Partners for Places Matching Grants: 10 U.S. communities receive more than $2.5 million for sustainability projects & climate action
BY TFN STAFF
Diverting food waste from a local landfill by turning it into fertile soil for neighborhood gardens.
Converting the site of a shuttered primary school into a much-needed community park.
Working with Native American high schoolers to create an interactive story map of schoolyard green spaces that celebrates their Indigenous histories and connections to the land.
These are just a few of the projects that will be supported by the latest round of Partners for Places grants, a joint initiative of The Funders Network and the Urban Sustainability Directors Network, which help fund efforts to create more equitable and resilient communities across the U.S.
In all, 10 U.S. communities will receive more than $2.5 million in Partners for Places matching grants to support sustainability efforts that focus largely on addressing the needs of historically marginalized communities that are disproportionately impacted by an escalating climate crisis and other environmental injustices.
These impactful projects bring together local governments, place-based funders, and frontline community groups. These relationships set the groundwork for even more action and collaboration at the grassroots level — fostering authentic engagement and input from populations and places that often bear the brunt of climate-fueled inequities but are often left out of decision-making processes.
The 10 communities receiving this latest round of Partners for Places grants are: Benton Harbor, Mich.; Charlottesville, Va.; Chelsea, Mass.; Cuyahoga County, Ohio; Flagstaff, Ariz.; Harris County, Texas; Marin County, Calif.; San Diego, Calif.; Seattle, Wash.; and Waco, Texas.
Meet the New Grantees!
In Flagstaff, Ariz., where project partners hope to create an interactive map of schoolyard green spaces that identifies gaps in access, members of a high school Native American student club will contribute stories, artwork and other content that spotlights Indigenous connections to the local land, plants and wildlife.
Cuyahoga County, Ohio will use Partners for Places funding to help convert the vacant site of a former primary school into a much-needed, 2.6-acre park that will provide a safe and accessible gathering place for the eastside Cleveland neighborhood of Hough.
Community leaders in Waco, Texas, hoping to reduce the environmentally damaging methane emissions generated by a local landfill, will use the matching grant funds to support a program that diverts extra food to those that need it and encourages converting food waste into nutrient-rich compost for gardening.
Charlottesville, Va., is also using their Partners for Places grant to support work at the intersection of food and climate justice, funding a collaborative partnership that will increase sustainable urban agriculture space on public land in a way that enhances climate protections and prioritizes grassroots community leadership.
Fostering authentic and inclusive community engagement, especially in areas that have been racially and economically marginalized, is a critical goal fueling many Partners for Places projects.
Marin County, Calif., will use this new funding to support a climate justice collaborative that brings together leaders from two Bay Area communities that face imminent risk of climate impacts, and will include leadership development, advocacy training and outreach for frontline community organizations.
“The Canal neighborhood of San Rafael and Marin City—the two Marin County communities this grant will serve—are mere feet above sea level. Those of us that live and work here already see the impacts of sea level rise and increasingly unpredictable storms,” said Canal Alliance CEO Omar Carrera. “The Marin Climate Justice Collaborative will be led by residents and will use their wisdom to identify, create, and prioritize climate resiliency solutions, improving conditions for those that live here.”
Collaborative climate justice planning is at the heart of another Partners for Places project in Harris County, Texas, home to a low-lying coastal geography, one of the world’s largest industrial corridors, and a fast-growing population. The grant will help support the co-creation of local, implementable solutions with frontline community residents who have been most impacted by climate hazards and disasters.
Benton Harbor, Mich., will use the funding to support an initiative that will develop local and regional climate action leadership, foster community engagement and help create a climate action plan that outlines federal and state funding opportunities for renewable energy programs, coastal resilience, and other critical issues.
In Chelsea, Mass., the grant will help turn the community’s vision for a vibrant and accessible Mill Creek waterfront into a reality – including plans to address climate impacts, remediate contamination, and create new green spaces with the input and engagement of community residents.
“We are delighted to receive a grant from Partners for Places,” said Roseann Bongiovanni, executive director of GreenRoots. “For nearly 30 years, GreenRoots has been working to transform what once was a forgotten and untouchable part of our waterfront, along the Mill Creek, into a more accessible, ecologically rich area that offers walking trails, salt marsh, passive and active recreation in Chelsea. While we have achieved much, there is still much work to do."
Two communities selected for the latest round Partners for Places will receive dedicated funding specifically for green stormwater infrastructure projects.
San Diego, Calif., will use the funding to generate a community-centered scope for green stormwater infrastructure improvements to the under-invested and physically compromised Chollas Creek Watershed, and to support a watershed-focused partnership between the city, community-based organizations and local landscape design and engineering firms.
In Seattle, Wash., the grant will help strengthen community collaboration and ensure that planned green stormwater infrastructure investments in the southwest Seattle neighborhoods of Delridge benefit those who have lower access to opportunity and greater displacement risks.
Grants at a Glance
The latest Partners for Places grant recipients, project descriptions, matching funders and frontline community groups are:
- Benton Harbor, Mich. ($74,740): To support the Benton Harbor Justice 40 Initiative to develop local and regional leadership for climate action, restorative community partnerships, and fund development in an environmental justice community. Frontline community groups: Benton Harbor Community Development Corp., West Michigan Sustainable Business Forum, and Project NEED Foundation. Matching funder: Americana Foundation ($25,000).
