Imagine an economy fueled daily by the sun’s energy. Jobs are opening up in sustainable companies that previously struggled to survive in a fossil fuel dependent world. Imagine that this robust, creative economy is no longer undermined by the political power of the fossil fuel industry, that energy markets are driven by consumers rather than by political manipulation and industry leverage. Progressive philanthropy can help turn this vision into reality. Doing so will require divesting from fossil fuels and investing in preferred alternatives: in infrastructure and local efficiencies; in clean energy and technology; and in sustainable agriculture and consumer products.
While doing field work in the Bahamas for her master’s degree in marine conservation, Martha Davis experienced firsthand the alarming decline of the islands’ queen conch population, a species of edible mollusk. Her nonprofit, Community Conch, conducts conch population surveys and advocates for conservation efforts to preserve this vital species. “With the support of the Department of Marine Resources and the Bahamas National Trust, we are using the information we collected at stakeholders meetings to reform regulations. It has been very rewarding to present our data at conferences and have scientists from the Bahamas and other Caribbean countries thank us for our work,” Martha says.
“All children should be exposed to the arts, celebrating humans’ greatest creative achievements,” says Sarah duPont, founder of CIAMO, one of Africa’s first tuition-free schools to offer art and music classes. The project was inspired by Sarah’s work in the U.S. developing curriculum for the humanities and environmental education, areas that are known to impact creative thinking. Bringing her idea for CIAMO to fruition, however, required six years of dedicated planning before the first students walked through the school’s door.
ClientEarth is the first public interest law firm in the European Union. It was launched in 2007 by philanthropist Winsome McIntosh and her husband Michael with support from the Rachel’s Network Fiscal Sponsorship Fund. The fund fosters the development of independent nonprofits by providing public charitable sponsorship. ClientEarth is now a registered charity in England and Wales and was recently named by Greenwire UK as the most effective environmental organization in Europe.
Our collaboration with The 2012 Project helped recruit women from fields largely underrepresented within policymaking bodies – including health, science and technology, energy, and the environment. Efforts like The 2012 Project contributed to a record-setting year for women’s participation in races for the U.S. House and Senate.
Through a multi-year grant from Rachel’s Network, the National Association of Evangelicals (NAE) was able amplify its message of creation care and climate action within the evangelical community.
