Environmental Funders Network

Isobel Cohen, Cambridge Conservation Initiative Building collaboration between academia and conservation

Posted on 18 Apr 2018

It is over thirty years since Michael Soulé proposed his model of conservation biology as a “synthetic, multi-disciplinary science”. Since everything humanity needs and does is ultimately derived from nature, it is imperative the sciences, social sciences, policy, practice, human rights, international development, legal and financial systems, culture and the arts come together to address one of the most pressing existential crises of our time. The Collaborative Fund is designed to support such collaboration between nine biodiversity conservation organisations and the University of Cambridge.

Keywords: collaboration, conservation, effectiveness, funding overseas, joined-up-thinking

Eva Rehse and Ursula Miniszewski, Global Greengrants Fund The State of Funding for Women’s Environmental Action

Posted on 8 Mar 2018

Women around the globe are at the forefront of addressing the impacts of climate change and environmental degradation; designing, implementing, and scaling up their own solutions. Yet, as a new mapping report by Global Greengrants Fund and Prospera International Network of Women’s Funds reveals, only 0.2 percent of all foundation funding focuses explicitly on women and the environment. This means that there is a great opportunity for funders committed to protecting our planet to improve their interventions by supporting compelling women-led solutions.

Keywords: effectiveness, funding overseas, grassroots, women

Peter Lipman My cause is your cause

Posted on 22 Feb 2018

Why did an Australian conservation organisation email its supporters encouraging them to vote for same-sex marriage, and what can environmental funders learn from their experience?

Keywords: communications, effectiveness, joined-up-thinking, values

Sian Ferguson, Sainsbury Family Charitable Trusts Remember, remember the 12th of December

Posted on 12 Jan 2018

On 12 December, 2018, the second anniversary of the adoption of the Paris Agreement, French President Emmanuel Macron, World Bank President Jim Yong Kim, and UN Secretary-General António Guterres convened world leaders for the One Planet Summit. It was an extraordinary event.

Keywords: climate change

Isabel Carlisle, Bioregional Learning Centre Stewarding the environment and building relationships of trust

Posted on 4 Sep 2017

One of the toughest challenges facing us in caring for the environment is that it is going to take all of us working together. The big systemic challenges like climate change or economically-driven degradation of the natural world need systemic responses. Responses are not hard to design, but how to do we achieve the ‘all of us working together’ part? The USA is way out ahead of us here, with funders partnering up with backbone organisations and giving unrestricted funding, in relationships of trust. It is time we in the UK caught up with this approach to whole-systems change.

Keywords: collaboration, collective-impact, systems change

Florence Miller, Environmental Funders Network The most effective environmental groups, as rated by their peers

Posted on 11 Jul 2017

We asked 92 chief executives of environmental organisations, “Which non-profit UK environmental organisations (not including your own) do you think accomplish the most, given the resources at their disposal?” Here's what they told us.

Keywords: effectiveness

Eva Rehse, Global Greengrants Fund Cross-thematic funder collaboration – the future of environmental funding

Posted on 2 Jun 2017

Unsustainable development, consumerism, the unequal role of women in society – all have negative impacts on our natural environment. Can environmental philanthropy successfully address the most pressing challenges if we do not acknowledge their interconnected nature? We believe that collaboration with funders from different fields – health, development, social justice – will mean a better-targeted and relevant response to environmental problems, and ultimately more impact. Collaboration across sectors is the future of environmental funding.

Keywords: collaboration, conservation, effectiveness, funding overseas, joined-up-thinking

Florence Miller, Environmental Funders Network Closing Space for Environmental Work

Posted on 2 May 2017

In a recent EFN survey of 92 chief executives of environmental organisations, nearly half of the respondents indicated that their organisations' funding, strategy or other activities are being constrained by the so-called ‘closing space’ for civil society, here in the UK and in countries spanning the globe. The solutions will likely require groups to work across issue areas. How can funders help?

Keywords: closing space, funding overseas, fundraising, joined-up-thinking

Emma Hutchins, Association of Charitable Foundations Environmental Funders Network annual retreat 2017

Posted on 20 Apr 2017

Each year EFN hosts a two-day retreat for funders to discuss the most pressing issues concerning those involved in tackling the myriad of challenges facing the environment. ACF’s Emma Hutchins reports back.

Keywords: climate change, collaboration, effectiveness, investment, joined-up-thinking

Liz Barling, Food Ethics Council Funding the food and farming CSO sector – challenges and solutions

Posted on 12 Apr 2017

We believe our current food system is broken, causing not just environmental damage, but epidemics in obesity and diabetes, poverty amongst food and farm workers, and the mistreatment of animals. Last year the Food Ethics Council was commissioned by a group of funders to conduct a census of CSOs in order to develop a picture of the voluntary sector on food, farming and fishing in the UK. The census indicates that the challenges faced by the food system are getting worse. And despite the best efforts of CSOs, the sector’s response is not commensurate with the scale and urgency of the challenges.

Keywords: agriculture, collaboration, communications, effectiveness, food, funding overseas

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