- Charlottesville, Va. ($180,000): To support Just Food, Just Climate, a collaborative partnership that cultivates relationships, skills, and action at the intersection of food and climate justice. Frontline community group: Cultivate Charlottesville. Matching funders: Charlottesville Area Community Foundation and Hartfield Foundation ($180,000).
- Chelsea, Mass. ($150,000): To implement their community’s vision of waterfront access, climate justice and land sovereignty along Mill Creek. Frontline community group: Matching funder: Barr Foundation ($75,000).
- Cuyahoga County, Ohio ($180,000): To foster vibrancy and climate resiliency by repurposing 2.6 acres of vacant land, formerly a Cleveland Metropolitan School District site, into a park. Frontline community groups: Village Family Farms, Little Africa Food Co-Op, Western Reserve Land Conservancy, Famicos Foundation. Matching funders: FirstEnergy Foundation, Bank of America (Cleveland), Reinberger Foundation, Dominion Energy Charitable Foundation ($190,000).
- Flagstaff, Ariz. ($70,000): To map green space/schoolyard infrastructure and access to advance equitable district-wide climate justice for all in response to Flagstaff’s Climate Action & Neutrality Plans. Frontline community groups: Ita Hopi Lavayi, Flagstaff High School Native American Club, Flagstaff Unified School District, Terra BIRDS. Matching funders: Arizona Community Foundation of Flagstaff and GeoFamily Foundation ($44,00).
- Harris County, Texas ($150,000): For climate justice planning that aims to co-create local, implementable solutions with frontline residents who have been most impacted by climate hazards and disasters. Frontline community group: The Coalition for Environment, Equity, and Resilience (CEER). Matching funder: Jacob and Terese Hershey Foundation ($100,000).
- Marin County, Calif. ($180,00): To create lasting capacity for frontline community involvement and leadership in local climate resilience decision-making in Marin County. Frontline community groups: Canal Alliance, Play Marin, Multicultural Center of Marin, and Marin City Climate Resilience & Health Justice. Matching funder: San Francisco Foundation ($180,000).
- San Diego, Calif. ($120,000): For equity-driven Green Infrastructure planning for the Chollas Creek Watershed, including supporting a partnership between the city, community-based organizations and local landscape design and engineering firms and generating a community-centered GSI Plan scope for the watershed region. Frontline community groups: Groundwork San Diego-Chollas Creek on behalf of the Chollas Creek Coalition. Matching funder: The Hervey Family Fund at San Diego Foundation ($60,000).
- Seattle, Wash. ($180,000): To facilitate input into two green stormwater infrastructure projects, develop a maintenance and programming plan, and fund improvements at a site to build trust and demonstrate responsiveness. Frontline community group: Delridge Neighborhoods Development Association. Matching funder: This local funder has requested anonymity ($90,000).
- Waco, Texas ($150,000): To provide education and infrastructure for composting and gardening with goals for food waste recovery, food production, and methane reduction at the local landfill. Frontline community groups: Mission Waco Urban REAP, Da' Shack Farmers Market Health and Wellness, Inc., Family of Faith Worship Center, Global Revive, and World Hunger Relief Institute, and Baylor University. Matching funder: Cooper Foundation ($150,000).
About Partners for Places
To date, Partners for Places has awarded $10.7 million across North America in this successful matching grant program, leading to more than $21.5 million in investments.
Partners for Places, led by The Funders Network (TFN) in partnership with the Urban Sustainability Directors Network (USDN), will provide $1,434,740 in funding to these 10 communities through the grant program. With contributions from local matching funders, a total of $2,528,740 will be committed to fund sustainability projects in these selected communities. This grant cycle includes a total of $450,000 in Partners for Places grants and local matching funds awarded to the green stormwater infrastructure projects in San Diego and Seattle.
The matching grant program brings national funder investors together with place-based funders to support equitable, sustainable climate action and green stormwater infrastructure projects. The program is currently supported by The JPB Foundation, The Kendeda Fund, The Kresge Foundation, New York Community Trust, and the Pisces Foundation.
Partners for Places FAQ's
→ Where is Partners for Places making an impact?
Read previous grant announcements in our Meet the Grantees section and explore the Partners for Places Grantee Map.
→ Where can I learn about completed Partners for Places projects?
Visit the Partners for Places Idea Bank to explore what grantees are doing, learning and sharing.
For more information about Partners for Places, please reach out to Ashley Quintana, ashley@fundersnetwork.org.
The Power of Space & Time: Five #TFN2023 takeaways from a PLACES alum
BY Maranda Witherspoon Richardson, TFN PLACES Alum
This March I had the opportunity to take part in TFN’s amazing annual conference, which took place in New Orleans. This was the first time since the pandemic began that I’ve been able to reunite with some of my most favorite people on the planet: Longtime friends and peers across the philanthropic sector who are committed to creating thriving and just communities. As an alum of TFN’s 2015 PLACES Cohort who is also working closely with TFN’s Inclusive Economies working group, I was thrilled to see conversations around racial equity and justice take center stage, especially within the context of addressing systemic economic inequities and breaking barriers to prosperity.
The learning agenda for TFN’s 2023 Annual Conference: Ignite Action was packed with so many inspiring and enlightening moments that I’m still unpacking weeks later.
Here are some of my takeaways from our time together in New Orleans.
