Rose Foundation | Grassroots

Small Grants for Small Groups
From the farthest fringes of the state to its most populated urban areas, small grassroots organizations are taking on a wide breadth of environmental issues including toxic pollution, environmental health and justice, sustainable agriculture, habitat preservation, land management and urban sprawl. Tactics and strategies are as diverse as the state¹s population and include community organizing, policy development, citizen enforcement, hands-on stewardship and environmental education. Constituencies served and mobilized are similarly broad, ranging from core activists to people who have traditionally not engaged on environmental issues, but are energized around a key local concern.

Although many funders have a long tradition of supporting California¹s national, statewide and regional environmental organizations, support for grassroots work conducted by small groups and 'kitchen table' activists is often outside of many grantmakers's reach. Yet, grassroots activism is a crucial part of marshaling the 'pople power² necessary to address today¹s critical environmental issues. Communities at the forefront of the environmental movement need more effective ways to connect with funders and be in a position to ask for their support.

To meet this need, Environmental Grantmakers Association (EGA)-West asked the Compton Foundation, the Richard and Rhoda Goldman Fund, and Rose Foundation to investigate various existing grassroots grants funds in other areas and develop a framework for a quick response, low-overhead pooled fund to serve community environmental needs in Northern California. Many other foundations have joined the collaborative effort.

Goals
• Provide funders with an effective and efficient way to extend support to Northern California¹s mosaic of underserved environmental charities, community associations and neighborhood organizations.

•Open new lines of communication amongst funders and grassroots activists to enrich perspectives about effective environmental strategies and spark creative dialogue around community and environmental issues.

• Provide qualified organizations that lack 501(c)(3) status or pre-existing fiscal sponsorship with a means to receive funds.

Community Funding Board
(organizations and bioregions listed for identification only)

Warren Alford
Sierra Forest Legacy
Sierra Nevada

Pam Allen (Co-Chair)
Richard & Rhoda Goldman Fund

Fatima Angeles
The California Wellness Foundation

Kathy Bailey
Sierra Club
North Coast

Lori de León
Dolores Huerta Foundation
Central Valley

Jane Rogers
The San Francisco Foundation

Arlene Wong (Co-Chair)
The Bay Institute
San Francisco Bay Area