.
So what were my top takeaways when I think of all that I’ve shared above? We must center relationships and repair. We must make space for joy in this work, and we must hone our ability to contend with complexity and act strategically while also having an ethic of care for ourselves and those we serve.
To close, I wanted to share two final quotes from Talissa and Mawish — two incredible women who walked this unimaginable year with us as Muslim women. I want to honor that and reflect on their words that have stayed with me since we left Denver:
“We don’t have to lose our soul to exist within the system.”
— Talissa Lahaliyed, Equity Programs Manager, TFN“Resistance is liberation – and love is embedded in that.”
— Mawish Raza, Pillars Fund and 2024 PLACES Fellow
About the Author
Water, Workforce, and Ways Forward: Urban Water Funders at TFN25
BY Kerry Hastings, Program Coordinator of TFN's Urban Water Funders
Last month, philanthropic leaders from across the country gathered in Baltimore for the TFN’s 25th Anniversary Conference, united under the theme Be Bold Together. It was an energizing space where funders from diverse issue areas explored the intersections of equity, sustainability, economic development, public health and democracy. For those of us working in the urban water space, it reaffirmed what we all know — that water is not just an environmental issue, it is deeply connected to every aspect of community well-being.
One of the most resonant calls to action came from keynote speaker Maya Wiley, a lawyer, professor and civil rights activist who is president and CEO of the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights. She challenged us to find our fight and lean in. I pose this challenge to myself, to you, to us: what is the fight that will define our collective work in this moment? How can we come together to not only ensure our grantees and the field survive today’s challenges but also position them for long-term victory? These are questions we must grapple with as we navigate an increasingly complex and urgent landscape.
We kicked off our time together with a pre-conference tour — co-hosted by the US Water Alliance — at WSSC Water, a local utility in the region. WSSC has an excellent track record in providing clean water and in prioritizing community service and engagement, and the engaging tour at their facilities reminded us that water utilities can serve as anchor institutions in advancing public health and economic opportunity.
After the tour, we gathered with local nonprofit partners to discuss the realities facing the urban water landscape. A key insight came from Melissa Roberts of the American Flood Coalition, who reminded us to tread thoughtfully as we defend systems that were already broken. How do we center our defense on people and outcomes while reenvisioning the systems that have not best served communities before this moment? This perspective is critical as we work to address long-standing inequities in infrastructure, access, and resilience.
As the same session, we discussed communicating the nonpartisan nature of water. Alana Harkness of Great Lakes ReNew underscored that water security is national security, and the importance of emphasizing how economic supply chains depend on water security. Water sits at the intersection of environment and economy, making cross-sector collaboration not just beneficial, but essential.
Speaking of collaboration, we heard a loud call for new partnerships throughout the conference. We cannot navigate this moment alone siloed in our water spaces. To build a durable coalition, we must look beyond traditional water funding spaces and align with other sectors that share a vision for equity and sustainability. One example of the Urban Water Funders doing just this was at the post-conference session co-hosted by TFN’s Inclusive Economies and UWF working groups. We hosted an incredible panel talking about the work ahead in advancing inclusive infrastructure workforce and economic development and launched the new Partners for Places track that will focus on water and other infrastructure sectors in the economic development and workforce spaces...be on the lookout for more information!
Our challenges are many: combating misinformation, preventing further fracturing and silos, and protecting critical infrastructure amid an uncertain funding landscape. As funders, we must stay vigilant in finding opportunities to secure resources for water, including upcoming policy opportunities like the Transportation Bill in 2026, State Revolving Fund Reauthorization in 2026, and tax credits within the tax package, all of which non-profit partners have begun to explore as avenues for water investments (we’ll share when we have more information!). But beyond funding, we must also invest in movement building and coordination. This work cannot be sustained without intentional efforts to strengthen the field.
Above all, we must embrace creativity in the face of necessity. TFN President and CEO Dion Cartwright, put it best: “Don’t ask ‘Can I withstand this time?’ but instead ‘What will I stand for?’ and ‘Who will I stand with?’”