1. There is a need for more safe spaces to “be,” receive support, and develop personally and professionally!
PLACES alumni came together for a half day on the Sunday before the start of the conference for food, fellowship and the opportunity to learn from place. This year, alumni had the opportunity to experience facilitated discussion that centered community, connections, and (improved) mental health toward restorative justice and liberation. This space and time are powerful given the work, our commitment to advancing equity, and the need to center ourselves in order to show up for the communities we serve. As I reflect on our time together, I am reminded: Our wellbeing is just as important as the work!
2. Institutional partnerships can play a vital role in what it looks like to shape and support community.
I had the privilege of attending the “Institutional Partnerships to Ignite Action” Mobile Workshop. The workshop created an opportunity for attendees to hear from leaders and residents committed to the development in New Orleans’ Gentilly and New Orleans East neighborhoods. The workshop elevated the importance of centering the voices of residents and stakeholders, collaboration and partnerships among public/private and universities and the need to prioritize economic inclusion as cities are planning for urban renewal and growth. If you are interested in exploring what this work looks like in the South, or what it can look like in your community, consider joining us on June 28-29 in Atlanta for TFN’s Inclusive Economies 2023 Meeting: Pathways to Power & Prosperity, which will take place at Morehouse College.
3. Creating spaces and time to share and learn from others during conferences is a great way to learn and understand what is happening across various communities.
This year I facilitated the Inclusive Economies ad hoc breakfast meeting. As a newcomer to the inclusive economies work, it was great to meet attendees and hear from them about the awesome work they are leading and supporting. I realize this was likely the first in-person conference for many since the pandemic. The opportunity to connect and network face to face was invaluable. What I quickly observed as attendees shared brief summaries about their work, is that we do not need to do the work the same in order to achieve the desired outcomes. Rather than focus on process, the better questions areabout how we can best prioritize place, economic justice, job creation, access to capital, entrepreneurship, etc. for Black and brown communities in order to achieve economic inclusion. I look forward to the continued discussion as we prepare for the Inclusive Economies meeting in June in Atlanta.
4. OMG, the increased number of newcomers at this year’s conference!
This year was my first year attending the conference as a TFN contractor and oh boy was it a different experience!(In a good way, of course!) I normally attend as a PLACES alum eager to learn, reconnect with other PLACES alumni and network with attendees. Although I attended in a different capacity this year, I was still able to go about my normal routine. However, this year I was very intentional about engaging with newcomers. As an introvert, I was reminded of the first time I attended a TFN conference and how welcoming people were to me, and I wanted to offer that to others. What I found was a thread among the newcomers I met, they felt welcomed and aligned, the speakers and sessions were what they needed, and they plan to return. Some even inquired about PLACES and membership!
5. People of color were centered and present!
TFN staff and the planning committee did a phenomenal job planning sessions, speakers, venues, workshops, etc. But for me, it was the thoughtfulness around centering people of color throughout the conference. From session facilitators to vendors, venues, entertainment, plenary speakers, etc. attendees were able to experience place and culture. I found myself scanning rooms and noticing the increase in attendees of color and smiling on the inside because in that moment, I felt seen and heard! I challenge us all to think about intentional and thoughtful ways to center PoC throughout our work and lives.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Maranda Witherspoon Richardson is a 2015 PLACES Fellowship alum. Formerly of the Missouri Health Foundation, she is now the founder and principal of MWR Coaching and Consulting. She helped facilitate TFN’s 2022 team strategy retreat and is working with the network’s Inclusive Economies working group to plan its 2023 Meeting in Atlanta in June.
TFN Board of Directors: Warm Welcomes & Fond Farewells
BY Pat Smith, President & CEO, The Funders Network
I truly believe in our network's vision to create generations of courageous philanthropic leaders who are engaged, emboldened and equipped to bring about a just society.
That's why I am thrilled to share that TFN's Board of Directors recently welcomed three new members at our annual conference in New Orleans: Isabel Barrios of the Greater New Orleans Foundation; Lisa Jacobson of Boston-based Barr Foundation (and a TFN PLACES Alum); and Nathaniel Smith of the Partnership for Southern Equity in Atlanta, who also served as one of our exceptional #TFN2023 co-chairs.
Rounding out the 2023-2025 slate of directors is Sheena Solomon of The Gifford Foundation in Syracuse, who was elected to a second board term. Sheena is also an alum of TFN's PLACES Fellowship, and currently chairs the PLACES Advisory Board.
The board approved the 2023 – 2025 slate of directors in January, and the slate was elected by virtual ballot among the organizational membership in March.
The board also selected its officers for the coming year:
- Vice Chairperson: Sheena Solomon
- Treasurer: Karla Twedt-Ball, Greater Cedar Rapids Community Foundation
- Secretary: Elizabeth Love, Jacob and Terese Hershey Foundation
Officers were elected for one-year terms, with the exception of Chairperson Don Hickman of the Initiative Foundation, who is halfway through a two-year term.
March also marked a bittersweet milestone, with four of our board members concluding their service:
- Michael Coffey, formerly of the Greater Cincinnati Foundation, who is a PLACES alum and most recent TFN board treasurer;
- Michelle Knapik of the Emily Hall Tremaine Foundation;
- Craig Martinez of the The California Endowment, who is a PLACES alum and a former TFN board chair; and
- Scot Spencer of The Annie E. Casey Foundation, who has also served as a TFN board chair and is an honorary PLACES alum.
