News
Rachel’s Network Works with Evangelicals to Promote Creation Care
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.
Suzanne Ehlers on Women Working from the Periphery
The reminder: Together, we must give a face and a voice to the women and children whose decisions impact the world’s future. Currently, women are forced to walk farther for kindling and water, work harder for the same crop yield, and make choices between their children’s education or keeping them at home to assist with the burden that environmental devastation has already caused for rural households. These impacts are not isolated to rural areas; urban areas are now burgeoning with environmental migrants whose farms could no longer produce enough income due to unpredictable rainfall and desertification.
Loren Blackford on Jump-Starting the Clean Revolution
The role of investments and markets has become a primary focus for me. During my time as chair of the Sierra Club Foundation board, we’ve transitioned as much of our portfolio as possible to asset managers who are aligned with our priorities. Convincing investors that coal is a bad investment has been a key component of the Club’s campaign success. Now the Club is partnering with clean energy leaders to convince investors, policymakers, and the public that renewables and efficiency are a good bet.
2011 Annual Report
In 2011, Rachel’s Network encompassed an extensive array of women from over 20 states, with outreach to educational outlets, advocacy groups, and grantmaking institutions. A retention rate of 93 percent affirmed the Network’s value as a tool for maximizing their impact. Though diverse in age, region, and political affiliation, members remained connected by a shared commitment to philanthropy, women’s leadership, and conservation. A variety of relationships also enhanced our roster, including multi-generational family ties, professional colleagues, and fellow community leaders.
Linda Campbell’s Reflections on Being a Candidate
I had never been particularly politically active before. My previous activism was limited to volunteering for candidates, making phone calls, and posting yard signs. But the Preschool Matters campaign pulled me further in. I was recently divorced, so I had time on my hands and loved the positive energy of the young paid staff. I immersed myself in every aspect of the campaign. I walked precincts, reached out to media outlets, spoke at Rotary clubs, and stuffed mailings. I was the chair of the campaign and a tireless volunteer.
2010 Annual Report
In 2010, Rachel’s Network celebrated the astonishing growth and distinguished slate of program offerings that characterized our first decade. We looked back in appreciation on our remarkable expansion from the Founders’ Circle, a cadre of 18 dedicated women funders who established our “good old girls’ network” in 2000, to nearly 100 advocates who span the nation and collectively represent over $500 million in annual grantmaking. Under the leadership of Past President Lisa Renstrom and a committee representing our accomplished membership, we also completed the Blueprint 2010 strategic planning process that set a course for our next five years. The resulting plan succinctly expressed our renewed focus on community-building initiatives and outlined new efforts to raise our organizational profile.
Vikki Spruill on Taking the Pulse of the Gulf
We need a comprehensive plan to address restoration in the Gulf, and a key part of that plan must be to establish a long-term research and monitoring program so that we can better understand changes in the ecosystem and develop management solutions that keep our environment and economy healthy. A well-funded and robust science program will help guide these efforts by providing research to support the design, selection and evaluation of restoration projects.
2009 Annual Report
Throughout 2009, Rachel’s Network welcomed new members; offered unique leadership services; hosted networking events; updated our communications; grew our outreach programs; and educated members on strategic philanthropy and cutting-edge environmental and women’s empowerment issues. Most importantly, we helped extraordinary women connect with peers who share interests and passions.
Rachel’s Network Joins the Environmental Working Group to Assess Chemical Exposure “Body Burden”
Laboratory tests commissioned by Environmental Working Group (EWG) and Rachel’s Network have detected bisphenol A (BPA) for the first time in the umbilical cord blood of US newborns. The tests identified the plastics chemical in 9 of 10 cord blood samples from babies of African American, Asian and Hispanic descent.
Congressional Women’s Networking Initiative
In 2005, Rachel’s Network established the Congressional Women’s Networking Initiative (CWNI) to create a collegial atmosphere in which women leaders could work together to promote issues important to women.