As we move forward, let’s embrace the call to be bold together. Let’s define our fight, commit to a shared vision, and ensure that the communities we serve have the resources and support they need to thrive — not just today, but for generations to come.
About the Author
Kerry Hastings is the Program Coordinator for TFN’s Urban Water Funders Working Group.
TFN @ the Movies — Razing Liberty Square
Are you joining us in Baltimore for TFN's 25th Anniversary Conference: Be Bold Together? Be sure to join us Sunday at 6 p.m. for TFN @ the Movies as we present a timely, thought-provoking documentary as well as a Q&A with those involved in the making of the film.
We're thrilled to share this year's selection: Razing Liberty Square, an award-winning documentary about a community in the crosshairs of climate gentrification — and those fighting to save it from being erased in a rapidly changing Miami. Watch the trailer here.
Razing Liberty Square is set in the oldest segregated public housing project in the South: Liberty Square, at the heart of Miami’s Liberty City.
Underserved for decades and suffering from chronic disinvestment, Liberty City has one of the highest poverty rates in the nation.
But as rising seas threaten Miami’s luxurious beachfront, wealthy property owners are pushing inland to higher ground. Liberty City, which sits on a ridge, is now real estate gold.
When residents of Liberty Square learn about a $300 million revitalization plan for their neighborhood, they know that this sudden interest comes from the fact that their neighborhood is located on the highest-and-driest ground in the city.
Now they must prepare to fight a new form of racial injustice: climate gentrification.
We'll be joined by filmmaker Katja Esson, community leader Valencia Gunder and climate action advocate Caroline Lewis for a panel discussion moderated by TFN's Tere Figueras Negrete.
TFN @ the Movies is presented with the support of the Wyncote Foundation.
ABOUT OUR SPEAKERS
KATJA ESSON
Film Director
Born in Germany and based in Miami, Katja Esson is an Academy Award-nominated filmmaker whose documentaries tackle race, class, and gender. She is a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
VALENCIA GUNDER
Founder and Co-Director
The Smile Trust
Valencia provides coordination and support for diverse, low-wealth communities addressing climate change impacts. She is co-director of the Smile Trust and executive director of the Black Collective and the Freedom Lab. Valencia also founded the Community Emergency Operations Center in Liberty City in the wake of 2018's Hurricane Irma.
CAROLINE LEWIS
Founder & Senior Advisor
The CLEO Institute
Caroline, an education and engagement strategist, founded The CLEO Institute in 2010. The Florida-based nonpartisan organization is dedicated to climate education, advocacy, and engagement.
TERE FIGUERAS NEGRETE
Senior Communications Director
The Funders Network
Tere has been part of TFN's leadership team since 2016. Before joining TFN, she spent 15 years as an award-winning writer and editor with the Miami Herald.
ABOUT TFN25
Join us March 17-19 for TFN's 25th Anniversary Conference: Be Bold Together in Baltimore. We'll gather at the Renaissance Baltimore Harborplace Hotel, located on the Inner Harbor, the city's historic seaport.
TFN25 offers skill-building workshops, deep-dive strategy sessions and opportunities to forge new connections and expand your professional networks.
We hope you'll join us for the Post-conference Inclusive Economies and Urban Water Funders Meeting: Leveraging Public Infrastructure Funds from 1 to 3 p.m. Wednesday, March 19, immediately following our Closing Plenary and lunch.
➡️Check out our TFN25 Anniversary Conference website to view our Learning Agenda and more.
The Road Less Funded: Philanthropy's Role in Transportation Funding
BY Lisa Jacobson, Barr Foundation and Elizabeth Love, Jacob and Terese Hershey Foundation
Pop quiz: What sector contributes roughly 33% of greenhouse gas emissions, but receives just 5% of climate funding?
Here’s a hint: It’s complex. It’s long term. It’s political. It’s rooted in racism. And it’s critical to address it head-on if we are committed to our climate goals.
It’s... transportation!