I want to offer my heartfelt gratitude to our departing board members for their dedication, support and guidance over the years.
TFN offers funders so many leadership opportunities — not only through board service, but also as members of working groups, steering committees, and other task forces. These roles certainly help the network as a whole, but they are also great ways for you to deepen your connections to each other and to this work.
Please feel reach out to me or a member of our team if you’re interested in serving or getting more involved in our many programs and initiatives.
TFN Board of Directors Class of 2023-2025
The Funders Network’s Board of Directors is composed of representatives from across the membership and represents both national and place-based foundations. View the full list of all 13 members of TFN's Board of Directors here.
TFN Board Officers
Going PLACES: Reflecting on inclusive strategies to economic growth in Oklahoma City
BY Jessica L. González Martínez, New Growth Innovation Network and 2022 PLACES Fellow
I debated for a while about how I wanted to share the experience I had in Oklahoma City. So much rustled in my head regarding opportunities lost and opportunities forged. Like most communities, there appears to be a centuries-long project of weaving and mending, movements and actions of healing coming to a pause, when building and innovation are placed where rest and relationship are needed. My reflections will primarily be focused on people, those who work each day to document their journey and lay down a foundation for their future. I will touch upon the unique dynamics of small-midsize cities and how OKC is among them to be bold, learn, and grow from how they consider an inclusive strategy to economic growth.
There is no better way to start than at the beginning with First Americans: the Indigenous people who inhabited these lands before the United States was established. They include the Apache, Caddo, Tonkawa, and Wichita tribes. There are also tribes with historical connections, such as the Comanche, Kiowa, Osage, Muscogee (Creek), and Seminole. Collectively, 39 distinct tribal nations reside in Oklahoma. The Choctaw people call the land Okla Homma, meaning “red people,” the place these nations call home (source: First Americans Museum). Over time, the U.S. government forced individual land allotments among Indigenous people, which began to establish adjacent communities with Black Americans of former slave descendants, and those looking for a “promised land.” It has been recorded by the Oklahoma Historical Society that more than fifty identifiable All-Black towns were established between the end of the Civil War and 1920. It’s important to mention the deep, long history between these two groups as they continue to resurrect and heal, and how their familiarity with each other unfolds as time passes.
As I explored the city, remnants of the original land stewards were vividly present. Their stories were told by foreign voices celebrating the importance of Indigenous people, but never their contribution on what makes this land sacred. Storytellers marveled with excitement over the region’s ability to manage their mineral production of oil and gas, leading to the economic wealth that attracted more people to settle in the area. This made the area an attractive destination for migrants and immigrants.
My recollection above touches upon a small portion of the cultures that are now present and call OKC home. Investment strategies, such as the voter-approved penny sales tax initiative to bolster neighborhood and community need, haves supported opportunities for community voice and design for the future of OKC. In its fourth iteration, MAPS 4 is positioned to expand what has been visible redevelopment in infrastructure, beautification, and community reinvestment throughout downtown. Investments like these are giving hope to organizations like The Freedom Center, a historical landmark that was once home to the NAACP Youth Council and OKC’s civil rights movement. An investment of $25 million dollars is affording not only the restoration of The Freedom Center but also the creation of a new Clara Luper Civil Rights Center, honoring the contributions made by Clara Luper in championing civil rights.
As an economic developer, I had a keen eye toward The Freedom Center project. As the tour bus drove along North Martin Luther King Avenue, I began to see the difference between deployment strategies made from the initial onset of the MAPS tax investment, and the latest iteration. Now, I recognize being exposed to a small portion of the program’s history, and it’s clear to me that I have questions about what’s to come during and post MAPS 4. A visible difference can be seen, and felt, from how MAPS began revitalizing downtown, and now expanding deeper to other city limits. Here are my questions moving forward:
- What additional investments will be leveraged to help support surrounding communities adjacent to The Freedom Center?
- Will there be additional considerations for housing, transportation infrastructure, workforce, and small business pathways to those being served and supported through the center’s programming?
- How will a newly focused effort to support neighborhood and community needs help frame future redevelopment efforts and inform other city investments? Will there be a desire to add additional community-led processes across other city services?
- Will there be plans to connect downtown to areas like The Freedom Center, which expands transportation access and increases opportunities for workers and businesses alike?
Ultimately, OKC is one of many small-midsize cities that continue to face a myriad of challenges while being openly innovative in attempting to figure out solutions. As they manage through constraints of strengthening their capacities, they are also building a more profound understanding of what it truly means to drive equity and inclusion in their efforts to be competitive in a global market, while maintaining livability and opportunity for their residents. As cities incubate solutions, we must press forward and explore how we can galvanize behind their efforts and continue to strengthen the impact of driving inclusive economic strategies, which measure against outcomes that uplift communities across race, gender, and geographic lines. We are past small tables in small rooms. Now is the time to not only be inquisitive, but also challenge ourselves and the work we are putting into examining how we are serving alongside people and place. Not for the sake of progress, but for the boldness of reshaping community design through the leadership of Black and Indigenous voices.
