News
2014 Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C.
Crowdfunding, social entrepreneurship, impacting investing: the tools that grantmakers are now using to advance the causes they care about are growing at a rapid pace. In order to tackle our critical environmental problems, philanthropy can’t stand still. We must...
Expert Q&A with Ruth Hennig, John Merck Fund
The John Merck Fund will award its last grants in 2021 and close its doors in 2022, in order to accelerate progress on environmental issues. Ruth Hennig, Director of the Fund, spoke to Rachel’s Network members about why the Fund made the decision to spend down, the progress they’ve made so far, and the impact she hopes this strategy will have over the next decade.
New Earth Focus Film “UNSAFE” Exposes Danger in Everyday Products
A new episode of Earth Focus reveals that Americans are exposed to tens of thousands of synthetic chemicals that are largely unregulated and untested for safety. UNSAFE: The Truth Behind Everyday Chemicals, takes a penetrating look at the health risks behind the most ubiquitous chemicals in ordinary products.
Adelaide Park Gomer on Mission-Related Investing
Adelaide Park Gomer, President of the Park Foundation and chair of the board, realized early on that it was a contradiction to make grants to not-for-profit organizations that, for example, worked to abolish forest clear-cutting, prevent the use of genetically modified foods and reduce toxins in our waterways if the foundation at the same time was invested in corporations responsible for these egregious practices. Gomer decided to reinvest her personal portfolio in a way that would not harm people and the environment. Pleased with the performance of her new portfolio, she took on the challenge of convincing the foundation to follow suit.
The Rachel’s Network Fellowship
Today, the world is facing unprecedented environmental challenges and we need social entrepreneurs to bring new ideas to light (and to scale) before it’s too late. Women are poised to offer solutions, but they aren’t getting the support they need to take their concepts to the next level. We aim to shift this disparity.
11 Ideas to Support Sustainable Agriculture
When change is needed, how do you know where to start? We recently asked eleven influential figures in sustainable agriculture — including scientists, authors, nonprofit leaders, and journalists — to share how they would like to see more funds directed to advance sustainable agriculture and build healthy food systems. With a diverse range of backgrounds represented, each contributor had a unique perspective on the issue.
Philanthropy’s Power To Lead On Divest-Invest
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.
Community Conch: Sustainable Fishing in the Bahamas
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.
CIAMO: Arts Education in Africa
“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.
L. Hunter Lovins on Maximizing Global Well Being
How do we encourage governments, companies, and an economy obsessed with measuring and growing GNP to shift to maximizing total well-being? For example, a divorcing cancer patient who gets in a car wreck has added to the GNP through payments for services from lawyers, doctors, pharmaceutical companies, tow trucks, and repair shops. Is she any better off? Clearly not. On the other hand, if you stay home to care for your children, volunteer at a home for wounded warriors, care for troubled youth after school, or clean up streams on the weekend, you add nothing to the GNP, but have contributed significantly to a healthier society.