A recent (and quite illuminating) ClimateWorks report shows that of the $16 billion of philanthropic dollars invested in climate globally, $660 million (or about 4%) went to transportation electrification. If we also add in about a third of the ‘Cities’ investment (assuming that urban mobility work is about a third of $440 million), we estimate that transportation receives about 5% of climate funding.
If transportation is so critical to tackle to address climate, why aren’t we putting more dollars towards it? Where are the climate funders ready to meaningfully curb our transportation emissions?
Transportation touches everyone’s lives every day. The transportation options available to you affect your time, your safety, your ability to get a job and get to it, your health and your kids’ ability to get around. Changing the system is tricky work. With billions of public dollars at play, complex bureaucracies and often opaque decision-making — the acronyms alone are enough to befuddle.
Enter: The Mobility and Access Collaborative, a network of place-based and national funders focused on ensuring that people have access to reliable and affordable public transportation, safe and connected places to bike and walk, better air quality and land uses that enable people to get what they need without hopping in a car. Affectionately known as the MAC, we do not envision a future society filled with electric vehicles, but one that has options — clean vehicles AND more affordable and convenient travel choices.
We believe that if America is going to be a place of freedom for all, owning and driving a car should not be the only ticket to a well-paid job or affordable place to live. A Union of Concerned Scientists report demonstrated that a ‘more complete set of transportation options is a more effective climate solution than maintaining a car-dependent transportation system’.
So, what are we doing about it?
The MAC has several projects in the works:
- Advocacy Spotlight — Are you supporting incredible transportation organizing and advocacy that you want to bring visibility to? We invite funders to lift up the great work of advocates they are funding. Learn more and nominate a group here. Look to be inspired by these stories on LinkedIn.
- Broadening our funding levers — The MAC is launching a scan to help funders sharpen the tool of litigation in the systems change toolbox. We will explore the landscape from fighting freeway widenings through black and brown communities to state constitutional challenges, tort cases on dangerous designs and countering federal actions. Learning together and sharing what’s worked (and hasn’t) helps us be more effective and strategic funders.
- Planning for federal funds — Despite the changes at the federal level, the bread-and-butter money for transportation will need to be reauthorized by Congress in the coming years, and it’s complicated. Let’s learn together with Transportation for America to level-set on the history of transportation funding as background for the coming reauthorization. Watch for it later this spring on TFN’s LinkedIn page or sign up for the MAC email list.
- Transportation and its many intersections (pun intended) — So you don’t fund transportation, but you know it connects with your issue areas? Let’s talk. By way of example, the MAC and TFN’s Urban Water Funders are exploring synergies between these two major systems essential to every community. In these times, it is more critical than ever to work together.
Intrigued? Now what?
The MAC welcomes more involvement, even if transportation is only a small part of your portfolio:
- Plan to join us for a joint happy hour with Urban Water Funders in Baltimore on March 17 at the TFN 25th Anniversary Conference.
- Sign up for the MAC email list for updates and invitations.
- Reach out to MAC coordinator Martha Roskowski at martha@fundersnetwork.org for more info on any of the projects or to learn more about joining the MAC team.
About the Authors
Lisa Jacobson is a Senior Program Officer at the Barr Foundation. She leads the Mobility strategy on the Climate team and collaborates on projects and grantmaking that support people accessing what they need in low-carbon ways. Lisa currently serves on the board of The Funders Network and is a proud TFN PLACES Fellow alum. She co-chairs the Mobility and Access Collaborative with Elizabeth Love.
Elizabeth Love is CEO of the Jacob and Terese Hershey Foundation, which supports those working boldly toward a healthy environment, reproductive justice and the nurture of nature. Elizabeth currently serves on the board of The Funders Network, and co-chairs the Mobility and Access Collaborative with Lisa Jacobson.
Discover Baltimore's Community-driven Initiatives with TFN25 Mobile Workshops!
We hope you'll join us for TFN's 25th Anniversary Conference, where our equity-focused learning agenda will center those most harmed by the intersecting impacts of environmental, economic and social injustice.