About the Author
Jessica L. González Martínez is senior advisor and co-lead for the Inclusive Recovery Initiative project at New Growth Innovation Network. Jessica leads a national community of practice of regional economic organizations working to implement inclusive economic strategies as well as supports insights and innovations which aim to generate deep insights through original research and design innovations to advance the field of inclusive economic development. Jessica brings experiences across workforce, community, and economic development which build upon solutions that work alongside people and the places they reside. She holds a MPA from Arizona State University and a B.S. in American Studies & Sociology from Rutgers University. The is a member of TFN's 2022 PLACES Fellowship cohort.
TFN's 2023 Annual Conference: A message from our TFN2023 Conference Co-Chairs!
We're excited to announce that registration is open for TFN2023! Below is a note from TFN 2023 Annual Conference Co-Chairs are Shawn Escoffery of the Roy and Patricia Disney Foundation, Dan Favre of the Greater New Orleans Foundation and Nathaniel Smith of the Partnership for Southern Equity. Be sure to check out the TFN2023 website for info on registration, learning agenda, safety protocols and more!
As grantmakers, we are always asking how we can best help energize, support and sustain efforts that move our communities toward racial, economic and environmental justice.
You – and your funder colleagues – are likely also asking those same questions.
We invite you to join us to share, learn and strategize together at The Funders Network’s 2023 Annual Conference, which takes place March 20-22 in New Orleans, La.,
The theme for our 2023 Annual Conference is Ignite Action, which recognizes the need for all of us — as a sector and as individuals — to light the way toward systemic change with urgency and purpose.
TFN’s 2023 Annual Conference: Ignite Action is a chance to reconnect with friends and colleagues in the sector. It’s also a place to identify opportunities for collaboration and action that address the intersecting challenges we face: an escalating climate crisis, an ongoing pandemic, persistent racial injustice and a widening wealth gap — all of which are causing disproportionate harm to communities of color.
The 2023 Annual Conference offers a rich agenda filled with sessions, speakers and workshops that will challenge and inspire us. (You can take a look at our preliminary agenda here.)
New this year: Skill-Building Workshops that offer opportunities for active learning and exploration about topics that will help funders become more equitable, effective and empathetic to the communities they serve and the grantmakers they support.
We’re also expanding the popular TFN Mobile Workshops to include a full day of learning from the places and people of our host city of New Orleans, with an emphasis on community power-building and community-led solutions.
With a rich cultural heritage and geographic location as a coastal city in the American South, New Orleans provides critical context and opportunities to learn as we address pressing issues such as disaster resiliency, environmental injustice, systemic racial inequities and the need for more inclusive economic policies and practices. We’ll hear from thought-provoking voices as we explore innovative, interdisciplinary work that is making an impact in New Orleans and beyond.
New Orleans’ unique flavor will be on display — literally — for the return of TFN’s popular Eat Here! Culinary Showcase, an evening that celebrates the diversity of cultures and points of entry into the food system and highlights locally sourced fare.
As co-chairs of TFN’s signature annual event, we’re thrilled at the chance to connect with the funders, partners and practitioners that make up this amazing network.
We hope you’ll join us in New Orleans to deepen your understanding, expand your own professional networks, and experience the joy of being in community with one another.
See you in New Orleans!
TFN2023 Co-Chairs
Thank you to our TFN2023 conference planning committee!
BY TFN STAFF
The Funders Network will be in New Orleans for our TFN 2023 Annual Conference: Ignite Action, March 20-22. We’re excited to be able to craft a learning agenda that recognizes the need for all of us — as a sector and as individuals — to light the way toward systemic change with urgency and purpose. We’ll be sharing details about our conference agenda, including break-out sessions, skill-building workshops and site visits, when registration opens in December.
We want to extend a huge thank you to the individuals who served on our planning committee and met with us for two days in September. Because of their commitment to environmental, economic and racial justice, we will be able to create an intentional, inclusive and diverse program agenda.
- Bre’ Anna Brooks, Walton Family Foundation
- Erin Coryell, Margaret A. Cargill Philanthropies
- Shawn Escoffery, Roy and Patricia Disney Family Foundation
- Dan Favre, Greater New Orleans Foundation
- Kevin Gray, Kresge Foundation
- Don Hickman, Initiative Foundation
- Cashauna Hill, Louisiana Fairhousing Action Center
- Arthur Johnson, Lower Ninth Ward Ctr for Sustainable Engagement & Development
- Elizabeth Love, Jacob and Terese Hershey Foundation
- Rukia Lumumba, People’s Advocacy Institute
- Greg Masten, Native Americans in Philanthropy
- Nicole Pritchard, James Irvine Foundation
- Suganthi Simon, Arthur M. Blank Foundation
- Joel Alvarado, Partnership for Southern Equity
- Sheena Solomon, The Gifford Foundation
- Scot Spencer, Annie E. Casey Foundation
- Jacqueline Thanh, VAYLA New Orleans
We are also grateful for the efforts of our three TFN2023 conference co-chairs, who are instrumental in conference planning.
Shawn Escoffery
Executive Director
Roy and Patricia Disney Family Foundation
Dan Favre
Director of Environmental Programs
Greater New Orleans Foundation
Nathaniel Smith
Founder and Chief Equity Officer
Partnership for Southern Equity
Stay tuned for more details about TFN2023!