And get ready to leave the confines of the conference room on one of our Mobile Workshops! Discover Baltimore's resilient grassroots movements and community-driven initiatives that have emerged in response to systemic issues.
Choose from one of our five Mobile Workshops to learn from and connect with the changemakers, movement leaders and funder partners driving meaningful impact in neighborhoods across Baltimore.
Mobile Workshops will take place March 18 from 11 a.m. - 4 p.m. Please make sure to wear comfortable shoes. Lunch will be provided. Space is limited for our Mobile Workshops. Attendees can reserve their spot via our Swapcard conference app.
Anchors of Change: How HBCUs are Driving Community Transformation
This workshop will explore the role of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) in Baltimore’s neighborhood revitalization efforts. Rooted in their communities, these institutions serve as anchors — mobilizing resources, fostering partnerships and generating shared outcomes for sustainable local impact.
Drawing from ANCHORED IN PLACE by The Funders Network, this workshop will specifically examine how Coppin State University is addressing community needs.
Pedals, Paths, Buses, and Tracks: Linking Communities Through Mobility
This workshop explores Baltimore’s transportation challenges and solutions, focusing on cycle tracks, and regional and federal transit initiatives. It will highlight the importance of improving connectivity in historically disconnected communities by reshaping traffic patterns and creating pathways for both pedestrians and cyclists.
Participants will examine economic and community development at the nexus of land use and transportation. The workshop will conclude with a group e-bike ride.
Resilience in Action: How Baltimore is Responding to Climate Change
This workshop explores how the city is advancing climate resilience and environmental justice through innovative solutions that prioritize sustainability, equity and community engagement. This workshop highlights key initiatives aimed at building climate resilience in Baltimore’s neighborhoods, with a focus on community-centered partnerships and systems change.
Cultural Renaissance: Art, Entrepreneurship and Renewal in Baltimore
This mobile workshop will explore the intersection of art, entrepreneurship and community economic development in Baltimore, visiting cultural and creative spaces that are driving social change and economic opportunity. Participants will engage with local artists, entrepreneurs and community leaders to learn how art is being used as a tool for economic development, community building and historic preservation.
Building Baltimore’s Future: Equitable Redevelopment and Community Impact
This mobile workshop will immerse participants in Baltimore’s dynamic neighborhood redevelopment, focusing on the intersection of community empowerment and equitable growth. Through site visits and interactions with local leaders, participants will explore how urban revitalization efforts — spanning education, community engagement and business development — are shaping the city's future.
The workshop offers valuable insights into fostering inclusive, sustainable transformation, with a particular emphasis on how targeted redevelopment can create opportunities for historically underserved communities. This experience will equip funders with the knowledge to support projects that balance growth with social equity.
➡️Check out our TFN25 Anniversary Conference website to view our Learning Agenda, Accessibility and Wellbeing policies, Childcare options and more.
Exploring Regional Partnerships, Resilience Investments and more at TFN25's Concurrent Sessions
Are you curious about the powerful and creative philanthropic work making a real impact on people, places and policies? Are you looking for frank conversations about the challenges we face in the philanthropic sector?
Join us for TFN’s 25th Anniversary Conference on March 17-19 in Baltimore as we learn, share and spark joy together.
Concurrent Sessions will take place Wednesday, March 19 at 2 - 3:45 p.m. Read on to learn about our thought-provoking Concurrent Sessions or click here to view the full TFN25 agenda.
Concurrent Sessions
Regional Partnerships to Advance Local Solutions and Resilience
Partnerships of all kinds, especially regional partnerships, have important roles to play in advancing housing, economic mobility and environmental justice.
In this session, with the water sector serving as a learning lab for other fields, we will explore three models of regional partnerships that are enabling more robust, dynamic and equitable solutions to municipal challenges. We will also investigate the role that philanthropy can play in advancing these partnerships.
Featured Speakers:
- Mami Hara (US Water Alliance)
- Alaina Harkness (Current Water)
- Kishia Powell (WSSC Water)
- Megan Zeigler (Southwestern Pennsylvania Municipal Project Hub).