Feature image at top: Photo by 12019 is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA
Barr Foundation: New Tool for Climate Nonprofits to Assess Progress on Racial Equity | Cross-post
As a grantee of the Barr Foundation, The Funders Network participated in an organizational racial equity self-assessment commissioned by Barr to help nonprofits working in the climate space reflect on their racial equity efforts and benchmark their progress. In this post, originally shared on the Barr Foundation's site, Climate Director Mariella Puerto shares insights on the self-assessment tool, process and key findings.
BY Mariella Puerto, Barr Foundation
Self-assessment helps organizations evaluate and benchmark efforts to change culture and ways of working; and helps funders better understand partners’ efforts and how to target resources.
Photo by bertvthul is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA
We Asked Three Funders to 'Imagine a Day Without Water'
Today, The Funders Network joins elected officials, water utilities, community leaders, educators, and businesses from across the country as part of the seventh annual Imagine a Day Without Water, a nationwide day of education and advocacy about the value of water. Led by the US Water Alliance’s Value of Water Campaign, over a thousand organizations across the country will join Imagine a Day Without Water on October 20, 2022, to raise awareness about the role of water infrastructure in our lives and the importance of investment. The focus of this year’s event is to invite people to take the #OneWaterPledge and learn more about where our water comes from and where our wastewater goes. (Learn more at imagineadaywithoutwater.org and follow the conversation on social media at #ValueWater.)
To honor this day, TFN asked three members of our Urban Water Funders Steering Committee to "imagine a day without water"...
Growing up in Chicago, it was hard for me to understand why anyone in the Windy City lacked access to safe, affordable tap water.
After all, we lived on the shores of Lake Michigan — the fifth largest lake on the planet.
Later, I became more aware of water crises in communities around the country. In the Great Lakes region, where I still live, tens of thousands of people cannot afford to pay their water bills. Some people deal with boil water orders because of contaminants in their drinking water.
This paradox of people who reside in a water-abundant region being unable to afford their water has serious ramifications. Scientists recently discovered that a lack of access to safe, affordable water during the COVID-19 pandemic increased the risk of health problems. One reason: Proper hand washing is critical to preventing the spread of COVID-19 and other viruses.
Ensuring that tap water is safe is only one part of the equation. We also must ensure that water is safe and available to all people, and affordable. In other words, we need water equity.
My employer, the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, supports over 20 nongovernmental organizations working to address water equity issues in the Great Lakes region. Mott has a two-pronged goal for the work: ensure universal access to safe, affordable water while maintaining the financial health of water utilities.
Achieving water equity is a daunting challenge, but failure is not an option. Access to safe, affordable tap water is essential to public health and personal dignity. No one should be forced to cope with life's daily challenges without safe water flowing from the tap at home. Click on these resources below to learn more about water affordability.
Water Affordability: A Growing Challenge;
Affordable water in the US: A burgeoning crisis;
Drowning In Expensive Water Bills? The Low-Income Household Water Assistance Program Can Help
Melanie Moore
Associate Program Officer, Environment | Charles Stewart Mott Foundation
TFN Urban Water Funders Steering Committee & 2022 PLACES Fellow
Hawaiʻi has always been an Island community defined by water.
Native Hawaiian ʻōlelo noʻeau (proverbs) often refer to the idea that water is life. It is said, ola i ka wai a ka ʻōpua — there is life in the water from the clouds.
From our rainforests and streams, fed by rainfall, to our aquifers, which support all who live here, what would these Islands be without fresh water?
At Hawaiʻi Community Foundation, we know that a day without water would mean our houseless communities go without reprieve from rising temperatures. It would mean our Hawaiian kūpuna (elders), who are statistically more likely to be afflicted with diabetes, could not access life-sustaining dialysis. It would mean our mothers who rely on the already scarce supply of formula could not feed their babies.
In Hawaiʻi, water is the essence, the foundation, of wealth. Before trade and tourism, we had water. Water is culture. Water is sustenance. As funders, and catalysts for change, water flows through every sector we touch.
Without it, we would become impoverished of our identity, our existence. There is no grant large enough to replace water, even for a day.
Dana Okano
Program Director | Hawaiʻi Community Foundation
TFN Urban Water Funders Steering Committee
Sadly, “a day without water” is becoming all too common for Texans.
For many Texans, “a day without water” is not an imagined experience—it’s just another day.
Some communities have never had running water. For the rest of us, experiencing days without water has become the rule rather than the exception. The one-two punch of climate-driven weather extremes and population growth have strained the state’s water supply and aging drinking and wastewater infrastructure.
Texas is more likely to issue a boil water notice than any other state, disproportionately affecting low-income, rural, and communities of color. Texans are also increasingly more likely to lose access to water following natural disasters. During Winter Storm Uri in 2021, 15 million Texans lost access to water. Just five years ago, Hurricane Harvey rendered drinking water unusable from Corpus Christi to Houston and Beaumont.
With increasing urgency, however, communities are responding by building resilience and protecting Texas’s water.
The Cynthia and George Mitchell Foundation envisions a One Water future as a pathway toward water security and sustainability. And our grantees have been doing prodigious work to advance this vision, from coordinating responses to disasters to facilitating One Water adoption across the state.
For example, the National Wildlife Federation (NWF), Texas Living Waters Project, and Bayou City Waterkeeper have pursued freshwater protection through forward-looking policy and planning efforts. Recently, NWF published a report highlighting water loss due to aging infrastructure to help pinpoint areas for investment in upgrades.
West Street Recovery, founded in response to Hurricane Harvey, is working with Houston communities to organize and advocate for equitable water assistance and justice.
Communities Unlimited has been working to help small, rural, and often low-income communities by providing deep technical assistance in accessing state and federal funds for water.
While it’s a reality that many face every day, we’re confident that through the great work of these and other organizations, together, we can protect Texas’s water and equitably meet these increasing demands for water across the state.
Dr. Emily R. Warren Armitano
Director, Land Conservation and Water Programs | The Cynthia and George Mitchell Foundation
TFN Urban Water Funders Steering Committee
About Urban Water Funders
Urban Water Funders, a TFN working group, is a network of place-based and national funders addressing urban water issues in communities across the country. Funders learn together, build relationships and catalyze action. Currently, funders are prioritizing a variety of solutions to urban water issues — including One Water approaches, natural and green infrastructure and climate resilient strategies — with a strong focus on water equity and vulnerable communities. If you would like to subscribe to TFN’s Urban Water Funders working group in order to receive newsletters and other resources, click here.
Going PLACES | Reflections from Vermont: What can philanthropy do better?
BY Jennifer Pereira, PLACES Fellow
Arriving in Burlington, Vt., after a five-hour car ride from Rhode Island, I was struck by the beauty of the landscape: the sun shining on Lake Champlain, surrounded by mountains. I was in Vermont for the first of three site visits as one of sixteen PLACES Fellows. PLACES is designed for participants to use learning, coaching and reflections onsite to explore structural racism, community empowerment and grantmaking practices that have equity at their core. At first glance, Vermont — about 94% white and a population of about 624,000 people (a little over half the population of Rhode Island), spread out among a primarily rural context — did not seem the obvious choice to start this conversation. But wait…
Our first meeting was with the Vermont Community Foundation, a community foundation based in Burlington. A person new to the organization told us about the foundation’s development of a new impact area that will focus on equity, anti-racism and democracy as a result of its experience with COVID-19 response grantmaking.The speakers that followed — from the Vermont Land Trust and the Intervale Center — spoke about land, land ownership, access, and asking themselves the question “who benefits” from their work. Both speakers were candid about the need to grow and apply a strong racial equity focus on their role in land ownership — that fundamental inequity that underlies persistent, systemic injustices. The Land Trust engages in land return projects with Indigenous bands; there were three Abenaki nominees for the Vermont Land Trust board this year. The 4,000-acre Intervale Center is historically rich and significant land for the Abenaki, who lead land recognition ceremonies on the property. When we asked members of the organizations what philanthropy can do better to support these efforts, we received these response:““Look in the mirror and recognize the power dynamic.” “Fund organizations that are led by and represent the community being served.”
On our second day, we had a thought-provoking conversation focused on environmental justice with State Senator Kesha Ram Hinsdale of the Vermont General Assembly; Ginny McGinn, executive director off the Center for Whole Communities; and Kiah Morris, executive director of Rights & Democracy. These three impressive speakers talked about successes and models from their work,including the passage of the first environmental justice law in Vermont in 2022 and the creation of REJOICE (Rural Environmental Justice Opportunities Informed by Community Expertise) to engage people most impacted by environmental injustice in policy change. This and the Climate Council raised the importance of compensating people for their time and valuing community expertise. They also spoke about the challenges: Burlington sees huge racial disparities in outcomes for white people and communities of color, notably in homeownership. Only 21.1% of the Black population in Burlington owns their own home, far below the national numbers.
When asked, what can philanthropy do better?
- Unrestricted funds are a blessing
- Trust the people doing the work
- Show up, step back, and trust
- Support healing and self-care for frontline advocates
- Step up, not lean away, from funding racial and social justice
A conversation with City Councilor Ali Dieng, who cofounded the New American Advisory Council, and Brian Pine from the City of Burlington’s economic development office, focused on housing and included a discussion of the Community Land Trust model. This model provides a pathway to homeownership for historically marginalized communities, including the New American population.
The visits and conversations told us a different story about Vermont than is evident at a first glance and demonstrated the complexities of place. Of community. The people we met were inspiring — and exhausted. Over the course of about 56 hours in Vermont, multiple site visits and presentations, and provoking debriefs with my companions on this year-long Fellowship journey: fifteen remarkable individuals and our fearless and supportive guides, one recurring message kept playing out in these discussions and in my thoughts: What can philanthropy do better?
All of our site visits were unpacked and examined through conversations among the Fellows, facilitated by the gifted Bina Patel. What can philanthropy do better? We need to ask the question, how does the community envision how they can thrive? We can ask this question, and listen and heed the response. We need to do better, “because we bear witness..
This first PLACES site visit gave me the opportunity to challenge assumptions, learn new perspectives, and reflect on what I, in my role in philanthropy, can do better. In Vermont, 94% of the population is white, and we learned that 75% of traffic stops are of Black men; In Rhode Island, the racial gap in homeownership is wider than the national average; Black and Hispanic children in Rhode Island are more likely than White children to live in neighborhoods that lack the resources needed for them to grow up healthy and successful. These systemic inequities are real, deeply rooted, and are the cause of unspeakable trauma and harm to people — the people we met in Vermontnd the people we know in our communities. From re-orienting the conversation so that it is community-led and driven, to showing up in the difficult conversations, I’ll carry this experience with me and focus on action.
What will I do better?