This is What Democracy Looks Like: Building Power by Building Better
As transportation fuels rising sea levels and greenhouse gases, inaction means we will fail to meet our climate goals, prepare for a changing world and protect people from dire health consequences.
Join us to learn from advocates about how they’re leveraging power-building in frontline communities, developing policies that will impact virtually all of our infrastructure decisions, and directing and braiding federal funds toward climate and equity outcomes. We'll also unpack the racial and economic justice ramifications of their work.
Featured Speakers:
- Terrance Bankston (Friends of the Earth)
- Vee Paykar (Zero Now Fund)
- Renae Reynolds (Tri-State Transportation Campaign)
- Nick Sifuentes (The Summit Foundation)
Building Power For Environmental Justice in Challenging Political Climates
How can place-based grantmaking strategies help communities on the frontlines of climate change build power and lead the charge for a just transition?
Join this session to learn strategies that groups in the heart of the fossil fuel industry, despite challenging political contexts, are using to build power for environmental justice communities and working-class people of color. We'll also gain a better understanding of the types of climate finance infrastructure that can generate financial tools needed to build economic power and drive investment in historically disinvested communities.
Featured Speakers:
- Vanessa Toro Barragan (Hive Fund)
- Billy Briscoe (Clean Energy Fund of Texas)
- Claudia Magana (Organized Power in Numbers)
- Frances Valdez (Houston in Action)
Making The Green Transition Matter for Working People
The Southwest is seeing a boom in clean energy development that will exponentially grow over the next decade, driven in large part by the infusion of federal infrastructure investments since 2021.
In this session, hear from community, worker power and climate organizations that are leveraging the influx of federal dollars to ensure that positive impacts are widely felt by those most affected by the racial, environmental and economic inequities in the heart of the fossil fuel industry.
Featured Speakers:
- Cecilia Behgam (Texas Climate Jobs Project)
- Rosemarie Molina (Organized Power in Numbers)
- Vianey Olivarria (League of Conservation Voters)
- Amy Vruno (Invest in Our Future)
Resilience Investments: How Multi-Sector Collaboration Can Help Tap Federal Funding
Federal grant programs supporting resilient infrastructure and decarbonization present rare opportunities for communities that are most vulnerable to climate change. But the places that most need resilience investments often lack the capacity to secure them.
This session will focus on programmatic and policy efforts of two foundations, in the Northeast and the South, to maximize the likelihood of their regions attaining federal funding. Join us for a discussion between a public sector representative, a community-based organization leader and a place-based foundation sustainability program director, who will focus on recent efforts to increase multi-sector collaboration to develop competitive federal funding applications.
Featured Speakers:
- Isabel Barrios (Greater New Orleans Foundation)
- Rashida Ferdinand (Sankofa Community Development Corporation)
- Andrew McElwaine (The Heinz Endowments)
Reclaiming Identity, Fighting Health Inequity: How BIPOC youth are changing narratives and advancing health and social justice
The stark health inequities faced by Black, Indigenous and other people of color not only impact an individual's physical wellbeing but also deny, disregard and acontextualize identity and community — especially for young people.
Trauma-informed programs and storytelling initiatives that center the experiences and needs of BIPOC youth can help reclaim and affirm their sense of identity and build community power to address the dominant cultural conditioning of health and inequity. This immersive experience will highlight The Kresge Foundation’s community safety and health partners in New Orleans, Detroit, Memphis, Fresno and the San Francisco Bay area. We'll hear from funders and BIPOC youth-centered organizations with unique approaches to serving their communities.
Featured Speakers:
- Erica Browne (The Kresge Foundation)
- Kanwarpal Dhaliwal (RYSE Center)
- Tanyanika Franklin (Daughters Beyond Incarceration)
- Reign LaCour (Daughters Beyond Incarceration)
➡️Check out our TFN25 Anniversary Conference website to view our Learning Agenda, Accessibility and Wellbeing policies and more.