About the Author
Jennifer Pereira is Vice President of Grants & Community Investments at the Rhode Island Foundation. She is also a member of TFN's 2022 PLACES Fellowship cohort.
Congratulations to our Partners for Places Mini Grantees!
BY TFN STAFF
The Funders Network, in partnership with the Urban Sustainability Directors Network, is excited to announce the latest round of Partners for Places Mini Grants. These grants are intended to help local governments, place-based funders and frontline communities build relationships, align project ideas, and center racial equity in water, sustainability and climate action work.
The Partners for Places Mini Grants are designed to spark new relationships or deepen existing connections that will help communities develop a successful Partners for Places project application in the future.
Partners for Places is a matching grant program that improves U.S. and Canadian communities by building partnerships between local government leaders, community groups and place-based funders. National funders invest in local projects developed through these partnerships to advance efforts to create communities that are sustainable, prosperous and just. These sustainability efforts take place from coast to coast, in communities both large and small, and focus largely on empowering and engaging low-income neighborhoods.
MEET THE NEW GRANTEES!
These six communities are the latest recipients of the Partners for Places Mini Grants:
Ann Arbor, Mich.:Amount: $15,200
Project title: Developing Legal Services Models for Community Stabilization
Project description: “Partners will develop a shared model of legal counseling for income-qualified homeowners to stabilize families by reducing the risks of displacement and asset loss while maintaining weatherization investments. Outreach strategies that build trust and participation will be developed with the frontline community and test participants.”
Frontline community groups: Legal Services of South Central Michigan, Community Action Network’s Bryant Community Center, and Housing Bureau for Seniors, Michigan Medicine
Funder partner: Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation
Benton Harbor, Mich.:
Amount: $15,000
Project title: Sustainability Office in Community Impacted by Emergency Management
Project description: “To facilitate stakeholder engagement and strategic planning for creation of a sustainability office that will provide local and regional leadership on GSI implementation, climate resilience, restorative community partnerships, and Justice40 execution in an environmental justice community.”
Frontline community groups: Project NEED Foundation and Michigan Sustainable Business Forum
Funder partner: Americana Foundation
Bridgeport, Conn.:
Amount: $20,000
Project title: Changeport: Accelerating Environmental Justice in Bridgeport & Beyond
Project description: “Seaside Sounds Club, with its multitude of collaborators, will innovate community engagement and bi-directional educational outreach in Bridgeport, Conn., and beyond, to powerbuild and prepare frontline communities to apply for newly available federal and state funds for environmental justice and climate resilience projects.”
Frontline community group: Seaside Sounds Club
Funder partners: Emily Hall Tremaine Foundation and Sustainable CT: Community Match Fund
Flagstaff, Ariz.:
Amount: $20,000
Project title: Mapping Flagstaff’s Green Spaces and Schoolyards
Project description: “Project partners will map and assess community infrastructure, access and needs in relation to green spaces/schoolyards. In response to Flagstaff’s Climate Action and Neutrality plans, this project will advance policies that promote racial and socioeconomic equity for the most vulnerable segments of our community to ensure climate justice for all.”
Frontline community groups: Ita Hopi Lavayi, Flagstaff Unified School District, and Terra BIRDS
Funder partner: Arizona Community Foundation of Flagstaff
Harris County, Texas:
Amount: $20,000
Project title: Equitable Climate Justice Partnerships in Harris County
Project description: “First, funding will go towards a local expert to help the three partners build a foundation of equitable collaboration. Second, funding will go towards the co-production of an equity framework and co-hosting preliminary community conversations for the soon-to-be developed Harris County Climate Justice Action Plan.”
Frontline community groups: The Coalition for Environment, Equity, and Resilience (CEER)
Funder partner: Jacob and Terese Hershey Foundation
Kansas City, Mo.:
Amount: $20,000
Project title: From Coal to Solar in KC’s Historic Northeast
Project description: “In response to Kansas City’s Climate Protection and Resiliency Plan, the purpose of this grant is to form a coalition to expand solar availability to low-income residents who have been most impacted by Kansas City’s only operating coal-fired power plant.”
Frontline community group: Jerusalem Farm
Funder partner: Marion and Henry Bloch Family Foundation
ABOUT PARTNERS FOR PLACES
To date, Partners for Places has awarded more than $9 million across the U.S. and Canada in this successful matching grant program, leading to more than $19 million in investments.
The matching grant program brings national funder investors together with place-based funders to support equitable and sustainable climate action and green stormwater infrastructure projects. The program is currently supported by six investor foundations: The Allen H. and Selma W. Berkman Charitable Trust, The JPB Foundation, The Kendeda Fund, The Kresge Foundation, the New York Community Trust, and the Pisces Foundation.
Read about the latest round of Partners for Places matching grant recipients here.
To learn about the previous round of Partners for Places Mini Grants, visit here. (All grant announcements can be found on the Partners for Places webpage.)
For questions about the Partners for Places Mini Grants or matching grants program, please reach out to Ashley Quintana.
PARTNERS FOR PLACES FAQ’S
→ Where is Partners for Places making an impact?
Read previous grant announcements and explore the Partners for Places Grantee Map here.
→ Where can I learn about completed Partners for Places projects?
Visit the Partners for Places Idea Bank to explore what grantees are doing, learning and sharing.
For more information about Partners for Places, please reach out to Ashley Quintana, ashley@fundersnetwork.org.